CNC Coolant Basics with QualiChem

[@ericegan5540]

This gentleman is a wealth of knowledge. He really breaks it down to basic beginner level.

[@mjshorty19]

We found out lately that coolant is a huge tool and it matters A TON in machining. We have been through many different coolants in our quest to find the best all purpose coolant - 5 in the past 2 years. Our shop of around 80 machines does a large variety of materials, from cast iron and steel to aluminum to exotics and we ended up landing on the Castrol MB50 and couldn't be happier how much better our tool life and finishes are. Great all purpose coolant.

[@gearloose703]

What kind of water you have? Just thinking how universal would your good results with the coolant be?

[@jacobdostal9875]

Michael Shortino MB50 is the best multi-metal coolant out there!

[@Thepriest39]

As a person who is getting a new Haas VF-4SS in a month I found this very informative. Thanks

[@GlassImpressions]

Great video. Wish I had a dollar ever time he pushed his glasses back on his 👃

[@danturen586]

Glass Impressions ( Oh my God you nailed it !! ) drove me crazy !! after awhile all I thought about was when he is going to do it next. He even does it with both hands......and whats really weird is his glasses are not even moving down..... It's a nervous twitch

[@wiley635]

Thanks for the comments about my glasses guys. I am somewhat new to wearing them, so the slide is hard to get used to, especially when I sweat with doing my first video work with John. Hopefully some of the content proved useful to you.

[@wilmerglick1828]

@@wiley635 Don't worry about it man. I liked the video

[@codygibson2809]

John Wiley hey man you did great. Don’t worry about it.

[@tedean1]

@@wiley635 you did great! Thank you for the video.

[@bostedtap8399]

Great mini treatise on metalworking fluids. Thanks for sharing and stay safe all.

[@danturen586]

I switched to 251C Quali- chem 5 years and it is lights out better then the Sto-cool shit my First Hurco came with. A video this long and they didn't talk about the one vital must in extended coolant life. Coolant circulation and filtering. I can easily get two year out of a coolant fill. Separating out the way oil is also vital. I have 7 CNC machines and the coolant is moving in a circle 24 hours a day. Good water, correct concentration, and circulation and way separation and problems are gone.

[@wiley635]

There are additional videos in the works in which we will touch on other subjects, maintenance included. Lots to say, not much time to say it.

[@LeckieInstallsLondon]

Wish you guys talked about disposing of old coolant!

[@stevelavalette6898]

Someone get this guy an Opti-Grab !

[@owain5431]

Hey John, TDS DOES NOT represent water hardness. TDS includes everything dissolved in a water, not just solids which contribute to hardness. Nor does the "TDS meter" you showed always give an accurate TDS, as it is based on using conductivity as a coarse proxy. To accurately measure water "hardness", you want to find "Carbonate Hardness" (sometimes incorrectly called "Alkalinity"). You can use a small and cheap titration kit that gives you accuracy to 10ppm. This value is usually half that of TDS. If you are running your shop RO based on TDS, you may be getting a very low Carbonate Hardness a a result, which begins to affect the PH and them cause corrosion issues in your machine and/or parts. My industry is commercial coffee, where water quality is critical but for a different reason! We made a small document for our engineers who work on espresso machines to help understand it if you want a copy. Love the vids as always.

[@BrianB.-lb8du]

Owain....could you post a copy here? Sounds interestin. Thanks

[@johnptc]

or hardness test strips

[@jbenham91]

Seconded. If wouldn't mind posting a copy of that document, it would be interesting to read. Thanks

[@JaakkoF]

Definataly interested on this topic, please post it somewhere and link it here for the benefit of all :)

[@wiley635]

Water hardness is not TDS. TDS is looking at the bigger picture, though both should be looked at together. When we analyze water we look for the anions(chlorides and sulfates) and cations (magnesium, calcium, sodium and others). Contact me at [e-mail] if you need some assistance.

