Cutting Fluid

[Deltarat]

What do you guys use for cutting fluid? I use to get a fluid from a machine shop that was water based. I think they used it on their lathes and bandsaw. It was a concentrate and mixed with water at 50-1 ratio if I remember right. It had an additive to prevent rust from using water. He would give me a gallon and it would last me for years. It wasn't nasty like an oil.
Anyone use a product such as this or what do you use?
Bill

 

[Stick]

At the shop we use "Chevron Soluble Oil B" for the horizontal bandsaw and the lathe. Drill press gets ****** LPS water based cutting fluid who's only redeeming quality is that it smells like cinnamon. Well, unless I can find a can of chemsearch aerosol cutting oil or some rapid-tap.

 

[nissan_crawler]

Enco #1.

 

[JSGAuto]

I like using vegtable oil.

It sounds nuts, but I have an attached garage....this way the fumes smell like I'm doing some cooking!

I do use the water-based fluid, when needed. But it stinks, and makes a stickey mess.

 

[PaulR]

Not sure if it's good, great, or bad, but it's what I can get at the hardware store and seems to work well.

 

[A_Pmech]

I have an extreme dislike of using water-based cutting fluids on any machine with exposed ways. Thus, I usually run high sulfur cutting oil or a coolant mister.

The new surface grinder has a 50 gallon sump and I'll fill it with some kind of water-based coolant. The idea of an oil mist in the shop isn't too thrilling.

 

[Goldhawg]

What do you guys use for vertical band saws? My machine shop friend uses some grease that he applies to the outside of the blade only (to avoid getting on the wheels) but he buys thru an industrial supply house. I found this on amazon, but I hate to pay in shipping what the price of the product is:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002KVT1SE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Any better solns? Like something @ Ace, HD or Lowes?

 

[Steve from Socal]

I use Jet-A or ULSD in my lathe and band saw, I won't use water based coolants. These work best for aluminum but on the band saw it works OK as a flushing agent on steel.

Steve

 

[williaty]

Motul ATF, which is a high-quality synthetic. Works impressively well for "not supposed to be a cutting fluid".

 

[Goldhawg]

Motul ATF, which is a high-quality synthetic. Works impressively well for "not supposed to be a cutting fluid".

How do you apply it to avoid getting it on the inside of the blade? I don't want to cause the blade to come off the wheel?

 

[williaty]

You bring up a valid point. I have to say it's one I haven't worried about yet, but will in the future

 

[brianh]

I use canola oil, its a vegetable oil but does not oxidize easily and has a flash point well over 400 degrees.

It is also all I use in my chainsaws the bars barely get warm compared to dino bar oil.

 

[Frank The Plumber]

Ridgid with high sulpher cutting and threading oil.

 

[t100]

90 weight.

 

[Deltarat]

Thanks for your suggestions.