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Homemade cutting fluid

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Jacob Leonidou09/06/2020 10:21:31
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62 forum posts
35 photos

Hello. I'm interested in what people think regarding home made cutting fluid. Do you make your own and if so what do you use?

I use carbide insert tooling so as far as i'm aware fluid is not necessary (would it improve finish/tool life though?). But for HSS drilling i figured there's got to be something i can make at home to save some money. I made some a while back but i can't for the life of me remember what it was. Maybe ATF and kero, im not sure. Had a look through the forum and didn't find much.

I'm interested to hear your opinions. Thanks

Thor 🇳🇴09/06/2020 10:35:22
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1766 forum posts
46 photos

Hi Jacob,

I usually don't use cutting fluid when using carbide tipped tools, may be except when cutting hard steels. For HSS tools I often use a thin plain "sewing machine" oil applied with a small brush.

Thor

Greensands09/06/2020 10:55:41
449 forum posts
72 photos

Hi Jacob

I have always found that a 50% mixture of engine oil and paraffin for aluminium alloys, BMS and PB works well for me and for silver steel I have found nothing better than a 50% mixture of Neats Foot oil and paraffin for cutting silver steel.

Peter G. Shaw09/06/2020 11:13:44
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1531 forum posts
44 photos

At one stage I had a mixture of dregs of engine oil, I think some sort of gearbox/ATF oil & used paraffin which worked very well on aluminium giving a very smooth finish. I've used it up now. Generally, for aluminium I use used paraffin, used because it's been used for cleaning oily components, then left for the dirtier compounds to settle, but remains discoloured.

I have used Rocol fluid, diluted 1:1 with water on steel, but don't like it. Ok it works, but I think it expensive, so much so that now I only use it if parting off, and even then I don't like the mess it leaves behind on the tool. Otherwise I now use Neatcut (I think that's the name) of which I bought perhaps a 2 litres worth from Warco at an exhibition. I find this works well enough, and appears somewhat cleaner than Rocol.

Peter G. Shaw

Tony Pratt 109/06/2020 11:17:12
2319 forum posts
13 photos

Water based 'coolant' & cutting oil are not that expensive so why bother making some home-brew which may end in tears?

Tony

SillyOldDuffer09/06/2020 12:09:49
10668 forum posts
2415 photos
Posted by Tony Pratt 1 on 09/06/2020 11:17:12:

Water based 'coolant' & cutting oil are not that expensive so why bother making some home-brew which may end in tears?

Tony

+1, specially the 'end in tears' bit! Almost anything will work up to a point, and Milk, Bacon Fat, Tallow and similar are very effective and were much used in the past. A major problem with traditional methods is they go off. The stink is bad enough, even worse is the danger of infected cuts. Before antibiotics there was a lot of suffering and many amputations... Still potentially unpleasant with modern medical care.

Modern mixtures are high-performance, antiseptic, and don't rot. Paraffin is fine on Aluminium, otherwise the real thing is worth paying for.

Dave

Hopper09/06/2020 12:15:02
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7881 forum posts
397 photos

I use neat cutting oil for parting off and whatever mineral oil I am using on the ways for screwcutting. Never felt the need for anything on drills other than a bit of mineral oil on centredrills. Even with HSS I don't find a need for coolant or oill for general turning. I'm not removing metal at industrial rates over long duration cuts so seems to work ok.

BC Prof09/06/2020 12:45:53
182 forum posts
1 photos

I use WD40 or Paraffin for aluminium and mineral oil for anything else other than brass of cast iron. I am still using some "straight SAE 50" oil from a stock when I used to make up model aircraft fuel . Can you imagen what would happen if a 12yr. old went into a chemist now and asked for " 8 fluid ounces of the Ether and 3/5 of a

fluid ounce of Amyl Nitrate please "

larry phelan 109/06/2020 13:51:49
1346 forum posts
15 photos

I buy water based coolant from a local farm shop, at 27 Euro for 5 litres.

Mixed at 20/25 to 1 ,it goes a long, long way, so why bother making up your own concoctions ?

Kero or WD40 for Ali alright, but the mix for everything else.

But then, my standards are so Low-----------------------?

mark costello 109/06/2020 17:30:59
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800 forum posts
16 photos

I use any penetrating type oil bought at jumbles for $1 or so a can on Aluminum, it does not care. Everything else gets the black pipe threading oil.