[@abhinav425]

Just keep on bringing content its great to watch your content during quarantine !!!

[@NJTurboZ28]

Great video I just ordered my first CNC for work VF2SSYT and this video was just what I needed to get up to speed on coolant. Thanks!

[@mikeb4890]

This is excellent content. I would like to see more videos like this.

[@zackbrown8772]

Used Qualichem personally at the shop i work at replaced it with blaser because our rep. Couldn't solve the smell problem with the coolant blazer did!

[@terry6131]

I have a hobby lathe and whilst there is a lube pump option, I don't have the space so what I do is mix up water soluble oil into a spray bottle and if the work needs it I squirt or light spray the work. It's a good compromise as I can't make large chips, so heat isn't a big issue, but it helps with the cutting tips. As for water testers, go you to your local aquarium store as they will have dirt cheap water testers. I run a tropical tank and have to test for hardness as I live in a very soft water area and have to add bicarbonate of soda to bring the hardness up.

[@Sicktrickintuner]

The noga mist coolers work well with or without coolant. I also have a pressure pump sprayer like some auto body shops use for a solvent wipe. Works well for some MQL but watch out for hot fractures when spraying some cutting tools

[@gearloose703]

Coolant is better for most things and filling a bottle from cnc machine is easy :D Oil just makes so much smoke it is not fun. Also coolant will evaporate from the chip pan and leave a nice fine oil film, unlike oil which makes a mess, especially flying everywhere from the manual machine.

[@larryblount3358]

No coolant story is complete without discussion of how and cost of end of life. AMA: disposal of old coolant. Also while John's machines are all enclosed sealed, What about health and safety of machines that are open. Examples: manual lathe or mill. Or a machine like the HAAS TL.

[@Aumtechinnovation]

Rolltech Innovation manufactures machine coolant saver. Serious threats to productivity and health are bacteria and fungi which are commonly found in industrial coolants. This coolant bacteria filter has some advantageous features include: last a life time, with guarantee of extended life of coolant with bacteria filter - no consumables, no electricity, no chemical dosing, etc. It is a one time investment, ROI within 4-6 Months, Saves on input of fresh oil and disposal cost like etp treatment, or giving it to authorised recycler. These mineral oil based coolant are prone to generation of bacteria which produces foul odour, often from hydrogen sulfide [rotten egg smell]. Rolltech Innovation "Aqualogic" filter is an innovative and economical method of continuously controlling these micro organisms and the odour they generate. "Aqualogic" bacteria coolant filter consists of series of high-purity multi-metal fibres cased within a stainless steel tube. the dissimilar ions in the multimetal alloy bed undergo a natural electrochemical reaction, also known as an oxidation-reduction reaction. Which Kills the all the Microbial activity in the coolant 24/7 call us at [phone] or write to us at rolltechin(at)gmail.com Enjoy the coolant being running without changing it, just keep the coolant healthy ## like and subscribe,that would give us motivation, need your support folks, no organic or inorganic chemicals used, everything is natural

[@azenginerd9498]

What is the coolant recommendation for the occasional use home shop? Mixing a batch for a machine sump that might sit unused for a number of weeks is problematic. Can it be sealed in a container between uses to keep it from going rancid? Interested in what others are doing.

[@captcarlos]

I've been using soluble oil diluted with distilled water for lathe, mill and grinders with no problems growing anything or going smelly. Probably not so cheap for a production CNC environment unless they distilled there own but fine for the quantities I need. 180 litres for well over a year.

[@wiley635]

Get a good quality coolant, mix it correctly and use RO or DI water, and you should be good to go for many months. If you are in AZ, contact Star Metal Fluids for assistance.

[@renatomartinez3183]

In some countries of Latin America some machinists use something called" taladrina" which is a preparation of very light engine oil,liquid soap,and water ,and it works cooling the work and the tools for cuts when working on lathe or milling machines ,and prevents oxydation of iron when there's leftovers on anything!

