lathe coolant

[alesandro]

I'd like to make a cheap coolant/lube system for my lathe, it would not get a lot of use so I'm reluctant to spend too many $$$, does anybody have any good plans.

[pipeclay]

Depending on the amount of coolant you want to use and whether you need to be able to reclaim it you have a few options.

Cheapest would be a Soft drink bottle with a small hole in the lid,squirt it on the part your machining.

Next would be to use an old Milo,Coffee or Baby powdered milk tin or similar,but a hole in the side of it near the bottom,attach a small Ball Valve or tap,bit of tubing to direct flow.You would need to make some type of stand at the rear of your lathe to hold the tin.

Next would be a small pond pump sitting in either a plastic bucket/drum or some type of plastic container,b plumb it up similar to the tin,you would need a pump that would lift a minimum of 1metre,place a hole in the tray of your lathe with some type of filter so not to much rubbish can get back to the resivoir and pump.

Next would be to by a purpose made system from one of the machinery dealers.

[Old-Biker-UK]

Pipeclay has covered your options.
In the old days before plastic bottles & electric pumps an amateur turner could buy one of these for use on his treadle lathe.
243719
'WELLS LATHE CAN'
BTW I don't use it balanced on a jar of beeswax polish, just there for the pic.!
Mark

[Gavin Newman]

Two solutions I use.

I use an old fuel tank to feed cutting oil into the lathe, the oil then drains into a drum under the lathe and is periodically filtered and re-used.

The other solution, if you want to use soluble oils, is to get one of the el-cheapo parts washers. I use one on my hacksaw but it could be easily adapted to use on a lathe.

243721243722

[BobL]

Here's (http://www.woodworkforums.com/f65/coollant-tank-135745/) mine.

[alesandro]

Thanks for your input blokes, also came across another idea similar to bobl's from tongles. Might use bobl's and tongles pond pump idea I think. Thanks again.

[BobL]

Thanks for your input blokes, also came across another idea similar to bobl's from tongles. Might use bobl's and tongles pond pump idea I think. Thanks again.

Make sure you use magnets to collect fine swarf otherwise the swarf will clog the aquarium pump which contains a permanent magnet and cleaning it out is not a pleasant job. I have a similar coolant system set up on my BS (which makes more fine swarf than a lathe) and I had to install extra magnets onto the metal drip tray to make it magnetic otherwise the pump would stop working after only a few dozen cuts.

[cba_melbourne]

I found that water/oil emulsion coolant as used in industry will quickly get rancid in a home shop setup that only gets on/off use (ugly smelling bacteria seem to thrive in it after a short while). It also stains your machine tools. Hare and Forbes sell a cheap solution, something like a gravity fed miniature camping shower bag. Much better for the on/off usage typical in a home shop is something like ATF or Hydraulic oil, if a true flood coolant is what you are after. It does not go off. But it needs a proper coolant pump setup as it otherwise can get messy.

Another alternative is using a water spray mister. These are commercially available misting systems that use compressed air and water (healthy), or sometimes an organic mixture. The latter is not liked in industry because you breathe the very fine organic vapors, but for home shop use should be fine with good ventilation. Google up "Kool Mist" and similar products. Chris

[Ueee]

Chris is right, the soluble oil coolant will go rancid over time. I use a full synthetic coolant made by Carlingford, i'm not sure on the exact name right now but can check tomorrow. It will not go off or scummy and has the bonus of being a clear greeny colour so visibility is better.

[Oldneweng]

Thanks for your input blokes, also came across another idea similar to bobl's from tongles. Might use bobl's and tongles pond pump idea I think. Thanks again.

I have a pond pump running coolant for my BS. It runs into a 5 litre plastic container at the moment although I have plans to change this for a 15 litre bucket with a lid. I have the pump sitting just off the bottom with a stainless step about 10mm high. This will be higher when I change to the bucket. This step (perforated) stops gunk from the bottom from being sucked up, I hope. I also have magnets under the tray and a garden watering type filter at the coolant tray level. This has worked for me for a long time except sometimes I have to grab the hose and jiggle the pump up and down to shake off the coagulated gunk from the coolant. I am told that synthetic type coolant does not go off. I hope this is true.

