Sticking tool holders

[Jeremy Schiffer]

Does anyone else suffer from this? We clean them, and the cone in the spindle, nice and shiny. Blow the dust off of them before starting the machine. Air to the machine is clean & filtered. Yet, after all that, within a day or so they will stick anyway, and during a tool change they blow out like a gun, in one case breaking the plastic tool holder on the machine.

This brown residue seems to be some sort of like pitch buildup or something - pretty sure it's not rust, we don't have issues with any other metal rusting. Judging by the pattern, it looks like the tool holder is spinning in the spindle. But it has always happened, on both machines. And our feeds & speeds are on the conservative side most of the time.

Note - this picture is an extreme case, but it happens to some extent on all tools, including the drills, eventually.

Does anyone have a secret to keep it from happening, or make it happen slower?

[Scott Marshburn]

This has always been the case with the machine that I used to operate I always had to keep an eye out for the buildup and clean it off with a fine scotchbrite pad as needed usually weekly it seems like it happened more often during the summer when it gets hot and humid but it will still happen any time of the year I think it’s just something that needs to be cleaned regularly just like the routine maintenance

[Clint Buechlein]

Jeremy,

I may be wrong, but I believe that comes from the glue in plywoods, so any residual dust that is heated when the toolholder warms in the spindle. You can try a dry lubricant like this https://www.thermwoodwebstore.com/Dry-F ... sc0005.htm. Just a light mist on the toolholders, don't need a heavy coat on it.

-Clint-

[Will Williamson]

I use this. No Air dryer, seldom have an issue. https://www.rockler.com/boeshield-3-par ... hdEALw_wcB
Clean with the Rust Remover and then apply T-9 Lubricant.

[Jeremy Schiffer]

Thanks guys. Interesting, I would have been afraid to try any sort of lubricant for fear the tool holder would spin in the spindle - I guess that's not too much of an issue? I like the idea of a dry lubricant, so dust doesn't get stuck to it and gunk up.

[Will Williamson]

To me that is Rust from Vibration. That is why I use the rust remover, I do not have to scrub the surface so hard.
You wipe off the T-9 Boeshield completely, it dries very fast and I always clean, up inside, the Spindle, Every time,
I setup my Tools. Never, had an Issue with slipping.
Vortex Tool, sells and recommends this.
I am Meticulous about cleaning my Tool Holders, Collets and Spindle every time

[Forrest Chapman]

I've never quite figured out what is happening, but I always thought it was a buildup of glues from the material dust. It seems to happen more when running mdf.

Rust also make sense in an unconditioned environment but we have always heated and cooled the shop and also run air dryers.

Maybe it's a combination of both. The spindle heats up and condensates when cooling off. This seems to happen when running large tools for long periods. Even in a climate controlled shop there is some moisture present. This in turn traps a small layer of dust over time which heats up the next time it is run. Unless you are cleaning the tool every time right before it picks it up, you can't possibly get it perfectly clean.

Dry lube seems to at the very least help extend the time between good cleanings.

[Jeremy Schiffer]

Sooo, all in all, it's the nature of the beast, and a necessary evil. I feel better anyway knowing we're not doing something horribly wrong to cause it.

[Forrest Chapman]

Hey Jeremy, does it seem to pop out harder after sitting overnight? Maybe doing a tool unload at the end of the day will help.

[Stuart Douglas]

I too, get this buildup on the toolholders. It seems to be worse on the cones that have started fetting. New cones, if wiped clean and dry, then sprayed with a light coat of PTFE dry lube, seem to hold up great for a long time. I think it has to do with the heating and subsequent cooling of the cones in the ambient air. Scotch brite pad to the rescue, just touch it up till it shines, then spray it down lightly. I typically service all the cones when I do the Z-axis lube maintenance. I also scotch brite the interior of the spindle carefully and treat it the same way. So far so good. Someone once told me that you should put NOTHING EVER on the tool holder cone that interfaces with the spindle (and likewise the spindle), but I've had cones stuck so hard I thought I'd have to pull it out with the truck, so I just take my time and keep it neat. A little of that spray goes a long way, and I try not to blow compressed air up into the spindle.

[Jim Carter]

We have been having the tool sticking problems, I used to think it was from the varnish build up on the cone of the tool holder as you pointed out. I too kept them clean using oven cleaner and scotch pads. We realized this was happening more in the morning and a lot more n the winter. So now I am thinking is the cold (we keep the shop at 55 at night) so we are now running a warm up program each morning. this seems to be working.
JIm