Chamber flush system build log.
- Thread starter LVLAaron
- Start date
critter68
Silver $$ Contributor
New Acra 1440TVS variable lathe and want to set it up to flush but also want to flood for threading, etc (I think?) 1) With the mentioned ProCon pump kit set up is anyone using Viper's Venom successfully? Bought the ProCon and have plenty of Venom already on hand that would be nice to utilize of course. 2) anyone try running Oil (ie Venom) in the existing onboard flood coolant system in this specific lathe? Someone in the 28 pages (Ha!) mentioned having an Acra. I see the PM pump/system did not work with oil rather water based coolant. makes sense. 3) if the existing pump doesn't work it is my feeble understanding that I can switch out the existing Acra pump with an oil capable pump? 4) I'm for not going the bread pan catch pan route but I can't get my mind around utilizing the lathe chip pan etc and yet having a separate tank for the flushing. Obviously I have no idea how my existing Acra coolant system would work and tie in possibly (and to what extent) to the flush system. I want to flush and flood and can separate entirely but I believe LVLAaron got sick of spilling the pan, as I would, and "tied" in to the lathe chip pan. sorry for all the questions. I am an overhinker. Thanks in advance
Use the coolant I use and your oem coolant system will work fine. My lathe is an Acra. Vipers Venom is good stuff, but I would hate getting it all over from flinging it off the chuck.
critter68
Silver $$ Contributor
Walt I scrolled through the 28 pages and read your posts and found answers. The availability (quantity) of your coolant is maybe a problem for me. I'm fairly new to the forum and don't "know" everyone and their experience so I apologize for redundancies and stupid questions. I assume you have a valved "T" that sends coolant to flood nozzle or the flush system. I'm back to whether or not I can utilize oil in oem Acra pump and if not what pump can be swapped out? Firemedic?
Yes I have a T in the line. One leg goes to the carridge for normal cutting tool use. (Once you get used to using coolant, you wont cut dry anymore). The other leg goes to a solenoid valve wired in the pump circut, then to the rotary coupling screwed into the end of the barrel. I tap the muzzle end for 1/8 npt. My lathe turns the pump on with the spindle. The coolant both flushes and cools the reamer. Having the reamer setup for through barrel coolant is important.
A couple, maybe 3, years ago, I added a coolant system to my old Sheldon so I could do an order of 25 barrels that would not fit in my Acra/Hardinge. Today I decided to see what the coolant was like. The coolant system has not been used since then. The system holds 7 gallons. Enough water had evaporated so the pump would not pump. Added 4 gallons water and let it circulate for a while. No smell, color and clarity were normal, concentration was 9%, so I had added a little too much water.
Jonnyofalltrades
Silver $$ Contributor
That is really amazing! Dealing with rank coolant is an unfortunate part of my work.
Probably a consequence of the production type work done on those machines as much as anything.
The lathe has a 3 position switch - on, off, auto. I have a switch in that circut to control the solenoid. It is just one less thing to mess with when chambering. Turn spindle on or off and the coolant goes with it.
Smart man!^^^^^^
LVLAaron
Gold $$ Contributor
My two cents after going through this process.
A couple PSI from a regular tank type pump is a big upgrade to pulling the reamer and cleaning it constantly. Your cuts will be cleaner and you'll probably never stick a chip.
Using the procon pump you have, at 30-40psi is a revolutionary change. The rate you can cut goes way up.
LVLAaron
Gold $$ Contributor
My lathe chip pan flows into the black external tank you've seen me build through this thread. Typically I do not use the lathe's coolant system. If I wanted to, I could. I just unplug a hose that goes to my external tank, and the pan would feed to the lathe tank, if that makes sense.
I never use it though. If I'm working on other stuff, I just use fresh oil manually... that drains into my external tank and keeps it topped off.
This thread has a ton of great info that helped me when I was building my chamber flush system. Below are some pictures and a video of my system. I built it into an old harbor freight cart that fit in the space between my lathe and tool cart.
