Who Uses Coolant for Their Horizontal Bandsaw or Power Hacksaw?

+1 on Hozzie's comments. I have a HF 7 x 12 that came with coolant. I use bi-metal blades and run TrimSol coolant. The only time it can get messy is if I'm cutting tubing. My saw isn't level and once the blade gets through the top edge, coolant works its way down the tubing and on the floor.

Is the coolant necessary? Probably not as I can count on one finger how often I've used it on my Grizzly G0709 lathe. I wipe/drip oil instead of using flood coolant. I do the same thing on my Bridgeport. My Tormach CNC has flood coolant, use it all of the time and run TrimSol also.

Bruce
 
On my power hacksaw, I used to use coolant, but it got rancid and the chips all rusted together, I finally went to a light cutting oil, much more satisfactory. In my commercial shop, I had a Marvel power hacksaw; they advises a 50/50 mixture of sulfurized cutting oil and kerosene, the kero. helps with cooling, it cuts much cooler than straight cutting oil and presumably lengthens blade life.
 
Shotgun said:
I just switched to bi-metal blades, and I won't be going back.
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Bi metal blade is the only way to go in my opinion but since we all like to buy once the best quality bi metal blade I have used is Lenox Dimaster2, I don't know how different their manufacturing process is but their blade seem to last twice as long as other bimetal blades.
Shotgun said:
But, now I'm looking at those lube sticks, because I haven't spent enough money this week. :-| How long will one of those last?
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The one I mentioned has been in use for 10 years but it barely shows, and I use it on metal cutting blades and drill bits, a small tube will last for years.
 
Shotgun said:
I could see me getting away with that for about 30minutes before my wife filed for divorce. :)
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We are talking machine shop enviornment, not one's living room. y wife worked in the shop office, the saw was about 100 ft away at the other end of the shop.
 
I use coolant when cutting tool steel or large pieces of mild steel. And I use a bi-metal blade. Tho the coolant is supposed to be non corrosive, I find I have to wipe down and Boeshield the bare surfaces when I'm done or rust starts to appear.
 
I should have mentioned in my first post that 6" stock is theoretically all the larger the power hacksaw can cut. I have cut stock as large as 12"x 2" on the bandsaw. I have always used bimetal blades on both saws.

The blades for the hacksaw are various brands, and have been purchased either from members of another board, or on eBay. The blades for the bandsaw have all come from the Ellis Saw Company.
 
Eyerelief said:
I use coolant when cutting tool steel or large pieces of mild steel. And I use a bi-metal blade. Tho the coolant is supposed to be non corrosive, I find I have to wipe down and Boeshield the bare surfaces when I'm done or rust starts to appear.
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When coolant gets an oil film on it, the bugs come out to play and deplete the coolant of its rust fighting elements, and God knows what else; coolant needs aeration to live long.
 
benmychree said:
When coolant gets an oil film on it, the bugs come out to play and deplete the coolant of its rust fighting elements, and God knows what else; coolant needs aeration to live long.
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I'm sure that is a huge part of my problem as my coolant has some age to it. That and the fact that I can look at a piece of bare steel and it will start to rust. The tool maker that mentored me said I have "the golden touch" meaning that everything I touch starts to oxidize quickly. Come to think of it, he never let me use his tools
 
benmychree said:
On my power hacksaw, I used to use coolant, but it got rancid and the chips all rusted together, I finally went to a light cutting oil, much more satisfactory. In my commercial shop, I had a Marvel power hacksaw; they advises a 50/50 mixture of sulfurized cutting oil and kerosene, the kero. helps with cooling, it cuts much cooler than straight cutting oil and presumably lengthens blade life.
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In 1978 I got my first job in a machine shop.
They put me on a #4 Warner and Swasey Turret Lathe with a bar feeder........long story short it ran high sulfer cutting oil, occasionally thinned with a little mineral spirits.
Every part I cut off I held in my fingers with the "coolant " just dribbling enough to keep my fingers lubricated.
NUTS , you say? That was how it was done and the way I was taught.
I made hundreds of ball chucks for Hardness testers and other large lot jobs.
 
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