Well, which one do I want? I know nothing of it. I'm looking mainly at this:

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=RS296-2030&PMPANO=0413577&PMKANO=134&PMKBNO=1705&PMPAGE=77&PARTPG=INLMPI

They have the 10 gallon on sale too, but I can't imagine needing it for a drill press that gets occasional use:confused: Remember, space is at a PREMIUM in my garage.

It seems like most mist ones (at least ones on sale at enco) are supplied by air, which I would rather avoid the piping issues for that, if possible. Will the flood one posted work fine, or is a mist system better?

The only think I can think of is that a mist system wouldn't have fluid running off a long part?

What coolant/cutting fluid should I use?

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=RS505-2074&PMPANO=0413578&PMKANO=134&PMKBNO=1705&PMPAGE=77&PARTPG=INLMPI
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=RS505-2076&PMPANO=0413578&PMKANO=134&PMKBNO=1705&PMPAGE=77&PARTPG=INLMPI

Are one of those good? Should I use something else? I prefer to only buy a gallon, as it will supply me for years, and I don't want to store 5 gallons.

I use it mainly for drilling steel, some aluminum, and use hole saws relatively often. I've used motor oil which works well, but is a nasty mess, and I hate switching bottles back and forth (drip system). Mystic metal mover works well for drilling, but means using one hand for that, and also doesn't keep hole saws cool in thick metal.

HELP! I have no clue what I'm doing with this type of stuff.:(

P.S. for those that don't know, if you click on the catalog page once you click on those links, it gives more detail on the item.

Perhaps this for cutting? 2 or 4?
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INLMPI?PMPANO=0413582&PMKBNO=1705&PMPAGE=78&PMCTLG=01

I use a mist setup on my mill. It came with the mill, and I had to rebuild it, but it is very nice quality. The benefits of mist is that there is not a bunch of coolant running all over the place and it uses far less coolant than flood because the compressed air does a lot of the actual cooling. It also blows chips out of the way, and you can normally see the work quite easily.

I think flood would be a mess on a drill press w/ no enclosure. The benefits of flood are mainly that the coolant is recovered and recycled. The draw backs are it will be messy, you have to pipe up some way to recover it, and it will grow all sorts of lovely critters if it isn't skimmed regularly and aireated pretty much all of the time. My lathe has a built in flood coolant system, and I pretty much gave up on it and started machining dry on the lathe. It always made a huge mess and the sump didn't hold enough coolant so that the pump cavitated before all the used coolant ran back to the sump. Add to that having to skim off tramp oil every day and worrying about what was going to eat you hand if you touched it... Well, I said see ya.

I use the water soluble oil from napa. It comes in a pint, it is available locally and reasonably priced.

Later,
Jason

An additional consideration with misters is there tendency to be very irritating to people with breathing and respiratory problems. Also be very cautious about using the proper coolant ratio , if you get a little stingy with the concentrate that vapor will rust unprotected steel 20 foot away from the mill..:(

Jeff

At work in my Tool Room we use a lot of plastic spray bottles with water soluble cutting fluid. My Die Makers use them to mill, drill, saw and turn. Pretty simple and handy.