Appreciation post: the coolant concentration thing I ignored for 6 months | CNC Operators - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
Appreciation post: the coolant concentration thing I ignored for 6 months
I kept running my mill at whatever mix looked "about right" and figured close was good enough. Then a guy at a shop in Tulsa showed me his refractometer reading, mine was sitting around 4 percent when the jug said 8, and I had been fighting rust spots and a nasty smell all summer. Swapped to checking it every Monday morning and the smell went away in about 2 weeks, plus my tool life on 6061 got noticeably better. Now here is the debate I want to hear: do you trust a refractometer straight up, or do you test with a titration kit since the reading drifts on synthetic coolant? I have heard both sides from old timers and I cannot decide who is right. What are you all running and how often do you actually check it?