I read Dom Ruggeri's comments about diluent water for watermix metalworking fluids with interest.  It is good to see someone highlighting the significant effect that water quality has on the performance the fluid as this is often overlooked by the fluid user.

Dear MWF Magazine, Hi, we have a discussion in our shop, about pouring coolant in the bucket first then water, or first fill up the bucket with water and then poor the coolant in the bucket, and you seem to be the guy who can help us out, by sense I would agree with my colleagues that it doesn't matter which way since the ratio of coolant to water is the same, yet I have heard by the responsible people in different companies (and countries) and coolant comp.

Dear Sirs; Thanks again for the helpful magazine! I was searching your services directory for a lab service and found Shell Services 56 Milford drive suite 303Hudson, Ohio.  However, there is no contact info other than snail mail. I contacted directory assistance at the phone company, and they have no listing. Do you have a good phone number or web or email address that I may contact them at? Thanks, K

Dear Editor, What as a percentage would be regarded as "average" water evaporation losses. eg: On a centralized system of 20,000L of conventional MWF with 10-12 machines and constant outside/inside temp of 25?C (80?F). Can anyone suggest from their experience what the evaporation losses from this type of system (or any other large 20,000-100,000 L centralized system) would be? VA

Dear Editor, Hydraulic oil in coolant.  What does this do to the coolant?

Dear Sir We are a small scale metal working lubricants company operating in India and supplies rosin based emulsifiers to many Indian companies. We are facing the shortage of natural sulfonates and we are unable to incorporate synthetic sulphonates fully in the formulations. Could you suggest some other formulations which can use synthetic sulphonate and can emulsify HVI oils. We shall be grateful to you. Regards Mukesh Goel, India