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Cutting oil?

S

Stape

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I've finished some 80's in the past just fine, but I've got a few more to do and wanted to incorporate a cutting oil into the process to see if it makes a difference.

I'm finishing 80% AR lowers using the modulus jig with appropriate drill press and finish router with endmill.

Will the cutting oil make a difference for the milling? Seems the bit is spinning at a higher rpm that it would just fling off. I mean, it's not a CNC machine with a water jet to keep things cool and clean.

Anyways, what cutting oil if any do you recommend? More so looking for something available at the usual big box stores.
 
If you have the ventilation WD 40 works fine. It’s cheap and available. Breathing the vapor isn’t recommended. Then again breathing any oil vapor or smoke I isn't recommended.
 
Stape said:
I've finished some 80's in the past just fine, but I've got a few more to do and wanted to incorporate a cutting oil into the process to see if it makes a difference.

I'm finishing 80% AR lowers using the modulus jig with appropriate drill press and finish router with endmill.

Will the cutting oil make a difference for the milling? Seems the bit is spinning at a higher rpm that it would just fling off. I mean, it's not a CNC machine with a water jet to keep things cool and clean.

Anyways, what cutting oil if any do you recommend? More so looking for something available at the usual big box stores.
Click to expand...

I use Crisco shortening on my Enco at home. Works great and keeps the mess down.
 
I,have a bottle of "dark" tbread cutting oil my dad gave me many years ago. I forget the brand. Was used for the big pipe threader. It works well on everything so far?
How much oil do you need doing a 80% kit?
Im not a huge fan of WD 40 acting as a lube on cutting metal?
Its great for displacing water and adding a bit of wax to your equipmemt.
 
I use the dark oil for cutting pipe threads. You can get at either Lowe’s or Home Depot. Trick is it is not with tools or drills. Go to the plumbing department. It’s usually near where threaded steel pipe is located.

edit: my bottle is 16 oz , white bottle, Oakley brand
 
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Mbousquet said:
I like the tap magic for aluminum cutting fluid, worked better than WD40. Got it on Amazon.com, don't know if HD or Lowes carries it though.
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Same here, really good stuff.

If you want it local I'd look someplace with "Industrial Supply" in the name. I got the occasoinal gallon can from the little MSC storefront (that moved out of Woburn to someplace nearby, not sure where, but a gallon lasts me a while), but HD Chasen in Somerville or McKittrick's in Lowell can probably set you up too. I like it better than the dark stuff for cast iron that you can get in any plumbing place, but then I've got both on the shelf so I can be picky about it.
 
Remember the goal of the cutting oil is to cool the drill bit and work pice to promote good chip formation. If you are drilling and are producing long strands of metal your workpiece is to hot. Slow down or add cooling fluid. You want to produce small chips. For aluminum on 80s water in a squirt bottle is fine. Tap Magic works well also.
 
while you are at the plumbing section:

check your bits, especially when using router, at high RPMs you may get aluminum stuck to your bits, If that happens, put them into solution of lye (pure lye is drain opener) it eats away aluminum and leaves steel alone. Be careful as it would burn your skin and eyes.

don't try to chip away stuck aluminum from bits, especially carbide as it's brittle, use lye.
 
Yikes, a lot of bad info in this thread.

1st off, depending on cutter and materials being cut, you may not need a cutting fluid at all.

For DIY'er who wants to venture into using a cutting fluid, you can get crafty easily and cheap using 5gal pail, fountain pump, tubing and filters. The hard part is you need a wet table that can collect the fluid and return it back to the pail.

For a good cheap cutting fluid that will last a long time for a low volume DIY'er, turn to multi-purpose TRIM E206 that can be had in 1gal size, you can mix it on the low side of the mixing scale.

From what I have seen, milling an 80 (plastic or aluminum) using a handheld, cutting fluid does make a better finish, it's also a bit more messy. Pros & Cons.
 
84ta406 said:
Hangsterfer S-500CF
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"Best" is often relative.

"S-500 CF is available in 5 gallon, 55 gallon and Intermediate Bulk Containers (275 or 330 gallons)."

I am not buying 5gal that will last me 200yrs. Maybe hunting down a shop that will sell 1gal, but finding a shop that uses it and is willing to sell 1gal or 1qt is "not ez" for most DIY'ers.
 
Aluminum - 70% rubbing alcohol cut 50% with water in a spray bottle or a mist coolant system (fog buster is better but costs a lot more)
mist:
Amazon product ASIN B085B11L6TView: https://www.amazon.com/Upgrade-Version-Coolant-Lubrication-Engraving/dp/B085B11L6T


Fogbuster:

FogBuster-Hench Manufacturing Non Fogging Coolant Sprayer | Fog Buster

FogBuster is non fogging machining coolant sprayer, lubricating system for cnc machines, lathes, tooling using Green Technology to reduce your carbon footprint
fogbuster.com fogbuster.com

If using oil go for a fogbuster (or DIY version)
 
Any misting coolant sprayer like that one needs lots of compressed air (they are mostly venturi style devices), and are super messy. A DIY'er would find it too messy and a hassle to drive air all the time. You can however just pump the fluid to a sprayer like that using a fountain pump, and then just add an inline valve to control flow rate. Using push-fit style tubing/connectors makes it a snap to DIY the fluid system. I use a sprayer like that mounted (JB weld) to a good magnet which mags to the side of my drill press, I then just adjust position and flow rate accordingly. Certainly not 100% shop-worthy, but versatile, cheap, and functional.

Isoproply alcohol as a cutting fluid? I have mixed fabric softener with water in the past to make drilling 1" holes in 1" steel plate a whole bunch easier.
How do you mean "if using oil"? Many of the cut fluids are Water Soluble Oil, mixed down in water.
 
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Dwayne said:
"Best" is often relative.

"S-500 CF is available in 5 gallon, 55 gallon and Intermediate Bulk Containers (275 or 330 gallons)."

I am not buying 5gal that will last me 200yrs. Maybe hunting down a shop that will sell 1gal, but finding a shop that uses it and is willing to sell 1gal or 1qt is "not ez" for most DIY'ers.
Click to expand...
I'll agree with that. I get the stuff at work and have offered it to others here in small amounts. A little goes a long way at 5-10% mix.
 
Lucas McCain said:
Alumatap
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It's not bad, but also "limited" to AL.
For a DIY'er a general purpose cut fluid is ideal. Mill AL and steels, drill AL and steels, run on a lathe, tapping, use with hand tools, etc.

For say a AL 80 using a 20k rpm hand router/cutter, applying a lube by hand basically flings off 2sec after you turn it on.
 
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