Martin Kyte09/06/2020 17:48:51
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3445 forum posts
62 photos

Not just a case of how well it works but does it vapourise and kill off your lungs and how well does it grow bacteria in your felt wipers and erode your lathe bed. ?

At least with a purchased product you get a hazards sheet.

regards Martin

Mikelkie09/06/2020 19:05:25
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135 forum posts
13 photos

Been using tallow warmed up to a liquid mixed with paraffin for the last 50 years on all steels

D.A.Godley09/06/2020 22:08:49
143 forum posts
41 photos

I don’t use a great deal , but what I find works exceedingly Weil is Angels Breath !

1 part genuine Turpentine

2 parts White spirits

3 parts Olive oil

Not only does it work well but it has a nice aroma.

Jacob Leonidou14/06/2020 12:34:25
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62 forum posts
35 photos
Posted by D.A.Godley on 09/06/2020 22:08:49:

I don’t use a great deal , but what I find works exceedingly Weil is Angels Breath !

1 part genuine Turpentine

2 parts White spirits

3 parts Olive oil

Not only does it work well but it has a nice aroma.

It sounds somewhat appetising haha. Not a bad suggestion either i will look into it.

Jacob Leonidou14/06/2020 12:42:12
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62 forum posts
35 photos

I really appreciate all the suggestions, i've got a lot to experiment with.

I ask not because i'm too cheap to buy real cutting oil, as i do have quite a bit, i'm more curious as to what makes a cutting oil good and how it can be made at home from a scientific perspective. As far as i'm concerned diluted lubricating oils should work really well as they are designed for high friction applications, however i do accept they might have other additives that could be harmful in more ways than one. If it turns out that mixing mineral oils is not a good option then i will happily continue using my cutting fluids. Just seems economic to use up all the excess oil i have on my shelf.

Thanks Jake

Jacob Leonidou14/06/2020 12:43:37
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62 forum posts
35 photos
Posted by Hopper on 09/06/2020 12:15:02:

I use neat cutting oil for parting off and whatever mineral oil I am using on the ways for screwcutting. Never felt the need for anything on drills other than a bit of mineral oil on centredrills. Even with HSS I don't find a need for coolant or oill for general turning. I'm not removing metal at industrial rates over long duration cuts so seems to work ok.

Are you not worried about heat and annealing/premature wear? Or do things stay cool enough as it is?

Redsetter14/06/2020 13:07:34
239 forum posts
1 photos

WD40 is just a mixture of white spirit and light oil. It says so on the tin. Easy to make your own.

Bazyle14/06/2020 13:24:01
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6956 forum posts
229 photos

Adding olive oil immediately makes something that will go of in time, also create nasty gunge in dark corners of the lathe. Tallow and turpentine are not readily available in the UK and likely to be more expensive than plain oil. Not come across a UK farmers merchant that stocks 'factory supplies'.

If you are hard up against it try asking you local garage for used ATF gearbox oil, ie not engine oil nor back axle oil. ATF is nice and thin and uncontaminated by additives.

thaiguzzi14/06/2020 14:24:40
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704 forum posts
131 photos
Posted by SillyOldDuffer on 09/06/2020 12:09:49:
Posted by Tony Pratt 1 on 09/06/2020 11:17:12:

Water based 'coolant' & cutting oil are not that expensive so why bother making some home-brew which may end in tears?

Tony

+1, specially the 'end in tears' bit! Almost anything will work up to a point, and Milk, Bacon Fat, Tallow and similar are very effective and were much used in the past. A major problem with traditional methods is they go off. The stink is bad enough, even worse is the danger of infected cuts. Before antibiotics there was a lot of suffering and many amputations... Still potentially unpleasant with modern medical care.

Modern mixtures are high-performance, antiseptic, and don't rot. Paraffin is fine on Aluminium, otherwise the real thing is worth paying for.

Dave

+2.

Its 2020, not 1920.....

... and if you insist on bacon fat, make sure its Halal....

V8Eng14/06/2020 14:34:54
1826 forum posts
1 photos
Posted by thaiguzzi on 14/06/2020 14:24:40:

... and if you insist on bacon fat, make sure its Halal....


Oh well it’s been a boring day but that gave me a good laugh.

Edited By V8Eng on 14/06/2020 14:35:58

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