Sometimes, how you treat your coolant is more important than the type or brand. What makes the coolant go rancid is organisms growing in it. Good coolants have inhibitors for these organisms, but they wear out. "Tramp" oils, from the ways or elsewhere, don't have inhibitors and are an excellent growth medium.
You should add a disinfectant or inhibitor periodically. Reformulate or replace your coolant at least every two months. Keep all contaminants out of the coolant. Shield your ways, use a coolant skimmer. Above all, don't let people spit in it! Duh! Once a year, thoroughly clean and disinfect the coolant sump and trays. Remove all chips. Use a steam cleaner to disinfect the sump. It works! Your coolant will stay fresh a very long time the first fill after cleaning. Less as time goes by. An added advantage to keeping coolant clean is the reduced instance of contact dermatitis. Rough red hands and skin can come about quite suddenly after contact with contaminated coolant. Wear gloves or use a protective cream when handling materials that have been in the coolant. Most coolant salesmen can provide you with a pamphlet detailing these matters. Taking care of your coolant is just like taking care of your other tools. It costs a little, but is worth it. Gene Bowen "Robert T. Callahan" wrote: > Sorry for the non-SmartCAM question, but I need help selecting an > all-around flood coolant. > > I'm looking for something that works well for a variety of metals and > machining applications, doesn't turn rancid or start to really smell > after only a month or two, has good lubricity, doesn't need a lot of > special additives to keep it healthy, and doesn't cost a fortune. > > Any suggestions would be appreciated. ====================================================================== To find out more about this mailing list including how to unsubscribe, send the message "info mfg-smartcam" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ======================================================================
