Needs Pictures: 0
Picture(s) thanks: 0
Results 1 to 15 of 23
Thread: Mist coolant and breathing
-
12th Jun 2019, 11:03 PM #1Gear expert in training
- Join Date
- Aug 2008
- Location
- Melbourne
- Age
- 34
- Posts
- 1,075
Mist coolant and breathing
I've been thinking about getting myself a misting device to use at work because the existing flood coolant on the lathes and mills is both messy and hard to direct, but I'm a bit concerned about how much "overspray" will be hanging around in the air. I bought a cheap ebay one and the smell of coolant is unbearable, but the built in regulator is junk and doesn't work so I don't know if I'll be able to turn down the flow enough to keep the air breathable while still spraying a functional amount of coolant.
So, the question is: if I go all out and buy something good (probably a Noga Mini Cool), will I be able to turn the flow right down or am I stuck with a big cloud of mist no matter what I do?
-
12th Jun 2019, 11:19 PM #2Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- Jul 2016
- Location
- Melbourne
- Age
- 35
- Posts
- 1,522
I have a German mist setup, I actually turn it down so much that it just drips. I don't like breathing in the mist. I also hate water soluble coolant so much that I don't use it, seen too many respiratory and skin infections from it.
Sent from my Nokia 8 Sirocco using Tapatalk
-
12th Jun 2019, 11:23 PM #3Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- May 2011
- Location
- Murray Bridge S Aust.
- Age
- 71
- Posts
- 5,942
Found this review on a amazon site, have no idea as to whether good bad or whatever.
https://www.amazon.com/Mini-Cool-Noz...ews/B00208Y57Y
HTH
KrynTo grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.
-
12th Jun 2019, 11:26 PM #4Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- Nov 2007
- Location
- melbourne australia
- Posts
- 3,228
I have the Noga. It can be turned down to a very fine mist. I use this stuff which has almost no smell at all. I got it in the USA. I don't know if it can be obtained here. I'm happy to give you some if you want to try it. It's diluted at 32:1. I reckon I have enough to last me 200 years.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1Chris
-
13th Jun 2019, 12:14 AM #5Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
- Location
- sydney ( st marys )
- Age
- 64
- Posts
- 4,887
Do they encourage you at your work to supply your own work cooling?
-
13th Jun 2019, 07:52 AM #6Member: Blue and white apron brigade
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 7,182
On my mill have flood and mist coolant and have used the flood coolant for about 30 seconds because it made such a mess I haven't used it since. I've since been using a "$20 ebay special" mister connected to a 1L bottle of ATF and it seems to be working fine. As others have said you need very little mist, even just a hint you can't see seems to be enough especially if you can get the nozzle relatively close to the work. It depends on the size of the job/cutters but I find that I can get by with as little as ~0.3 mL/min and at that rate cannot see the mist coming out of mine and neither can I see any developing fog. I can only smell the fog when I apply about 1mL/min or if the cutter gets hot enough to boil off or evaporate some ATF.
More of a problem with odours is when I use meths (on Al) or kero (on acrylic) which I apply with a squirt bottle. The Meths can get you high very quickly and gives me a headache If I don't ventilate. I have high extraction capability in my shed which takes care of it but I have hear that a small fan located nearby is enough to reduce the concentration of mist in your vicinity. Some of your co-workers might not like the fact that you are spreading it around the workshop.
-
13th Jun 2019, 08:07 AM #7Philomath in training
- Join Date
- Oct 2011
- Location
- Norwood-ish, Adelaide
- Age
- 59
- Posts
- 6,540
A workshop I visited recently had a large surface grinder and the operator told me that his preference was to only run a slight trickle of coolant. This of course meant that the air was full of coolant, as grinding wheels seem to atomise coolant really well. It really put me off the idea of mist coolant, as the floor was perpetually sticky. On a day with lots of grinding, he could be adding up to 30 litres a day.
