Official Luthiers Forum!

Stuart

I get what you mean, i was skeptical about using my wood working machine as it cost just under 100,000 dollars, but it is designed to have side pressure as we use aggregates on my machine which does side profile and it has a drill bank that has horizontal drills, which means it is designed for side pressure, but i think i will not take the risk. the picture you thought i have is an older machine around the 1990`s and mine is a 2006 model with a lot more rigidity to it, but thanks for your input anyway...

Bob, what fluid are you using in your fogless mister?

For non-production machining of aluminum, a few squirts of WD40 or something similar, seems to work fairly well.
I realize that WD40 is not intended to be a lubricant and I wouldn't want to breath the "hot" fumes all day long.
It seems to work well also after the first depth of cut pass is made as it will tend to pool in the previous cut where it it readily picked up by the cutting tool.
Perhaps there is a better aerosol on the market than WD40 for this purpose, such as Tapmagic.
Nelson

I picked up some Hersterfers mist coolant yesterday. Rated as non toxic. I'll try the fog buster today.

I was running the tapping fluid they sell to plumbers at Home Depot for $10/liter for awhile, and it worked well but I found it had too low a flash point when I was cutting steel. I used waylube for a bit, and it sure sticks to a cutter, but it also has the flash point issue.

WD40 works, and I've definitely been in there with a spray bottle (set to stream, not mist) from time to time. I do get 'poisoned' every time, though, and go home nauseous with a headache...so I'm not so big on that one now.

My secret weapon now is nice and slippery, and has a high flash point. It's so nontoxic you could drink the stuff, and it's so tolerant of heat you could put it on a hot frying pan. It smells way better than the other ones, too! Canola oil!

_________________
Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services