Dean

[krisfarm]

Another vote for ATF, I recently changed both my mill and lathe over to it. The soluble oil was forever evaporating and staining and rusting everything and it is not cheap. I made up a good filter system using a Holden oil filter and picked up 60 litres of clean used auto transmission fluid for no cost. I filtered it and cleaned out both machines ( what a job) and it is all OK now.
Bob

[BobL]

I found that water/oil emulsion coolant as used in industry will quickly get rancid in a home shop setup that only gets on/off use (ugly smelling bacteria seem to thrive in it after a short while). It also stains your machine tools. Hare and Forbes sell a cheap solution, something like a gravity fed miniature camping shower bag. Much better for the on/off usage typical in a home shop is something like ATF or Hydraulic oil, if a true flood coolant is what you are after. It does not go off. But it needs a proper coolant pump setup as it otherwise can get messy.
A big disadvantage of ATF or HO is their poor specific heat capacity (< quarter of that of water). Where a large surface area is involved extra volume of fluid helps but where cutting tips are small it may not work as well.


Another alternative is using a water spray mister. These are commercially available misting systems that use compressed air and water (healthy), or sometimes an organic mixture. The latter is not liked in industry because you breathe the very fine organic vapors, but for home shop use should be fine with good ventilation. Google up "Kool Mist" and similar products. Chris
Even with water vapour systems, good ventilation will be needed to stop things corroding in a home workshop. One thing about most home workshops is that they are usually much smaller in volume than commercial shops so just one mister can saturate the air in a small home workshop very quickly.

I've had my Lathe cooling system for over a year now and given it only gets used a couple of times a month I am very pleased that it has not developed a smell.
I'm using H&F synthetic cutting oil in water which supposedly has excellent anti bacterial properties but I also run the pump at full speed (and tap off the pressurise side of the loop) so whenever it is used it get vigorously agitated. The affect of this would be to over oxygenate the fluid which will promote aerobic bacterial growth but suppress anaerobic bacterial growth which turns any Sulphur present in lube oils and in water into H2S (rotten egg gas). However, it does over a period of a few months develop a horrible looking scummy layer on the top of the reservoir which I scoop off.

Here (http://cedarfallsoil.com/_IWRC_mirror/cfm.pdf) is a very readable PDF about cutting fluid that some might find useful

Another system I have heard about is a vortex tube - uses compressed air to make two air streams one hot and one cold. At work in the engineering dept they are experimenting with using this for cooling machine tools.

[cba_melbourne]

> Another system I have heard about is a vortex tube - uses compressed air to make two air streams one hot and one cold. At work in the engineering dept they are experimenting with using this for cooling machine tools.

Trouble is, a vortex tube uses huge volumes of compressed air to make a minuscule volume of cold air. Compressed air is expensive (considering not only electricity, but small low cost compressors as used in home shops have a short life if duty cycle is too long). Plus compressors are noisy. I think that are the reasons why vortex tubes are not used commercially, despite being very simple low cost devices without moving parts. Chris

[BobL]

. . . Trouble is, a vortex tube uses huge volumes of compressed air to make a minuscule volume of cold air. Compressed air is expensive (considering not only electricity, but small low cost compressors as used in home shops have a short life if duty cycle is too long). Plus compressors are noisy. I think that are the reasons why vortex tubes are not used commercially, despite being very simple low cost devices without moving parts. Chris

Yep - all good points.

[Bryan]

Another vote for ATF,

Bob, does it smoke?

[krisfarm]

Hi Bryan,
If you use just a dribble on a heavy cut it does smoke a little,I put a fan on,but if you increase the flow it does not. As it does not have as good a cooling quality as the water based coolant I always run a high flow rate this also removes all of the chips very good when threading. After using both I would not go back to the water based coolant.
Bob

[MuellerNick]

Here is my vote:
Good old long proven water with soluble oil.
It does not stare at you after some time if you let access air. Agitating it from time to time is also good. Some even have an air bubbler (aquarium stuff) that is switched on by a timer once every few days. To avoid rusting, you really should buy a refractometer and check whenever you fill up. If you get too low, you get rust. I stay over 5%, even if they say 3% are enough. More oil doesn't hurt that much.

I have tried mist cooling (from Noga) and that is just crap in my eyes. The smaller the mill gets, the less it works (if it works at all). I once had to mill a pocket for an O-ring with a 2 mm mill. I broke 5 of them in the fist few cm. After switching to coolant (water/oil), I have cut 1 m without breaking it. That stuff doesn't wash out chips, it only helps sticking the chips.
And, it doesn't really cool, it only blows away chips.