I did like the coolant system that Tom uses at Ox tools, but he has that operating so that it is effectively applying a sequence of drops of coolant - enough to lubricate and cool without throwing a fog into the air. I suspect that the secret to doing that is to have the air pressure low enough that it is not spraying.
Michael
-
13th Jun 2019, 08:27 AM #8Member: Blue and white apron brigade
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 7,182
One of the things I've noticed with using small ATF flows is how little of it is flung around the place and even though it comes out of the nozzle as a mist it immediately forms a film on what it comes into contact with. It must be something to do with the natural stickiness (adhesion?) of the ATF to the workpiece and tool compared to say water soluble coolant. This is less the case if I flood cool with ATF - then drops of ATF end up all over the floor.
-
13th Jun 2019, 08:53 AM #9Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- Nov 2007
- Location
- melbourne australia
- Posts
- 3,228
I think it's worth mentioning that mist cooling systems are meant to be used with water and water-based lubricants. I would want to see some evidence they are safe to use with non water-based fluids before using them in my workshop.
Michael,
The Kool Mist 77 I have leaves no residue as far as I can tell.Chris
-
13th Jun 2019, 09:18 AM #10Gear expert in training
- Join Date
- Aug 2008
- Location
- Melbourne
- Age
- 34
- Posts
- 1,075
-
13th Jun 2019, 09:55 AM #11Member: Blue and white apron brigade
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Perth
- Posts
- 7,182
A typical MSDS for ATF says the follow;
- To handle oily parts and small spills wear nitrile gloves, glasses/goggles, boots and full- length clothing. During routine operation a respirator is not required. However, if mists or vapours are generated, an approved organic vapour/particulate respirator is required. For large spills, or in confined spaces, a full chemically resistant body suit is recommended and the atmosphere must be evaluated for oxygen deficiency. If in doubt about potential oxygen deficiency wear self-contained breathing apparatus.
Anyway, all this is why I use ventilation in my shed. I've done my sums and am confident my ATF exposure is well below the 5ppm.
-
13th Jun 2019, 03:28 PM #12Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
- Location
- sydney ( st marys )
- Age
- 64
- Posts
- 4,887
-
13th Jun 2019, 03:41 PM #13Most Valued Member
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
- Location
- sydney ( st marys )
- Age
- 64
- Posts
- 4,887
At least you will or die healthy or be incapacitated knowing that it occurred correctly.
With all the safety statistics that seem to pop up all the time in these type of discussions I died about 30 years ago,or if not I am just lucky, sometimes certain types of people should have nothing to do with an industrial environment.
-
13th Jun 2019, 05:51 PM #14Gear expert in training
- Join Date
- Aug 2008
- Location
- Melbourne
- Age
- 34
- Posts
- 1,075
-
14th Jun 2019, 12:39 PM #15Diamond Member
- Join Date
- Mar 2014
- Location
- South of Adelaide
- Posts
- 1,225
Breathing coolant mist is really bad for your health, i wouldn't allow a mist system at the shop I work at. Mist collectors are slowly becoming more common on machining centers to combat poor shop air quality. On the last Machinist therapy hotline podcast they spoke about shop air quality, and a couple of the hosts have throat problems that clear up after a few days away from the shop.
Similar Threads
-
Mist Coolant systems
By BobL in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 37Last Post: 14th Aug 2019, 10:20 PM -
Mist coolant spray.
By adyadad in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 6Last Post: 19th Sep 2018, 07:39 PM -
Mist Coolant
By Auskart in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 3Last Post: 25th Aug 2018, 02:58 AM -
Surface grinder kicking up mist/fog
By variant22 in forum METALWORK GENERALReplies: 18Last Post: 11th Jun 2015, 10:12 PM -
Double banger - Duragal removal and breathing mask for welding
By twebb01 in forum WELDINGReplies: 5Last Post: 21st May 2015, 09:35 PM