# Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe & Cold Air Guns



## PhotonFanatic (Feb 17, 2012)

I've been using a plastic squeeze bottle, which also had a plastic spout. Alas, the friction of the turning piece, plus the melting from the heat, meant that the cutting fluid wasn't always going where I wanted it.

And then I noticed that there were some Luer-lock tips that were made of metal. So I ordered a bunch of #18 tips and some 4 ounce bottles from Howard Electronic Components. Now I expect that getting the fluid to the tool while doing cut-offs might be a lot easier. :devil:


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## Th232 (Feb 17, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*

We have large bore needles at work, I might just have to do this with my bottle...


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## darkzero (Feb 18, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*

I also like to use Luer-Lock bottles & syringes. I use 2oz Luer-Lock bottles for flux & Ballistol oil at work, I use the same size bottles at home. Funny, I also got my bottles from Howard Electronics. I use them for all sorts of fluids at home aside from different cutting fluids.... flux, isopropyl, denatured, WD-40, water to name a few.

I used to brush on cutting fluid & find it more effective up until I got the brush caught in the knurling wheels.  
The bottles are so much easier to use but I knocked them over quite often. I use a thin tip for the Tap Magic bottle & when it has a good fall the tip would often bend. I took care of that issue by making a holder for the bottles that I installed in place of the coolant nozzle on my carriage. I also use vinyl caps to protect the entire tip when not in use.


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## PEU (Feb 19, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*

Second time in this day that I see that tube with the cold air label, made me look! Cool tech (pun intended) it cools air without moving parts, just compressed air, I wonder if I can do one for myself 

http://english.exair.com/coldgun/ColdGun.php


[edit] http://ottobelden.blogspot.com/2010/12/another-home-made-ranque-hilsch-vortex.html
Seems to be doable, I thought it would have more parts



Pablo


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## wquiles (Feb 19, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*



PEU said:


> ... I wonder if I can do one for myself



If you do, please do let me know


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## PEU (Feb 19, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*

check the edit in my previous post, there is all one needs to know. Maybe Will can provide some insight or photos <wink> <wink> 


Pablo


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## wquiles (Feb 19, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*



PEU said:


> check the edit in my previous post, there is all one needs to know. Maybe Will can provide some insight or photos <wink> <wink>


Very interesting. It looks deceivingly simple, although perhaps not as "efficient" as a commercial unit. In the link you posted, it was interesting that the two inlet holes seem to be at 0 degrees from the intake, however, in another build, the guy actually made the holes slanted 5 deg towards the "hot" side. Looks like lots of ways to experiment ...

Will


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## PEU (Feb 19, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*



wquiles said:


> Very interesting. It looks deceivingly simple, although perhaps not as "efficient" as a commercial unit. In the link you posted, it was interesting that the two inlet holes seem to be at 0 degrees from the intake, however, in another build, the guy actually made the holes slanted 5 deg towards the "hot" side. Looks like lots of ways to experiment ...
> 
> Will



I sent an email to the german guy with some questions, I saw that too, it seems the 5 degree slant towards the hot side helps creating the vortex, they also mention that a cone shape helps the vortex too, what immediately came to mind was the helicoid that is made to gun barrels.

In any case, it looks doable, what I asked the german guy was why he thinks commercial units are far smaller/shorter than diy units. Also there is this paper with lots of formulas  http://alexandria.tue.nl/extra2/200513271.pdf


Pablo


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## darkzero (Feb 19, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*



wquiles said:


> If you do, please do let me know



Me _two_ please. 




PEU said:


> Maybe Will can provide some insight or photos <wink> <wink>
> 
> 
> Pablo



Not much to add really other than it's air hungry. I have the standard Exair model that's rated for 15 cfm. The high power model is 30 cfm. I run mine at 50 psi (regulator set to 60 psi). It's surprisingly effective especially in drilling & parting. I can part off a piece with the parted piece being pretty much dead cold as I catch it in hand. And no more having to wait for things to cool off to continue when deep drilling Ti. 