[@impactodelsurenterprise2440]

Does that really work

[@JonesAndGriesmann]

Thank you for making this video John and John

[@DarkAeroInc]

Good stuff!!! Thank you for taking the time to put this information together. Great video.

[@KuehlEngineering]

@nyc cnc That’s so awesome! Although I don’t have any CNC machines, this is still applicable for me with my manual machines. I’m inspired by your content and have taken the leap of starting my own channel! I am currently filming the second part of the air tool rack build that features the lathe. Thanks again for keeping us sane with cool videos during this crazy time!

[@bcbloc02]

A good coolant rep is a great asset

[@lpi6608]

Makes sense, Most hard water should use a water softer, then the cost goes down and quality goes up. very interesting

[@gasparini76]

There are some aspects from the first video that I was expecting to see in this one. e.g. how to prepare a cutting fluid for a new machine. What is the right TDS value for coolant? etc

[@johnptc]

get a brix meter for coolant

[@wiley635]

We have more content planned for the coming months

[@johnptc]

when a synthetic feels slippery it may be the ph... remember oil and lye make soap... so low ph plus skin oil is soapy as well :)

[@Armedlegally]

So what is a good flood coolant for a surface grinder and a shop that gets down to freezing temps?

[@mitsmillman1652]

Are the markforge parts holding up in the Qualichem?

[@Hirudin]

That was a very interesting discussion! Thanks for putting out videos like this, John (and SMW)!

[@wiley635]

You're welcome. Thanks for the compliment.

[@Charles-lane277]

Coolant is important because use of the tool creates friction which creates a lot of heat and eventually that heat over hardens the tool material from the produced heat,so therefore it makes the tool very brittle,because that's just what happens when metal is over hardened.

[@randycox4633]

I just had RO and a water softener installed at my house. Installer said they won't run RO through copper pipes because RO water is slightly acidic and would eat the pipes. Does pH come into play here when using RO water for coolant base? If no factor, I'll just fill some gallons out of my house rather than buying distilled.

[@wiley635]

So long as the water is mixed with a well designed coolant, the pH is managed by the additives in the coolant concentrate. RO water only gets very slightly acidic, and that really has more to do with the starting pH than the RO process.

[@multiHappyHacker]

Hmm what are your thoughts on service tech calls if a machine is down?

[@gregraymond7154]

I have a Haas TM1 (open machine) and spend a lot of time breathing coolant fumes , what are the health effects.

[@kolby4078]

not good, wear a p95 mask.

[@josemodesto6343]

Can you do a vid describing what is good concentration level on running zirconium?

[@timstamps100]

We are having issues with foaming in one of machines. Can you provide some insight to solving this issue?

[@wiley635]

send me an email [e-mail] and I can get you some help. First check is always making sure that the concentration isn't too high or too low. Reach out if you are interested.

[@karpomkarpippom3042]

Hi Tim, Foaming is due to various reasons: water being very soft, Smaller tank sizes compared to pressure, flow rate of coolant inside machine, Blockage of Pipes, Higher Coolant concentration..

[@ROBRENZ]

Excellent John! ATB, Robin

[@fredflintstone8048]

Very informative video. Thanks for sharing. I've just started using a mist system, so this was helpful for me. I'm using a semi-synthetic fluid that's multi purpose and since I have an RO system, I'm using that for my water supply.

[@amitstorm500]

Which coolant is best for Ti6Al 4V? LN2 is sustainable for continuous production of components.

[@ninjaabcde]

Where can I get quotes on some coolant?

[@Sicktrickintuner]

With water hardness, at what point do the TDS cause issues? Like currently I have 310TDS in the well water, what would I shoot for as a balanced number? The softener works to bring it down to about 25, but what about the salt left in the water. Will that cause issues in the first batch as you want some minerals. Also how much of each mineral is a good or bad number to have? Then the RO water I can get has about 4-7 TDS to it, just trying to find a good mix. I cut lots of steel, stainless and aluminum with coolant, but have lots of carry off and issues while welding. Have had a local rep out from Toronto Lube to try some 251 also, but the coolant also has an effect on welding porosity.

