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c/cnc-operatorswells.christopherwells.christopher1mo agoProlific Poster

Question about coolant mix and tool life

I was talking to a guy at a supply house in Toledo who said he runs his coolant at a 12 to 1 mix instead of the usual 10 to 1. He claimed it cut his end mill wear by almost 20% on aluminum parts. I tried it on a run of 304 stainless brackets last month and my inserts definitely lasted longer. Has anyone else played with their coolant concentration and seen real results?
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4 Comments
adams.vera
Yeah but 304 is nothing like aluminum for coolant needs though.
4
kevinking
kevinking1mo ago
Tried that once and ended up with a coolant so weak it was basically fancy water. My tools threw a fit and my finish looked like a cat scratched it. I run a little richer now too, especially on nasty stuff, but I'm too scared to write down my mix ratio in case the coolant rep sees it.
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shanew59
shanew591mo ago
Scared the coolant rep will see your mix ratio? What would they even do if they found out?
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quinnm77
quinnm771mo ago
Right? I've had coolant reps give me the side eye just for eyeballing the mix instead of using their measuring cup.
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