Compressed air for through coolant?

L

Lima

Guest
Did I read here that someone is using compressed air to push coolant through the bore in place of a rotary pump? If so, can you please point me in the right direction? I would really like to read up on this.
Thanks,
-Lima
 
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Did I read here that someone is using compressed air to push coolant through the bore in place of a rotary pump? If so, can you please point me in the right direction? I would really like to read up on this.
Thanks,
-Lima

I have used about every method known to gunsmithing to chamber a barrel and eventually settled upon the pre-drilled compressed air/lube method at 30 psi controlled with a foot valve for hands free operation as the easiest, cleanest method that allows for entire chamber cutting in a single pass without reamer extraction and re-insertion, perfect chip flow and chamber finish..............Don
 
This is like what I remember seeing

I have used about every method known to gunsmithing to chamber a barrel and eventually settled upon the pre-drilled compressed air/lube method at 30 psi controlled with a foot valve for hands free operation as the easiest, cleanest method that allows for entire chamber cutting in a single pass without reamer extraction and re-insertion, perfect chip flow and chamber finish..............Don

As I recall the person who made the rig I saw pictures of used an old LP tank and water soluble oil coolant, not that it would matter which cutting fluid one used.

I think the lad was simply cracking the valve on the tank until he got the flow he wanted and then reamed. With a RF barrel, it wouldn't take long or one need much coolant. I was thinking a liter bottle of coolant would do it. Just make a stop collar for the reamer and go for it.

Pete
 
Compressed air

Gentlemen,
Thank you for the replies.

Don,
Would you have any pictures of your setup? I really like the foot valve idea. I looked around, but I am having a hard time finding the proper tank. Can you you point me to a link or site that has the tank?

Thanks,
-Lima
 
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Gentlemen,
Thank you for the replies.

Don,
Would you have any pictures of your setup? I really like the foot valve idea. I looked around, but I am having a hard time finding the proper tank. Can you you point me to a link or site that has the tank?

Thanks,
-Lima

Like Pete said just about any old closed container can be used for a pressurized air/lube vessel, just as long as it is easy to fill and can hold the maximum pressure limit that you plan to operate your system under, and is capable of having an air input and fluid output bosses attached to it.

Some of the more preferred containers that I have seen used are; quart sized aluminum backpacker fuel containers found at most sporting good stores, heavy plastic walled weed whacker fuel tanks with the with boss ports built in, and my favorite; 2" diameter x 10" long pre-threaded pvc pipe with matching end caps, boss attachment required.
 
Like Pete said just about any old closed container can be used for a pressurized air/lube vessel, just as long as it is easy to fill and can hold the maximum pressure limit that you plan to operate your system under, and is capable of having an air input and fluid output bosses attached to it.

Some of the more preferred containers that I have seen used are; quart sized aluminum backpacker fuel containers found at most sporting good stores, heavy plastic walled weed whacker fuel tanks with the with boss ports built in, and my favorite; 2" diameter x 10" long pre-threaded pvc pipe with matching end caps, boss attachment required.

And if you use a vortex tube the air will even be cold.
 
I do. I use a sand blast tank to hold my coolant and i run a supply air line directly to the tank. I supply my take with or at 120psi. I regulate the outflow with a simple ball valve. i catch my coolant with a pan that sits in the lathes chip tray. I clean and strain my coolant before i recycle it back into the tank. My supply tank hold 20 or 25gal of coolant so i never run out. I prebore my chambers so i cut very little with the reamer and thus use very little coolant from my tank.
straining and cleaning the coolant to recycle is a little bit of a pain, but i use so little a tank last me for several barrels. this system works very well and its super cheap to set up. lee
 
How do you get the fluid into the barrel?

I am guessing a rotary fluid coupling, but do you tap the bore and screw it on, or maybe a rubber boot with hose clamp?

Can anyone post a pic?

Rob Carnell
Sydney, Australia
 
I tap the muzzle end on new blanks. You always cut a inch or so off anyway so it works out really well. I think I'm using 1/8" pipe tap. Lee
 
Interesting have tried numerous systems the last 27 years and always come back to flood coolant.

About 7 years ago to get me out of the proverbial (two coolant motors went down) did some research and went for a Noga Minicool http://www.noga.com/nogaProducts.php?catID=moco
One thing you don't want on any of these systems is airborne particals and hard not to achieve with any flow of any use. When its airborne its very dangerous, be careful.

First used on lathe, ok for parting and general turning reasonable but drilling, boring and reaming forget it. Have numerous specific tools that only work with coolant, the mister could not feed through to the cutting edge boring, sprayed in the bore not enough. Same boring job I have no problem with flood coolant.
Though it does cool to an extent the tool and some of the job, its no where near enough, proof of the pudding was literally only turning some Titanium bit above finishing cut went ok ish but caught fire in the swarf tray, that says it aint cooling the job.

Also have many tools with thru coolant which can only be used with flood feeding in to rear of tool via flexy silicon tube.

Misters on mills far better than lathe work as long as you don't push it, found far easier and quicker to use a squeezy bottle and not constantly powering up the compressor. Economy don't come in to it, cutting fluid can be costly to buy in 25ltr drums bearing in mind used daily it will last at least 12 months, it evaporates more so in summer needing around 2ltrs a day top up with water.
Max air pressure showing signs of going airborne with Noga valve half open was around 30psi regulated no where near enough unless milling slots where coolant would build up like flood coolant would and surface light milling.
In last 7 years used it twice, says it all and I use lathe and mills all day long every day even make aluminium stocks from solid, just my take.

The Pros where repetition involved and cnc work use higher pressure misters with larger multi nozzle setups usually in an enclosed container.
 
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