Cleaning saws! YUK!!!

[hulagrub]

Something for gadgeteers - why not a pump that runs when the saw does (and maybe for a bit after) that runs oil through a series of filters in-situ? First a diesel fuel line filter (which, if you're in the market for sieve material btw, is a cheap way to get some fine mesh by the sheet rather than the 100' roll) then progressively smaller. Just a thought...

That has been in my thought processes, but time is at a premium for me.
The paper bag works wonderfully for me. When I started this thread, I had bought a 5 gal bucket of hydraulic oil, but never used any of it, because I had enough recycled oil for both my 12" Lortone and the 20" HP.

[Helene]

 Jim and Nanci thank you so much for the pictures and explanation.  Very helpful.  I can do that and save money to boot. ura12   $22 a gallon and it takes more than one to fill the slab saw.  Well worth recycling.  Dave you posted this just at the right time, for the first oil change.

[hulagrub]

Helene, have you ever considered ISO 32 hydraulic oil? Usually $30-35 per 5 gallon bucket.

[Helene]

Dave Looked up the Hydraulic Fluid you suggested and It's 100 percent biodegradeable.  A huge plus!  Does it have a strong odor?  Below is some info from the manufacturer.  This bit of info just saved me $65.  ura12 ura12 ura12
 

United Bio Lube's Bio AW Hydraulic Fluid - ISO 32 is a non-hazardous, biobased hydraulic fluid engineered for Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and used in Military, Manufacturing, Construction, Forestry, Marine, and Agriculture industries.

Bio AW Hydraulic Fluid - ISO 32 is a 100% Ultimate3 Biodegradable hydraulic fluid made from U.S.D.A. sponsored High Oleic Base Stocks (HOBS)1 and processed with patented Stabilized chemistry for high performance and fluid longevity.

Bio AW Hydraulic Fluid - ISO 32 allows governments, manufacturers, and companies to:

Gain substantial performance enhancements in Hydraulic Power Systems
Reduce overall impact and footprint on the environment
Lower toxic exposures to workers
Meet compliance with Green Purchasing regulations.
Safe, reliable, affordable, and available in all quantities today, Bio AW Hydraulic Fluid - ISO 32 is setting new industry standards for:


Performance
Environmental Protection
Worker Health & Safety
Economic Sustainability

[hulagrub]

I wonder where a person could purchase that brand. Mine just comes from the farm store and is just a thin hydraulic fluid, but recycles wonderfully.

[39don]

I wonder where a person could purchase that brand. Mine just comes from the farm store and is just a thin hydraulic fluid, but recycles wonderfully.

It seems like I used the AW-32 Hydro Fluid some years ago and changed to Mineral Oil for some reason. Does the swarf, sawing residue, stay suspended in the AW-32? It will not settle out in the mineral oil which causes the saw to be a complete mess and requires cleaning more often. I used transmission fluid years ago all the swarf would settle out and my saw stayed cleaned longer but it smelled to high heaven and had some skin problem possibilitys.

I'm posting a couple of photo's of my reclaim system. I purchased the storage container from WalMart, less than $10, used a small sabre saw and cut a hole for the 5gal bucket to fit. The hole in my lid has opened up some and sits too low so I prop it up with some wood scraps, don't cut the hole too large.

The unit...........


The bucket.........1/2" random drilled holes...........


39don

[wyrock]

Is the ISO 32 red? I was an aircraft hydraulic mechanic in the Marine Corps and the fluid at that time was red. That was a pile of years ago so it probably was not ISO 32 but the red was added so the leaks could be found easier. There was not a white T-shirt to be found in our shop because it stained everything.

I think I will change over from the mineral oil because that price is good and if the saw stays cleaner longer that is worth a hundred bucks right there. I may have to drive 50 miles to find it but it would still be worth the trip.
Jim

[39don]

I wonder where a person could purchase that brand. Mine just comes from the farm store and is just a thin hydraulic fluid, but recycles wonderfully.

It will not settle out in the mineral oil which causes the saw to be a complete mess and requires cleaning more often. I used transmission fluid years ago all the swarf would settle out and my saw stayed cleaned longer but it smelled to high heaven and had some skin problem possibilitys.

