Coollant Tank

[BobL]

I know this will be old-hat for most of you guys but I thought you might like to see this anyway.

http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=170928&stc=1&d=1306161177

The tank itself is a 15L ex-transformer oil tank (not PCB). It's 2 mm steel plate so it's pretty solid. The top is a piece of ally plate from an old x-ray scanner. It's hinged at about 1/3rd from one end so it can be opened to access the bits inside.

Inside the tank there is a water feature pump SWMBO purchased that turned out to be too powerful for the intended water feature even on its lowest setting. It's also way too powerful for a small coolant circuit like this one so I fitted a 20 mm PVC pipe loop constricting the flow along the left hand side of the loop and inserting a take off point on the pressurized side of the loop. This last point is crucial - if you decide to make something similar and get the take off on the wrong side of the loop the take off will suck instead of squirting!

For a return line I decided to make my own funnel from a couple of pieces of storm water pipe fittings. Inside is a filter made of a rolled up flywire plus I have added a magnet.
http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=170929&stc=1&d=1306161177
The flywire filter and the whole funnel can be easily removed for cleaning.
http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=170932&stc=1&d=1306162083
http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=170930&stc=1&d=1306162083

At the lathe this is what you see.
http://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=170931&stc=1&d=1306161177
I'm still awaiting the delivery of some of those magnetic based flexible nozzles which I will add to deliver the lube/coolant onto the workpiece
The flow is controlled by the big and little tap in tandem giving a very fine control of flow rates without having the pump not pumping anything.

The somewhat higgeldy-piggedy arrangement of plumping fittings is because most of these are left overs from my retic projects of one kind or another. If I started from scratch I would have done it all in 15 rather than 20 mm pipe. I did at one stage glue two of the wrong pieces to 2 other wrong pieces and have to go and buy 4 new ones - DANG!. Overall I am pretty pleased with it given the only thing I had to buy was a packet of machine screws and a half a dozen plumbing fittings.

[BRADFORD]

Love this
There's nothing better than making something useful out of stuff you have lying around.

[Anorak Bob]

Bob,

An aside. I notice an aerosol can of WD40 on the lathe's swarf tray. That stuff promotes corrosion on my machines. There is discussion about it on PM. I only use the stuff with a hand sprayer. Be careful.

BT

[bollie7]

Bob
What type of pump are you using? If its a centrifugal you should be able to regulate the flow by just restricting the discharge. ie. with a valve. shouldn't hurt the pump at all.
If its a positive displacement pump (gear pump or similar) then a spring loaded pressure relief valve and return line would be required.This is what I run on my lathe. flow is controlled by a valve and excess pressure and flow just returns to the tank via the relief valve.

regards
bollie7

[BobL]

Bob,

An aside. I notice an aerosol can of WD40 on the lathe's swarf tray. That stuff promotes corrosion on my machines. There is discussion about it on PM. I only use the stuff with a hand sprayer. Be careful.

BT

Thanks Bob. Yeah I know about it by direct experience. It's also a PITA to paint over surfaces that have been sprayed with it especially if it gets into any cracks or pits which it does real easy. I was using it to loosen rusty nuts on studs welded to the tank. I was going to use the studs as feet but I ended cutting them off. I like the idea of a handsprayer version.



Bob
What type of pump are you using? If its a centrifugal you should be able to regulate the flow by just restricting the discharge. ie. with a valve. shouldn't hurt the pump at all.

It is a $30 plastic submersible centrifugal pump with a max flow rate of 15 L/min but the loop and two taps are more about flow control than the pump. That particular 1/4 BSP ball tap seems to have an all or nothing setting at low flow rates. I use them on my chainsaw mills for aux oiling and they are a pain to set low flow rates.

[Stustoys]

Bob,
Looks good. Was there a hole in the swarf tray already?

BT,
What sort of hand sprayer do you use? A mate bought 4L of WD40 and get a WD40 spray bottle as a bonus. The seals lasted about two weeks :(


Stuart

[BobL]

Bob,
Looks good. Was there a hole in the swarf tray already?
Nope I drilled/cut one out to suit. From what I can see this late was never been run with a coolant pump before.

[Anorak Bob]

[
BT,
What sort of hand sprayer do you use? A mate bought 4L of WD40 and get a WD40 spray bottle as a bonus. The seals lasted about two weeks :(


Stuart[/QUOTE]

Stu, I'm still using the genuine WD-40 hand sprayer that came with the 4 litre container. I've had it for maybe 7 years. They might have been locally made back then. Your mate's is probably made in the Republic de Chine.

BT

[RayG]

Hi Bob, Stuart,

I've got an Inox spray bottle that's lasted for a few years, I bought a few from SuperCrap Auto, and the one with Kero lasted a week before it stopped.

Regards
Ray

PS Bob, Great job with the coolant tank, very neat, and looks like it should work well.

[Sterob]

. That particular 1/4 BSP ball tap seems to have an all or nothing setting at low flow rates. I use them on my chainsaw mills for aux oiling and they are a pain to set low flow rates.

Keep your eye out for some small needle valves. Much better for control you desire.

[BobL]

Keep your eye out for some small needle valves. Much better for control you desire.

Good idea, I have one but it seems to get clogged very easily on the Chain saw mill - I will probably use it to the Bandsaw blade cooler when I make it.

[danielhobby]

aahhumm! chuck key alert!!!!

[danielhobby]

:d

[Grahame Collins]

Re the Inox pump sprayers

They are a dearer item than the average squeeze pump cos they have solvent resistant seals , which the cheapies don,t

Grahame

[BobL]

aahhumm! chuck key alert!!!!

