whats a good cutting oil for steel....

Anchorlube works for most materials, including steels and especially stainless. Also works well on aluminum, although WD-40 works as well and is cheaper. The good thing about Anchorlube is that it doesn't smoke and there are no carcinogens in the air like you have with most cutting fluids. I have not threaded with Anchorlube yet but I will the next chance I get. I don't think Anchorlube has any high pressure additives so it might not work well for threading but we'll see. Sorry to ramble but since you already have Anchorlube in the shop, I would suggest you try it. Works good for me.
 
A few thoughts on why I don't use some of the suggested oils.

1) I already get enough pests in my shop (flies in the summer/fall, mice in the winter) that I will never use bacon fat or crisco as that seems like an invitation for more problems. I'd think bacon fat especially would attract mice, rats, cats, dogs, skunks, bears, etc. (had a bear in the compost a couple years ago)

2) I have read about problems with soluble oils causing staining when it sits in dovetail slides etc. My machines are all old and used, so that's not such a big deal. But the show-stopper with soluble oil for me was a test I ran........it freezes even at the least diluted recommendation. While I try to keep the shop above freezing, we had a prolonged -30 deg. C. (-22 deg. F.) already this winter.....and Feb. is usually the coldest month. Also, if the power goes out for any length of time I'll have enough to worry about in the house (pipes freezing), I don't need the additional problems of machine reservoirs and sumps cracking. (my marvel power hacksaw had a cracked reservoir when I got it)

I have considered diluting the soluble oil with automotive antifreeze, but have not tried it yet. People usually warn about health issues with that stuff.

It sounds like I should find some Anchorlube.

-brino
 
This is kind of off topic, but it is interesting. We had some mice at work. An exterminator came in and put out a whole bunch of glue traps. They caught a couple of mice and then no more. We got the "clever" idea to bait the traps with peanut butter. WOW! The mice just came out of the walls. They would barely wait until we finished baiting the traps, and then they just popped out and went for the peanut butter. This went on for a couple of days, then no mice. The exterminator came in somewhat later and called us all together and gave us a stern lecture. Rancid fats repel mice. Just leave the traps alone and don't bait them, and you'll catch more mice in the long run.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. I swapped my cutting oil out for rancid lard. It smells horrible, and you don't want to get any on your clothes. Mouse problem in garage went away. Hmmmmmmmmm. That pest control guy might be right.
 
ericc said:
This is kind of off topic, but it is interesting. We had some mice at work. An exterminator came in and put out a whole bunch of glue traps. They caught a couple of mice and then no more. We got the "clever" idea to bait the traps with peanut butter. WOW! The mice just came out of the walls.
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Mental note: Don't use peanut butter as cutting lube!
 
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I too use thread cutting oil. Seems to work extremely well. Yeah, you can get it hot and smoke.
 
Cooter Brown said:
I have been using Mobil 766 for a few years now. You can get from McMaster Carr $15 a gallon. I love AnchorLube for hole saws.
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I started using the Mobil 766 after Ken (4gsr) recommended it. It is thinner than the pipe cutting oil sold under oakley or rigid, but it does smoke less. But it flings a little easier. It still smokes, but not nearly as much.
 
I use Oatey dark thread cutting oil available almost anywhere. I get it at Lowe's. Makes my little 7x16 cut like a little bit bigger boy.

Roy
 
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