Pond pump as coolant pump

[breezer]

Morning all, I know there are a few people on here who use mini pond / aquarium pumps as suds pumps on milling machines and / or lathes.

Quick question - which size do you use? Been looking at the cheapanese ones on ebay and thinking 800 lph should be enough, with a max pump height of 1.6m

Does this sound right or will I have a lack of pressure to make it controllable? I reckon the height I need is more like 800mm - 1000mm

Cheers

Jim

 

[Pete.]

I've heard of several people using pond pumps with no problems.

You don't need pressure, so long as it can lift it the height you want, which it should do. A restrictor in the line smaller than the outlet would help to allow it to run out instead of squirting.

 

[breezer]

Thanks Pete

The pumps I am looking at are adjustable (although obviously this is a messy job "on the fly") but it should mean I can play about a bit to reduce the pressure it comes out of the nozzle at.

Jim

 

[brightspark]

put a bypass return pipe with a tap on it to controll the flow to the head

 

[squazy84]

pond pump works fine, i have one along with a car radiator on my tig,works fine unrestricted

 

[FranV8]

Cool, I was thinking along these lines for the new mill I've bought. Next question, what coolant is a good one to use for general machining?

 

[brightspark]

Cool, I was thinking along these lines for the new mill I've bought. Next question, what coolant is a good one to use for general machining?

there nearly all much about the same. if your feeling flush rocol is good but u probaly pay for the name

 

[Pete.]

I've fitted coolant pumps to both my mill and my lathe - never used either of em. A squeezy-bottle does most of what I need, an aerosol of rocol cutting fluid for thread cutting or a trigger-gun full of Wd40 for aluminium.

 

[breezer]

I was just wanting to move to a 'hands-free' operation. At the moment i use a squirty bottle.

Might try and rig up a drip feed as well, concerned about a load of suds sitting in the tank going mouldy when it's not in use.

 

[wyn]

The pond pump i use for my mill is 1500 l/h

It works fine with just a tap to control the flow connected to 1/2" locline (?).
When it's going flat out it won't drain off the table quick enough.
a couple of pics


Got rid of all the plastic cover and bodged on a bit of a filter



Copper pipe up to a bit of 1/2" locline the tap in the copper pipe controls the flow. The top switch controls the pump.



There is plenty of flow...this is the tap fully open but the filter is a bit clogged.