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  1. #1
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    Question 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?

  2. #2
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    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

  3. #3
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    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
    Kryn
    To grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.

  4. #4
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    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=1
    Chris

  5. #5
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    Do they encourage you at your work to supply your own work cooling?

  6. #6
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    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.

  7. #7
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    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

  8. #8
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    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.

  9. #9
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    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

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by pipeclay View Post
    Do they encourage you at your work to supply your own work cooling?
    Not specifically, but we are encouraged to be looking for better ways of doing things.

  11. #11
    BobL is offline Member: Blue and white apron brigade
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    Quote Originally Posted by jack620 View Post
    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.
    A typical MSDS for ATF says the follow;

    1. 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.

    The recommended OHS exposure is 5ppm over an 8 hour period. I've been to a few mechanical workshops that use a lot of ATF and have never seen anything like the above in action. A few mechanics are starting to use gloves but that's about it. The 5ppm applies to most hydrocarbon oils.

    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.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by elanjacobs View Post
    Not specifically, but we are encouraged to be looking for better ways of doing things.
    Do you have a safety rep at your work, if so have you discussed this issue with them, have you mentioned your proposal to the management?

  13. #13
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    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.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by pipeclay View Post
    Do you have a safety rep at your work, if so have you discussed this issue with them, have you mentioned your proposal to the management?
    Yes, no and kinda. In that order.

    I've mentioned it to a couple of the foremen and they're happy for me to try it. If it works well I might take it further, for now it's just about making my life easier.

  15. #15
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    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.

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