hill.josh Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 I wanted to know what was the best lube for drilling? and if i should use different ones for different speeds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 What are you drilling with? hand drill, drill press...etc? what kind of bits are you using? and what are you drilling? All of these things play a role in selecting a lube if it is needed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welder19 Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 Rich is right, but keep in mind something is better than nothing, unless your drilling sheetmetal which really doesn't require anything, the #1 purpose of a cutting fluid is to keep the bit cool, if you get a bit hot, you can basically kiss it goodby, so if you don't have a proper cutting oil then use WD40 or engine oil or whatever kind of oil you have. If your just doing basic steal drilling on a drill press then just get yourself a can of cutting oil from the hardware or automotive store and it will serve most of your cutting/drilling needs, look for one that sticks, normally if it is a sticky oil they will advertise it as such, they stick to the bit and really make it work better than the oils that just run off. If your going to be drilling exotic metals then that is a different ball game. welder19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mills Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 Water. I use a squirt bottle with soap. Soap helps the drilling and lets me check leaks on gas lines air lines and tires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NateDJ Posted August 29, 2008 Share Posted August 29, 2008 I am a firm believer in Marvel Mystery Oil. Been using it for years and it smells nice too. cheep and available at most places that sell oil, red and black bottle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hill.josh Posted August 29, 2008 Author Share Posted August 29, 2008 What are you drilling with? hand drill, drill press...etc? what kind of bits are you using? and what are you drilling? All of these things play a role in selecting a lube if it is needed I'm drilling with a drill press.. and they're metal/wood bits i think? and im also probably only gonna be drilling lower carbon steels and structural aluminum thanks for all the replys guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironantlerforge Posted August 30, 2008 Share Posted August 30, 2008 I like to use a stick wax myself. It's good for drilling and grinding (sanding) applications. I worked at a machine/sheet metal shop years ago and that was a much used product. It comes in a large tube and has a oily wax like consistency when it is cold. rub a little on the metal to be ground or on your drill bit and start working. As the steel heats up the wax starts to liquefy and absorbs the heat. Look up stick wax at Granger or Travers tools and you will find several varieties to choose from. Oh yea, the stuff lasts forever. I have been using the same tube for several years now and I do this work full time. I also use it to lube the ram on my Big Blue and has proven to be the longest lasting lube I have found. I like it...:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hill.josh Posted August 30, 2008 Author Share Posted August 30, 2008 thanks alot for the info.. i probably would've screwed up alot of drill bits without it. actually i definatly would've Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted August 30, 2008 Share Posted August 30, 2008 Sulfurized cutting oil and non salted lard are good on steel, WD40 works well on aluminum (so does water with a little soap) as mentioned, the important thing is to keep the bit cool but feed at a sufficient speed to load the cutting edges so they'll cut properly. It's quite surprising how fast a sharp bit will drill a hole in most metals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hill.josh Posted September 1, 2008 Author Share Posted September 1, 2008 what do you mean by loading the cutting edges?.. keeping them covered in the oil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 No, I'm referring to the downward feed on the drill for the revolutions being used. Every cutting tool has a proper feed/speed combination. Too much or too little of either can overheat the cutting edges and/or simply break the tool. One of the reasons people break drill bits in manual drill presses is that there is enough slop in the quill to allow a bit to jump and pull itself forward, especially at the end of a cut. This also happens when people don't clamp the work and just hold it on top of the table (I know, everybody does it - and I'm probably one of the worst offenders around). A machine that has power feed will go through at the same rate and is less likely to break drills, all else being equal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
habu68 Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 From Modern Blacksmithing 1904 DRILLING IRON Every smith knows how to drill, sometimes it gives even an old smith trouble. The drill must be true, the center to be right, if one side of the drill is wider than the other or the drill not in proper shape the hole will not be true. For centuries oil has been used for drilling and millions of dollars have been spent in vain. It is a wonder how people will learn to use the wrong thing. I don't think that I have ever met a man yet who did not know that oil was used in drilling. In drilling hard steel, turpentine or kerosene is used as oil will then prevent cutting entirely. Nothing is better than water, but turpentine or kerosene is not as bad as oil; if you think water is too cheap use turperitine or kerosene. I had occasion once to do a little work for a man eighty years old, and when I drilled a hole, used water. The old man asked if water was as good as oil, and when informed that it was better, said: "I used to be quite a blacksmith myself, I am now eighty years old, too old to do anything, but I am not too old to learn." it ought to suggest itself to every smith that while oil is used in boxes to prevent cutting, it will also prevent cutting in drilling. HOW TO DRILL CHILLED IRON First prepare a drill which is thicker at the point than usual, and oval in form, then harden it as follows: heat to a low cherry red heat and cool in the following hardening compound: two quarts soft water, one-half ounce sal-ammoniac, salt, three ounces. Don't draw the temper, for if you have the right heat you will get the right temper. Now drill and use water, not oil. Feed carefully but so the drill will cut right along. If you have no chance to get the compound, harden in water but draw no temper, let it be as hard as it will. good book and it is free :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NateDJ Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Will give it a try next time I fire up the press. I have a pump out of an old shampooer that I have thought about making into a coolant pump but hated the thought of oil running all over my shop, with water... I get that everywhere just stomping around in my slack tub. