The Tormach has been getting an unprecedented amount of use as more people have been getting trained on the machine.
This is great overall, but there has been some confusion about proper mixing of Fusion Cool, the cutting fluid we use on the Tormach. Several times it was mixed at far too high a concentration, wasting an expensive resource. So we have decided to handle this coolant in the same manner as the CLI Syntec we use on all of the other machines: the stewards and other authorized personnel will keep a large quantity of pre-mixed fluid on hand.
This pre-mixed fluid will be mostly stored on the shelf below the left side of the Tormach, as shown below. There will also be some pre-mixed fluid in a large bucket on the lowest shelf of the machine shop cabinet. The concentrate, mixing equipment, and most of the distilled water will now be kept in the metal shop annex storage area.
We are also pre-mixing a larger quantity of the blue CLI Syntec, storing it either on the same shelf or next to the Cold Saw.
FYI, there is a reason we have two different cutting fluids. The Fusion Cool has anti-foaming properties which are needed for the free spraying setup on the Tormach. However, that fluid was allowing rust to form when used on the other machines; it lacks the anti-rust properties that the CLI Syntec has. So we use the latter on all other machines.
We now have 15 gallons of each fluid pre-mixed in bottles, plus a gallon or so in the mixing buckets (in the bottom of the machine shop cabinet). When we are down to five or fewer full gallon bottles of either fluid, let’s mix enough more to fill all the empty bottles and leave some extra in the mixing bucket as well.
The target concentrations are listed on the refractometer case; they are 5.0 for both. For the Fusion Cool, that corresponds to about 320 ml (~11 fl oz) per gallon of distilled water. For the CLI Syntec, this is about 31 fl oz per gallon of distilled water. Use the bucket for mixing then transfer to the bottles (use the measuring cup and a funnel for this).
The mixing equipment includes syringes and tubes for pulling fluid from the original containers. The current set isn’t really sized usefully or very durable; I’ll get better ones shortly.
