Cutting coolant

[DTR]

What do you use?

Of course there is no "universal" coolant, but as an apprentice we generally used soluble oil, IIRC. Commonly referred to as "suds". Given a choice, that's what I'd use now but I don't know where to get hold of any in a reasonable quantity...

 

[Harbo]

I use some I bought from Warco at a MEX Show.

Rod

 

[Keith 66]

I use a century synthetic cutting oil its good as there is no rust problem & it does not degrade & go smelly with age. The lathe stays clean & does not get covered in brown gum & rust, only downside is the smoke if the machine is doing heavy cuts.

 

[Gary Morris]

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/LUBETECH-OIL-SUPPLIES

This shop sells it.

Gary

 

[jasonB]

I don't run flood cooling but just brush it on as needed and the same 5lts of Gulf "ultracut" has lasted me years. Only really use it on steel and Parafin on ali

Have a look through MSC / J&L they have a large range though when looking for 5lts it does narrow things down a lot.

Morris Lubricants are also hobby friendly and do several of theirs in 5lts at around £25 http://www.morrislubricantsonline.co.uk ... sp?sku=UNI

or you could go with the neat oils which keeps the moisture in the workshop down

http://www.morrislubricantsonline.co.uk ... utting+Oil

 

[DTR]

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll take a look at these.

 

[AES]

DTR,

If it helps at all I agree with the above comments. I have no coolant pump on my little lathe but just brush on, also when tapping threads, reaming, etc, on the bench. When first starting I used soluble oil (suds) because that was all I knew, but as others have said, as it gets older it tends to stink a bit (my workshop is in the cellar) and is particularly so if you don't use it regularly like me. And it wasn't so cheap either.

So looking around I found a synthetic here (Switzerland) called "WS-101" that's made by a local Swiss company. I bought 5 litres and it certainly wasn't cheap (about equiv of 30 or 40 quid I seem to remember) BUT it's watered down 10:1 (with ordinary tap water) and that 5 litre can will last me literally years. I doesn't rust the machine ways or anything else, works very well on all sorts of metals (even helps a bit to reduce that awful "squawk" on hard brass), and has no smell at all - my 1st mix is now about 2 years old.

About the only drawback I can see is that before dilution it's a fairly reasonable green colour but after dilution (I just put 1 litre into an old plastic soft drinks bottle) it looks just like Roses Lime Juice Cordial ;-). So just to be sure, and even though we don't have children or pets I've clearly marked the bottle "Poison" (which according to the manufacturer it is).

I shouldn't think this Swiss stuff is available in UK but Arc Euro Trade Ltd (with whom I have dealt several times with complete satisfaction - usual disclaimers) have something which sounds pretty similar to my WS-101 in their catalogue but as above, I haven't tried that one. It's called "Rockoil Maxcut 5"

LINK: http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/default.aspx

For working ali I usually use aviation fuel (paraffin - kerosene) because I can often get it easily, but any type of paraffin or thin "oil" such as central heating oil will do - you really only need it to stop/slow down work hardening of the job and to keep "blobs" of ali from building up on cutting edges.

Recently however tools stores here have started selling WD40 in 10 litre bottles (with a "free" plastic hand pump spray applicator bottle) and the price works out much more reasonably than the usual WD40 aerosols. I don't know if that applies in UK but if so I've found WD40 very good for ali work when I couldn't lay my hands on Jet A1 immediately.

Some people do complain about WD40 leaving a brown residue on machine ways etc, but personally I've never had that problem - perhaps because, as above, my workshop is in the cellar and no matter the outside temp it never gets below about 10 to 12 degrees C in there.

Hope that helps, sorry for delayed response.

Best of luck
AES

 

[graduate_owner]

If anybody is using soluble oil, be aware that not only does it smell with age, it can also become contaminated with bacteria which can cause nasty skin irritations. Adding some Jeyes fluid reduces the bacteria risk. It doesn't help with the rust problem though.

K

 

[No skills]

Good old Jeyes fluid, is there anything it cant kill I clean my decking with it.

We used to use a soluble oil in our big band saw (back in the good ol days when we had one), seemed easier to clean up than a couple of other products we used.

 

[Hitch]

You can get freshener blocks for smelly coolant.

We use loads of it at work, on the lathe, mill, radial drill, saws...
Get through probably 50litres a year or so before dillution.

For tapping, and drilling where suds makes a mess we use aerosol cutting oils. Downside to them is they smoke if you are pushing a bit hard.

 

[Mister Griffiths]

When nothing else is present, milk actually makes a pretty good coolant/ lubricant

 

[ankledeep]

When nothing else is present, milk actually makes a pretty good coolant/ lubricant

so is wee :shock: ................just.........................dont ask #-o

 

[graduate_owner]

OK, so now I have 3 questions

1. would wee mixed with Jeyes fluid make an environmentally friendly, safe, effective cutting fluid?

2. how on earth did you find out that wee makes a good cutting fluid??? (The mind boggles)

3. is it just human wee or do you use animal wee in your machines?

The things you learn on these forums.

K

 

[AES]

@graduate owner

He said "don't ask" but thanks for doing so anyway (I would have had to ask if you hadn't already) - especially your Q2 - I've heard the saying "I wouldn't p1ss on him if he was on fire" but this is ridiculous!

:lol: =D>

AES

 

[graduate_owner]

So wee has been used for tanning leather, feeding the compost heap, and now as a cutting fluid. Oh, and to throw out of upstairs windows from the potty when someone you don't want to see knocks at the door (so I'm told - we have a flush toilet so I haven't tried it).

Whilst we are on the subject of body wastes, have you over 60's had your bowel screening kits? I've done this twice now (clear both times, thankfully), but I have to say I don't enjoy collecting the samples - good instructions though. Not sure I'd fancy analysing them either.

Under 60? - your time will come.

Now I'm wondering what the next comments will be.

K

 

[graduate_owner]

3 weeks later and no-one has posted any comments. I'm disappointed. Perhaps forum users have better things to do with their time?

K

 

[Myfordman]

To be honest, maybe your comments on bodily waste has effective terminated the topic?

 

[graduate_owner]

Yes, perhaps a bit tasteless, although true!!

K