Log Splitter

[EdK]

(03-04-2015, 07:31 PM)DaveH Wrote: Certainly didn't help I think when your mill is fixed try it out see what seems good for your machine.  

I'm just talking about facing on small bench top milling machines and although it is an end mill I've not used it for profiling or shouldering I bought it purely for facing.

But  did you like them smoke trails

DaveH

Yes, very cool.

Ed

[DaveH]

Gee thanks Ed,   I thought it was just me  
 
DaveH

[Highpower]

I liked your smoke trails too Dave. Looked like a miniature air show going on. Were the chips in the shape of miniature aircraft too?   

I've always been led to believe (don't believe everything you read on the internet, right?) that you either run carbide dry OR with flood coolant due to the micro fracturing issue. I don't remember seeing any different distinction between inserts or brazed carbide tools. I always assumed carbide is carbide and there was no basic difference. Coatings are another matter I suppose.

That said - I have used WD-40 on aluminum parts when cutting them with a brazed carbide tool in a fly-cutter in the past. It did seem to leave a better finish. What I question is why I see all kinds of folks on the internet (including the popular names) that are running super-duper carbide inserts in their lathe, and putting a scant dollop of oil on the part with an acid brush and proceed to make all kinds of interrupted cuts and a lot of starting and stopping. How is that not putting the same kind of stress on their inserts?   

I don't have that kind of problem with insert cutters on my mill.  Because I don't have any!  
I can barely afford to buy insert screws, let alone a shell mill.   

[DaveH]

(03-04-2015, 09:01 PM)Highpower Wrote: I liked your smoke trails too Dave. Looked like a miniature air show going on. Were the chips in the shape of miniature aircraft too?   

Glad you liked them Willie   I think the chips must be aircraft shaped because looking at the smoke trails some seem to be doing loops. 
I always thought they came off in a slight curve not doing acrobatics  doesn't seem right to me

I too use WD 40 on aluminum using carbide inserts and I also find the surface finish is much better.  I think with aluminum the heat generated  is much less than steel so the thermal stress is much less. Also the WD 40 stops the build up of aluminum on the cutting edge.

On the lathe I also use the same cutting fluid as on the mill (not really an oil ) and again it does improve the surface finish (not always ) which is what a cutting fluid suppose to do. I just don't think it gets hot enough to induce the thermal stress at the sort of speeds I use.

Some guys use these mist type coolant systems ............seems to work.

Just to say I use WD40 on the lathe and on the bandsaw when cutting aluminum.  


DaveH



   

[Highpower]

(03-05-2015, 12:15 AM)DaveH Wrote: Also the WD 40 stops the build up of aluminum on the cutting edge.

-------------<snip>----------------

Some guys use these mist type coolant systems ............seems to work.

Just to say I use WD40 on the lathe and on the bandsaw when cutting aluminum.  


DaveH
 

+1 on the WD-40 stopping aluminum from welding itself to the cutting edge. That is my main reason for using it. I have a coolant mister set-up somewhere.  Used it once (incorrectly) and fogged up the entire shop. Haven't used it since. 

My bandsaw is my only machine that has flood coolant and I just use water soluble oil in it for everything, except for cast iron which I cut dry. It is nice to not have to diddle with a spray bottle the whole time you are cutting larger size material.

I also have a 'portable' flood coolant set-up that I originally intended to put on my 20" drill press, but like so many other things never got around to doing it.    I briefly thought about putting it on my mill once (it has a mount for the pump inside the base/sump) but I didn't want to deal with the mess. I don't do production work anyway.

[DaveH]

(03-05-2015, 02:14 AM)Highpower Wrote: I have a coolant mister set-up somewhere.  Used it once (incorrectly) and fogged up the entire shop. Haven't used it since. 

      that made me laugh.
I remember you have a fancy bandsaw   I have to give mine a squirt every now and then,  alleviates the boredom from just standing there watching it.


DaveH

[f350ca]

Why is cast iron cut dry?

[Highpower]

Fine cast iron dust/crumbs + liquid = an abrasive lapping paste that I don't want running through my coolant pump. Then after it dries on the splash pan it turns into a solid mound of rust that has to be chiseled off like concrete. Cutting it dry and using a shop vac saves me a lot of grief on clean-up.

I have screens and magnets on the sump to catch ferrous 'chips' but they don't work well with a slurry of cast iron 'powder' and coolant.

[vtsteam]

I use kerosene for aluminum tapping, turning, milling (talking HSS, not inserts) per old timey recommendations. I do use WD-40 sometimes, if handy, and my kero can out of reach or buried somewhere. But basically they do the same thing to lubrcate and prevent chip welding, etc., one at about a tenth the cost of the other.


ps. kero also is the weapon of choice around here for rust breaking, and dissolving, including freeing stuck tractor engine pistons.

pps. besides the fact that cast iron may be a problem with coolant systems, the plus side of why it's cut dry is that it contains free graphite, a lubricant, and it doesn't gall like chewey metals.

[DaveH]

Seems this 25mm thick steel is jinked. The machine used to do the small jobs broke   now it won't be ready until next week.
 
DaveH