Has anyone used a parts washer for coolent pumping on a lathe

Certainly nothing wrong with the idea if you can rig it to work. The biggest problem you'll have is getting the coolant to return to the tank. If your lathe or mill aren't built for coolant, could prove quite challenging.
It's a good idea to have a back splash for your lathe. Keeping coolant away from the chuck is virtually impossible, and it makes one hell of a mess.
Harold

I put a pump intended for a garden fountain on a horizontal band saw I acquired a few years back; it was cheap and it works well. But the saw already had (most of) a cooling system on it. The pump was shot.
It is a good idea to put the pump in a nylon mesh bag to filter out the big chunks, though...
Jerry

What I have on mine is what looks like a swamp cooler water pump. Close to it, but huskier than those I used in El Paso in the 50's. No telling what is used there now.
Martin Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH, NRA Life NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
Jerry Foster wrote:

Now that summer is nearly over..swamp cooler (evaporative cooler) pumps may be coming on sale. They work very well for coolant pumps for saws And lathes. They are intended for water so dont pump high sulpher oil all that well if you need a large head distance but for water based coolants..work very very well.
Gunner
"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.
Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

I assume "swamp cooler pumps" are like a good fountain pump?

E-bay search term Cooler Pump
i actually dont know what a "good fountain pump is", never having used one.
Gunner
"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give them self determination under "play nice" rules.
Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you for torturing the cat." Gunner

These are typically available at your local Ace Hardware for $15 and up. I cant imagine them being on sale much cheaper than that.

That looks like a modern day - beefed up version of the ones I replaced in the 50's. I don't think the old ones would be allowed anymore due to OSHA and a few other laws... Open frame - almost open motor in a water bath.
Martin Martin Eastburn @ home at Lions' Lair with our computer lionslair at consolidated dot net NRA LOH, NRA Life NRA Second Amendment Task Force Charter Founder
Gunner Asch wrote:

Most of them are indeed open motors with a simply plastic splash guard semi protecting the wiring. Sometimes.
Gunner
> > > >Gunner Asch wrote: >> >> >> >>>I assume "swamp cooler pumps" are like a good fountain pump? >> >> >> E-bay search term Cooler Pump >> >> >>
>> >> >> >> i actually dont know what a "good fountain pump is", never having used >> one. >> >> Gunner >> >>
>>> >>>>>>>> >>>>
>>>>> >>>>>>I am looking to use coolant on my lathe and mill, I was thinking of >>>>>>using >>>>>>one of the Harbor freight parts washing tanks with pump. Has anyone done >>>>>>this? I would just hook up a drain tube that would drain into the tank, >>>>> >>>>>that >>>>> >>>>>>way I could use it on the lathe and sometimes on the mill. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>>I put a pump intended for a garden fountain on a horizontal band saw I >>>>>acquired a few years back; it was cheap and it works well. But the saw >>>>>already had (most of) a cooling system on it. The pump was shot. >>>>> >>>>>It is a good idea to put the pump in a nylon mesh bag to filter out the >>>>>big >>>>>chunks, though... >>>>> >>>>>Jerry >>>>> >>>> >>>>Now that summer is nearly over..swamp cooler (evaporative cooler) >>>>pumps may be coming on sale. They work very well for coolant pumps for >>>>saws And lathes. They are intended for water so dont pump high sulpher >>>>oil all that well if you need a large head distance but for water >>>>based coolants..work very very well. >>>> >>>>Gunner >>>> >>>>"Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. >>>>Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) >>>>off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give >>>>them self determination under "play nice" rules. >>>> >>>>Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you >>>>for torturing the cat." Gunner >>> >> >> "Pax Americana is a philosophy. Hardly an empire. >> Making sure other people play nice and dont kill each other (and us) >> off in job lots is hardly empire building, particularly when you give >> them self determination under "play nice" rules. >> >> Think of it as having your older brother knock the shit out of you >> for torturing the cat." Gunner > >

Nope, still sold. We still use two of them.
The reason the open motors are still allowed is they are fastened in place so the motor can't fall into the water, the body of the cooler is grounded, and you're not supposed to be working inside the cooler without cutting the power first. (Yeah, right, Suuuure...)
But I'd be careful using them for machine coolant, the straight blade impeller with pretty large clearances can't put out a lot of flow or too high a head. The average 24" lift inside a cooler is approaching their practical limits. And it's too easy to forget they're open and overfill the coolant tank, or splash coolant on it and overwhelm that little drip cap.
You can get small submersible fountain pumps that will give you a lot more flow and head (and you can't drown them accidentally) for only a few dollars more. And wrap the whole thing in a stocking to keep the swarf out.
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