Best cutting fluid for stainless?

[flatgrinder]

For the guys that machine a lot of stainless (416, etc.) -what do you recommend for a cutting fluid? Which one works the best?

Thanks! :thumbup:

 

[McAhron]

I use coolmist for most machining.

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

For a water soluble oil I like Trim Microsol 585 at 7% (brix around 5). It is designed for Titanium and cast iron, but works well for Stainless and plastic too. It pulls heat better than most.

For a no compromise oil, I have had good luck with Moly-dee. Messy, smelly, spendy and hard to clean off, I never use it in production, but I do use it on prototype work.

Perhaps a machinist with more experience machining stainless can chime in, but I'm 99% certain these are pretty good options for you.

 

[Hankins]

The gentleman who delivered my Surface grinder suggested using EDM oil, has generations of experience Etc

 

[tntbegg]

for spray mister I get good results from KOOLMIST#77 and for tapping titanium I like EMUGE.
When machining, drilling and tapping without the spay mister I also use cool tool #2

This is what works for me

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

The gentleman who delivered my Surface grinder suggested using EDM oil, has generations of experience Etc

EDM fluid is designed for a particular dielectric strength and a high flash point. That said, it is pretty freaking good in aluminum. However it has no EP properties like a chlorinated sulphonated oil and would not work much better than WD40 (pretty bad) on something like stainless. If it ain't dark and stinky, it is a compromise.

 

[flatgrinder]

Thank you for all the replies! :thumbup: