What cutting fluid should i use

[steve238]

I have just purchashed an old (1960's i think?) Denford Viceroy 2 morse taper pillar drill and have changed the motor to single phase.
The drill performes really well but what with the price of taper shank drills i was wondering what cutting fluid you guys would recommend.
Are most fluids diluted with water?.
Any help in this field would be greatly appreciated.
Any other tips for drill lubrication also,thanks Steve.

 

[Justme]

Suds

I used to buy a gallon & then mix a small amount with lots of water to make the cutting fluid.

Justme

 

[snowcat]

All depends on what your drilling, for LCMS a soluble type cutting fluid, oil or water mix...... brass and phos bronze something like paraffin, cast is dry......

Thats a rough ball park, Iv got all the recommendations for materials in the zuss book if you want more detail..

 

[JimM]

I use 3 in 1 oil, no idea if it's good or bad in the great scheme of things but I'm only a hobby user and assume it's better than nothing. Interested if there is anything more appropriate though?

Jim

 

[snowcat]

any oil is better than none, proper cutting fluids are designed to cope with the extreme pressures and are also soluble..... the water mix ones are ideal for suds pumps and flood cooling as they dont smoke with hot chip, nasty with long lathe or milling cuts....., for home use a can of hand applied fluid would be ideal......

 

[steve238]

I'am normally drilling between 8mm-10mm steel plate for my banger car doorplates etc,but i would like to be educated as it seems silly to ruin my drills prematurely when i could probably prolong their life by using a decent fluid.

 

[rtbcomp]

I've used Rocol cutting fluid and find it much better than 3-in-1 &c.

 

[^neo^]

Rocol paste is a pretty universal thing to use. Mainly used for tapping holes but does a good job with drilling too and doesn't make a mess

 

[JimM]

Hi neo

Where do you get your Rocol paste from ?

Thanks

Jim

 

[^neo^]

SKS tools in smallfield.
As for you in Chessington, probably Andrew Beatties (the welding suppliers on the A217 at kingswood) or maybe woodfield welding in Surbiton would be your local ones

 

[JimM]

Thanks Neo, the one in Surbiton is only 2 mins away.

Was thinking that you'd only get the paste from an engineering supplies, should have thought to check a welding outlet - doh!

 

[piman]

Hello all,

where a soluble oil cutting fluid gains is that it keeps the tool cool, but of course you need a pump to pump it to the job.

Alec

 

[rtbcomp]

Hello all,

where a soluble oil cutting fluid gains is that it keeps the tool cool, but of course you need a pump to pump it to the job.

Alec

I guess you could use a washing machine pump

 

[^neo^]

Old orange squash bottle with a hole in the lid and squirt it on every few seconds does the trick.

 

[snowcat]

Ok

The functions of a cutting oil are 1 To cool the tool and the workpiece, Reduce the heat generated by friction (to lube the work), provide anti weld property's (chip to tool) and to wash away chips,

The 3 basic types of fluids are, water soluble, straight oils and chemical fluids

water soluble oils are mixed in ratios with water around 50:1, water is by far the best coolant, so the mixed compound simply provides lube, rust protection and anti fungal property's to prevent smells, they are the most versatile used at any cut speeds in light, medium or heavy cuts...

Straight cutting oil is standard oil with additives to increase there performance, oils with zero adaptive, IE bog standard 3 in 1 are only use full on light machine operations, mostly on al, brass and ferrous metals, however fatty additives enhance performance IE Castor oil, lard etc......Straight oil is also good for thread cutting, and close chip work...

Theres also Chlorines and Sulfur additives, If anyone really wants a run down of these I will do it, but it seams a tad over the top for a short DIY rundown..

Chemical fluids (synthetics) are a fully synthetic water mix compound, they have "wetters" to provide lube, these are by far the best coolants (and the one I use in the machines) excellent for all speeds and sizes of cuts...

If tools are cooled by hand IE with a brush or can, then speeds should be lower and cuts smaller, as hot to sudden cold , can cause thermal cracks in tooling...

 

[MrFluffy]

Gulf hydrocut here. Bought a 5L container of it about 4 years ago and at 4% concentration...
Its a full synthetic, has never gone off with tramp oil etc, and I bought it from my then local buck and hickman trade counter. I imagine any engineering supplier can get you a gallon if needed...
I use it in the mill, the lathe, bandsaw and soon my new shaper and donkey saw when I unload them out the landie

The time I dont use it is on cast iron. I cut that dry with no coolant. It seems to cut better and easier that way.

 

[snowcat]

Gulf hydrocut here. Bought a 5L container of it about 4 years ago and at 4% concentration...
Its a full synthetic, has never gone off with tramp oil etc, and I bought it from my then local buck and hickman trade counter. I imagine any engineering supplier can get you a gallon if needed...
I use it in the mill, the lathe, bandsaw and soon my new shaper and donkey saw when I unload them out the landie

The time I dont use it is on cast iron. I cut that dry with no coolant. It seems to cut better and easier that way.

Yes Cast is a dry cut material.........

 

[hareng]

I would forget the paste its messy and clings/sticks to other stuff. Ronks too when warm as its not a coolant, better of using it for hand tapping.
Need to change my water soluble coolant just a cheapy and available in 5ltr cans at £9.5 from Hughes and Holmes and similar hardware shops. Beats paying £50 for a 25ltr drum.
Use it on everything various stainless grades inc 316S11, spring steel, phosphur bronze, MS, plastics and aluminium.
Dry is best for cast iron but still works to cool cutters.

Heat has the most detrimental effect on cutters, mix above with free water (makes gallons) fill a washing up bottle or gearbox oil can and tube and use sporadically.
Chips dont cling as much either, can just wipe off after, if left it will eventually evapourate and leave an oil residue.

Might try some decent stuff next ive got some jobs with titanium.