Thread: Retrofitting coolant sytem

Grahame,
Why not machine an impeller for the pump from a piece of Al? All of the impellers I've seen are basically a disc with (normally) 6 straight fins on them. Should be relatively easy with a rotary table.

Michael

HI,
Why don't You Buy a Coolant Pump then pull it apart and make a Cast Iron Impeller to replace its plastic one?. A 10 Litre Coolant tank should be quite adequate even 8 litres would probably be enough, but I wouldn't go any smaller. I made Coolant Pump setup from a 9 litre plastic tub, Aluminium Lid, Pump from Hare & Forbes and a Potato Masher as the Strainer - just like this one Chef Aid Potato Ricer Masher - Stainless Steel - O065 | eBay . I haven't actually used My Coolant set up yet though, so I can't comment to much on it.

One thing if making your own tank and using a "normal" coolant pump as opposed to a submersible pump. keep in mind the depth of coolant the pump can handle. Not much use having a tall thin tank.

Stuart

Try a cheap water feature / pond pump. They are cheap, submesable and easy and cheap to install or replace. The better type also are backed up with spares.

I used one of these Little Giant 2-MD | Chemical pump | Magnetic drive | Australia when I fiited a coolant system to a cincinati no.2 t&c grinder not cheap (it was in a buisness), it ran pretty well every day without a problem for 5 years until I closed the buisness

Originally Posted by Jors

Try a cheap water feature / pond pump. They are cheap, submesable and easy and cheap to install or replace. The better type also are backed up with spares.

I think Grahame has made it pretty clear he doesn't like plastic.

I'm not sure on pump types, but i like the idea of the S trap. Could you get hold of an old permanent magnet motor and put the magnets on the outside of the pipe? Makes it easier to clean. Really any magnets will work just taped on to the outside.
The other thing if you are worried about non ferrous swarf is to make a weir like my new mill has. That way anything that sinks should not get to the pump. It depends on the space in the tank though. You could also add a fin to keep any oil that gets into the coolant away from the pump. Kind of like a grease trap........

Try a cheap water feature / pond pump. They are cheap, submesable and easy and cheap to install or replace. The better type also are backed up with spares.

Depending on the return flow from the tray, environmental conditions and machining conditions you may find a 10 litre sump will not be big enough.

I my self would not be concerned about placing magnets to catch fine swarf particles in this type of set up.

I would be more concerned with having a strainer that can be easily removed and cleaned at the return opening in your tray,I would also have the return going straight to the sump as directly as possible,in the sump I would have at least 1 baffle plate.

I also like the idea of a trap in the drain pipe. Attaching magnets to the outside is a good idea but the swarf needs to be removed somehow. Take the magnets off and tip it out? This requires the removal of the trap. If a trap with a cap/plug style trap is used, a magnet can be secured into the cap/plug and then only this needs to be removed. All a matter of personal preference.

In another instance of "What goes around comes around" the coolant pump for my new lathe burnt out soon after work got it. They tossed it and replaced it with the one out of my old lathe which they still had at the time. My old lathe now uses a coolant pump cobbled together from bits of the discarded pump and a washing machine pump motor (from memory).

Dean

Hi guys,
Thank you you for the advice and suggestions.

My concern was that that I could spend money on a pump that that could fail due to plastic impeller which the generic models are sure to have. Mt mate has a a 25 year old Herless lathe and its sports a cast iron impeller. Yes I dislike the particular cheap plastic our chinese friends use.I purchased a mobile rack of plastic drawers 6 years back and went to get a part from it,the other day and the drawer fell apart as the plastic had degenerated inside the shed. Its out of the sun.The majority of the drawers are like that. I have other non Chinese drawers of the same style that are much older and they are OK.

With the fountain pump units,thanks but no thanks, I can't bring myself to put a 240 volt unit in/under a conductive fluid in a metal tank.

I had hoped someone may have replaced an original coolant pump with a new unit that had come with a cast iron impeller and could guide my to a vendor of same. Regards the strainer/filter ,I intend to place it in the 50 to 40 mm reducer at the end of the 40mm trap. The reducer fits with a 50mm to 25mm waste water tail. I will have to buy a strainer and cut it up,but the mesh size should not impede flow unduly and will collect pretty much all non ferrous particles.
pipeclay, my mate mentioned that 10 litres may no be enough.I reason that if the return to the tank was quick enough via a large diameter -25 mm ,it would bother it too much , but having measured up the cupboard and extra 5 litres capacity will be no trouble

The tank will be some scrap stainless sheet I have acquired and I could easily set a baffle tray in the top to allow regular cleaning.I have intentions of hiding it in the rh side leg /cupboard.

My intention now is to get a pump, disassemble to measure and possibly mould the impeller. If impeller looks anything like the old warman pump impellers,I will be making a stainless disc with some spiral fins welded on. Time will tell.

Again, you blokes have supplied some food for thought.
Thank you
Grahame

The magnet is not a problem. An old hard drive magnet will do the trick nicely. I shall tape it outside the trap as suggested.

Stu, I plan to have 25 mm under the base of the pump to avoid it sucking up any coolant yoghurt from the tank base.

Not that I'd be guilty of too infrequent maintenance, no never!

Grahame

The pump on the vernier has a brass impeller, see the pic here: https://www.woodworkforums.com/f65/ve...ml#post1597693
The thought occurs you don't need a submersed pump at all (the verniers is not) just so long as it stays primed any small pump will do, i would suggest a magnet drive pump, that way there is no seals to worry about.

If the machine were never touching ferrous material I'd agree, but a magnetic drive pump is going to attract iron fines like no one's business. After a period of use the pump will be clogged up.
A 'normal' coolant pump will be fine, even if the impeller is recast/ recut/ replaced.

Michael