Excellent work DH. I know you probably won't believe me but as I was taking the picture I could see the chuck key there and thought wow - that should not be there but I took the pics anyway waiting to see who would spot it.

[Dave J]

You got that together quick Bob.:2tsup:
There are flexible segmented (blue and orange) plastic coolant hoses with a nozzle and tap end on ebay for around $5.

That chuck key would make quite a sound if it flew off in that shed.:o

Dave

[BobL]

You got that together quick Bob.:2tsup:
I work in strange cumulative ways. It starts with a box (or section of bench) and stuff gets put into it specific to the job over time, ie parts, tools, paint cans, string, etc When the need or contents reach a threshold - it happens.


There are flexible segmented (blue and orange) plastic coolant hoses with a nozzle and tap end on ebay for around $5.
Yep have ordered 4 of these as I want to add coolant tanks to other gear in the shed. Have thought about a mobile tank but think it will be simpler not to have to connect and reconnect tanks.


That chuck key would make quite a sound if it flew off in that shed.:o

Yep - know all about it. I broke a window in high school with a chuck key. I got 6 of the best on the back of the legs and had to pay for the window from my part time job (50c/hr) . . . . . .

[Ironwood]

Bobl, for the drain in the tray, did you just drill a hole for the coolant to drain into the tank ?

I am cleaning my tray up ready for painting, I am thinking I might drill a hole and silver solder a nipple on the underside of the tray so its ready for when I hook a coolant system up to mine.
Did you put a screen over the drain hole ?

[BobL]

Bobl, for the drain in the tray, did you just drill a hole for the coolant to drain into the tank ?

I am cleaning my tray up ready for painting, I am thinking I might drill a hole and silver solder a nipple on the underside of the tray so its ready for when I hook a coolant system up to mine.
Did you put a screen over the drain hole ?

The tray that is part of the stand already had hole at the back edge about half way along the bed. This hole has a collar with a 1/2" BSP female thread. My lathe also has a second tray that sits inside the tray that is part of the stand. I drilled a 1/2" hole in the second tray so the fluid could get to the hole underneat and placed some fly wire sandwiched between the two trays. The holes are directly over a home made funnel (the grey short length of tubing) and there is a second filter and a magnet in the funnel as well.

[Ironwood]

Thanks, will have a think how I will mod mine.

I was thinking about cutting a square hole in the tray about 50mm square, and making a plate with a drain pipe to attach from underneath with some mesh sandwiched between the two.

Also been thinking about the coolant supply, I might just go simple and have a 20 litre drum on a shelf and gravity feed to the nozzle.
The small amount of turning I will be doing, I think this will suffice.
I can always fit a pump later if I get the urge.

[pmcgee]

Bob,

An aside. I notice an aerosol can of WD40 on the lathe's swarf tray. That stuff promotes corrosion on my machines. There is discussion about it on PM. I only use the stuff with a hand sprayer. Be careful.

BT


I know it's been a while, but I have a question ...

But first, as a by-the-way, some friends gave me their coolant pump that they had made from a bench drill motor, an impeller and a plastic container. Pics below.

Re the WD40 ... do you think it could depend on the type of metal involved?

I have used the aerosol WD40 for *everything* for maybe 9 months now and I have found it to be fantastic. I have WW machinery outdoors and under tarps ... a 36" bandsaw ... quite large dimension saw ... cabinet-sized rip saw ... and a 20" thicknesser. They have not looked better since being liberally
slathered in WD40 from these cans. It has made the cast-iron surfaces dark, smooth and rust-free ... so the above quote caught my attention.

All the machinery is pretty old - bandsaw is 1940s, etc - do you think that
a) there might be a different formula in the cans 1 year on? or
b) it might have to do with the age/composition of the metal?

I am assuming the lathe AB referred to was cast-iron also.

Thanks,
Paul McGee

[Anorak Bob]

I know it's been a while, but I have a question ...

But first, as a by-the-way, some friends gave me their coolant pump that they had made from a bench drill motor, an impeller and a plastic container. Pics below.

Re the WD40 ... do you think it could depend on the type of metal involved?

I have used the aerosol WD40 for *everything* for maybe 9 months now and I have found it to be fantastic. I have WW machinery outdoors and under tarps ... a 36" bandsaw ... quite large dimension saw ... cabinet-sized rip saw ... and a 20" thicknesser. They have not looked better since being liberally
slathered in WD40 from these cans. It has made the cast-iron surfaces dark, smooth and rust-free ... so the above quote caught my attention.

All the machinery is pretty old - bandsaw is 1940s, etc - do you think that
a) there might be a different formula in the cans 1 year on? or
b) it might have to do with the age/composition of the metal?

I am assuming the lathe AB referred to was cast-iron also.

Thanks,
Paul McGee


" It has made the cast-iron surfaces dark, smooth and rust-free ... so the above quote caught my attention."

Ah ha. And therein lies the answer. All my cast iron surfaces are bright. Here is the lathe I mentioned, post trauma.

Bob.

[Abratool]

" It has made the cast-iron surfaces dark, smooth and rust-free ... so the above quote caught my attention."

Ah ha. And therein lies the answer. All my cast iron surfaces are bright. Here is the lathe I mentioned, post trauma.

Bob.
Bob
My 3 kids have red hair,in fact when my wife saw the photo, she said it looked like my youngest daughter (aged 37) working the Hercus 9" lathe.
regards
Bruce