Acceptable cutting fluid substitutions

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Jan 14, 2008
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I'm building a knife, and am hitting some snags with the drilling. I know I should be using clearly labeled cutting oil/fluid, but nobody, and I literally mean nobody, around where I live carries any cutting oil or drill oil.
I would buy online, but my time is limited and I can't afford to wait for the mail.

I tried using chainsaw bar oil, but it has a tendancy to sizzle and smoke away too quickly and it doesn't keep my metal cool(the drill seems fine, but the heat of the metal deforms and all hell breaks loose). Now I'm afraid to use anything that isn't clearly labeled "cutting fluid" because it might not be up to the job. I've got a very limited amount of supplies, and can't afford to screw up.

Please throw suggestions at me that are acceptable. Anything.
 
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I'm moving this thread from the Balisong forum to the Shop Talk forum for better exposure to more knowledgeable experts.

I wonder if motor oil might be the answer?
 
Sounds like you need a good drill bit and proper drilling speed,too. Most light oils will work as cutting oil in a pinch. Chain saw bar oil mixed 50:50 with kerosene will work,too.

What metal are you drilling?
What type of drill and bits are you drilling with?
What speed are you drilling at?
Is the steel hardened or work hardened?

If you fill out your profile with a location (more specific than USA), Many folks could tell you where to get some cutting fluid in your area.

Stacy
 
If all you're doing is drilling a hole, you don't really have to have a cutting fluid. The only time you absolutely need it is for high pressure stuff like tapping, forming, broaching etc. In general machining it serves three functions, to keep the cutter cool (through heat transfer, not lubrication), to lubricate chips coming out of the cut, and to blast loose chips out of pockets. You're not really lubricating the cutting edge, the PSI involved exceeds the film strength of about any fluid and there is no mechanism to really get anything to the point of chip formation. So really you're just keeping things cool.

So, that said, about anything you want to use to lubricate your drill bit will be fine, including chainsaw bar oil. If it is getting too hot, slow the RPM down. I use water soluble oil mixed in water in my production machines, which is about 7% oil dissolved in water. It's primary purpose is to cool the cutters. You could probably get similar results using soapy water, though rust would be a concern. Water does a better job of heat transfer, and it doesn't smoke. Oil does a better job of preventing galling on the lands, and chip rewelding, which I doubt you're getting into.

Machining hardened steel (I've milled up to HRC 66) is frequently performed dry with coated carbide cutters, using air as a coolant.

Most people in your situation use WD40.

Now, tapping ect is a different story (don't tap with WD40, you'll need something with EP additives).

Stacy's recommendation to cut the bar oil with kerosene is spot on and will get you pretty close to what is used in production machines using oil.
 
Like Nathan, I rarely use a cutting fluid when drilling a hole in barstock. About the only time I'll use it is in deep hole drilling or on materials that tend to gall. Most of the time I'll just pick up my air gun, concentrating the flow into the hole to evac chips and cool. For multiple holes I'll hook-up my vortec cold air gun. I like air for almost every machining op I do. In your case Crafter, I think maybe adjusting your RPM way down should straighten things out for you ;)

And FWIW, I've become partial to the waxy looking sticks for tapping holes or when drilling calls for cutting fluid. I picked some up about 6 months ago (can't remember what its called at the moment) and I love it. No fuss, no mess or spillage and it stays right where you want it. It has been working excellent as far as final finish and lubrication properties go. It definately gets 2 thumbs up from me :thumbup::thumbup:



:cool:
 
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I know a guy that makes his wife save all the bacon grease from the kitchen. He puts it in coffee cans and uses it as lube on his milling machine for drilling and such. Like to go to his shop cuz it always smells like Breakfast.
 
I use water, and spray it on the work as I drill with a windex bottle. Just be sure to wipe the drill press table, the bit and your work when you are done to prevent rusting.

I prefer water over cutting fluid for 2 reasons. Cutting fluid leaves an oily residue on everything, and secondly, I don't like breathing the fumes it creates while drilling.
 
I keep a small shop vac at my drilling station that I use to clean up chips, etc. I've started to keep the nozzle right next to the drill bit while drilling to suck up any chips as they form. The flow of air over the bit and the piece tend to cool it fairly well. It still gets warm to touch, but not too hot to touch. I also drill and low speeds and with occasional pauses to cool or clear chips.

--nathan
 
I've never purchased cutting or drilling oil. I've had good results with 3-in-1 oil and air tool oil, which I've always had laying around the shop. Thus, I never explored anything else. Someday I'll purchase the right stuff for drilling.

The biggest key, which was already mentioned, is to slow down the drill bit as much as possible, and not apply too much pressure.
 
You know what, a lot of shops who run oil in their sumps run plain mineral oil. It is inexpensive and it is non toxic. You can buy it at the pharmacy, it is sold for use as a laxative. I use it as a quench and on oil stones.

My step father (who is actually older than dirt) was a machinist from way back. He used to concoct an evil brew from lard oil, white lead, and sulfur. Apart from being toxic and the most vile substance that I personally have ever seen, it gave a great surface finish.
 
I saw a video on youtube and he was using bees wax as a lubricant. My drill presses slowes speed is 620 rpm and i burn up a lot of bits. I had some holes to drill this past weekend and tried the beeswax ( i had some beeswax and parafin chunks) and it really seemed to help a lot. I had been using drilling fluid before and it still burned up my bits. With the beeswax asa a lubricunt i drilled a bunch of holes in 1/4" mild steel (making a multi height guilotine fuller) and 3 holes in a blade i am making from a big saw blade, all without burning up a bit. :thumbup:
 
World Crafter, man you must live at the end of the road for sure. :p 'most any hardware store or plumbing supply store, equipment rental store, etc will have the old fashioned sulphurated brown thread cutting oil for use with the power pipe threaders and for the manual pipe threaders. A bottle lasts forever if you are just drilling pin holes. I find that it helps immensely. Sometimes the drill just will not bite, but add a drop of that stuff and it grabs and goes. :)
 
I use Marvel Mystery oil, except on stainless I use Tap Magic tapping oil. Also run my press at 300 rpm (thats as slow as it goes)
 
The machine shop at NASA's Langley Research Center uses floor wax diluted with water for lube/cooling on all their milling machines. NON flammable, good lubricant, good coolant, cheap, puts a protective coating on everything (not necessarily a good thing) and is water soluble.

Jim Arbuckle
ABS JS
 
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