[@wiley635]

Send us a water sample and we will give you some guidance. While water softeners may appear to reduce TDS, the salts used to accomplish the softening might be worse that the water you are starting with...as with most things, the devil is in the details. The cations and anions that exist in your water are the real concern. Contact me at [e-mail] to get started.

[@talhafazal4746]

Good stuff....would love to see more content like this!

[@CheezGAMEZ555]

Great video very informative

[@bradjunes1610]

The best coolant for everything is water. Question is what oil mix's with water and is the best lubricant. 50 years of machining experience tells me machine it then protect it. Thanks.

[@sarahjane4583]

It's very difficult for me to pay attention about coolant when #1 Priority should be getting correct fitting glasses.

[@wiley635]

Thanks Sarah. I appreciate the feedback. I'll make sure to tell my eye doctor. I am sorry that my glasses prevented you form learning something.

[@sarahjane4583]

@@wiley635 I did learn, I was just half joking. But as an anonymous critiquer that doesn't really care about hurting your feelings, you should get it addressed as it is a serious distraction and can leave a negative first impression upon others, even though we all know you're a handsome and knowledgeable man.

[@toolbox-gua]

Great video for very useful info.

[@Gammaworlds]

Great video, do you have any recommendations for anyone wanting to get into CNC machining perhaps a book or videos to learn some basics?

[@GuyFawkes911]

How about using osmosis to treat your water. you can really get low TDS values I get from 450ppm down to 9ppm. Is there any recommendation for the hobbiest(all materials, prevents corrosion of the machine and parts, and won't go bad if its not used for a long time) which you can get worldwide (in germany)?

[@wiley635]

Reverse Osmosis is a common method for cleaning up water, as you have experienced. Our XTREME CUT 250NBF would be the suggestion for you in Germany. Email me at [e-mail] if you want more details.

[@Awfultyming]

Ideal coolant for 17-4ph and inconel?

[@MatthewMelson]

I'm using Blaser 735 (the clear stuff) and it leaves a white powder light substance on my ATC door and on tool holders. I use DI water with the coolant. What might be happening?

[@wiley635]

Which version of the 735 are you using? Contact me at [e-mail] if you want some help.

[@weldchip]

Hey John couple of questions. Where can you buy QualiChem as a smaller hobby user? I saw you had 55gal drums of the stuff in the shop when i was there for the class but it would take me a decade to go through one of those on my little 18gal sump. Also it would be nice to list out some of the good formulas for multi metal with some of the pro's and cons to each, the qualichem website seems to be lacking with only two case studies and no product data sheets openly accessible.

[@Sicktrickintuner]

Weld Chip They also have 5 gallon pails for about $200. I got lucky with my local rep and got a 1 gal container from them

[@UncleDonut66]

Try MetalFluids.com. I just bought Quailichem 250C from them in a 5 gallon pail.

[@advil000]

Tormach sells 251C by the gallon.

[@weldchip]

That's good to know! Thanks guys. I have been using koolmist and a gallon of that lasts me ages.

[@ExMachinaEngineering]

On my God! I just enjoyed hearing two people talk about coolant for 20 minutes... What's happening to me..? Oh well, I still liked it. P.S. What metals can snake oil be used with? Will tool life suffer? Sounds like it will...

[@gearloose703]

Haha still can't say I enjoyed it, but the extended tool life always gets my attention but mostly just adding to the pain.

[@h2opower]

This is the one that Titan's of CNC uses www.blaser.com/en_US and it is clear so you can see your work piece.

[@xaraphyn]

Yes. YES!! Thank you so much for this!

[@macmaniacal]

Where would you use coolant to machine cast iron?