I remember reading that the unit unscrews but mine didn't unscrew by hand so I didn't try any further. I am curious what it looks like inside. The warm air comes out the other end. The pics I took when I got it (I can take other pics if you want):

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-To-a-PM1236&p=3612982&viewfull=1#post3612982

I'd love to see what you come up with. :thumbsup:


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## PEU (Feb 19, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*

Your wish is granted: http://www.machine-history.com/Vortex Tube 8.47 minutes video showing a full disassembly of a vortex unit, no small slanted holes! far easier to make 

Patent: http://www.google.com/patents/US4339926.pdf

Vortex generator: http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/...golden-spiral/page__view__findpost__p__577650

ready made generators: http://www.streamtek.ca/products/vortextubes/vortex-tube-accessories.php

product brochure with interesting images: http://www.erkim.com.tr/pdfler/Section_J1_Vortex_Tube.pdf




Pablo


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## wquiles (Feb 19, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*



PEU said:


> Your wish is granted: http://www.machine-history.com/Vortex Tube 8.47 minutes video showing a full disassembly of a vortex unit, no small slanted holes! far easier to make
> 
> Patent: http://www.google.com/patents/US4339926.pdf
> 
> ...



Nice find. So you could make some parts, buy the more complex ones (like the generator!), so depending on how many parts you make vs. buy, you might have your own version for 1/2 or less than a commercial unit 

Will


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## PEU (Feb 20, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*

my thoughts exactly, I would say less than 1/2 after reading about these units looking for the links it looks no more complicated than a flashlight, even the generator its not that difficult if you have a mill and a rotary table. Will post a basic drawing, I'm doing it as I write this 


Pablo


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## wquiles (Feb 20, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*



PEU said:


> my thoughts exactly, I would say less than 1/2 after reading about these units looking for the links it looks no more complicated than a flashlight, even the generator its not that difficult if you have a mill and a rotary table. Will post a basic drawing, I'm doing it as I write this
> 
> 
> Pablo



For about $10, it is not worth making the generator part. However, the rest of the parts are more doable.

The one area which is not totally clear to me yet is the area/face between the end of the generator that faces the hot tube (the side of the generator with the swirl cuts) and how this contacts the side that has the small tube opening for the "hot" tube. In the video you linked earlier, that face is 90deg (flat), but in one of the PDF documents, there seems to be a bevel, which then feeds to the hot tube. In fact, in this same document, it appears that the generator is "not" touching the tube at all!
http://www.stream-tek.com/products/vortextubes/vortex-tube-works.php

The other part that might be somewhat critical is the exhaust valve - I have not seen really good details on the angle, size of the orifice, etc.. Everything else, including the mufflers, seems straight forward (I know, I know, famous last words!).


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## PEU (Feb 20, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*

Yeah, it puzzled me for a while, I think the solution to the floating hot side valve is something like this:






where you screw and regulate the amount of hot air you allow to escape thru the radial holes.

In this pdf: http://alexandria.tue.nl/extra2/200513271.pdf they discuss 3 shapes for the valve cone


Pablo


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## PEU (Feb 20, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*

Drawings:










then there are two tubes, one on each side that act as mufflers.


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## precisionworks (Feb 20, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*

I've owned & sold two Exair adjustable cold air guns. Air can remove only a fraction of the heat removed by a liquid & air provides no lubrication. For really tough jobs like deep drilling titanium, 316 stainless, 4140HT or AR400 liquid cannot be beat. For more moderate machining like OD turning or milling it's hard to beat MQL using vegetable based lubricant.


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## PEU (Feb 20, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*

the other photo I saw of the cold gun in action was this one:






A wood router, were you cannot use liquids. Besides use, its a cool tool that can be done with some lathe time, thats all I need 


Pablo


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## darkzero (Feb 20, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*

Some methods & operations may not have a better substitute or no alternative at all. But I will say the benefits & disadvantages are one's personal preference or point of view.

