Thread cutting oil

[Greenfrog]

I’ve always used it. Last I bought was kind of expensive. What is it.? Probably a non detergent light weight oil. Can a substitute oil be used.? Will any oil do? Used for lubrication, but is scraped off fast. Probably more for cooling. Any suggestions or discussion on this? Will ATF work?

 

[TractorTucker]

I have used straight 30wt with a 3/8 bit through 1 inch plate, it worked fine I just used a lot of it and I stopped to clean the chips out of the hole pretty often because the bit was a very very very cheap and dull Chinese bit.

 

[Charles in Aus.]

Not so much for thread cutting but radiator conditioning/antifreeze seems to work well when drilling holes in steel .

 

[rustred]

I have Tryed diff. Oils and they don’t work. Nothing like the real cutting oil. When u have a sharp drill bit you hardly need to oil it. Same with tapping holes. Even Tryed Wd40 and it was like the tap seized up.

 

[SVcummins]

I’ve watched guys drilling holes and spray a little pb on it and the bit stops cutting

 

[fastfarmall]

The best i have found, is Mistic Metal Mover, it comes in a 16 Oz oblong shaped yellow can, works very good. I put it up on the shank about a inch and it goes down and keep working, it's very thin viscosity!

 

[Janicholson]

Tap Magic for Aluminum, and Tap Magic for Steel Very well thought of My neophyte students break 1/2 the number of taps after adopting it. For aluminum Milling and drilling WD40 actually is darn good. Jim

 

[John Garner]

Hand threading? Plumber's threading oil works well, but so do lard, tallow, and common vegetable oils (including Crisco and similar shortenings). One word of caution on the edible oils . . .vermin love 'em, and they can go rancid.

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

At a most desperate time, I used water for drilling iron. Was a half inch hole through about 3/4" of casting. Did the job ok. Only smoked one bit. When I was younger, it was whatever was in the oil can. Many moons ago, I picked up a full gallon just of Keystone 101 all purpose cutting oil at an auction & have been a fan ever since. Just scored another one at a rummage over the summer. There's a company out there that bought up the formula, but I don't recall the name & the number isn't the same. Somebody on the forum here knows what it is, because I had asked earlier this year.

Mike

 

[DavidP,South Wales]

My father melted lard and mixed paraffin withit to make a light paste. Worked a treat.
DavidP, South Wales

 

[Dick L]

I don't remember the exact formula we used back in the 1960's. We heated about a cup or more of sulfur in a coffee can over a hot plate that turned it into a liquid and mixed it with about a gallon of used hydraulic oil that leaked from plastic injection machines. Waste not want not!

 

[jd man wis]

I myself don't use any,makes to much of a mess. Iv learn over the years that it only helps cool the bit. I go slower an don't heat up the bit. Also if u know how to sharpen them to cut then they work good. Iv seen guys in the shop when drilling pour all kinds of oil on why drilling and put so much pressure on the bit that it is smoking and they burn thereally why thew.?

 

[MarkB_MI]

Thread-cutting oil has a lot of sulfur in it. Cutting threads requires a lubricant that can handle high pressure; automotive lubricants are not appropriate.

 

[Mike(NEOhio)]

Any oil is a little better than nothing. Cutting oil is best per Mark's comment. What actually worked best was white lead for threading, reaming and tapping but that's unheard of these days. Anchorlube is good, too, commonly known as "green s**t".

 

[Texasmark1]

I use Oatey dark and I think I picked it up at HD years ago...reminds me time to get some more. it must have a lot of sulphur as Mark mentioned as it is a no-brainer it gets the shavings a rolling when other things I used to use just sit and spin and wear out he bit. Rigid brand dark is probably just as good. I think I recall having that prior to the Oatey.

 

[Bret4207]

I tend to use, often cut about 50% with diesel. Seems to work pretty good. I used to have a can of "Do-Drill" that was really good, but that's long gone. I prefer not use an water based cutting lubes on my metal tooling, so haven't tried anti-freeze or any of the eco-friendly crap.

 

[Bret4207]

I tend to use ATF, the cheaper generic TSC stuff, often cut about 50% with diesel. Seems to work pretty good. I used to have a can of "Do-Drill" that was really good, but that's long gone. I prefer not use an water based cutting lubes on my metal tooling, so haven't tried anti-freeze or any of the eco-friendly crap.

 

[Ellis Kinney]

Tap Magic, the best. Ellis

 

[johnlobb]

Bret mentioned "thread cutting oil" in the original post, but some people seem to have morphed into "drilling oil". ? I've seen tests which the Harveys thread cutting oil was deemed the best for cutting pipe threads. Being a journeyman Pipefitter, that was interesting to me. Although he did not mention pipe threads, maybe he is referring to bolt threads, just me assuming what he meant.

 

[bmack95hd]

I have always used Relton Rapid Tap for drilling and tapping. Just my preference.

 

[dr sportster]

A fire sprinkler fitter told me there are two types the light oil that does not cause cancer and does not work and the dark oil that causes cancer and works .

 

[MikeJM]

I believe the best I ever used was an old bottle of tap magic. Had 1,1,1 triclorethelene in it, so it had to be good stuff. When tapping stainless you could hear the fluid sizzle as the tap made chips.

The new formulas are just ok now, better than nothing I suppose.

 

[retired farmer]

I used to use it till they changed the formula in the 90's and it became useless.

 

[retired farmer]

If you can find it, Lubriplate Chain and Cable spray works better for drilling.

 

[504]

Tap Magic is water soluble,it will freeze in the shop,oil just doesn't sound right to put antifriction under a drill bit, that has to make friction to drill a hole.

 

[J Hamilton]

We use Ridgid brand dark thread cutting oil at my work, it seems to work pretty good

 

[zuhnc]

Friction doesn't drill a hole; it burns its way through. If friction did the work, we could use just plain HSS drill rod, instead of a drill bit ground with sharp cutting edges. A drill bit cuts the metal, like a lathe bit or a saw chain through wood. Have you tried to cut wood with a dull chain? Lots of smoke, but little progress. Tap Magic is good for cutting threads and general drilling. Some materials need a specific lubricant to cut threads or drill properly. A high-sulphur lubricant is good for steel. I think the lubricant is mainly for clearing swarf and allowing the bit or tap to turn more easily on the material, as well as some cooling to maintain tool sharpness. The real machinists will chime in here, I would suppose! zuhnc

 

[Dick L]

Always used the same oil with sulfer for drilling, taping, mill cutting, lathe cutting and pipe threading when applying with a chip brush. We use a cooling fluid in the CNC mill and lathe. I do keep tap majic for pre hard steel when taping threads in my tool shop. I buy the cutting oil you most likely use, with a chip brush in my shop for every thing.