I generally use Tap Magic for a tapping fluid. Is there any other common shop lubricant that works as well? I've been meaning to try Ed's Red, and Kroil. I did try bear oil, and I think it has a bit too much viscosity. It works, but I feel more resistance in the cutting than Tap Magic.
Anyone experimented with this?
The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"
Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!
Kroil works pretty good. Eds red should work cuz I've used straight ATF as well with success. Hydraulic oil can work in a pinch.
The company I work for occasionally seems to forget to drill and tap some of the holes in the frame work of the machines I work on, so in 14 years, I think I. Have drilled and tapped about a jillion M6, and M8 holes.
I hope this helps
waksupi,
It depends on what type of material you're trying to tap. Crisco can work quite well for aluminum. Relton who makes Rapid Tap, also makes A-9 which is pretty good, and A-9 and Kerosene mixed 50-50 is even better. I've used bee's wax with some success. Tap Magic and Rapid Tap are quite good.
If your tapping high carbon steel Tap Magic is one of my preferences. Tap Magic is quite volatile, so does well carrying the heat away. Moly Dee is an old stand-by, made by Castrol; messy and smelly, but works well.
Stainless, Titanium and some of the other exotics, I use Molecular Tapping Compound that I used to purchase from Molecular Products Inc. in Maywood, CA.
smokeywolf
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms *shall not be infringed*.
"The greatest danger to American freedom is a government that ignores the Constitution."
- Thomas Jefferson
"While the people have property, arms in their hands, and only a spark of noble spirit, the most corrupt Congress must be mad to form any project of tyranny."
- Rev. Nicholas Collin, Fayetteville Gazette (N.C.), October 12, 1789
Keroscene
A big +1 on the A9 and kerosene.
I do a lot of tapping and I have found that it is best to stick to fluids that are recommended for the material being tapped.
For just one or two holes in plain old steel, just about any thin oil will get you thru. Or jab the tap into some lard, works better than crisco.
Before the modern concoctions -- kerosene and lard oil --
+1 on the lard oil for low carbon steel.
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms *shall not be infringed*.
"The greatest danger to American freedom is a government that ignores the Constitution."
- Thomas Jefferson
"While the people have property, arms in their hands, and only a spark of noble spirit, the most corrupt Congress must be mad to form any project of tyranny."
- Rev. Nicholas Collin, Fayetteville Gazette (N.C.), October 12, 1789
WD-40 for aluminum and black threading oil with sulphur for steel
Keep the ideas coming. It's always interesting to see what people are using for substitutes.
The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"
Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!
This stuff (in paste form) work great on stainless steel for me
BTW the word "stuff" is a hyperlink. I wish they were a more distinctive color.
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety".
Benjamin Franklin
Where an excess of power prevails, property of no sort is duly respected. No man is safe in his opinions, his person, his faculties, or his possessions.
James Madison
For aluminum, WD-40 works quite well.
WD-40 will work for steel also, but not nearly well enough for me to make it a go-to.
Dark Rigid cutting oil is the do it all, work every time, cutting, milling and tapping oil. Guaranteed not to rip run or snag. Cures warts, spots, and runny nose. Makes conception a wonder and childbirth a pleasure. It won't evaporate and turn into scum like WD-40 will, and it's good for your machinery. It cleans up easily with soap and water, carb cleaner, or alcohol. I use about a gallon of the stuff per year, conservatively.
Kerosene is the other wonder lube/cutting fluid, and is probably the cheapest per gallon of any of them.
Formula 409 is fantastic for lubing india stones, and keeping them clear, although, I usually use dark cutting oil for that application also.
All that being said, the very best tapping fluid that I have ever used has been tap-magic products for aluminum or steel respectively, but as you know, that stuff is expensive! So I use the old standbys.
Precision in the wrong place is only a placebo.
I love the tap magic products, especially for aluminum. For most steels I use the same soluble oil that I use in my lathes and mill. I mix it to a higher concentration and apply it with a squirt bottle. After all, I use it in my machines for power tapping and single point cutting of internal and external threads, With my hand tapper* it works great.
I like that when the water evaporates there is a light film of oil left on the surface as a slight but useful anti rusting agent. When I use cutting oil I have to clean the oil off and that leaves bare steel which rusts a lot quicker.
By the way, I use spiral point taps exclusively, straight hand taps are OK for cleaning up threads but suck for cutting new threads.
*Here is the page on the Enco site that shows the #6 to 5/8" tapping machine I have. It has cut my tap breakage to nearly zero and has paid for itself many times over. If you have a lot of tapping to do it is worth buying it when they put it on sale as they do periodically. I can't praise it enough.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?P...MITEM=893-1275
Too high tech for me, Keith! I usually use the drill press for tapping, and turn the chuck by hand.
The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"
Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!
I don't care what any of you guys say: The big secret for success is how you hold your mouth, and where you put your tongue.
Even the simplest jackleg mechanic knows that!
We have a winner!Originally Posted by lmcollins
Liberalism is the triumph of emotion over intellect, but masquerading as the reverse.
I don't know how we ever shot maximum loads before P/C come along and saved us all. R5R
"No mosque in the United States flies an American flag."
"Dueling should have never been made illegal in this country. It settled lots of issues between folks."- Char-Gar
perfessor, mighty nice hand tapper. Mine isn't so snazzy but will do the job up to 3/8 NC or NF; shop-made in the MGM Machine Shop, which imparts sentimental value to me. Hand tappers can be bloody handy.
smokeywolf
A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms *shall not be infringed*.
"The greatest danger to American freedom is a government that ignores the Constitution."
- Thomas Jefferson
"While the people have property, arms in their hands, and only a spark of noble spirit, the most corrupt Congress must be mad to form any project of tyranny."
- Rev. Nicholas Collin, Fayetteville Gazette (N.C.), October 12, 1789
Some where I have an old machinists chart showing what lubes to tap different metal with. I know lard or bear oil for cast iron and beeswax for pot metal/zamak and I use Do Drill for hard steel. For aluminum I use Kroil more to keep the tap clean than anything else. I also segregate my taps into Steel and other metals and try not to use an aluminum or brass tap for steel and visa versa.
Why not ATF? It's synthetic whale oil.
How about Ballistol I have been told that it was a good cutting oil but have never tried it?
RB
We use Tap Magic on steel and A9 aluminum for the past 28yrs
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