I'll share my point of view....

I'm not a machinist by trade, I'm a "home shop machinist". Which means I don't turn for a profit, I'm a hobbyist. Often, _time_ is not one of my upmosts concerns & at times quality is more important. Hobby machinists often may not follow conventional methods, or may not be able to, or work with what they can get away with.

Some people have a shop at their home, some people consider their garage a shop, my garage is just my garage. With my previous jobs working in shops, I'm not afraid to get dirty. At home I'm not afraid to get dirty either but I also don't like to leave a mess. At home I almost always clean up my tools at the end of the day, the lathe is just another one of my tools. I've ran a lathe & horizontal mill with flood coolant. Damn was it messy but I didn't mind using the flood system & I didn't mind cleaning up. But cleaning & moping up the coolant quickly became not a fun chore, cleaning up chips with coolant in it I hated even more. I would never run a flood coolant at home unless I had an enclosed machine. Not many times where I would actually see full benefit from it so it's not worth it _for me_.

For me, blasting air is one of those alternate solutions that is beneficial without the disadvantages I'm not willing to accept. No mess to clean up for using it, just noise & air supply. It's effective enough for me to be a satisfactory solution to liquid cooling. There's also cases where a liquid coolant or lubrication would cause harm to the workpiece such as turning reflectors & some plastics. I can also use the air to blast chips away to avoid harming that perfect finish I might be after. I don't use it for every operation & it may not always be the most sufficient alternative but it's an option that I do like available. Plus the magnetic mount allows me to move it & use it for other things. Like yesterday, I was grinding some parts, instead of dunking in water which I wanted to avoid because of the bearings on the parts, I used the cold air gun. 

Am I happy with the cold air gun? Yes very happy. 
Will I keep the cold air gun? Most likely. 
Would I recommend the cold air gun to someone else? Hard to say without details but in short, probably not. 
Would I have paid full retail price or close to it for the Exair or one of the less expensive brands? Nope not a chance.


BTW, looking good Pablo & sorry Fred for us hijacking your thread....but Pablo started it.  :nana:


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## 350xfire (Feb 20, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*

WOW! Almost 20 posts about a squeeze bottle. LOL!
Darkzero that's about the cleanest lathe I've ever seen. Do you use that?


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## darkzero (Feb 20, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*



350xfire said:


> Darkzero that's about the cleanest lathe I've ever seen. Do you use that?



Sure do, I use it for entering in shows. It's sitting on display in a glass case now, damn that was an expensive case.


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## PEU (Feb 21, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*



darkzero said:


> BTW, looking good Pablo & sorry Fred for us hijacking your thread....but Pablo started it.  :nana:



Yeah, sorry Fred, maybe a moderator can split the thread and make a new one about the cold gun 


Pablo


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## PhotonFanatic (Feb 21, 2012)

No problem with the change in direction, guys. I've changed the title, too.


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## wquiles (Feb 22, 2012)

PhotonFanatic said:


> No problem with the change in direction, guys. I've changed the title, too.



Thanks Fred 

Still, to keep this thread "somewhat" on topic ( :devil: ) I did get some of the squeeze bottles, and started putting them to good use today:







Thanks to you and Will about the heads-up on these :bow:

Will


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## PEU (Feb 22, 2012)

OK Its official, I'm the thread de-railer 

This is a question for Will (darkzero) what model of cold gun are you using? (my guess is the small unit) from reading the exair site I infered that the coldgun is nothing more than a vortex tube with mufflers on each side and there are 3 sizes that seem to repeat across manufacturers, small-medium-large. Thanks!


