The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Cutting fluid

I'm thinking of getting the Harbor F. metal cutting band saw. Lots of folks have posted Youtubes about them and seem to like them.
One guy is applying cutting fluid every once in a while.

I always thought that cutting fluid was mainly to keep the tool from overheating when using a lathe. A slow moving hacksaw toothed bandsaw blade wouldn't overheat. Is cutting fluid necessary?

any metal cutting/drilling operation benefits from cutting fluid, eases the cutting so the job gets done faster, but most important, increases the life of the cutting tool, less like to dull the teeth or bit .... and if you think that bandsaw blade is "slow moving" you should have someone standing by when you use it

Bill

I have a 50 year old Wellsaw that I keep around just for nostalgia. I bought my first band saw with oil probably 35 years ago, and I wouldn't consider a band saw without an oiler. We just put in what we want to cut and forget about it. It shuts off when it is done. I have a bunch of outboard motor oil in quarts that no one buys any more. I use it for cutting oil in my band saw as well as my magnetic drill presses. Blades and annular cutters last a long time.

Lesson learned the hard way: Cutting fluid/oil. Helps float the chips out of the way. Chips will stick to a clean sharp saw blade and...then it is not so sharp any more. Cost? Blade, and skilled welder. Or $3.00 for some cutting fluid...Hummm.. what to you guys think? Works on drill press bits as well.

"Coolant" refers to emulsifiable oil mixed with water at around a 20 to 1 ratio. For best blade life this is what I would suggest using a squirt bottle occasionally. Heat is the number one enemy of any cutting tool so avoiding it will always benefit. Some lubricity is always beneficial so if all you got around is motor oil put a few drops or brush it on your drill bit or blade.

What is cutting fluid made of? I just remember that it stinks a bit. Kind of like 90 wt oil hypoid oil. (I bet banged-up Hotrod Jerry would know.)

that depends Carl, on the machine, the user, and the era .... for aluminum drilling and hack sawing I use beeswax

Bill

Oh boy! This should get some comments. I have used, in no particular order, WD40, Marvel Mystery Oil, Lard, Dish soap and water, A can that Dad had labeled "Dark Cutting Oil" for pipe threads, And any brand of motor oil I had handy. As well as 3 in one and Kroil. And yes beeswax. Some of which I did mix with a bit of mineral spirits. Makes it soft and easy to put on the blade, mostly hack saw and hand saw. Check with a local machine shop for other recommendations. For most of what we "hobbyist" types do it matters less what you use, and more that you use something. And yes some smell better than others. I have seen paraffin used as well.

Lot's of products have characteristics that will do the job of cooling and lubricating. Here's how I drill aluminum....300 psi thru the tool.

Baileigh tools come with a water based coolant / lube.

Its funny, my 88 year old blacksmith friend was helping me cut metal one day and I brought 30w motor oil with me. Okay it was years ago.. he really let me have it and told me to go get CUTTING OIL. I came back with PAM cooking spray figuring I am already an idiot.. how much more ridicule could happen.

He was very approving of it. Said it works better than the expensive stuff. Canola cooking oil (PAM) is really nice for cutting. Since then, I have done so many projects I cant count and always use it. I get the store brand.

Cooking oil works really well for honing. It floats the metal filings away. I also use cooking oil in our parts washer. It dissolves grease almost as good as solvent and the TCEQ doesn't think there is anything wrong with us pouring it in the sand to get rid of it. We also spray the inside of a trailer before we haul premix asphalt. It keeps the premix from sticking to the trailer and so far it is legal. I use a sticky oil in my band saw as well as my Jancy, now Fein, sluggers. Blades seem to last forever and the I get good service out of annular cutters on heat treated truck frames. I still use cutting oil on threads. It is not that expensive by the gallon and thats what I've always used