Pure oil is often used on Swiss lathes. But they always do have a full enclosure and use it generously. I wouldn't like the mess on the floor with a conventional lathe.

OTOH, coolant helps best, if you really FLOOD the work. I wouldn't like that either on a manual lathe. So a few drops of a good cutting oil is an option. But then, some carbide inserts do not like oil at all. They only work dry or with coolant.

That didn't help much. Maybe helped to confuse a bit more. :)

Buy a squirt bottle and use water+oil on a manual lathe.


Nick

[Karl Robbers]

One way to pump the coolant that i was quite impressed with was to machine an eccentric cam that mounts on your lathe feed screw and operates the lever of an old diapragm fuel pump from a car.
I too have had the problem of bacterial growth in coolant tanks but can report that neither the oil sold by Hare and Forbes nor Millicent B soluble screwing oil seem to suffer from this issue.

[eskimo]

I found that water/oil emulsion coolant as used in industry will quickly get rancid i

how long does it take before it goes off Chris?

[simonl]

Hi all,

I have been watching this thread with much interest. I am yet to use any coolant on any of my machines but I am keen to experiment to see if it suites my needs.

WRT lathes, when the coolant falls onto the chip tray, how do you stop it seeping between where the lathe bed bolts down and sandwiches the chip tray?

I'm always finding oil (from the norton gearbox) seeping through and ending up inside the cabinets. Should I silicon a bead around the base of the lathe bed?

Cheers,

Simon

[eskimo]

I'm always finding oil (from the norton gearbox) seeping through and ending up inside the cabinets. Should I silicon a bead around the base of the lathe bed?



me too ...although it does have a benefit..the oil goes all the metal buts I have in the cabinet area which helps prevent them from corrosion...dont think coolant will do this if left attended for a long time

I have thought about cleaning with acetone and then using silicone ...but????

[Dave J]

I have seen it highly recommended on another forum to silicon around the bases of the bed before assembling.
The factory tray is not really coolant friendly, it really needs a new one made up, but can be made to work.
You could pop rivet a few pieces of sheet angle across the headstock end to stop coolant flowing up there, and then silicon around the bases, that way you wont have to pull the lathe off them and re level it all.

Dave

[cba_melbourne]

how long does it take before it goes off Chris?

It has been 20 years since I last tried to use oil emulsion at home. As I remember it took less than 2 months to develop this ugly smell up from the basement into the house. And when I found out it not only smells but can also affect health, I decided never to try again. Now in the meantime things may have changed, as "synthetic" emulsion oils have become available (at an affordable price, they existed already back then but were too dear). However, I am still not sure how exactly these new "synthetic" oils prevent or suppress the growth of bacteria. Is it just the absence of mineral or vegetable oil that does the trick, or is it maybe additives in the oil that kill the bacteria/algae/fungi/whatever? If the latter was the case, I would first like to know more about how safe are these biocide additives for me the user (skin contact, fume inhalation etc). Chris

[BobL]

It has been 20 years since I last tried to use oil emulsion at home. As I remember it took less than 2 months to develop this ugly smell up from the basement into the house. And when I found out it not only smells but can also affect health, I decided never to try again. Now in the meantime things may have changed, as "synthetic" emulsion oils have become available (at an affordable price, they existed already back then but were too dear). However, I am still not sure how exactly these new "synthetic" oils prevent or suppress the growth of bacteria. Is it just the absence of mineral or vegetable oil that does the trick, or is it maybe additives in the oil that kill the bacteria/algae/fungi/whatever? If the latter was the case, I would first like to know more about how safe are these biocide additives for me the user (skin contact, fume inhalation etc). Chris

It sounds like this PDF http://cedarfallsoil.com/_IWRC_mirror/cfm.pdf will be worth a read.
The case studies at the end are a quick summary of improvements obtained with specific practices

Amongst the man things I learned from this document is
- Aeration helps minimize the numbers of Anerobic bacteria which are the ones that make the worst (rotten egg) smell - Auto aeration is easily incorporated into the pump/flow design.
- water quality may be important. Water that contains too high a concentration of stuff that bacteria like (Total dissolved Solids, Sulphur, Chlorine and Phosphorous) should be avoided, consider using even deionized water for this. I use reverse osmosis water in mine.
- The other oils used, lubes etc, can add to bacterial growth. Skimming these tramp oils from the top of the fluid reservoir is recommended. Use of Low sulphide oils will help reduce the rotten egg gas smell.
- filtering of swarf and fines before the fluid is returned to the tank reduces bacterial growth since it reduces surface area which bacteria love.

