I am looking at a new mill that has flood coolant. My current machine has mist coolant. I am retired and we are sometimes away for 2 months or so. Is there a coolant that can be left this long. I live in AZ where it is very dry most of the time except during monsoons season. My garage is airconditioned at all times.
Best… Richard
I use qualichem 251C and it seems to hold up just fine. I’ve left it for several months with no problem at all other than some evaporation.
Thanks for your thoughts.
An oil skimmer will help keep your coolant clean which allows for longer life. If you have a bunch of way oil in the coolant then your welcome home party with contain a pretty funky smell coming from the machine.
Thanks. Two questions:
I installed a NexJen Technologies oil separator Our Products | Nexjen Technologies. I put it on a wifi controlled switch so I can run it periodically when I’m away from the machine. The coolant seems to last well if you keep it as oil free as possible. The coolant in my lathe is over a year old now and is still fine.
I ran my 1100MX with mist for a couple years because I was afraid of the hassle with the coolant. I added flood coolant this summer and would not go back!
I used my coolant for almost 2 years before doing my first real clean out. I use my mill almost every single day but recently left it for a month. Some peoples mills are sitting for years unused. I jus pull the oiler and move all the axis to the limits and then center it and shut off before I leave it, or after a good wash down.
Thanks guys. I talked with a friend who runs a large machine shop. He said if I run primarily 6061 (which I do), separate the oil I should be good for a looong time. I have decided to nix my FobBuster and go flood.
Scott, if you don’t mind me asking. What was the cost of the Nexjen oil speparator?
Richard
about $500 from MSC.
Thanks Scott. I noticed that Tormach sells one that is supposedly compatible with the 1500MX
Tormach Mill Upgrade - Oil Skimmer Kit for 1100M/1100MX, 770M/770MX, and PCNC 440 - SKU 39298
Richard,
That’s a skimmer rather than a coalessing separator. The functional difference in my mind is that the skimmer just runs a belt through the coolant but doesn’t really move much if any coolant around. The NexJen (which is just one version) actually pumps a significant amount of coolant through a box that separates the junk from the coolant and then returns it to the coolant tank.
I find that preferable for leaving the coolant in the machine for longer periods without use. Time will tell.
If I am not using my machines for an extended period of time, I just empty the machine.
I just disconnect the coolant pump hose and stick the end into a 5 gallon bucket, and turn on coolant flow. I slap a lid on it when full, then move onto a second bucket.
It takes less than 5 minutes and it’s simple to do.
I have a skimmer and have found it to be only marginally useful, especially for a situation like leaving the machine unused for a month at a time. To be most effective, the skimmer must be running pretty much all the time because it only affects a small area of the sump. As it picks up oil (and some coolant) the catch can fills and if it’s not monitored and emptied, eventually, it will overflow back into the sump. Since oil floats, the first thing that ends up overflowing is all the oil that has collected. Since the catch can is under the machine, that means you need to pull the tank out and check it periodically, not a major issue, but not ideal if you’re wanting to walk away for a long time.
The nexjen arguably has multiple advantages here. First, it processes MUCH more liquid per unit time. It actively pumps coolant through the filter rather than passively pickup up stuff as it floats by a belt. Excess coolant returns to the tank while the oil gets trapped in the unit floats to the top. The unit itself is mounted on the outside of the machine and is clear so you can see when it’s time to drain the oil. Draining the oil is just a matter of opening a valve and collecting the runoff. All in, a much better approach IMO. For what it’s worth, I have no association with any coolant filter manufacturers don’t have a nexjen yet but it’s on my shortlist of additions.
@Richard_Salzman FYI. this is the skimmer for the 1500MX
https://tormach.com/oil-skimmer-kit-for-1500mx-9-in-53859.html
FWIW. I have all of the skimmers on the machines in my own shop and the showroom hooked up to a timed outlet so that it runs for 45min in the middle of the night. This allows the coolant and oil to separate before the skimmer runs. Otherwise, it doesn’t work very well.
I leave coolant in the sump for months on end… Don’t have a skimmer so it got a bit sulferous after a while so I added a fishtank bubbler on a timer. That keeps the stink down but doesn’t get rid of the tramp oil.
One more addition to these and my earlier comments about NexJen is that on my 1100MX I was not able to use the 3 ball float pick up. They make another type pictured below that fit into my coolant tank. I am not sure what the layout of the 1500MX tank is but on the 1100MX tank the internal baffles and height prevented that. I do have to keep the tank topped up for it not to capitate as well.
One more question. Does this look like what you bought?
NJT 1500 LP - C-Thru® Separator Standard Package with larger pump – 115V, 60Hz - SK Industrial
Richard
Hi Richard,
I go t the NJT-1500 not the LP. I don’t think these smaller machines including the 1500MX need a larger pump. The 1100MX has a small coolant tank so the larger pump is a problem as well as I had to swap the pick from the 3 floating balls to the tower style in the photo below because the 3 ball will not fit in the 1100MX coolant tank.. I worked that out with NJT directly before ordering. Contact Bob Kretchmar there at NJT very nice guy. rkretchmar@nexjentech.com
Thanks Scott. Just spoke with a local flood coolant supplier. They sell the NextJen and will install it for free. Thanks for your help!
Fantastic! I like mine so far, my coolant isn’t super dirty so I can’t comment on how that part works so far, but I wanted to mention I have it plugged into a Tapo wifi switch that I set up on a schedule when I’m away. This way the coolant gets agitated and is less likely to stagnate.
