I used to think coolant mix was just a guess, but a job in Dayton changed my mind

For years I'd just eyeball the coolant in the sump, adding a splash of concentrate when it looked weak. My old boss said it didn't matter much as long as the parts were wet. Then we got a big aluminum job in Dayton, running 10 hours a day for a week. By day three, we had rust spots on the machine table and the finish on the parts was getting rough. The shop lead came over with a refractometer, checked my mix, and said 'This is basically water.' He showed me how to mix it right, 8 to 1 for that job. The difference was huge. No more rust, better tool life, and the parts came out looking clean. Now I check it every Monday without fail. How many of you actually measure your coolant, or are you still just winging it?

3 comments

3 Comments

beth1471d ago

Wait, you were just adding concentrate straight to the sump without measuring anything? That's wild, man.

brian_baker23h ago

Yeah, I was totally winging it. Figured a "glug" here and a "splash" there was close enough. My tank turned into a science experiment for a few weeks, algae loved it though. Learned my lesson the hard way with a test kit and some patience. You ever do something that dumb when you were starting out?

torres.blair14h ago

Honestly, the "glug here and splash there" method got me too, my first tank was a cloudy mess for a month.