Shaving cream for cutting and threading lube

[Doozer]

Unless you are tapping hard steel
like above 40Rc, then all you need
is something like 10w30 motor oil.
If you blind tested, and gave someone
some Tap Magic or Rapid Tap or
whatever.... and some motor oil,
I bet they would not know the difference.
I have used about everything, and only
on really hard steel or tough brass, is
it better to use something like Anchor
Lube or Molly Dee or Rigid Dark.
But for 95% of tapping applications,
I think motor oil will keep a tap just happy
and fine as the expensive stuff.
Hell, for tap lube in a pinch, I remember
using black motor oil off the dipstick of
my truck, in some desperate job far
from my shop. Stop believing the
advertising and do some testing for
yourselves. Get smart. Don't just
be a sheep for the man.

-Doozer

 

[metal-ica]

In a pinch I use my man-gravy.

When fresh, the swimmers equalize the harmonics and reduce vibration. Y'all should try it....it's the secret sauce.

<not for a production environment>

 

[Gordon Heaton]

The active ingredient would be soap.....so just get a bar of soap and scrape the tap in that.

Smart guy. Another use for soap is those long grabber screws you're trying to sink 3" into wood. A roll on the soap whips 'em in real easy.