Pablo


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## PEU (Mar 2, 2012)

Received the tube, hero are some photos of the full disassembly:

The body is smaller than it appears in the pictures, almost 4 inches long, that little piece is stuck all the way down the tube, its looks like spring steel with that particular shape, it stops where the inner thread for the heat regulating screw starts





This is the screw at the end, slightly different than I imagined, no cones in sight, it looks drilled almost all the way but it stops before the head, after the thread there are 4 holes and that part of the screw is lower diameter to allow heat to go out depending on how tight you screw the screw.





The brass bushing is there I guess because the main tube is press fitted into the hexagonal body, it may smooth the wind flow, but your guess is as good as mine, it has what it looks like a mylar washer, very thin. Then comes the generator and then the oring, the metallic piece is threaded on both sides, outside to thread into the hexagonal body and compress the oring-generator-bushing-washer sandwich, on the inside to allow to use some fitting to attach a pipe or flexible dispenser tube. The bushing is not milled, the marks you see were produced by dirt in the air flow.







I don't have compressed air here at the office so it will have to wait until early next week to test it out.


Pablo


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## wquiles (Mar 2, 2012)

Outstanding!

Thanks so much Pablo. These pictures finally clarify for me a few of the "inner" details (pun intended) that I could not see/visually before. The spring steel piece is interesting, as it is not shown in any of the other cold air guns I have seen so far. Maybe it is there to help separate and direct the hot air (on the outside) to the orifice in the screw at the end? Another possibility is that it stops (or slows down) the high speed hot air as it approaches the end of the tube - maybe that also helps separate the hot air from the cold? 

Well, except for the "new" piece, with your pictures, and the generator that I purchased (still in transit to me), I feel comfortable making my own 

Will


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## PEU (Mar 3, 2012)

Glad it helped.

What generator models you purchased? Streamtek site list many models, I wonder what makes a generator produce more BTU or more cold, if its the inner bore, the size of the tangential grooves or something else 




wquiles said:


> Outstanding!
> 
> Thanks so much Pablo. These pictures finally clarify for me a few of the "inner" details (pun intended) that I could not see/visually before. The spring steel piece is interesting, as it is not shown in any of the other cold air guns I have seen so far. Maybe it is there to help separate and direct the hot air (on the outside) to the orifice in the screw at the end? Another possibility is that it stops (or slows down) the high speed hot air as it approaches the end of the tube - maybe that also helps separate the hot air from the cold?
> 
> ...


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## wquiles (Mar 3, 2012)

PEU said:


> Glad it helped.
> 
> What generator models you purchased? Streamtek site list many models, I wonder what makes a generator produce more BTU or more cold, if its the inner bore, the size of the tangential grooves or something else



Since they were only $8 each, I ordered these 3 that provide max. cooling:
GN7510 10H - Medium Generator - Maximum Cooling 
GN7515 15H - Medium Generator - Maximum Cooling 
GN7525 25H - Medium Generator - Maximum Cooling 

and one of these that supplies the Max cold temperature, so that I can compare to the one above:
GN7715 15C Medium Generator - Maximum Cold Temperature 

The only thing is, after talking to Barry, these use a LOT of air, so I should have ordered the 6/8/10 sizes, instead of the 10/15/20 sizes 

Will


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## PEU (Mar 3, 2012)

I had that in mind when I purchased the little tube, its model is 3202, but even for it there are 3 different capacities according to the Exair site: http://www.exair.com/en-US/Primary ...Vortex Tubes/Pages/Vortex Tube.aspx?tab=Specs 
There is also the option of maximum cooling with 3 different generators.

Stream-tek says their generators are compatible with other brands, I may purchase some to learn differences.


Pablo


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## darkzero (Mar 3, 2012)

PEU said:


> This is a question for Will (darkzero) what model of cold gun are you using? (my guess is the small unit) from reading the exair site I infered that the coldgun is nothing more than a vortex tube with mufflers on each side and there are 3 sizes that seem to repeat across manufacturers, small-medium-large. Thanks!
> 
> 
> Pablo



I have the standard model 5215 Cold Gun that Exair markets as "Air Coolant". 