Brief rundown of components and general layout:
I made an adapter to convert 5/8-24 muzzle threads to 1/4 NPT for my rotary union. I thread the muzzle first. I need to make a few more of these for 1/2-28 and 3/4-24 muzzles. It would also be nice to have a longer one to act as a barrel extension when chambering barrels shorter than 22".
Video showing the system running. I've adjusted the pressure (using the built in bypass valve on the pump) from 20-35 PSI. About 25 is the sweet spot for me. Still flushes the chips but doesn't make a mess.
This picture and the video show my oil catch pan and the trash bag covered back splash. This is setup in a shop I share with my dad and brother so I try to keep the oil slinging and spillage to a minimum. One trick that really helped was cutting a hole in a paper towel and placing that over the barrel and chuck along with a little bucket before blowing the oil out of the barrel. This keeps most of the oil off the chuck so it doesn't sling everywhere next time you turn the spindle on.
I'm using Rigid dark cutting oil cut with mineral spirits. About 1 quart of mineral spirits per gallon of cutting oil. To keep the chips out of the reservoir, I 3d printed these little baffles to place in the chip pan. They have magnets in them so they stick to the pan and attract chips, I tried to place them so the oil would stay towards the back of the pan and run through several rows of magnets. It works ok.
Brief rundown of components and general layout:
- Procon pump and motor from eBay
- 3 gallon hydraulic reservoir
- 10 micron filter on the suction line
- flow control valve on the pump output
- pressure gauge between pump output and flow control valve
- ball valve between flow valve and barrel output
- ball valve between barrel output and air input
- Harbor freight air tool swivel fitting as my "rotary union" (leaks about 1 drop per chamber job at 20-35 PSI)
- a handful of 3D printed brackets and spacers to line things up and secure them to the cart.
I made an adapter to convert 5/8-24 muzzle threads to 1/4 NPT for my rotary union. I thread the muzzle first. I need to make a few more of these for 1/2-28 and 3/4-24 muzzles. It would also be nice to have a longer one to act as a barrel extension when chambering barrels shorter than 22".
Video showing the system running. I've adjusted the pressure (using the built in bypass valve on the pump) from 20-35 PSI. About 25 is the sweet spot for me. Still flushes the chips but doesn't make a mess.
This picture and the video show my oil catch pan and the trash bag covered back splash. This is setup in a shop I share with my dad and brother so I try to keep the oil slinging and spillage to a minimum. One trick that really helped was cutting a hole in a paper towel and placing that over the barrel and chuck along with a little bucket before blowing the oil out of the barrel. This keeps most of the oil off the chuck so it doesn't sling everywhere next time you turn the spindle on.
I'm using Rigid dark cutting oil cut with mineral spirits. About 1 quart of mineral spirits per gallon of cutting oil. To keep the chips out of the reservoir, I 3d printed these little baffles to place in the chip pan. They have magnets in them so they stick to the pan and attract chips, I tried to place them so the oil would stay towards the back of the pan and run through several rows of magnets. It works ok.
Just thought I'd put it out there that I came up with a simpler/cheaper solution that worked well for me but I only needed it for one barrel. If I was doing more barrels I would definitely go with the above solutions. Instead of a pump and the associated plumbing etc I used a 2gal HVLP paint pressure pot that's been among that pile of crap behind my shop for 20+years. Yeah... you know what I'm talking about.... that stuff I can't throw away because a week after I toss it I will suddenly have a need for it.... Anyway it's made to take 30psi so after I cleaned it out and got a new seal from McMaster I filled it with a gallon of sulphurized cutting oil, connected it to my air compressor through a regulator at 25psi and connected the outlet through a big PVC ball valve and air swivel to the barrel with a section of reinforced vinyl tubing and a couple of hose clamps. My PM lathe has a pipe thread at the outlet of the catch tray drain so I connected a hose to that to let the oil drain back into the original gallon jug the oil came out of (using a green 3m scrubby over the drain hole for a filter). It had no problem pushing oil through the barrel and past the reamer. Very satisfying to see those chips flowing out with the oil. I was able to finish the job just before I ran out of oil. If I had run out of oil it would have been simple to refill the tank. It got the job done with no drama so until I'm doing lots of barrels I will keep using it.
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