[@kkknotcool]

It's generally a surface finish thing. Hot chips can attach to the cutter and gall the work. I've only seen the need for small or deep drill holes.

[@wiley635]

Cast iron needs good corrosion control. While the tools may not need the performance, the freshly cut metal needs the protection. We suggest running the coolant as you would on any metal. Contact me at [e-mail] if you need some help.

[@elluisito000]

Cool topic to talk about

[@Rickgrott100]

Coolant guy got some on his glasses!

[@Necrpentance]

Anybody have a count of dudes total glasses touch count? Must be a nervous tick as I got distracted by how much he’s pushing them up and found it distracting.

[@johndude70]

Great explanation, from a man with my name.

[@Allan-mf1he]

Needs to get a fix for that optical problem... Whould think that water treatment should be a no brainier.

[@wiley635]

You would think water quality would be a no brainer, but 90% of coolant users ignore it. As for my glasses, what can I say?

[@ricardo-iw9sq]

I hate suds I can never pick the right one, a rep comes in says this is good we try 5L then buy 25 L then after a couple of months it breaks down leaves oil every where, then wash machine down debug wash try another type and then go down the same road they work fine in a squeezey bottle on the manual machines. When we do find one they change the recipe and say this is just the same, it drives me nuts, I machine tool steel, ally, brass, plastic, stainless, mild steel copper and bronze on a Harrison 460t alpha lathe.

[@wiley635]

It sounds like there is an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. Contact me at [e-mail] if you want some help.

[@NORTHBROOK1978]

I run plastics. We just run everything dry. But with metal it does matter.

[@jasonjoens279]

You should totally buy me a cnc mill so I can put this new information to good use!

[@justinmoritz6543]

Very cool video, but it has to be watched at 2x speed lol

[@ianagos4276]

We should get a dinger to put on the video for Everytime this man pushes his glasses up.

[@wiley635]

At least your comment about my glasses was slightly more original than the others.

[@willardSpirit]

I wish there were lavender scented metal cutting coolant 😢

[@loghorizon45]

Oh no. That strong lavender smell would kill my mood.

[@harlech2]

Shop Doggo Best Doggo!

[@Aumtechinnovation]

Rolltech Innovation manufactures machine coolant saver. Serious threats to productivity and health are bacteria and fungi which are commonly found in industrial coolants. This coolant bacteria filter has some advantageous features include: last a life time, with guarantee of extended life of coolant with bacteria filter - no consumables, no electricity, no chemical dosing, etc. It is a one time investment, ROI within 4-6 Months, Saves on input of fresh oil and disposal cost like etp treatment, or giving it to authorised recycler. These mineral oil based coolant are prone to generation of bacteria which produces foul odour, often from hydrogen sulfide [rotten egg smell]. Rolltech Innovation "Aqualogic" filter is an innovative and economical method of continuously controlling these micro organisms and the odour they generate. "Aqualogic" bacteria coolant filter consists of series of high-purity multi-metal fibres cased within a stainless steel tube. the dissimilar ions in the multimetal alloy bed undergo a natural electrochemical reaction, also known as an oxidation-reduction reaction. Which Kills the all the Microbial activity in the coolant 24/7 call us at [phone] or write to us at rolltechin(at)gmail.com Enjoy the coolant being running without changing it, just keep the coolant healthy ##

[@calholli]

Wow... So I'm just going to use coca cola and hope for the best.

[@jonarbuckle1560]

It bothers me how far down his nose those glasses are

[@wiley635]

Yeah, I'm new to glasses, a pain in the ass they are

[@natewarner392]

They say one of the best things you can do in order to avoid getting coronavirus is not touching your face. If that's true this guy is a goner for sure. It's a shame too because it seems like he really knows his stuff. Thanks for the info!

[@wiley635]

Thanks for the concerns about me getting the virus. So far, I am OK. Not being on camera and sweating from the nerves of being on with the famous Mr. Saunders allows the glasses to stay firmly in place.