Homemade cutting oil???

[Mastermaker]

Reading the boring head tread I saw that lard was mentioned and as lard(at least the soft stuff) isn't something one finds in stores around my parts(only solid blocks of coco fat for baking).

What I have found works well for pretty much anything(still use rtd for expensive hss cutters) is the cheapest vegetable oil I can find with some lamp oil mixed in(does smoke though).

Are there any other homemade cutting fluids out there that anyone are using?

Recipes, anyone?????????????????????

 

[picclock]

I've tried mixtures of cooking oils on steel but have found that they tend to gum things up. I have brushes that have set solid with cooking oils (rapeseed/sunflower etc.). The other problem is that they tend to get thrown around with the cutter or work (mill or lathe), and then the droplets take up resident amongst the swarf making it very difficult to remove (after a few weeks when you get round to cleaning the awkward inaccessible bits).

Lard is just bacon fat (actually pig fat rendered and filtered twice). I've found it to be best for cutting, and even rustproofing the surface if you don't clean it off afterwards. FWIW I just brush it on. If its very cold just microwave it to soften. You can just see it liquefy at the edge of the cut where the heat is. Downside is that it makes a chip frying smell, and also imparts a very slight tint to the metal.

So next time you have a bacon sarnie (or a pork joint), save the fat, and try it (+ you get a good excuse for a sarnie).

Best Regards

picclock

 

[pete]

Mastermaker,
You've been given good advice about animal fat is good for a variety of reasons and it works very well with reaming, Sometimes it will still do better than the latest formulated synthetic snake oil invented. But after that? I really have to question why? If your a cutting oil chemist then yeah go for it. But if not, Your willing to risk your expensive equipment and cutting tools with home concoctions? I do use lard while reaming and your of course free to do what you want. But for myself I'll stick with the 21st century. Rancid, stinking cutting material doesn't work well with the normal cuts and scrapes that are part of any shop day. That salt added to your average package of bacon really doesn't help with rust issues either.

Pete

 

[ksouers]

Pete,
You make a good point about the salt mixed in with pork fat, and the bacteria associated with using animal fats.

However, your delivery tasted more like vinegar.

Perhaps you could be a little more diplomatic in your responses, please.

 

[Mastermaker]

I haven't found it to be that gummy so it is possible that adding the lamp oil(which is purified kerosene) helps in this department as I usually add enough of it to make the vegetable(soy I think) oil significantly less viscous.

I've tried mixtures of cooking oils on steel but have found that they tend to gum things up. I have brushes that have set solid with cooking oils (rapeseed/sunflower etc.). The other problem is that they tend to get thrown around with the cutter or work (mill or lathe), and then the droplets take up resident amongst the swarf making it very difficult to remove (after a few weeks when you get round to cleaning the awkward inaccessible bits).

Lard is just bacon fat (actually pig fat rendered and filtered twice). I've found it to be best for cutting, and even rustproofing the surface if you don't clean it off afterwards. FWIW I just brush it on. If its very cold just microwave it to soften. You can just see it liquefy at the edge of the cut where the heat is. Downside is that it makes a chip frying smell, and also imparts a very slight tint to the metal.

So next time you have a bacon sarnie (or a pork joint), save the fat, and try it (+ you get a good excuse for a sarnie).

Best Regards

picclock

 

[kcmillin]

I use tapping fluid for cutting steel.

Is this a bad thing? It seems to work fine, but with all the alternatives is there any reason that tapping fluid shouldn't be used?

Kel

 

[milotrain]

I use cool tool II. It's a biodegradable cutting and tapping fluid. It's pretty cheap too, but in order to stretch it's legs I usually use 1 part Cool Tool, 1 part 20W motor oil and 2 to 4 parts WD-40. Works nicely as cutting and tapping fluid, but doesn't act as a coolant much. A pint of Cool Tool, a Quart of 20W and a Quart of WD-40 will last you forever and cost very little.

 

[arnoldb]

I use tapping fluid for cutting steel.

Kel, I do too; Can't say that it's bad, except that it gets a bit expensive. It gives me very good results - usually I rough out to near size dry on the lathe, and then just use the tapping fluid for the last two passes, except when screw cutting. It also works a treat for parting off. The specific tapping fluid I use also works for reaming and drilling, and makes copper a pleasure to turn/mill/drill. It's not suitable for aluminium though - for that I use methylated spirits (rubbing alcohol) or kerosene for drilling and tapping and parting off. I do all other machining on ali completely dry.

:big: Like they say, if it works, it's good to go.

Regards, Arnold

 

[itowbig]

I use tranmission fluid and power steering fluid mix it all up. it works great and on alum it really works good too. need a steady drip with steel but it works for me and its cheap to.

 

[Ken I]

Whilst I don't use it myself - I know people who use old engine oil (the blacker the better - the free carbon is a HP lubricant).