[pipeclay]

By the time this bloke sets up his cheap coolant system with infrequent use and has his OH&S and his IES,and his special water and special coolant it should come in under $1000,not bad for a bit of coolant.

[simonl]

I guess UV sterilazation wouldn't work since its not a clear?

[simonl]

By the time this bloke sets up his cheap coolant system with infrequent use and has his OH&S and his IES,and his special water and special coolant it should come in under $1000,not bad for a bit of coolant.You've Just killed the romance pipeclay!

[Ueee]

By the time this bloke sets up his cheap coolant system with infrequent use and has his OH&S and his IES,and his spe cial water and special coolant it should come in under $1000,not bad for a bit of coolant.

4l synthetic coolant, $55,
Boiled and or filtered water, cost of filter/electricity,
Pipe, pond pump, fishtank airator, $100?,
Bucket for sump, $10,
Wiring, switch, $20,

Smartarses on this forum.......PRICELESS

[jack620]

Ewan,
what's the name of the clear green stuff you use?

[Ueee]

Ewan,
what's the name of the clear green stuff you use?

Hi Chris,
I got it wrong befor, it is callington ultra-synthet 971. And it was only $45 for 5l (shelf price not trade). It is used at 5%. I have found it has also really cut down on chips rusting on the machines as well, the lube alloy I did use sent all the chips I left rusty.

[jack620]

Thanks Ewan

[pipeclay]

Seems a pity to leave chips around to rust.

[jack620]

Are you familiar with the term "trolling" pipeclay?

[Ueee]

Seems a pity to leave chips around to rust.

Overnight?

[pipeclay]

Was there a problem with the concentration level with your coolant,as I have never seen swarf start to show signs of corrosion after such a short period,or is it more the environment they are in.

[pipeclay]

Are you familiar with the term "trolling" pipeclay?
Something to do with fishing,or the fairy tale characters.

[BobL]

4l synthetic coolant, $55, Check
Boiled and or filtered water, cost of filter/electricity, Already have Reverse Osmosis (and Deionized water if needed) unit for coffee machine
Pipe, pond pump, fishtank airator, $100?, Grabbed one of SWMBO unused water feature pumps (I think it cost her $45) I did actually pay for a few PVC pipe fittings
Bucket for sump, $10, used old X-ray oil cooling tank
Wiring, switch, $20, not required

[pipeclay]

Something to do with fishing,or the fairy tale characters.
Silly me I have just been told that its only the fairy tale character and trawling is to do with fishing.

As a side noted I would like to thank the member who was interested in my well being and personnel enjoyment.

[simonl]

Hi all,

For me metalwork is my hobby. As with all hobbies, they are pursued because they give us much enjoyment. This forum forms an extension of my hobby and as such it provides me with many forms of enjoyment.

If people can't contribute this this forum in a helpful and positive light then perhaps they should ask themselves some hard questions. I for one am getting a bit tired of some of the crap and cheap shots that pop up here. The old saying, "If you haven't got anything nice to say then don't say anything" is just as relevant in todays world as it was when it was first said.

OK. Got that off my chest.

I'm enjoying this thread! :U

If I were to purchase one of those fully synthetic coolants, how long would the 5L last me before I had to throw it out (assuming I aerate it maybe once a week) I know it's asking how long is a piece of string but I'm trying to work out if it will be a large ongoing financial commitment.

Cheers,

Simon

[jack620]

Simon,
I may have it completely wrong, but I think even the fully synthetics are mixed with water. The one Ewan uses is mixed 5% in water.

[simonl]

Hi Chris,

Sorry I didn't make myself all that clear. What I meant was not how long will it last in terms of the volume but more the bacteria build up. If I was to commence using coolant (synthetic) would I find on average (say once a fortnight use but maybe aerate once a week) that I would need to purchase another 5L once a year or would it be more likely to be a 6 monthly investment?

