> >> >> >I'm looking for a clear plastic chuck guard for my Myford 7 - more to
> >> >> >prevent lubricating oil spraying everywhere (um.... again...) but I
[quoted text clipped - 38 lines]
> This must all come from spending too much time looking at steam turbine shaft
> glands.
> Of course, If you then go and use suds or cutting oil, all bets are
off :-)
I've just gone and ordered some soluble oil... I thought it was
necessary to use coolant - your statement implies that you do a lot of
machining without... I have much to learn :)
Trevor Jones - 30 Oct 2006 16:20 GMT
> I've just gone and ordered some soluble oil... I thought it was
> necessary to use coolant - your statement implies that you do a lot of
> machining without... I have much to learn :)
Coolant is not a necessity, but it can sure make the job a lot easier
at times.
A good tip from experience. Try to set up your coolant flow so that it
does not hit the chuck. :-)
Cheers
Trevor Jones
Robin - 30 Oct 2006 18:27 GMT
> > I've just gone and ordered some soluble oil... I thought it was
> > necessary to use coolant - your statement implies that you do a lot of
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> A good tip from experience. Try to set up your coolant flow so that it
> does not hit the chuck. :-)
Thanks, Trevor!! Couldn't wait to get cracking so have been turning a
piece of steel (silver steel, I think) without coolant - just the odd
drop of oil here and there. I'm using indexable tips and still very
much on a learning curve. Managed to change my gears to get a finer
power feed (Myford 7) and turned down a 15mm bar to 8mm which I'm going
to attempt to thread...
I'm grinning like an American...
R
Trevor Jones - 30 Oct 2006 19:41 GMT
>>>I've just gone and ordered some soluble oil... I thought it was
>>>necessary to use coolant - your statement implies that you do a lot of
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
>
> R
Worth knowing, too, is that oil and cutting oil are two very different
items. Lube oil is worse than useless for cutting with. If you find
yourself in a bind trying to get a decent surface finish when threading,
try bacon fat. I have seen it suggested that bacon fat cut with a bit of
kerosene will work well too. Kerosene is a good cutting fluid for
aluminum, as well.
Animal fats featured large in the cutting oils of times gone by, but
have fallen out of favour due to it going rancid over the long term.
A small bottle or jar of soluble mix is handy too. If you keep a
paintbrush handy you can dip it in the mix and use it to apply coolant
while cutting. It makes for a total loss system, but eliminates much of
the hassles of a coolant tank and pump. If you are not using it all the
time, a pint bottle of soluble will last a vry long time.
Cheers
Trevor Jones
Andrew Mawson - 30 Oct 2006 20:13 GMT
> >>>I've just gone and ordered some soluble oil... I thought it was
> >>>necessary to use coolant - your statement implies that you do a lot of
> >>>machining without... I have much to learn :)
Although my lathe is equipped with coolant and the tank is full, I
tend to use a spray bottle of it rather than start the pump. Much more
controllable and less ends up on the floor and my tum. But why oh why
do spray bottles all cease to spray after a while!!!! (my current one
needs changing)
AWEM
Mark Howard - 30 Oct 2006 21:50 GMT
>Although my lathe is equipped with coolant and the tank is full, I
>tend to use a spray bottle of it rather than start the pump. Much more
>controllable and less ends up on the floor and my tum. But why oh why
>do spray bottles all cease to spray after a while!!!! (my current one
>needs changing)
I bought one of those plastic plant spray things from the local garden
centre (the type for humidifying indoor plants) for a couple of quid.
It has been working for years with soluble oil and has an adjustable
nozzle from a jet to a mist to boot!
I too have a full coolant system but for the Myford, I tend to use the
spray to alleviate the problem of left hand side of my clothing
needing a different wash-cycle from the right side :)
Mark
Robin - 30 Oct 2006 23:08 GMT
> I too have a full coolant system but for the Myford, I tend to use the
> spray to alleviate the problem of left hand side of my clothing
> needing a different wash-cycle from the right side :)
I was going to use a total loss system, gravity fed - thought about
piping the coolant through some copper brake tube so I can bend it into
position (rather than paying extraordinary amounts for one of those
plastic jobbies). I'm planning on turning quite a lot of stainless bits
and have heard that stainless tends to need cooling more than some
other materials. Perhaps I am being over cautious...
Mark Howard - 31 Oct 2006 21:06 GMT
>I was going to use a total loss system, gravity fed - thought about
>piping the coolant through some copper brake tube so I can bend it into
>position (rather than paying extraordinary amounts for one of those
>plastic jobbies). I'm planning on turning quite a lot of stainless bits
>and have heard that stainless tends to need cooling more than some
>other materials. Perhaps I am being over cautious...
No, I don't think you are being over cautious, most SS work hardens to
a greater or lesser extent so the key to machining it is big cuts.
Gentle cutting/rubbing will work harden it and kill your tools. Plenty
of coolant and as big a cut as your machine will allow is the best way
to get through it.
Mark
Mark Rand - 30 Oct 2006 20:17 GMT
> > Of course, If you then go and use suds or cutting oil, all bets are
>off :-)
>
>I've just gone and ordered some soluble oil... I thought it was
>necessary to use coolant - your statement implies that you do a lot of
>machining without... I have much to learn :)
There is surprisingly little that we do on our Myfords that _needs_ coolant.
If you are using HSS or carbide tools. you can have the chips come off dark
straw or even blue coloured and not worry the tool at all. An important factor
is not to have too high a surface speed for the material.
For instance 400rpm is (just) too fast for a 1" diameter mild steel part with
an HSS cutter. It is quite possible to spoil cutters by taking fine cuts at
high speed, when they would cope quite happily with more aggressive cuts at
lower speeds, a glance at my collection of wrecked tips reminds me regularly.
Of course, belt slip and chatter can set the outside of the operating envelope
:-)
I tend to use neat cutting oil from an old 3-in-one can when I feel the need
for it, but most often that is to improve surface finish or wash swarf away
rather than specifically for coolant.
Have fun, find out what works in your situation and make swarf.
Mark Rand
RTFM