WD 40 for cutting

[Ernest]

Is there any reason that you can not use WD40 for a cutting/coolant on the lathe?

[fishhawk]

WD40 is not a lubricant WD40 stands for Water Displacment formula 40 ,again it is not a lubricant even in a firearm

[imashooter2]

It's expensive. Better to cut a quart of transmission fluid with 2-3 quarts of kerosene.

[redneckdan]

it does work in a pinch but its expensive. the transmission fluid/kersone works good too. straight kerosene works good for aluminium.

[Ernest]

Thanks.

[dragonrider]

I have used it in a pinch, it is pretty much useless as a lube for cutting, and it stinks a lot. I have used it when cutting off but it goes away too quickly. You almost need to spray continuously. Wastefully expensive.

[HotGuns]

It works great on Aluminum.

[Linstrum]

Hey, there, Ernest, how ya doin’? My main objection to using WD40 as a cutting fluid is the fire hazard it poses from the ingredients.

But like the others have said WD40 does not work especially well for iron and steel, but I have used it okay in a pinch for aluminum like the others also mentioned. Regular cutting oil that contains rust and corrosion inhibitors is easy to get at a reasonable price so there is no reason why it can’t be used for most metal work in the band hacksaw, lathe, and milling machine. For threading with expensive taps on expensive parts I use two different tapping lubricants. For aluminum I get the commercial stuff made for aluminum. For iron and steel I get the best tapping oil ever found for them, which is de-salted rendered lard you get at the grocery store. Good Luck!

[leftiye]

I have used both Kreosene, and 30 W engine oil on the lathe. As Redneckdan said , probly work well mixed. On HSS tools keeping them cold really increases their hardness, and therefore they cut better, and wear longer. That's probly why the Kerosene works. Lots of fumes though, probly not good to breathe.

[KCSO]

For the miniscule cost a good high grade cutting oil will pay for itself many times over in extended tool life. If you can't get or need right away use straight 30 weigh cut with kero and that will get the job done. The cutting oil you use depends to a large degree on what you are cutting as cold roll and stainless and say bronze or copper all take different cutting oils. I use a lot of Do Drill for general purpose.

[Ernest]

Thanks for the replies. They all make sense. It's just that when I have a few minutes to play with the lathe etc. A can of WD40 seems to be close by ? I will mix up some more appropriate.

I wondered about the lard. The old books I read frequently mentioned using lard as a lubricant for cutting / threading.

[Moose]

I wouldn't use WD40 as a cutting oil - don't know what's in the fumes but it sure isn't good. For example, my boss lady was down in the shop when she noticed a termite hatch (swarm) in progress, coming out of an old stump next to last year's woodpile. She grabbed the nearest thing, a pump-it can of WD, and blasted away. Let me tell you, that stuff knocks bugs out of the air. Dead. They just plain drop out of the air. And not just termites, any flying bug at all. Hornets, skeeters, flys, you name it. The stuff is deadly. For cutting oil we use cutting oil. Works great. Actually, soapy water works pretty good in a pinch...

[redneckdan]

tap magic works about the best for tapping both standard and aluminum forumlas. For actual cutting coolants, HOCUT 614 is pretty much the hands down favorite around here. Great finish, practicly no coolant tank bacterial growth and its environmentlly safe to the point that when its time to change coolant the old stuff is poured down the drain.

[waksupi]

DANG. LOST A BIG POST, BY HITTING THE WRONG BUTTON.
gIST WAS, IF YOU ARE USING A PROFESSIONALS TOOL LATHE, DON'T RUIN THIER TOOLING WITH wd40.

[44man]

Yeah, and you also hit the caps lock button!

[454PB]

I buy cutting oil at the local farm supply store. However, for tapping I haven't found anything that works as well as the Lee water based resizing lubricant.

[Linstrum]

Hey, there, 454pb, I'm gonna hafta try out the Lee water base case sizing lubricant.

A few years back I think it was Carpetman pointed out that the electrician's wire pulling lube for pulling wires through conduit is the same stuff as the Lee water-soluble case sizing lubricant. Last year I found some of the wire pulling lube down at Lowe's in Alamogordo and got a quart. The stuff is IDEAL YELLOW 77 WIRE PULLING LUBRICANT, part number #31-358. I don't recall how much it cost, it seems like $8 or so comes to mind for the quart. I bought it and haven't looked back! Now, if it works for taps, too, that's icing on the cake!

[toecutter]

A lot of those water soluble case sizing lubricants are just liquid lanolin mixed up in some alcohol to thin them out. That wire pulling stuff is usually called "gorilla snot" and works pretty good for its intended purpose, I havn't messed with it beyond that. As far as for cutting oil, WD40 is likely one of the worst things you can use. 1) it stinks 2) it stinks 3) it does a poor job of lubricating and cooling both the tool and the workpiece. When I'm doing most of my work, I use a bottle of water soluble cutting oil. It protects the machine, it protects the tooling and the workpiece by keeping everything cool. It turns out a beautiful finish on 4140, and does a good job keeping things cool when cutting O1 and hard tool steels. I also use it when taking the tool post grinder on reamer's I'm doing finish cuts on. Even if you don't have a coolant circulator, you can mix it up and put it in a spray bottle, and just spray it on the workpiece. I can't remember the particular stuff I use, since I usually just pour some in a soda bottle and take it home from the shop at school.

[BudRow]

For wire pulling I have used the standard original "ArmorAll" Protectant. Works great! Don't recommend it for metal work though.

[Marine Sgt 2111]

WD40 is a water displacement/preservetive(sp). Kerosine for aluminum, tap magic for tapping in aluminum and tri-sol for various steel applications and you can use it undiluted for tapping operations. Search the web for an Industrial Supply dealer who will ship to you. Besides, WD40 will burn, and when the chips come off curled and hot....you may get more than you bargained for....IMHO