Atlas Mill Coolant Tank

M

Mondo

I'm Still Standing!
H-M Supporter - Silver Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2013
Messages
235
The subject of having a coolant system or tank comes up in the Atlas Mill threads fairly often. The recirculating pump system has been all but completely transformed into unobtanium. The gravity-feed tank is almost as rare. I see one posted yesterday on Ebay at 9:01 PM PDT... Item # 152076659907 Buy-Now $275. I'd spring for it but my budget has a lacerated artery and I need to apply a tourniquet.

Checking the OEM catalog listing that tank is "about 1 quart" in volume. Being that is was made in USA I can safely presume that is a US quart, equal to 57.75 cu. in. Doing some fast math I find a piece of Sch 40 4" iron pipe 4-5/8" long is just about the same volume. Add a screw-on cap that has been drilled and tapped for 1/8" pipe to accommodate a dispensing valve and I can make a mount for it easily enough and get the same performance for very short money. Best of all it can be painted to look like it belongs there!

Mondo
 
Last edited:
The previous owner of my mill came up with this solution. I'm not sure what this cast iron tank was originally used for, maybe a filter housing or oil tank for some machine. The cover is plywood. The brass valve is bent and will need to be replaced. I plan to make a new cover, maybe cast one out of aluminum.
IMG_0621.JPG IMG_0623.JPG IMG_0624.JPG IMG_0625.JPG
 
Do any of you guys use oils when cutting something on your mill.
I've tried some high sulpher cutting oil once and all I achieved was adding a smell into my shop plus having chips that clumped together.
It didn't change the finish of the cut. I like the idea of a spray coolant more than a cutting oil now.
 
My mill is not operational and the only milling I have done is on my lathe, mostly dry, so perhaps I can't really comment from any actual experience, but FWIW:
During a visit to an old-school commercial machine shop I observed a horizontal mill in operation shaving a small slab of steel. The mill was much larger than a bench-top Atlas but the operation being performed was not outside an Atlas mill capability, other than this particular operation was fully automated mechanically, no DRO or CNC. The machine would make a pass and return, slide the table a few thou to the side then make another pass. All very slowly and completely unattended. I think the operator was observing from a distance while operating a lathe a few yards away.

There was a coolant system dribbling dark oil, I presume high sulfur cutting oil, directly on the cutter about 1/4 of a revolution before it contacted the work. This dribble was very small, but enough to wash the chips away from the cut as the cutter progressed across the work. The oil drained through a screened hole in a corner of the table and through a hose to a tank at the floor for re-circulation. I should also note that the cutter speed was slow, not fast enough to cast off the oil like a fan.

I figure getting the right cutting speed and flow rate is important and may require some experimentation. Too little flow and the chips will clump up and go nowhere, too much and you'll be flooding the shop, too fast a cutter speed and the oil will be cast off like it was dribbling into a fan!

I have heard complaints about mist systems without benefit of an enclosed cabinet filling the atmosphere with a fog of oil and being messy. There too, getting the right flow rate may be key to optimization.

Spiral_Chips
 
I agree completely Spiral Chips! To little flow is useless almost. And flooding the part/cutter will just be to messy.
I do like the idea of a cooing mist unit but don't want to deal with the mess.
I've been using a producr called Cool Tool, comes in a aerosol can. But it can still be sloppy.
Right now most of my work has been in aluminum, and I run it dry.

Thanks for the input!
 
In the first post, Mondo states "The recirculating pump system has been all but completely transformed into unobtanium ".

What do you think a fair price would be for the tank and pump these days?
 
I think that the last M1-600A that sold on eBay either went for or asking price was around $500.
 
I saw an M1-550 coolant tank on ebay last year. It sold for just over $300.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top