Spent a week chasing tool wear that wasn't the problem

Old timer named Dave at the last shop I worked at told me to always check my coolant concentration first before blaming inserts. I ignored him for a week because my parts started coming out rough and I was sure it was the carbide. Swapped inserts three times, tweaked feeds, nothing worked. Finally checked the coolant mix and it was way too thin at like 2 percent. Fixed the concentration and my finish came right back. Has anyone else had a simple maintenance thing trip them up like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

karen3611mo ago

2 percent coolant is like running your car low on oil, same crap different machine.

jason_lewis31mo agoProlific Poster

Karen, you're mixing up two totally different things since coolant dilution and low oil pressure aren't really the same problem.

dakotab931mo ago

2 percent coolant" is barely different from factory specs, that's like comparing a drop of water to a bucket.