I once worked in an automatic lathe shop and they all used old motor oil (the owner was notoriously "cheap") for machining steel.

Messy but cheap - they give the stuff away.

As one old guy said - if it was good enough for my motor last time it was used - its good enough.

Ken

 

[robwilk]

I am using hydraulic oil I don't know if this is the right thing to do but it seems to do the trick I only use it because I have a abundant free supply .

Rob......

 

[Tin Falcon]

Here are the recommendations Per army TC 9-524 appendix A

I have tried many home remedies as well as commercial products.
A-9 works great for aluminum. Moly-D is a great tapping fluid
kero and Iso alcohol work on aluminum. Sulpherised oil works good on steel.
And Of course I have used soluble oil as a gp cutting oil. Today I was using Anchor lube for drilling and punching stainless at work.
The particular bottle has been around for a while and my son (also helper at work) says it smells like "monkey Butt"
Yes animal oils do get funky.
So what does this all mean.
1) use some sort of lube/coolant/ cutting oil. I does protect your tooling. (cast iron is generally cut dry with air flow)
2) use what works for you .
3) the home shop is kind of like a university Lab, experiments are encouraged.

Now back to the chart soluble oil shows up in most of the block but not all so it it is a widely used but not universal cutting oil.

Be safe some of the additives in cutting oils may be toxic or harmful. if you have a cup or glass of your favorite beverage in the shop keep it away from the cutting oils. And some of the common ones are flammable. So use caution and keep a fire extinguisher handy.
Last but not least have fun.
Tin
PS: I would not consider lard and bacon fat interchangeable for the shop. bacon contains salts and nitrates that I would not want on my machine.

 

[Tin Falcon]

As far as home made recipes
there is an old book Henleys formulas that has instructions to make just about anything . but it is an old book and some of the materials may be dangerous toxic or unavailable. You have me curious I may pull out my copy and check for cutting oil concoctions.
A digital copy can be found here
http://www.archive.org/details/henleystwentiet00hiscgoog
Tin

 

[steamer]

Alright....here ya go.

Acculube!

http://www1.mscdirect.com/cgi/NNSRI...re=ItemDetail-_-ResultListing-_-SearchResults

Very good on stainless and aluminum. Supposedly you can eat it right out of the jar....I'll pass

It has worked for me....it does evaporate so keep it covered

Works well in mist lube too.

Dave

 

[Mastermaker]

As far as hazardous chemicals are concerned, part of my reason for coming up with my mix was because of the heart flutter/arrhythmia that I have heard many experience when using wd40 as a cutting oil since I have experienced the same symptoms.

Looking at the chart I can't help but think that the lamp oil I'm using serves a function similar to the soluble/mineral and the plant oil is a fat just as lard is one.

It is certainly about as harmless as they come.

I hadn't heard about using used motor oil but I think I will pass on that one for anything other than quenching as smoke from that one can't possibly be good for you.

Wonder if liquid soap would work?

 

[kustomkb]

I have heard that milk is the best thing for getting a bright finish on copper.

Never tried it but have always been curious to try an experiment.

Or maybe the fellow machinists were just trying to get me to pour milk on my shaft for a laugh.

 

[steamer]

By the way...Acculube is plant based IIRC.

Hope that helps.

Dave

Here's the company website

http://accu-lube.com/new_website/englisch/framesets/frameset.html

 

[Swede]

Not homemade, but I think my delivery system is handy...

I use tapmagic gold, good for all metals requiring fluid. It is good stuff, if a bit smokey, and very benign to the hands. To administer it (or any other liquid), buy a 35cc syringe at your feed or vet store. They are dirt cheap. If they come with a needle, you can blunt it with a grinder. Or, detach the needle and add a short section of 5mm plastic tubing or similar. Works great!

 

[Mastermaker]

I use syringes for this as well but I don't blunt the needle as the angled point makes it quicker to spread the oil on a flat surface.

A really large syringe with a very thin needle makes a "flood coolant"(of sorts) to wash away chips when doing slotting with thin mills.

Most of the time I just use a solvent rated hand sprayer.

Not homemade, but I think my delivery system is handy...

I use tapmagic gold, good for all metals requiring fluid. It is good stuff, if a bit smokey, and very benign to the hands. To administer it (or any other liquid), buy a 35cc syringe at your feed or vet store. They are dirt cheap. If they come with a needle, you can blunt it with a grinder. Or, detach the needle and add a short section of 5mm plastic tubing or similar. Works great!

 

[MachineTom]

Since opinions are up, I'll share mine. The best by way of useful is CRC Thread cutting lube, in an aerosol can, it is foamy and sticky, comes with a nozzle extension that is perfect for those deep drill holes in SS or anything else. Because it is foamy it stays were you but it, as well as only needing a small amount you waste very little. It states that it will work on non-ferrous as well. It works well for turning and milling. For heavy threading I like dark sulferized stinky oil seems the best.