I'm just trying to get a handle on what the real cost would be for me. :U

Cheers,

Simon

[cba_melbourne]

Simon, the HOCUT 797BU sold by Hare and Forbes for $49.50 per 5L can is a "semi synthetic" emulsion oil:
S090 | HOCUT 797BU Semi-Synthetic Metal Cutting Fluid | machineryhouse.com.au (http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/S090)
Recommended dilution rate is 1:10 to 1:20 for machining depending on what you use it for. You can download its MSDS from above link, but it does not give away too much information. It appears to still contain up to 10% petroleum oil. It also says that it is a skin irritant. I usually do not take MSDS health warnings too serious, but since I do suffer from dermatitis on the hands for the past 30 years I regard myself as sensitized, and try if possible to avoid using products that are classed as skin irritants. And since I do not like wearing gloves, there is still enough solvents and the like that I cannot avoid and have to put up with.

That said, I have no idea how long you can store it once mixed and first used. Like all emulsions, it is made for industry where it would be used daily or almost daily, and regularly tested for concentration and discarded before it becomes too much of a nuisance or health problem. I would only consider its use in your home shop, if you really do some heavy roughing cutting and need the extra cooling capacity of a water based flood coolant. I for example do mostly small scale stuff, my largest lathe is a Hercus 260 with a 3/4HP motor, not exactly the sort of power one would link with any "heavy roughing". Most of the roughing in Steel I do I do dry (note1), or use WD40 on Aluminium. For finishing cuts I use brush on or spray on lubricants or oil. For plastics I use plain compressed air but only when needed. The only place I really miss an emulsion coolant is the bandsaw - but I do not use it often enough to justify getting back into emulsion coolants. For the little I do brush-on lubricant works fine, the main disadvantage is I cannot walk away and do something else whilst sawing. And if ever I was to go back using emulsion, I would probably go for simple and cheap vegetable/mineral oil emulsion, and simply discard what I have mixed after no longer than 1 week. Chris

PS: the note1): I do most cutting using indexable carbide inserts. Such inserts do NOT like anything like brush-on or spray-on coolants for anything except finishing cuts. If one uses such inserts properly for roughing, one is getting smoking hot dark blue chips. Any interrupted application of coolant would thermally shock the cutting edge, resulting in many small microcracks that quickly enlarge and cause decay of the cutting edge making the insert useless long before its intended life span would be up. If you mainly use HSS tools, this problem would of course not exist for you.

[pipeclay]

Hi all,

For me metalwork is my hobby. As with all hobbies, they are pursued because they give us much enjoyment. This forum forms an extension of my hobby and as such it provides me with many forms of enjoyment.

If people can't contribute this this forum in a helpful and positive light then perhaps they should ask themselves some hard questions. I for one am getting a bit tired of some of the crap and cheap shots that pop up here. The old saying, "If you haven't got anything nice to say then don't say anything" is just as relevant in todays world as it was when it was first said.

OK. Got that off my chest.

I'm enjoying this thread! :U

If I were to purchase one of those fully synthetic coolants, how long would the 5L last me before I had to throw it out (assuming I aerate it maybe once a week) I know it's asking how long is a piece of string but I'm trying to work out if it will be a large ongoing financial commitment.

Cheers,

Simon
Good point I agree, there's a lot of useless stuff written about at times.

[hoversill]

Engineering shops have been using water soluble oils for eons, I've never heard of any problems before. Surely all the old fitters and turners out there would be crook if there was a problem with it?

[Ueee]

Right now i am speechless.......Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

As for the coolant, the stuff i have has been in the mill 6 months now, no smell, hasn't gummed up the pump after not being used for a few weeks and that was only 1L of the tub, i have 4 left.
I would guess a year would be no worries.
As for the use on a lathe, i do agree with what Chris said and flood coolant may not be necessary for most of our smaller machines. However on the mill the coolant not only keeps the cutter cool but washes the swarf away too, meaning it is not being pulled back into the cut and chopped up again and again.

[Oldneweng]

A lot of years ago I used to work for an engineering firm, which of course is where I got my love of working with metal, only not for a living. It took about 25yrs to get a lathe and 28yrs to get a mill.

At first when I worked at this firm I don't remember the coolant being changed. This is the old stuff of course. After the 4 week Xmas break it used to give off a bit of a pong for the first day or three. Went a lovely shade of grey as well. Very "in" colour these days.

Later they used to empty all the coolant tanks on breakup day and refill them on our return. Much nicer to work with. I was mainly using Centreless grinders. Industrial situation I know so only of passing interest.