Of course they are all based off Vortex tubes but what are the differences between the Cold Gun, cabinet coolers, spot coolers, component coolers aside from tube size & mounting/orientation? For instance, the Vortex tube is just the Vortex assy where their other coolers have some sort of insulator or muffler on them.

The main body on mine is stainless with aluminum housings on both ends. On the exhaust sise (hot air) the housing is hollow and has a sintered bronze muffler at the end. I forget exactly as it's been a while but on the larger end I recall seeing an internal spring with the LocLine removed. Or maybe it's just a coil to hold insulating material? Exair calls that end the cold muffler, not sure if it's purpose is for insulating to keep temperature down or for noise reduction. It does stay pretty cold after being used.


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## PEU (Mar 5, 2012)

Today I made a video of the vortex tube: 



There is a sweet spot, while adjusting the screw you quickly find it if you have the thermometer on the cold side. I need to play with different vortex generators, I'm intrigued about what makes the lowest delta in temperature, with this tube I measured the air intake at 24.5C and you saw the video, lowest achievable temp was 10C, a delta of 15C


Pablo


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## wquiles (Mar 5, 2012)

Cool video. Really neat to achieve refrigeration with no moving parts


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## PEU (Mar 5, 2012)

did you hear the sound of it starting? it makes you think something is spinning pretty fast in there 

Received the generators? Im intrigued by the maximum cooling ones


Pablo


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## wquiles (Mar 5, 2012)

PEU said:


> did you hear the sound of it starting? it makes you think something is spinning pretty fast in there
> 
> Received the generators? Im intrigued by the maximum cooling ones



Yes, I did notice the initial sound - literally as if there was a moving part spinning up and picking up speed - neat 

Not yet, still waiting for them. You will be the 2nd to know when they arrive 

I will post a "few" pictures :devil:

Will


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## PEU (Mar 5, 2012)

cool 

I've been reading trying to find the exact model of the generator, needed to ask wifey because my eyes+glasses were unable to read the code in the generator, they are model 8GR (8 SCFM / for maximum refrigeration) the model needed for maximum cold is 8GC


Pablo


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## PEU (Mar 8, 2012)

Asked an Exair rep what would be the equivalent vortex tube of the cold-gun, his reply:

It would be the 3215. We have (2) series of Vortex Tubes: 3200 Series (Maximum Refrigeration/Cooling), and 3400 Series (Maximum Cold Temperature.)

They’re the same Vortex Tube; the difference is the Flow Generator:

3200 Series uses a Flow Generator that allows setting the Cold Fraction from 50-80%.

3400 Series uses a Flow Generator that allows setting the Cold Fraction from 20-50%.

The Cold Fraction is the percentage of the compressed air that’s directed to the Cold End. Looking at the Performance Charts on page (7 of 15) of the attached Vortex Tube catalog, you can see that the temperature drop of the Cold End Flow is dependent on compressed air supply pressure, and Cold Fraction. For example:

Catalog

A Model 3215 Vortex Tube will consume 15 SCFM @100psig. If your compressed air supply temperature is 80F, and the Cold Fraction is set to 80% (this is adjusted by a threaded valve in the Hot Exhaust), then you’ll get (15 X 0.8) = 12 SCFM of Cold End Flow, and the temperature of that air will be (80-54F) = 26F. If you adjust the Cold Fraction to 50% (by opening the valve in the Hot Exhaust), you’ll get (15 X 0.5) = 7.5 SCFM of Cold End Flow, at (80-100) = -20F.


Pablo


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## PEU (Mar 13, 2012)

Received the maximum coldness generator, now it lowers the temperature from 25C to 2C but the air flow is much smaller, meaning most of the air goes away on the hot side.

Made a new video: 



The only difference with the generator from the 1st video is the bore, this one is lower diameter.


Pablo


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## darkzero (Apr 17, 2012)

Another one of those "I threw in a bid & won it unexpectedly" deals. Won a 5315 BNIB for $155. Same unit as the 5215 but with the dual point hose kit.









