jason_lewis3•2mo agoProlific Poster

The time a coolant line burst right before a big run

I was running a batch of 50 aluminum parts on a VF-2 when a main coolant hose split open. We had to shut down for two hours to replace the line and clean up the mess. Anyone have a good source for those braided nylon hoses?

4 comments

4 Comments

william_harris2mo ago

My buddy had that happen on his old Fadal, but it was the return line under the tank. Coolant went everywhere, like a real horror show. He ended up switching to those thermoplastic lines from McMaster and hasn't had a problem since. The braided stuff always seems to give out at the worst possible time.

wesleyb202mo ago

Man, that's just how it goes. It's like the universe waits for the most inconvenient moment, like when you're running a long job or about to leave for the day. I see it with everything, not just coolant lines. The cheap light bulb always blows at 2 AM, and the grocery bag rips right over your clean kitchen floor.

matthewdixon4d ago

It's funny how nobody's mentioned the timing of these failures in relation to coolant chemistry. People swap lines but forget that some coolants eat certain plastics from the inside out. I've seen brand new expensive hoses turn to mush in six months because the coolant was a different formula than what the hose was rated for. The failure looks like a random blowout but it's actually a slow chemical reaction happening under the hood. Next time someone has a line pop, check if they changed coolant brands around the same time.

the_harper2mo ago

Ugh, my friend had a line blow on his lathe right as he started a three-day run. It was one of those cheap plastic ones that just gets brittle and explodes. He switched to the good rubber hoses and it's been smooth sailing for years now.