Wasted a whole shift on a bad coolant mix

I mixed a new batch of coolant last Tuesday, but I eyeballed the ratio instead of measuring. The mix was way too weak. By lunch, the parts were coming off the mill with chatter marks and the finish looked awful. I had to scrap six pieces of 6061 aluminum, which cost about $90 in material alone. How do you guys make sure your coolant concentration is right every time?

3 comments

3 Comments

kaigibson1d agoTop Commenter

I bought a cheap refractometer for like thirty bucks.

shane_park921d ago

Mine broke after two uses.

gavin36514h ago

My buddy did that, wrecked a spindle. Get a refractometer, not the cheap kind @shane_park92 mentioned.