Coolant flood vs mist - I'll take the mess any day

I ran a Haas VF-2 for two years using only mist coolant because I hated cleaning up the puddles. Thought I was being smart keeping the floor dry. Then last month I got a job doing 304 stainless with a 1/2 inch end mill and the mist just wasn't cutting it. Chips were welding themselves to the cutter after about 30 seconds. Switched to flood on a whim and the tool life tripled instantly. I mean yeah the machine looks like a swamp now and I gotta scrub the way covers every shift. But not burning through 40 dollar end mills every other part is worth the extra cleanup. Has anyone else stubbornly run mist too long before giving in to flood? My only regret is not switching sooner.

3 comments

3 Comments

theajohnson23h ago

Why buy dollar end mills when you can dial in your speeds and feeds right?

amyh1222h ago

Oh come on, you really think spending $200 on a single end mill is going to make that much difference over a $2 one? I've run cheap import bits on some pretty heavy cuts and as long as you're not pushing them too hard they'll last longer than you'd think.

wendy_lee4820h ago

You totally called me out @theajohnson - I was so busy patting myself on the back for saving cleanup time that I forgot you actually have to cut metal too (which is, you know, the whole point). Guess I learned the hard way that mist coolant is like a spray bottle in a house fire.