Axminster to the rescue (not entirely successfully)

[woodfarmer]

Wednesday I opened the coolant system I bought from Axminster last March. After about 4 or five minutes it stopped pumping the £150 worth of de rusting fluid (corrodip) over the Holbrook I am recommissioning after being out of action for 12 to 13 years. I rang them and explained the problem. The replacement for it arrived today. It is now flowing the de rusting fluid over the lathe. But to get a parcel here in France from UK in two days is quite a feat. I am very impressed.
Its Brook motor ran today after rewiring to French electrics, first time it has had power for 12-13 years also. Things look promising, maybe tomorrow the Holbrook will be rolling.

 

[woodfarmer]

The Holbrook is rolling

But...... the second cooling system is beginning to die Perhaps I will have to buy a heavy duty pump???

 

[gregmcateer]

That looks a beast!

 

[woodfarmer]

The bit you can see is over a ton. it'll be better balanced when the tailstock is fitted. Was "interesting" crow baring it across the barn and up onto its plinth.

 

[woodfarmer]

The second pump failed with a flourish and dumped half the derusting fluid onto the new concrete floor. So I have had to abandon the renovation of the Holbrook for this year. By the time I can get new derusting fluid and build a coolant system the weather will be too cold for it to work. I will have to wait until early next summer to try again

Why is it that so many new things just don't work? I am beginning to believe it is all crap.

I did not actually use the word rubbish.

 

[RogerS]

...I am beginning to believe it is all rubbish.

I did not actually use the word rubbish.

Because sadly your average Joe Soap consumer knows the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

 

[Myfordman]

The pump will be designed to run with oil and soluble oil in solution (suds). I wonder if the coorodip has little or no lubricating properties and the pump is objecting??

Just a thought
MM

 

[woodfarmer]

I spent today using brillo pads and diesel. made more progress that the whole of the last week.

Not sure how the pump is constructed but the shafts turn freely so no contact between impeller and anything so thing it might just be one of those hollow vane types inside. all packed up now to return.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I suspect the Corrodip is attacking the innards of the pump. This can't be coincidence, and is pretty unlikely to be poor workmanship. Try a peristaltic pump, of the type used in lab vacuum systems - three (or more) rollers rotating on a disc and a compressible hose going round the edge. Only the inside of the hose will see the Corrodip. I assume you don't need a good flow - just some flow (these pumps don't do high volume). You will need to carefully filter the returning fluid though, as any grit or crud in the system will damage the hose when it gets squeezed.

You mention temperature affecting it. Corrodip ought to freeze below normal water's freezing point (whatever that is at your altitude!). Slowing the reaction ought to give you better control, as this type of chemistry usually preferentially attacks the rust, meaning it also attacks the steel, just not as enthusiastically.

 

[woodfarmer]

I suspect the Corrodip is attacking the innards of the pump. This can't be coincidence, and is pretty unlikely to be poor workmanship. Try a peristaltic pump, of the type used in lab vacuum systems - three (or more) rollers rotating on a disc and a compressible hose going round the edge. Only the inside of the hose will see the Corrodip. I assume you don't need a good flow - just some flow (these pumps don't do high volume). You will need to carefully filter the returning fluid though, as any grit or crud in the system will damage the hose when it gets squeezed.

You mention temperature affecting it. Corrodip ought to freeze below normal water's freezing point (whatever that is at your altitude!). Slowing the reaction ought to give you better control, as this type of chemistry usually preferentially attacks the rust, meaning it also attacks the steel, just not as enthusiastically.

I need it to act fast so hoped to flood over the work, but the delivery rate from new in just water was too slow and stopped altogether at 1.4 metres height. The second pump after I cleaned it out and it was a bit better for a while, then when I wasn't looking it suddenly got a lot better and squirted the lot over the top and onto the floor. The chemical needs to be above 20C to work. seems to leave the cast iron alone and just removes the red oxide. leaving a black sludge which rubs off easily. The slow rate from the pumps meant I could never do enough to oil anything so bit like painting the Forth bridge, by the time I got to an end the previous work had rusted again. so I was going around in circles. yesterday by cleaning the rust off with steel wool and diesel, nothing rusted afterwards and I now have the beds,saddle, cross slides, and taper turning slides all gleaming. also have the tailstock mounted and running freely. Next are the feed bars, leadscrew and controls. then into the gearbox which I will empty and fill with fresh oil.

The pumps have a tiny little filter in a 3/4 inch diameter hole and this was getting fouled by the coating on the bottom of the pump falling off. looked like very fine, rubbery cling film. I suspect a bit of this cleared from somewhere and allowed the pump to pump faster for a while. On average I was getting about a third of a litre a minute nothing like the 12 litres a minute on the spec sheet).

Corrodip works, I did manage to remove must of the heavy rusting with it, which was quickly replaced by surface rust. this was easily cleaned off with the wire wool and diesel oil.

Before buying the system I also confirmed with two of Axminsters staff that to use the pump with Corrodip would be OK as the system was really bought for this. As I do only small amounts of turning I usually cut dry at slow speed. Would have used the coolant system afterwards just to flow oil over the works from time to time to keep it well lubricated and rust free.