Hi all

can anyone help me find the Mike Cox article in MEW 181 Oct 2011 (referenced above) for a suds system- he used a windscreen washer pump

cheers

Danni

I've sent you a PM.

John

I dont have a pumped coolant system on either mill or the lathe, but would like to draw attention to an idea which I once read about, not tried it yet. A large receiver on the floor, draining from the drip tray. Another large tank placed high up in the workshop, on its side, feeding the flow control tap on the lathe cross slide, or mill table. When upper tank runs dry, swap the 2 tanks over. No pumps at all! My suggestion is to drain into a smaller tank first to act as a weir. It would work with a pipe running out of the top of the small tank which would drain down into the larger bottom tank. Exactly same as automatic flushing cisterns in urinal toilets. All the metal swarf would be deposited in the small upper tank, awaiting a muck out.

John

I believe suds tanks quite commonly have a weir to trap the chips.

Though a full-loss system I did once use something like DMB's suggestion, made from a 1-gallon oil-can, simple screw-down valve and plastic tube, above my EW lathe. The problem I can see with swapping tanks about without a transfer pump is the sheer weight you need lift to some height!

I'd be a bit wary of using a windscreen-washer pump, because although it would deliver a suitable flow for a small machine-tool, some types use an elastic-vane impeller made from natural or synthetic rubber that might not last long in cutting-fluid with traces of lubricating-oil and tiny particles of metal.

For a larger machine, I suppose one could use a central-heating or washing-machine pump.

I use a tank with a weir which isolates any swarf that gets washed down with the coolant. For a pump I simply use a small submersible pond/fountain pump. Very low cost and very reliable. Look for one that will lift your coolant around 4 or 5 feet if the tank is on the floor. I have mine below the tray on the lathe stand and a 4 feet lift is more than enough.