Cutting Oil

[jjtgrinder]

For bandsaw cutting it makes a great deal of difference what you cut, I would not cut dry! I have a band saw - HarborFreight 1 HP 7 In. x 12 In. Hydraulic Feed Metal Cutting Band Saw, Item #97001 , I highly recommend using a product called "TRIM C270" cutting fluid concentrate. I bought it on Amazon. Mix it with water (3 parts water to 1 part C270). This mix will not turn rancid, will not rust your equipment. About once a month, add some additional water, depending on how much you cut with the saw. About once or twice a year, add a cup of Trim C270 to the tank to compensate for loss. If you notice some rust on your saw, that means the "TRIM" is too weak in the solution. It is what they use in the local shipyard. They build ships for the United States Navy. I purchased the "Lenox Bi-Metal" blades on the internet from the BSBD.com.Lenox "CLASSIC" blades. They last a long time , I have cut stainless, high-carbon steel with them. No problem.

On the lathe, I use reqular dark cutting oil, brush it on. Sometimes I take an old squirt bottle from the wife‘s hair dye kit and stick an old WD40 straw in the nozzle and use that to drip oil where I need it.

 

[jjtgrinder]

As a machine lube, we used a 50/50 mix of WD40 and ATF. Great results for turning and general machining. I won't be without it, in my shop.

What do you mean by machine lube? In the gear box , on the ways or cutting oil???

 

[lawlessman]

A water based coolant that is soluble oil will pose no threat of corrosion if the mixture is oil rich, the water evaporates and leaves the oil behind, on everything I might add. A very light oil content may well lead to rust on steel machine components.
A 90% water/10% oil mixture is an excellent coolant yet a poor lubricant, a 70% water/30% oil mix is a less efficient coolant but a much better lubricant. The use of either is dependent on conditions, does the process require more cooling or more lubrication? Choose wisely.

I would not use soluble coolant for tapping, non aggressive single point threading I do with coolant.

I use water soluble oil for many things, in my mist coolant units, very dilute (1/4 cup to a gallon of water) on the CNC units, a little less dilute on my mill unit, undiluted for tapping and thread forming, and "aerosolized" for flycutting. To "aerosolize", I dip a brush in my spillmaster container, hold the brush near the workpiece and hit it with a blast of air from a blowgun. Covers a large surface with a light coating in a few seconds, with little waste. (Don't do this while your flycutter is running.).
Now, for general cutting and tapping on my lathe, I use dark cutting oil, and on my two bandsaws I use only stick wax. Stick wax is easier and safer to apply than oil and doesn't mess up the tires on the bandsaw wheels. I use a Grizzley upright, 14" wood-cutting bandsaw with ordinary carbon steel blades, with no change of the blade speed, to cut aluminum. I have used hook-tooth, 4 tpi ripping blades to cut thru 4" thick aluminum, with just stick wax for lubricant. (It was amazingly fast, BTW).

 

[WalterC]

Bandsaw cuts are made dry.

I use a lot of 30w cheap $3.99 a quart HD motor oil diluted with minerals spirits- does fine for me for general turning.

 

[dulltool17]

For what it's worth..
I just retired from GM engineering lab.
As a machine lube, we used a 50/50 mix of WD40 and ATF. Great results for turning and general machining. I won't be without it, in my shop.

Because I was curious, I tried this. I was seriously impressed (not that this is too hard) I cut a couple of dovetails for sights on a rifle I'm building. Smooth cuts, good finish, very happy with results. I haven't used it for any turning work yet, but doubt that I'll be disappointed. Excellent tip!

 

[Kody the Bear]

Now that is interesting. Never would have thought of that. My Dad was an upholster as well as backyard mechanic and he used ATF for everything from sewing machine to squeaky hinges. What is it about the combination that makes the difference?

As I'm not a chemist, I can only comment on my experience. Works great for machining SS and Ti. I use it in my spitter on the mill. A gal of cheap ATF, and a gal of Liquid WD-40, will last years. I'm not sure who came up with it, but if ya try it, it will shock you. A friend in the Lab told me to try it once, and I haven't been without it since.
Bear

 

[Tozguy]

An ancient old, crotchety, machinist told me to use Marvel Mystery Oil as cutting oil. The stuff is brilliant. Thick enough to stay on spinning parts, dissipates heat nicely, and has kept my bits nice and sharp. The stuff is available just about anywhere.

Thought that this was a good idea since I have a few old bottles of MMO collecting dust. It does work great for cutting but the smell got to me.
Since MMO is a gas additive that has to burn easily and cleanly I am going to compare its flammability to that of some other cutting oils.

 

[planeflyer21]

Flammability tests. We need video!

 

[TheOtherBill]

For your consideration:
Amazon doesn't sell Spillmaster but these came up in my search results: "Creativity 5104 No Spill" They're poly and come with matching brushes. I can see multiple uses for these, especially for so cheap (10 for 13 bucks). I'm going to try some.

 

[CraigB1960]

I have a Kalamazoo horizontal bandsaw that I use a lube stick (wax) on. I need to install a wet system on it and use a traditional coolant/lube for metal saws. For my mill and lathe, depends on the material. For aluminum I use WD40 (for machining operations) and Tap Magic, or Rapid Tap when tapping. For ferrous & SS materials, I use Trim Sol as a cutting fluid. Easy to apply in a spray bottle and mixed at 10% with distilled water.

Need to be careful on what you use for these operations. Fumes and skin exposure can cause health risks.