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGropp Posted September 3, 2008 Share Posted September 3, 2008 I use a mist cooler [ Kool Mist brand from MSC or Enco ] It runs on the shop compressed air. A very fine spray is all that's needed. The coolant is heavily diluted with water so a little goes a long way. No oily mess to cause welding or finishing problems later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironmanaz Posted September 5, 2008 Share Posted September 5, 2008 :DHi guys! This is my first post; been a member for a few months.The software asked me to post. No net at the ranch, so we get online at the lib. in town. I am surprised no one has mentioned the old standard-- bacon grease (or lard). Works great on any steel drilling, or turning, or shaping. Can be enhanced with graphite dust & turpentine. I add some light cutting oil to deter the shop rats! Cheers, Eric in AZ[ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viktorkrupp Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 I use Norseman Ultra Lube Cutting and Drilling Oil. It is thick so it stays in place, it has the viscosity of liquid hand soap. Only downer is it is messy! This stuff is hard to clean up and tough to wash off of your hands. I use a drill press, and the lube also keeps the chips clumped together well. For wood, i use PAM. Easy application. Wood usually drills well without lube but the PAM keeps the wood from sticking in the bit when it gets too hot. One thing I learned the hard way was to buy good bits! And let the bits do the work. When i was building my grinder i used a had drill, pushed to hard and ruined 3 or 4 3/8 bits. I bought the drill press after completing the grinder, and it opened a whole new dimension to my projects. I love this thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithwelds Posted March 15, 2009 Share Posted March 15, 2009 cutting fluid from a lathe shop diluted with water 10:1 works well for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazerbud Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 That's right. Water mixed with fat or soap or all three. Water will evaporate or boil if the bit gets hot and this cools the metal. Oil can get so hot the bit looses temper. Most all machine shops use the water diluted lard emulsion kind of stuff. I like automatic tranny fluid, soapy-water combo as opposed to any natural grease or fatty lard. You'll quickly get sick of rancid bacon odor. The feed rate is important, when you see curly cues peeling off don't stop. If you get a bit to cut...not chip...you are keeping it cool, preserving it's temper, and drilling fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ptree Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Most all industrial shops use one of several choices of water diluted lubes. None are Lard based. Lard oil went out of favor about the time carbide came in use. The modern water oil emulsions use petroleum oil and strong emulsifiers. there are synthics as well. Micro-emulsions are the newest and pretty well outperform the plain emulsions. For home use or small commercial shop use, there are several wax type stick lubes that perform well. Ptree who managed about 60,000 gallons of coolant at the valve shop, in about 450 machine tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacksmith99 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 The only I would add is that cutting oil is not really a lubricant. Most lubricant type oils will work, but not as well as real cutting fluid. If you are just doing a few jobs now and then, try Tap Magic. Most industrial supply places can get it. It really does make a difference. I use an acid brush and brush the Tap Magic on when I pull the drill out of the hole to clear the chips. And as the name says, it's great for tapping. Regards, M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocko 58 Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 I use kerosene when drilling alloy, and i use soluble oil plus mix it with water in to a paste . that way you can drill and tap all steels , i have been useing this method for 35 yrs works for me Good Luck Jocko 58 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ten Hammers Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 (edited) I use La-Co brand cutting oil. Get it from the farm store here. Drill and tap. I buy by the gallon and use a small bottle with a squirt lid. Gallon will last me a year sometimes. Simplifies life. Yeah there's a mess but you'll have that in a big operation.....it works well below zero too I use other specific brand lubricants from experience over the years. Not thread cutting but other uses. Cutting oils are supposed to enhance cutting. Lubricants are supposed to deny friction and make things smooth. People wonder why a lubricating oil doesn't work well as a cutting fluid. Man has spent centuries perfecting lubricants to do the exact opposite of cutting oil. LPS #1 is an excellent lubricant (aerosol). Marvel is as well. Marvel and scotchbrite will remove rust from a steel rule so it can again be read. Sorry for the hijack. La-Co has been and is my choice of cutting fluids. Lard or bacon grease works in camp with a breast drill. Misters work fine if you wish to make the investment. The water based stuff that comes in buckets or barrels works fine too. As noted, sharp tools make the cut with the proper feed rate. Cutting fluids will make a major difference in speed and tool life (and sometimes just gettin the cut started and continuing). Investing in a drill press vise is indeed a smart deciscion. Keep some dedicated c clamps or bar clamps close to the drill press too. The local EMS and ER folks have all the skills they need dealing with cuts. Drilling unclamped can be fatal if you catch your abdomen. Just do a google of the brand La-Co cutting oil. Edited June 1, 2009 by Ten Hammers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Salvati Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I have tried beeswax, dill dry at first then drop a chunk in the hole, it will drill and drill perfect from then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootnampa Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 "what do you mean by loading the cutting edges?.. keeping them covered in the oil?" No Josh, he means that you have to supply sufficient feed pressure to make the bit cut... too little pressure allows the bit to just spin and slide in the hole, which heats things up quickly and burns bits. Especially in mild steels, slow drilling speeds with fairly high feed pressure will drive the bit through the metal very swiftly with minimal heating problems (proper lube... which is not critical as to what you use... is also essential). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jocko 58 Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Hi Hill.josh when drilling anything it also depends on what speed u are drilling at and what material. Cast iron slow no lube/Aluminum med-high speed Kero /Brass- Bronze less angle on drill bit no lube mid range speed / steel keep cool and lubed / Stainless Steel keep cool at all times & lubed put a little more pressure on job but keep cool at all times Hope this helps From OZ Onya mate ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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