I have soluble oil running in my bandsaw. I think it has been in there for most of this year. I keep topping it up with water and oil and it has not gone a funny colour or started to smell yet. It still seems to work as there is no rust forming. I topped up with both today. The oil is funny stuff. It coagulates first and then mixes in. This causes a problem as it blocks the filter and almost overflows the coolant tray. I am going to get some synthetic next time I am in the big smoke. Mid January.

Dean

[pipeclay]

Dont you mix your oil and water together before adding to your sump?

[MuellerNick]

I remember that coolant started to smell after a week. But that was in the 70ies.

I had coolant that kept good for several years after being mixed (and never filled up etc.).

There are a few things you should know about coolant:
* Thoroughly (and I mean thoroughly) clean the tank before starting with your fill. You don't want to infect your coolant with the gremlins sitting in the tank and waiting for fresh food.
* Let air come to the coolant. This includes skimming the oil off of the top.
* If used rarely, install an air bubbler.
* By all means, buy a refractometer and keep the mixture well above the recommended minimum mixture. Keeping the mixture rich enough, chips do not rust. But it doesn't hurt to clean your lathe/mill (I'll try to remember that).
* If you milled/turned rusty stock, you really should clean your mill/lathe, as these chips really start rusting over night.
* As soon as your coolant stares at you, you have to dispose it and clean the tank. Washing soda does a good job.

I have bought the cheaper coolant oils, and see no difference in how long the stay good.


Nick

[Oldneweng]

Dont you mix your oil and water together before adding to your sump?

If I remembered what it was like to mix I would but I forget and just poor it into the coolant tray. Maybe next time lol. It is all mixed in now. I need to change the 5 litre container (miniature 20 litre style) for a bucket with removable lid. Then it will be easier to add water / oil to the container direct. The container has the top cut on three sides only so is not easy to get into. I believe I mentioned this change to the container in my thread on bandsaw update which I tried to find earlier but the search returned zero results. Not sure what is happening there. Metalwork forum is still not sorted fully after the software update.

Dean

[Greg Q]

I don't have any real experience with coolant tanks, but I do have forty odd years worth of working around the exact same bacteria in jet fuel tanks, especially those on airplanes used infrequently. All hydrocarbons attract, and include, free water. That's true of diesel fuel, dry cleaning solvents, and cutting coolant. The bacteria which provides such an aromatic treat lives in the meniscus between the hydrocarbon and the water...that tiny little membrane that forms between the two disparate components of the mixture.

That particular organism is anaerobic, so it does not like aeration. An aquarium bubbler does wonders. It also does not like UV light. Who does? A black light shining into the reservoir will do wonders in killing off entire generations. These two simple additions to a coolant tank should make flood coolant a viable home shop option.

I have both schemes fitted to a mobile pump/tank, but it is still unused. My goal is to have a 4l tank on wheels which will service the mill, lathe and grinder as needed. I expect that the mill and grinder will use 90% of that capability.

Greg.

[Oldneweng]

I don't have any real experience with coolant tanks, but I do have forty odd years worth of working around the exact same bacteria in jet fuel tanks, especially those on airplanes used infrequently. All hydrocarbons attract, and include, free water. That's true of diesel fuel, dry cleaning solvents, and cutting coolant. The bacteria which provides such an aromatic treat lives in the meniscus between the hydrocarbon and the water...that tiny little membrane that forms between the two disparate components of the mixture.

That particular organism is anaerobic, so it does not like aeration. An aquarium bubbler does wonders. It also does not like UV light. Who does? A black light shining into the reservoir will do wonders in killing off entire generations. These two simple additions to a coolant tank should make flood coolant a viable home shop option.

I have both schemes fitted to a mobile pump/tank, but it is still unused. My goal is to have a 4l tank on wheels which will service the mill, lathe and grinder as needed. I expect that the mill and grinder will use 90% of that capability.

Greg.

Very interesting information. Jet Fuel? But then I recalled about bacteria that can survive in the most inhospitable locations. Boiling water under the sea and radioactive locations included I believe. I think both of my lathes have a coolant sump built into the tailstock base. A bit hard to get at right now. When the new lathe is installed it will be further out from the wall to allow access to the rear.

I was thinking about a single tank for everything last night. Will look into it when everything is setup.

Dean