Chipped a $80 carbide end mill because I forgot to check coolant flow

Was running a batch of 4140 yesterday afternoon and heard that awful squeal. Looked down and my coolant nozzle had gotten bumped and was spraying straight at the chip guard instead of the cut. That was a $80 mistake right there. Now im double checking nozzle position every time I hit cycle start. Anyone else got a system for keeping those nozzles from moving around?

2 comments

2 Comments

shanel135d ago

I tape a thin zip tie to the hose so it points right at the cut.

white.alex5d ago

Steal this idea immediately, it saves so much time. I do something similar with a piece of stiff wire instead of a zip tie but same concept. You just gotta make sure the tape is wrapped tight enough that the zip tie doesn't wiggle loose when you're pushing the hose around. I also keep a small piece of colored tape on the zip tie tip so I can see it easier in bad light. Makes trimming those tight corners way less frustrating.