Cutting fluids for brass?

I know everyone says to not use any but- I'm spending alot of time with a die filer and looking for any thing that speeds up the job. The files don't cut as well as I expect especially compared to when I am working with steel. The steel for some reason is cutting faster than the brass. I'm also working with 'german silver" which is brass with some led in it and it also couts easier than the brass. I've heard milk is sometimes used on copper if this has anything to do with it. Haven't tried the milk yet.

Reply to
ken
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Reply to
Machineman

They say use *new* files on brass. Don't know why. I don't know of any cutting fluid especially good on brass. I too have heard of using condensed milk on copper.

Grant

ken wrote:

Reply to
Grant Erwin

Cutting copper requires extremely sharp tools. After a file has been used on steel it isn't as sharp as when it was new. It may still be able to provide many hours of use on steel, but it is too dull to properly be used on copper.

Gary

Reply to
Gary Coffman

I will try as suggested the wax idea, and milk and anything else I can get my hands on. As for "new files" the boss would have to buy then and that isn't going to happen anytime soon. I think some of you can relate to this.

Reply to
ken

Milk is sometimes used for turning copper, not for filing. You use ordinary chalk to keep files from pinning. German silver is a nickle/copper alloy, no lead in it that I know of, some of it's pretty tough stuff. I've used it for knife butts and guards, it's best worked with a belt grinder.

Steel will dull a file enough that it doesn't work as well on copper and brass alloys as a new one will. It'll still cut, just not as well as one that's never touched steel. One way to keep files separated for different materials is to use different colors of chalk, white for steel and blue for brass, for example.

Stan

Reply to
Stan Schaefer

Milk is sometimes used for turning copper, not for filing. You use ordinary chalk to keep files from pinning. German silver is a nickle/copper alloy, no lead in it that I know of, some of it's pretty tough stuff. I've used it for knife butts and guards, it's best worked with a belt grinder.

Steel will dull a file enough that it doesn't work as well on copper and brass alloys as a new one will. It'll still cut, just not as well as one that's never touched steel. One way to keep files separated for different materials is to use different colors of chalk, white for steel and blue for brass, for example.

Stan

Reply to
Stan Schaefer

Cutting fluids are not needed, but the files must be kept clean and if you do much of it keep a set of files to be used only on brass. The chalk is needed.

Herb

Reply to
Herb

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