Thread: Coollant Tank

I know this will be old-hat for most of you guys but I thought you might like to see this anyway.

wholetank.jpg

The tank itself is a 15L ex-transformer oil tank (not PCB). It's 2 mm steel plate so it's pretty solid. The top is a piece of ally plate from an old x-ray scanner. It's hinged at about 1/3rd from one end so it can be opened to access the bits inside.

Inside the tank there is a water feature pump SWMBO purchased that turned out to be too powerful for the intended water feature even on its lowest setting. It's also way too powerful for a small coolant circuit like this one so I fitted a 20 mm PVC pipe loop constricting the flow along the left hand side of the loop and inserting a take off point on the pressurized side of the loop. This last point is crucial - if you decide to make something similar and get the take off on the wrong side of the loop the take off will suck instead of squirting!

For a return line I decided to make my own funnel from a couple of pieces of storm water pipe fittings. Inside is a filter made of a rolled up flywire plus I have added a magnet.
filter.jpg
filter2.jpg
https://metalworkforums.com/f65/t135...+coolant+lathe
The flywire filter and the whole funnel can be easily removed for cleaning.

funnelremoval.jpg

At the lathe this is what you see.
machinetaps.jpg
I'm still awaiting the delivery of some of those magnetic based flexible nozzles which I will add to deliver the lube/coolant onto the workpiece
The flow is controlled by the big and little tap in tandem giving a very fine control of flow rates without having the pump not pumping anything.

The somewhat higgeldy-piggedy arrangement of plumping fittings is because most of these are left overs from my retic projects of one kind or another. If I started from scratch I would have done it all in 15 rather than 20 mm pipe. I did at one stage glue two of the wrong pieces to 2 other wrong pieces and have to go and buy 4 new ones - DANG!. Overall I am pretty pleased with it given the only thing I had to buy was a packet of machine screws and a half a dozen plumbing fittings.

Love this
There's nothing better than making something useful out of stuff you have lying around.

Bob,

An aside. I notice an aerosol can of WD40 on the lathe's swarf tray. That stuff promotes corrosion on my machines. There is discussion about it on PM. I only use the stuff with a hand sprayer. Be careful.

BT

Bob
What type of pump are you using? If its a centrifugal you should be able to regulate the flow by just restricting the discharge. ie. with a valve. shouldn't hurt the pump at all.
If its a positive displacement pump (gear pump or similar) then a spring loaded pressure relief valve and return line would be required.This is what I run on my lathe. flow is controlled by a valve and excess pressure and flow just returns to the tank via the relief valve.

regards
bollie7

Originally Posted by Anorak Bob

Bob,

An aside. I notice an aerosol can of WD40 on the lathe's swarf tray. That stuff promotes corrosion on my machines. There is discussion about it on PM. I only use the stuff with a hand sprayer. Be careful.

BT

Thanks Bob. Yeah I know about it by direct experience. It's also a PITA to paint over surfaces that have been sprayed with it especially if it gets into any cracks or pits which it does real easy. I was using it to loosen rusty nuts on studs welded to the tank. I was going to use the studs as feet but I ended cutting them off. I like the idea of a handsprayer version.

Originally Posted by bollie7

Bob
What type of pump are you using? If its a centrifugal you should be able to regulate the flow by just restricting the discharge. ie. with a valve. shouldn't hurt the pump at all.

It is a $30 plastic submersible centrifugal pump with a max flow rate of 15 L/min but the loop and two taps are more about flow control than the pump. That particular 1/4 BSP ball tap seems to have an all or nothing setting at low flow rates. I use them on my chainsaw mills for aux oiling and they are a pain to set low flow rates.

Bob,
Looks good. Was there a hole in the swarf tray already?

BT,
What sort of hand sprayer do you use? A mate bought 4L of WD40 and get a WD40 spray bottle as a bonus. The seals lasted about two weeks


Stuart

Originally Posted by Stustoys

Bob,
Looks good. Was there a hole in the swarf tray already?

Nope I drilled/cut one out to suit. From what I can see this late was never been run with a coolant pump before.

[
BT,
What sort of hand sprayer do you use? A mate bought 4L of WD40 and get a WD40 spray bottle as a bonus. The seals lasted about two weeks


Stuart[/QUOTE]

Stu, I'm still using the genuine WD-40 hand sprayer that came with the 4 litre container. I've had it for maybe 7 years. They might have been locally made back then. Your mate's is probably made in the Republic de Chine.

BT

Hi Bob, Stuart,

I've got an Inox spray bottle that's lasted for a few years, I bought a few from SuperCrap Auto, and the one with Kero lasted a week before it stopped.

Regards
Ray

PS Bob, Great job with the coolant tank, very neat, and looks like it should work well.

Originally Posted by BobL

. That particular 1/4 BSP ball tap seems to have an all or nothing setting at low flow rates. I use them on my chainsaw mills for aux oiling and they are a pain to set low flow rates.

Keep your eye out for some small needle valves. Much better for control you desire.

Originally Posted by Sterob

Keep your eye out for some small needle valves. Much better for control you desire.

Good idea, I have one but it seems to get clogged very easily on the Chain saw mill - I will probably use it to the Bandsaw blade cooler when I make it.

aahhumm! chuck key alert!!!!

:d

Re the Inox pump sprayers

They are a dearer item than the average squeeze pump cos they have solvent resistant seals , which the cheapies don,t

Grahame

Originally Posted by danielhobby

aahhumm! chuck key alert!!!!

Excellent work DH. I know you probably won't believe me but as I was taking the picture I could see the chuck key there and thought wow - that should not be there but I took the pics anyway waiting to see who would spot it.