Applying cutting fluid

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Applying cutting fluid

This topic has 22 replies, 19 voices, and was last updated 10 January 2017 at 13:09 by Ajohnw.

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9 January 2017 at 16:10 #276758
PaulR
Participant
@paulr
How do people apply small amounts – ie droplets- of lubricant/cutting oil when turning, threading or drilling? I've used a brush (which seems to apply as much swarf as oil), an oil can (which often supplies too much, most of it falling onto the cross-slide), a washing up bottle (ditto) and a syringe (which is a pain to store).

Does anyone use one of those squirty-ball things, are they any good and if so where do you get them from?
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9 January 2017 at 16:10 #18358
PaulR
Participant
@paulr
9 January 2017 at 16:28 #276762
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
I use a small brush and try to keep swarf out of the pot
9 January 2017 at 16:31 #276763
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
With apologies to Clive Hartland … Rowse squeezy Honey bottles are O.K.

MichaelG.
9 January 2017 at 16:32 #276765
Russell Eberhardt
Participant
@russelleberhardt48058
Wash bottle

Russell
9 January 2017 at 16:33 #276766
richardandtracy
Participant
@richardandtracy
Can't help on a squirty-ball thing, I use a washing up bottle. To stop it going everywhere I catch what I can with a plastic Chinese take-away food tray on the cross slide. When lathe polishing plastics (which accounts for 90% of my cutting fluid usage, and most of the rest is used parting off the plastics, with an 80C melting temp it's important to keep parting cool), I recover probably 95%, and wear most of the remaining 5%. The recovered stuff goes straight back into the bottle for re-use.

Regards,

Richard.
9 January 2017 at 16:34 #276767
Roderick Jenkins
Participant
@roderickjenkins93242
I use one of this type for applying my cutting fluid – easy to control from a jet to drops.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/500ml-Plastic-Bottle-Squeeze-Dispensing/dp/B00E9M5PWI/ref=pd_sbs_328_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=W2XXAKBNAHRYQ8C25C5P

I prefer these to the sort with a tube that comes out of the screw top, which don't seem to be as easy to control. However, that may just depend on how soft the plastic bottle is.

HTH,

Rod

Edited By Roderick Jenkins on 09/01/2017 16:37:50
9 January 2017 at 16:37 #276769
Anonymous
Posted by PaulR on 09/01/2017 16:10:57:

How do people apply small amounts – ie droplets- of lubricant/cutting oil when turning, threading or drilling?

I don't; it doesn't achieve much, so I don't waste time doing it.

For hand tapping stainless steel I use Rocol, but that's like a grease, so it stays put.

Andrew
9 January 2017 at 16:44 #276773
Howard Lewis
Participant
@howardlewis46836
As well as small squeezable bottles, I use a gravity feed system. The reservoir was originally a 1 Litre shampoo dispenser which is placed on a high shelf above the lathe. It is connected to a shop made needle valve, (incorporating an O ring seal), by windscreen washer tubing. The needle valve and integral delivery jet is mounted on a pillar screwed into a small pot magnet, sited on the Cross Slide. All the pipe connections are 1/8 BSP.

Once the pump in the bottle has filled the tubing, the cutting fluid syphons down to the needle valve which can regulate the flow from zero to a full flow. Like everything that I do, the coolant is a dead loss.

Howard

Edited By Howard Lewis on 09/01/2017 16:46:16
9 January 2017 at 17:21 #276779
Clive Foster
Participant
@clivefoster55965
I'm with Andrew on this. Getting small amounts of cutting fluid et al into the right places to be effective takes a proper mister system, e.g. Bijur et al. Which has its own issues of air quality in the home workshop. However when its going right, remember small droplets not a mist, the effect is impressive and fluid consumption tiny.

A modest but steady trickle directed in the right place can work OK if not too ambitious with cuts. Certainly helps a lot to control chip jamming when parting off. Intermittent dabbing and squirts are more to make you feel good than anything else although sometimes useful when eaking out a couple or three more cuts from a below par tool. Laying a bead of a heavy cutting lube such as Dormer Supercut is good when screw cutting uncooperative materials.

Clive

Edited By Clive Foster on 09/01/2017 17:21:52
9 January 2017 at 17:37 #276788
I.M. OUTAHERE
Participant
@i-m-outahere
For most stuff i use an acid brush and neat soluable cutting fluid ( because it was free ) and it seems to work fine but can get a little smoky .

For hand tapping i mostly use tap magic and it is in a little can with a spout .

For deep drilling especially in the lathe i use trefolex ctd spray ( because it was also free ) and it has a long fine nozzle / tube that i feed up one of the drill flutes and inject the spray right up inside the hole .

I don't seem to find a problem with acid brushes picking up swarf as they have short bristles and i use one of those cant spill type containers that i keep up on top of the lathe so it's not swimming in swarf .