I partially disassembled it & thought you'd might like to see (not much to see though). I didn't have a pin wrench this small so I couldn't take the hot end cap off. I threw it in the chuck & couldn't loosen it by hand so I left it alone.


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## wquiles (Apr 17, 2012)

Awesome win Will 


You are doing much better than I have. I am "still" waiting from my order for the regulators - it has been now like 2 months. I have asked twice now for an update, but nothing so far


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## darkzero (Apr 18, 2012)

Thanks Will.

That sucks, I was kind of wondering about those, figured you were just waiting for the right _time. _

I'm curious & would love to see what you guys come up with. Maybe you can some how integrate it into the Accu-Lube system? :naughty:


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## darkzero (Apr 18, 2012)

Oh, I forgot to mention...in March I received an email from Howard Electronics. They have a 10% + 5% discount special off everything on their site until the end of April. I may just have to order some more or different size bottles.

_You may purchase anything from our web store to receive your dis­count. All you have to do is place the code below into the discount code box and click submit on the Shopping Cart Basket page. Your price will change to 10% off and the Order Discount will be another 5% Discount off of your complete order. Order as much or as little as you like to receive your savings before the end of April. Code: CUSTOMER

_


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## PEU (Apr 18, 2012)

Will, if this was your item: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&&item=370601284654 you paid USD50 more thanks to me as I had a snipe on that unit 

Can you post a lot more photos? maybe I can make a clone just by looking at them 


Pablo


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## darkzero (Apr 19, 2012)

Pablo, yes it was. Thanks for making me spend 50 more dollars & sorry from snagging it from you.  When I saw the price it was at I just had to throw a bid in. A few more dollars & you would of had me. I promise not to bid on anymore of them. 

The least I can do is take some photos for you. Anything in particular?


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## PEU (Apr 19, 2012)

My snipe was at 152ish 

I'm intrigued about both muffler ends and the hot side screw or whatever it uses in your device, the rest is the same as the vortex tube I purchased last month I guess.

Thanks!


Pablo


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## PEU (Oct 16, 2012)

Thanks to Will received last week a cold gun I purchased at ebay, the unit was pretty dirty, but fully functional, after some cleaning it looks a lot better. Took some photos to show whats inside:







The cold side muffler is a thin walled tube with pressure fitted threaded caps on both ends, inside the tube there is a round holes mesh and between it and the tube there is foam.






Mid section is a vortex tube, not different about what I had posted earlier






Hot end also has a tube with some holes and on the venting side there is a brownish filter that looks like porous sintered stone with a small bore looking to the vortex tube but it does not go thru all the way. the last piece also have radial holes and its threaded to the same thread as the end of the vortex tube

So thats it, now we all know how a vortex tube looks on the inside.


Pablo


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## darkzero (Oct 16, 2012)

Awesome, always happy to help. 

Thanks for those internal pics. Always wondered what it really looked like inside on the exhaust side.


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## PEU (Oct 17, 2012)

Again, thanks Will !!

That little stoneish piece lowers the noise A LOT, today I tested it with and without and the difference in noise was big.


Pablo


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## darkzero (Oct 17, 2012)

PEU said:


> Again, thanks
> That little stoneish piece lowers the noise A LOT, today I tested it with and without and the difference in noise was big.
> 
> 
> Pablo



Yup, I use those bronze sintered mufflers/filters on my portable air tanks & on my old air compressor.

I helped a buddy disassemble an automated ink catridge assembly machine years ago & ended up with a bunch of different types of filters/mufflers made of various materials. They work quite well as both filters or mufflers.


