Hi Jacob,

I usually don't use cutting fluid when using carbide tipped tools, may be except when cutting hard steels. For HSS tools I often use a thin plain "sewing machine" oil applied with a small brush.

Thor

At one stage I had a mixture of dregs of engine oil, I think some sort of gearbox/ATF oil & used paraffin which worked very well on aluminium giving a very smooth finish. I've used it up now. Generally, for aluminium I use used paraffin, used because it's been used for cleaning oily components, then left for the dirtier compounds to settle, but remains discoloured.

I have used Rocol fluid, diluted 1:1 with water on steel, but don't like it. Ok it works, but I think it expensive, so much so that now I only use it if parting off, and even then I don't like the mess it leaves behind on the tool. Otherwise I now use Neatcut (I think that's the name) of which I bought perhaps a 2 litres worth from Warco at an exhibition. I find this works well enough, and appears somewhat cleaner than Rocol.

Peter G. Shaw

+1, specially the 'end in tears' bit! Almost anything will work up to a point, and Milk, Bacon Fat, Tallow and similar are very effective and were much used in the past. A major problem with traditional methods is they go off. The stink is bad enough, even worse is the danger of infected cuts. Before antibiotics there was a lot of suffering and many amputations… Still potentially unpleasant with modern medical care.

Modern mixtures are high-performance, antiseptic, and don't rot. Paraffin is fine on Aluminium, otherwise the real thing is worth paying for.

Dave

I use WD40 or Paraffin for aluminium and mineral oil for anything else other than brass of cast iron. I am still using some "straight SAE 50" oil from a stock when I used to make up model aircraft fuel . Can you imagen what would happen if a 12yr. old went into a chemist now and asked for " 8 fluid ounces of the Ether and 3/5 of a

fluid ounce of Amyl Nitrate please "

I use any penetrating type oil bought at jumbles for $1 or so a can on Aluminum, it does not care. Everything else gets the black pipe threading oil.

Been using tallow warmed up to a liquid mixed with paraffin for the last 50 years on all steels

Adding olive oil immediately makes something that will go of in time, also create nasty gunge in dark corners of the lathe. Tallow and turpentine are not readily available in the UK and likely to be more expensive than plain oil. Not come across a UK farmers merchant that stocks 'factory supplies'.

If you are hard up against it try asking you local garage for used ATF gearbox oil, ie not engine oil nor back axle oil. ATF is nice and thin and uncontaminated by additives.

Oh well it’s been a boring day but that gave me a good laugh.

Edited By V8Eng on 14/06/2020 14:35:58

I always thought that Angel's Breath was what evaporated out of whiskey barrels whilst they age.

Roy

Art shops for Turps but it's expensive.

regards Martin