You could just use a short bristled artists brush about 10 mm wide and cut the handle down to a hand length .
9 January 2017 at 17:57 #276795
Chris Evans 6
Participant
@chrisevans6
Acid brush and neat soluble for me to. Plus the usual washing up bottle with a bit of small plastic tube solvent welded to the cap.
9 January 2017 at 18:10 #276797
Martin Cargill
Participant
@martincargill50290
My missus uses a hair dye that comes with a small "squeezy" type bottle for application of the dye. Once she has finished with it a quick rinse out and they are make excellent applicators for oils etc. Because they have a long nose they can be used with some accuracy.

Martin C

P.S. make sure she has finished with it first!
9 January 2017 at 20:00 #276822
Emgee
Participant
@emgee
I use a home made mist block, more small droplets than mist but can be directed exactly where needed, it does need a low pressure/quantity air supply to function. Full details in my Picture album, the following link shows the block with a description.

http://www.model-engineer.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/images/member_albums/87760/581408.jpg

Similar type units are now very low cost (£5-£8) inc postage from ebay sellers.

Emgee

Added link

Edited By Emgee on 09/01/2017 20:01:28
9 January 2017 at 20:20 #276830
BW
Participant
@bw
Eye dropper, syringe, baby medicine dispenser – basically a giant eye dropper

Eye drops are sold in chemist shops in packs of 100 tiny disposable 0.4ml plastic ampules

Gravity dispenser controlled by an adjustable tap, out to a small hose then to a very thin metal tube.

Small paintbrushes ie children's watercolours – have seen these with a puffball on the end and the oil is squirted drop by drop into the brush and applied

3 in 1 oil tin from a hardware store – squueze the tin to force some drops out of the spout.

I got frustrated by clumsy attempts to dispense and subsequent waste of cutting fluid and started using the above methods.

Bill
9 January 2017 at 20:23 #276832
John Bromley
Participant
@johnbromley78794
I use wd40 in a plant sprayer bottle for ally and soluble oil in a sprayer for everything else. Puts it just were you need it and the desired amount.
9 January 2017 at 21:11 #276847
PaulR
Participant
@paulr
Wow, a great range of suggestions, too many to comment on individually so I'll just say thanks everyone. I've ordered one of those wash bottles… £1.34 won't break the bank if it doesn't work
9 January 2017 at 21:31 #276850
Bob Brown 1
Participant
@bobbrown1
I use the little bottles vaping fluid comes in as shown here one with neat cutting fluid other with "suds"

Edited By Bob Brown 1 on 09/01/2017 21:32:08

Edited By Bob Brown 1 on 09/01/2017 21:32:20
9 January 2017 at 23:02 #276869
Roderick Jenkins
Participant
@roderickjenkins93242
Posted by PaulR on 09/01/2017 21:11:48:

Wow, a great range of suggestions, too many to comment on individually so I'll just say thanks everyone. I've ordered one of those wash bottles… £1.34 won't break the bank if it doesn't work

Leave the top loose when not in use – A change in air pressure can cause the the bottle to wee all over the bench top

Rod
10 January 2017 at 09:16 #276904
BW
Participant
@bw
Forgot to mention before, window cleaner bottle with adjustable nozzle set to very fine jet is also a favourite of mine.

You can get quite good at sending a very fine jet right where its needed.

Bill
10 January 2017 at 11:17 #276935
AlanW
Participant
@alanw96569
If you know someone who colours their own hair, the colour part of the mixture (for Clairol anyway) is contained in a squeezy bottle with a long nozzle. Only needs washing out and saved from going to landfill.

I have them in the workshop filled with: cutting oil, slideway oil, chain oil, engine oil, thinned PVA, etc., labelled with permanent marker as to contents.

If anyone is wondering, no I don't; a regular No2 doesn't leave enough hair to worry about.

Alan
10 January 2017 at 11:26 #276937
Perko7
Participant
@perko7
I'm with XD351, a spray can of Trefolex CTD cutting oil with the fine tube in the nozzle gets it in the right spot every time with minimal overspray. It also supposedly contains a rust inhibitor, and I've noticed that areas where I have used this and not wiped it off have not developed any surface rust even after 12 months in the sub-tropics.
10 January 2017 at 13:09 #276952
Ajohnw
Participant
@ajohnw51620
Posted by JasonB on 09/01/2017 16:28:58:

I use a small brush and try to keep swarf out of the pot

Snap. I use kiddies paste brushes from a pound shop. The one with wooden handles. Usually in packs of 4 or 5. Not much on the brush as I am not trying to use it as a coolant as well – a brush wouldn't be much good for that anyway.

I find that one really well drained brush is enough for several applications. It just needs a smear. When I use it depends on how much material is being turned off.

Some is in a test tube that's lashed to the side of a bottle with more in. I keep the bottle lidded as it definitely absorbs air or seems to to me. Probably evaporates too. Test tube could do with having a larger bore really. Main stock is in 5L can.

John

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