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## sortafast (Oct 18, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*



darkzero said:


> I also like to use Luer-Lock bottles & syringes. I use 2oz Luer-Lock bottles for flux & Ballistol oil at work, I use the same size bottles at home. Funny, I also got my bottles from Howard Electronics. I use them for all sorts of fluids at home aside from different cutting fluids.... flux, isopropyl, denatured, WD-40, water to name a few.
> 
> I used to brush on cutting fluid & find it more effective up until I got the brush caught in the knurling wheels.
> The bottles are so much easier to use but I knocked them over quite often. I use a thin tip for the Tap Magic bottle & when it has a good fall the tip would often bend. I took care of that issue by making a holder for the bottles that I installed in place of the coolant nozzle on my carriage. I also use vinyl caps to protect the entire tip when not in use.



That lathe is unnaturally clean. Its just, well, wrong.


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## darkzero (Oct 19, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*



sortafast said:


> That lathe is unnaturally clean. Its just, well, wrong.



And your point is? :thinking:

Pics can be deceiving.... :nana:


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## wquiles (Oct 19, 2012)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*



sortafast said:


> That lathe is unnaturally clean. Its just, well, wrong.



LOL !!!

I think the "good" Will already admitted to being a little OCD, so it should not be surprising that his lathe looks that clean 

"evil" Will


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## wquiles (May 11, 2013)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*

I have been meaning to update this thread, since I did receive the regulators from Canada (I think the initial order got lost!).

From left to right, you can see the various generators, and note that hole gets larger (they are labeled as 10, 15, 20, 25). Also note that the output (facing the camera) is stepped. These don't fit the Exait Vortex I got from Ebay, but should allow me to make another one in the future:






Here is the Exair gun I have:














































The one I got from Ebay had a generator marked 30 - meaning it needs 30 cfpm of air!. Not only it was very loud, but as expected used air FAST!:






Since the generators I got are too tall for the Exair assembly, and since the difference between them is the ID of the hole, I decided to make a press-fit insert for the Exair generator, to create a "smaller" generator:






Once I had the rough size, I used the "very" sharp PCD insert for the final passes:






After several very light passes, I got the fit I wanted:






Note that on the insert I made a stepped OD to closely match the steps on the inside of the Exair's tube (note my patent-pending parts catcher!):






I then used various drill bits of increasing diameter, each at a smaller depth to create a similar stepped form, along with flaring the output section:






After it was press fit, I used a very sharp carbide cutter to make it flat with the bottom surface of the original (while) generator):






Finished piece on right, next to a 10 on the left (basically equivalent now):






I still need to make some sort of "magnetic" base for this, but functionally it is complete and it works really well (and a LOT less loud as well!):






Will


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## PEU (May 12, 2013)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*

Very Cool Will, you will notice that the cold air will warm going thru all that flexible pipe, I found not more than 10cm (4") is the best compromise. 

Regarding the generators, the two I have are conical instead of stepped, it seems it need a bigger diameter and a smaller diameter to work properly.

Yesterday talking to a knife maker at a local show, we were discussing about rapid cooling of pulvimetalurgical steels (CPM-154CM, CPM S35VN) and I told him about the cold gun, it would be an excellent aid to use it when quench plate hardening these steels.


Pablo


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## wquiles (May 12, 2013)

*Re: Squeeze Bottle for the Lathe*



PEU said:


> Very Cool Will, you will notice that the cold air will warm going thru all that flexible pipe, I found not more than 10cm (4") is the best compromise.


Yes, I noticed that as well. I will make it shorter, but that still leaves the challenge of how to mount it onto some flexible arm so that I can position the assembly (cold air gun) close to the work, from job to job.

The other alternative I am considering for this cold air gun is to use it for drilling bits that have the provision for through-coolant. I am thinking that the cold air being funneled right to the tip of the carbide insert "should" help a lot, vs just a little bit of sprayed lubricant which does not always reaches the cutting surface.





PEU said:


> Regarding the generators, the two I have are conical instead of stepped, it seems it need a bigger diameter and a smaller diameter to work properly.


Good to know that this difference in diameter is used across various vendors - either somebody copied somebody else's idea, or they all found out that the diameter difference does help!


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