Thanks for the answer. While almost every link in that thread is dead, that sent me down a useful rabbit hole! At least I understand more of it now.
Looks like most of the existing products simply run an air-line to a cheap adjustable valve. I’m not entirely sure how this would work with the Flood/Mist inputs on the XCP controller, but I assume you’d just connect it to a relay that turns on or off the compressor.
I’m curious if anyone has a complete setup working yet. I don’t plan on doing a lot of metal, but I have some ideas, and would rather not burn out bits constantly.
I have air plumbed through the shop and garage, as little as it should be using shouldn’t kick a compressor that often, hope you find a solution that fits your needs. I made one aluminum part on mine it was small so added a drop of coolant from time to time. Steve
Yeah a MQL system (minimum quantity lubricant) is great for aluminum in an unenclosed mill. The trick is to not soak the part and the air blows the chips away to prevent re-weld while the coolant is lubricating and cooling. Note coolant mist isn’t the greatest stuff to breath (without an enclosure you can’t do mist collection). Tormach also has a reasonable MQL setup (same basic needle valve to suck fluid via a venturi into compressed air. They even have a small servo aiming kit add-on which keeps it aimed at the part tip (clever). If I recall it mounts magnetically (so you can pull it off when you don’t need it (remember to disable for wood jobs - haha)