What type of cutting fluid do you use?

I have read a lot cutting oil and just wondering what ever one else is using

Oatey Dark Thread Cutting Oil from Home Depot.

flathead4 said:

Oatey Dark Thread Cutting Oil from Home Depot.

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Right now I'm using the same brand as you.

I read on here about mixing kerosene with the cutting oil, seems to keep the tool cooler and the stink isn't any worse then before.

I just use Kool Mist 77, it seems to do just fine below 700 r.p.m's.

I use Gunk dark cutting oil for most work and Union Butterfield Drilling and Tapping fluid on finer work.

Currently using RapidTap, but looking for something different.

I tried vegetable oil once and really liked it, but it rusted the heck out of everything and made a terrible mess.

Ryan

Cutting Oil

Hi all:
Don't laugh but I use sae 90 gear oil in my Kearney and Trecker mills, and my 16" Southbend which has coolant pump..
I got a bunch of it for free and have used it for a long time... It stinks and it smokes but it has good anti- wear, anti-weld, extreme pressure additives which are good for machining and it doesn't get rancid in the sump like solubles do... It also protects from rust.. Mike

I use Tap Magic for drilling and tapping, and occasionally for turning and milling difficult metals. It's pretty good stuff, but I will admit that I use it mostly out of habit. I worked in an R&D department back in the late 70's, and they used it in the shop, so when I would use the shop for my gov't jobs, I got accustomed to it.

Also, it works great for sawing metals, and I made a little lubricator/wiper for my cut-off saw, out of a piece of felt and plexiglas:





It stays in place all by itself. I just squirt a few drops on the wiper before starting the cut, and it keeps the blade charged with Tap Magic for the entire cut (usually), and it also wipes the chips off the blade.

Paula

For general cutting, I use Trim sol C210 water soluable mixed to 10:1 or there abouts. Cheap at $21 a gallon. I use Tap free tapping oil for reaming tapping and such, both available from Enco cheap. For a hobbiest anything is better than nothing and cheap is good. We use Trim sol at work in our big CNC and lathes so the cheaper grades work good for my home machines.
Pure lard works good for tapping and reaming, for cutting, oil or water soluable is good.

Thats a good idea Paula I may do that sometime next week.

Paula, that's just too darned clever! I was thinking about a rubber wiper, for chips..I never considered lubrication..., but your idea just takes the cake!!!

Pete

I have a siphon drip feed setup. I just started using M-16 cutting fluid from Wesco. It's supposed to be used in a mister. It was the only stuff at my local place.

It seems to be pretty good. 16 dollars a gallon and I mix it 15:1. Not very messy at all.

Has anyone used this stuff in either a mister or not? Any opinions how it compares to something like coolmist 77. I've never used that so I don't know.

What I'm most worried about is rust as my machines are outside. Not exposed to direct rain but still outside in Miami Beach humidity.

I really like my drip unit. Its just a coke bottle with some 1/8 tubing. A valve for the rate and a lever valve to turn it on and off easily. I let it drip once every 3-5 sec. less than 10 bucks and it works perfectly.

I've been using it for years. Other than a major upgrade to flood cooling I would never use anything else.

At home I use Tapmatic Natural.

http://www.lpslabs.com/product_pg/cuttingfluids_pg/Natural.html
Don

Photo request

mbphoton said:

I have a siphon drip feed setup. ....

What I'm most worried about is rust as my machines are outside. Not exposed to direct rain but still outside in Miami Beach humidity.

I really like my drip unit. Its just a coke bottle with some 1/8 tubing. A valve for the rate and a lever valve to turn it on and off easily. I let it drip once every 3-5 sec. less than 10 bucks and it works perfectly.

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MB, might you have a photo or two of your shop and drip unit? I'd perhaps like to borrow your drip unit idea, and honestly I'm very curious about the outdoor shop.

Gary

stnecut said:

MB, might you have a photo or two of your shop and drip unit? I'd perhaps like to borrow your drip unit idea, and honestly I'm very curious about the outdoor shop.

Gary

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Well, you beat me to that request gary. I too would like to see pics of that frugal setup, sounds like a slick idea ( no pun intended)

Paula, does your ingenuity know no bounds? Very cool.
Cheers, Mitch

Ok, here's some shots of my drip rig. It's on my milling machine but putting it on a lathe is easy, or on any machine really.

The bottle is hung high with some alum wire. This one is root beer! Drill two holes in the cap so a 1/8 id hose (the cheap kind from the hardware store, vinyl tubing) will fit snug in there. You don't need to glue it down but you do need somewhat of a tight fit. It's a siphon but you still need a decent seal to start things going.

The valves are also standard hardware stuff. The needle valve not only regulates the drip but also provides a flat side so it stays against it's mounting plate with only zip ties. The lever valve is for quick on and off without changing the drip rate.

The needle that dispenses the cutting fluid is from a “flux” bottle. You can find these at any good electronics supply place. Not radio shack though. These two cost me 2 dollars. Inside the bottles are the needles. The hose 1/8 ID, this is ID not OD, will fit tightly inside the needle, once again no need for glue. You can also use this without the needle but I like it. If you use it without the needle it helps if you cut the tube at an angle. It gives it a point like opening. On a lathe I don't think the needle would be as important as on the milling machine.

The goose neck that holds the needle in place is from a USB led light. I use these a lot. You can get them at a store for 5 bucks. On ebay they cost 2 bucks including shipping. You don't need the goose neck, any thing would work there. Even some stiff wire. Cheap. If you get the goose neck you can cut off the light or usb port with simple wire cutters.

To start the siphon you open the needle valve and the lever valve and just blow a little into the short non connected hose. That will pressurize the bottle enough to get the fluid over the hump and running. You only need to blow a little, once the fluid is headed down after coming out of the cap it'll do the rest on its own. Once its filled up all the tubes and coming out of the dispensing needle I close the valves.

You only have to do that when you first put in fluid, it'll keep it prime until you run out, no matter how long the machine sits.

Set the needle valve to drip once every few seconds and your good to go. I put the dispensing needle against the cutting tool on the milling machine so the drip goes down the tool into the cut. On a lathe you would have it drip above the cutting tool onto the work, or on the tool too.

Please let me know if you make one for yourself and how it's working out. Now take all the money you saved and have a good time!

Here's the last picture of the bunch. I'll take some shots of the outside machine setup tomorrow.

That is a cool solution and very simple to do, the best part is I already have everything I need just laying around the shop.
Thanks for the pics,

Mitch

Hello Mitch,

Cool. Please post some pics of yours when it's done.

I forgot to mention a few things.

The tube that you blow into to get the siphon started does not go into the fluid, it ends after it enters the bottle. Only the connected tube goes into the juice, to the bottom of course.

You have to have the needle valve closed almost all the way to get a nice drip rate. It's really a matter of how tight its closed. You just want a drip.

If you have a hard time getting the drip right lower the bottles hanging position. The lower it is the less pressure will develop in the siphon and the valve can be more opened.

Also, not always but often I have to reset the drip at the start of the day. I guess temp and pressure differences from the day before. It only takes 10 seconds.

I hope that doesn't sound like its a PIA, its not at all.

Cutting Oils

I've had good results with Ridgid ( Dark ) Threading Oil on Alloy Steels.

Can't beat Bacon Grease on 0-1 drill Rod though ( Tip from Forrest ).

WD-40 leaves a nice finish on Aluminium,especially for tapping & threading.

Regards,

Steve