I'm posting a couple of photo's of my reclaim system. I purchased the storage container from WalMart, less than $10, used a small sabre saw and cut a hole for the 5gal bucket to fit. The hole in my lid has opened up some and sits too low so I prop it up with some wood scraps, don't cut the hole too large.

39don

Hi Jim,

I use mineral oil not AW-32. The mineral oil has no smell but it does require cleaning the saw sooner than some other coolants. The swarf will not settle out in mineral oil so the saw will get dirtier quicker. I get my mineral oil from WalMart for $1.48 pint or for a total of $11.48 gal. plus tax. WalMart here doesn't stock more than 6 pints at any one time. When I do visit WalMart I always buy 2 to 4 pints so I will have enough make-up oil on the next cleanout.

The red color came from me using a quart of power steering fluid about 6 months ago cause I was too lazy to go to WalMart which is a 10 mile trip.

39don

[wyrock]

Thanks for the explanation and the tip where to buy. Wal Mart is 55 miles for me so the cost of fuel would be to high.

Does the ISO 32 have a bad smell? My saw is in the house so another smell besides me would not be good. lol
Jim

[Rockoteer]

I use hydraulic oil from Car Quest.  No smell.  I use rubber gloves but It doesn't seem to irritate my skin.

The local farm store carries clear mineral oil to give to your horse, and it runs 16 bucks a gallon.

Gary

[hulagrub]

Don, with the 32, I get quite a layer of sludge stuck to the bottom of the saw. Some particulate suspension but overall not too bad. That is except for psilomelane or psilomesloppy as I call it. It's readily available at farm stores. I really like the MFA brand if you have one nearby.

[Rockoteer]

Roger on the sludge.

Gary

[wyrock]

I am using mineral oil (horsey stuff) that costs me $22 a gallon here in this tiny town of no competition so prices are high for everything. Having an abundance of rock is not always a good thing. Back on the subject, I get sludge buildup on the saw cover as well as everywhere else. After a clean out it only takes about two cuts and i can no longer see through the window. I am thinking that a lighter oil would be better for the junk getting to the bottom of the saw. I suppose that if I cleaned the saw frequently I would not have that problem but like the headline says (cleaning saws YUK!!!!) so I am trying to avoid the cleanings as much as possible. I am thinking that there are two ways to go about that and one is a lighter oil. The other is going to a filtering system so I never have to clean the saw. Lighter oil and a filtering system both would probably be the best. I have a Lortone saw that is almost impossible to clean without hauling it to the car wash. I am thinking about hammering a low spot in the center of the saw tub and putting in a drain. Then I could have the oil drain into one bucket then an overflow from that bucket to another bucket with a pump in it to pump it back up to the saw. If the oil is light enough the heavy particles will settle out in the first bucket. I do not run my saw a lot so the gunk would have time to settle out when the saw is not running.

My trim saw and polisher operates about the same way except for a tub under the blade and polisher instead of two buckets. It uses water instead of oil so the gunk settles out very fast but I think that with having two buckets with the oil it would work about the same way. If two buckets is not enough then I could go to three. The area under my saw stand probably has enough room for four buckets so room is not a problem. With the lighter oil the pump would not have a problem pumping it back up to the saw. The more I think about this the more I want to make this a winter project. A swamp cooler pump, a few bulkhead fittings and five or six feet of hose would be really cheap. If I can not get the bottom of the saw tub hammered down far enough I will have to braze a fitting onto the bottom but I have friends with torches. I spent half of my life melting metal so it would be an easy fix. Wow, I think ya'll have talked me into this project. Thanks for brainstorming this with me. I am going to start looking for parts today.
Jim

[denny]

I use Texaco, now Chevron Bright NHG in my new HP 16" saw.  I get it from a distributor in Austin for $69 for five gallons.  Also regarding the saw, it comes with an option that filters and cleans the oil as the saw is cutting.  It's a $750 option that I may invest in sometime in the future.   Had I known about it when I ordered the saw I would've bought it then.  For really heavy users (of the saw, not in terms of personal weight lol15), this could save quite a bit of money in terms of time and effort.  For someone like me who cuts about 8-10 slabs a day, I have a hard time justifying it other than saying that I want it.

[hulagrub]

Denny, I have seen the ad for that filtering system, and would also have a hard time justifying the cost.
Money better spent on rocks or looking for rocks!  yippie24