Topic: Favorite hand tapping and threading oil?

[Don R]

 I'm sure there are some knowledgeable machining and tool guys here, what's your favorite tapping fluid?
  Recently when I was drilling a rotor, I ran out of one cutting oil, changed to another bottle   
 (of ) and instantly stopped cutting. I wrecked a couple drill points and work hardened 3 holes. I had to pre-drill the centers with a masonry bit and finish them with some difficulty.
  The Millwright/Carpenters I used to work with liked Tap Magic, but I haven't had any for a while. Before I buy a can, is there something better for hand tapping or drill press use? 
  I bought some blue gel stuff at Lowes but wasn't impressed.

[Gurp]

*following
I usually just use whatever I have in the very bottom of a quart. I mix them together and figured it's better than nothing. At times I have changed bottles and lost some bits.


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[calj737]

For drilling mild steel, tool steel, the dark cutting oil you use for black pipe threading works very well. You can get it at the Home Center usually, by Oatey. It’s high in sulfur content and that works very well.

For Stainless, I use Walter’s StainlessCut. There’s nothing I’ve used that’s better. It’s a tad pricey, but saves drills, tooling and blades and cuts like butter.

I use Walter CoolCut for aluminum. It’s water soluble and prevents galling and makes nice sized chips.

[Steve F]

Being a machinist for nearly 50 years and retired as a toolmaker, I liked to use TapMagic.  It's not an oil but a cutting fluid.  the stuff used to have CFC's which were outlawed as an ozone depleting chemical.  They reformulated the stuff and it was still pretty good.
I drilled my rotors on a CNC milling machine with a program that stepped through all to positions while it was clamped to the machine table.  That machine used a water-soluble cutting fluid and no oil.  A sharp cobalt drill drilled all the holes in both rotors and still kept a point.
The very important part of drilling stainless steel is to not go too fast (like 600 rpm max) on the RPM and MAKE CHIPS!!!  Remember if you're not making chips, the drill is just rubbing... and rubbing is friction and heat and that is what work hardens materials.

[70CB750]

I would say it depends on what are you cutting thread into.  Isn't alcohol used for aluminum thread cutting?

[BenelliSEI]

Being a machinist for nearly 50 years and retired as a toolmaker, I liked to use TapMagic.  It's not an oil but a cutting fluid.  the stuff used to have CFC's which were outlawed as an ozone depleting chemical.  They reformulated the stuff and it was still pretty good.
I drilled my rotors on a CNC milling machine with a program that stepped through all to positions while it was clamped to the machine table.  That machine used a water-soluble cutting fluid and no oil.  A sharp cobalt drill drilled all the holes in both rotors and still kept a point.
The very important part of drilling stainless steel is to not go too fast (like 600 rpm max) on the RPM and MAKE CHIPS!!!  Remember if you're not making chips, the drill is just rubbing... and rubbing is friction and heat and that is what work hardens materials.

Steve….. I like the way you mounted the spools to the lower shock bolt! Clever and simple! In your photo, I see the clip that secures the castle nut, but curious about the second one? What is it holding?

[Steve F]

That "second one" is the reflection in the chain adjuster (I think that's what you're referring to), you're just seeing the reflection in the adjuster surface.

[Don R]

 Thanks for the trips, and thanks Steve for showing me the silver calipers, that was my intention also.  Now, I'm sure.
 I had to search Google for the tap magic but as soon as I saw the can, I knew that was what I used before.