Band saw cutting fluid recomendations???

[bx24]

Larry-

I have seen a lot of references to Syn-Kool on eBay and other places .... I think I may go that route. I also picked up the saw on eBay for just over $500 (new). As far as I could tell, almost all of the saws I looked at (HF, grizzly etc) seemed to be identical with the exception of the paint. I use my small one a bunch, hopefully this one will work out good.

 

[bx24]

I have to do some more searching online (and possibly locally at Grainger or other). All of the things I just pulled up on eBay come with outrageous shipping quotes. More searching to come .....

 

[GuglioLS]

Hi David,

What happens when you cut a long rod in half? Does the fluid travel down the rod and drip on the floor then?

No 'cus I put a can to catch it before it hits the floor
Oh yea forgot about that.

I've not had any fluid travel down the outside while cutting long rods. However, when cutting hollow tubes, sometimes a little fluid will travel down the inside of the tube and out the end, so I place a bucket or something underneath to catch it.




You mean in situations something like this: Or this?

Does yours drip on the floor? Perhaps consider using a drip can?

Larry

 

[GuglioLS]

Larry-
........ As far as I could tell, almost all of the saws I looked at (HF, grizzly etc) seemed to be identical with the exception of the paint.

BX24 - You noticed that too? Like you, I've seen that 7x12 in every color of the rainbow and prices all over the planet. I think that they are all made in China now. Even so, it's still a good saw and I am pleased with mine, and I think you will be pleased with yours.

Larry-
.............I use my small one a bunch, hopefully this one will work out good.

That's exactly what I did, The little one ~ 6 X 4" ? worked great till the size of my projects out grew it's capacity. So what I did was to set up the little one in vertical mode and use the 12X7 for the larger projects with liquid cooling. When do you expect to receive it? What are some of the projects you have lined up for it? The extra size, weight and adjustable hydraulic cylinder will take some getting used to, but over time, like anything else you will soon master it's capabilities. Congratulations on your new saw.

BTW the Syn-Kool is diluted 1:25 (one gallon of Syn-Kool will make 25 gallons of coolant / lubricant) It's a synthetic polymer with algaecide and biocide. You can use it for all ferris metal cutting, drilling, milling, turning, grinding, etc.


Larry

 

[sandman2234]

For solid pieces, you can put a rubber band around them just inside the drip pan, so the coolant will stay in the pan. For hollow ones, a rubber band around a baggie at both ends will stop that problem. The times we had problems were when we were cutting a bunch of pieces at the same time, and the coolant liked to ooze between them, on it's way to the floor. The drip pan works, but you still have to keep an eye on it because when that heavy piece of steel drops off, it turns the bucket over, lol!
David from jax

 

[GuglioLS]

For solid pieces, you can put a rubber band around them just inside the drip pan, so the coolant will stay in the pan. For hollow ones, a rubber band around a baggie at both ends will stop that problem. David from jax

Now that is a really good idea - thanks!

.................The drip pan works, but you still have to keep an eye on it because when that heavy piece of steel drops off, it turns the bucket over, lol!
David from jax

Yea, not only that watch out for you toes too

Should I not ask how you know that ? I think I've smashed a few drip catch pans myself

David - Great ideas that work,

Larry

 

[Arbo]

For most home hobbiests, these saws can be run dry with no noticable effect on blade life. The biggest broblem with these saws seems to be the el-cheapo blades that come with the saw, and the same blade that most people use for a replacement. I have found that Lenox brand blades are some of the best on the market. They can be found through several on-line retailers in the sizes you need.

That being said. If you wish to use coolant on your saw, a readily available and cheap alternative is windshield washer fluid. In an unheated shop, it will not freeze, it is non-corrosive, and the alcohol content does a good job of cooling through evaporation. It also does a fine job of flushing chips from the cut. I find this benifit more important than the actual cooling. Keeping the chips out of the path of the blade helps the blade to work more efficiently, therefore creating less heat in the first place. In any non-abrasive cutting of metal, the object is to direct the heat of the cut into the chip, and keep the heat out of the work-piece. It leaves no oily residue, and can simply be wiped off with a dry rag and ready for welding.

 

[bx24]

Arbo-

You bring up a point that I was wondering about with the Syn-Kool .... At what temp does the Syn-Kool solution freeze?

To be accurate, I try to work in a heated shop, but when I am not working there, it will be just as cold as the outside temp (down to zero F). The bug-juice solution seems intriguing to me.

 

[bx24]

OK, I just google'd the freeze point of Syn-Kool and not much surprise, it seems to mirror the freeze point of water.

I guess at this point I am looking at either:

1- No cutting fluid
2- Oil based (which I would expect to get thick in the winter months)
3- Bug-Juice

Am I missing any other options? (besides buying things already built!)

 

[bx24]

GuglioLS

To answer you question about next projects ...

Transform the FEL into a quick release FEL bucket
Build some quick connect front forks
Cut up some train rails for various ballast applications
Finish re-furbing / customizing a Meyer snow plow to fit the Kubota
Re-furb / customize a 3-point snow blower to work with the Bota
Build a cab for the tractor
Build a cable plow to plow in some Romex and a sprinkler system
Build a dump trailer

To avoid boredom, I hope to line up some more projects for after x-mas!