Tap Magic - Thank You

Also, it made a huge difference in parting steel.

These results demonstrate the practical reasons for using cutting lubricants.. they reduce the amount of power required to cut metal. Regular oils won't accomplish the same increase in cutting performance.

An additional benefit is reduced dulling of the sharp cutting tool edges. By increasing cutting tool performance, the wear on the cutting edges is reduced.

Seeing the improvement in surface finish is visible evidence that the cutting lubricant is enhancing the cutting action taking place.

There is the same improvement whether the machine's motor is rated 400W or

Not having the machine's protection circuit activate is another indication that the edge of the cutting tool is performing better than it had been without a cutting lube. One doesn't need to utilize a pump and recovery system for cutting lubricants.. just dribbling or brushing a small amount of lube in the cutting path area is all that's required in most cases.

I've previously mentioned a great product I discovered only because a friend gave me a bottle of it.. Lenox ProTool Lube. The PTL product is much cleaner to use than thick sulfur oils.. it washes off with water, which means that clearing a tapped hole can be done with a trigger spray bottle of water. PTL doesn't contain any silicones, so it doesn't affect any paint or other coatings which may be applied after it's use. I generally just wipe down parts with lacquer thinner or a naptha solvent prior to applying primer and paint.

I routinely use PTL for any metal cutting application, and apply it with lab-type washdown bottles, which is much more convenient than typical bottle application, because the washdown bottle has a long plastic tip to put the liquid right where it's needed. Small cheap natural bristle brushes also work well for applying a cutting lube.

The only unexpected property I discovered is that PTL will soften the low grade paint products on Chinese machines.. it doesn't have this effect on other cured paint products IME.

(It's a proprietary synthetic of some kind.) Not to confuse the issue, but sulfated cutting oils are not thick. You may be thinking of sulfated thread-cutting oil, the kind that's sold for threading pipe.

Yep, stinky, thick, high sulfur thread cutting oil commonly used as a cutting lube by HSMs. It's definitely effective, but also messy.

None-the-less, the ProTool Lube cleanly rinses away with water.

Yeah, proprietary and biodegradable, but that's not my reason for liking it's usefulness.. and I probably wouldn't have bought the stuff if I'd looked at the label and spotted the biodegradable claim (incorrectly assuming that would likely mean non-effective). The friend that gave me my first bottle didn't know if it was a decent product (couldn't even remember where he'd gotten it), but I liked the stuff from the first few times I used it. Fastenal used to carry it, but they've stopped (even though they carry numerous Lenox cutting lubes).. I found more PTL recently on eBag.

Lenox p/n 68040 6 fl oz bottle (also available in gal/128 oz and pails).

I do that too. I look for the skull and crossbones. d8-)

Lenox makes good products. I wouldn't hesitate to try the stuff. Maybe I will after my current can of Buttercut runs out -- or goes rancid first.

Synthetics are highly regarded in production machining. But there appear to be a wide variety of chemical compounds that are called "synthetics." Not knowing chemistry, I don't know the implications of "amine complex," which is what Lenox PTL is.

If yours does not have the words "For Aluminum" on there somewhere, and especially if it is the original formula, start tapping aluminum and you will get smoke coming out of the interface, and a brown stain on both the workpiece and the tap. I learned this the hard way with a sample sized bottle. :-)

I was at least one of those -- and I was specific about looking for the original formula for use on hard steel -- the one which says "Don't use for aluminum" on the can. :-)

That helps indeed. Especially if you can find the original formula there. That is somewhat harder to find, because the 1,1,1 Trichlor is considered a carcinogen. But I don't need to use it very often, and I've already got enough years on this chassis so I figure that I'll risk it.

I also got exposed to a lot of it when developing printed circuit board photo-resist.

Enjoy, DoN.

...

Shoot, i didn't know they changed it. I swiped a couple quarts in 1982 and is has lasted till now. I'm down to maybe 1/2 the small tin left. Any place other than eBay to search for it?

Karl

I don't know for sure. I got mine (a couple of cans) when Scott Logan did a group purchase a few years ago. Not sure whether he can still get it or not.

Enjoy, DoN.

Karl Townsend wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Actually, you are now dealing with at least Rev 3. The ORIGINAL Tap Magic (early 1960's?) not only worked really well on both aluminum & steel, but it smelled really nice, like cinnamon. I don't know why they changed, but that's when they came out with the two flavors, one for aluminum, and one for everything else. I remember the smoke & purple bubbling mess when I tried some of the wrong stuff on aluminum. Now they have Tap Magic "Pro Tap", which works on everything again.

I gave up years ago & now use Cool Tool for pretty much everything. Of course it has been tweaked as well, and is now Cool Tool II.

Doug White

Its not. Specifically says it doesn't contain that stuff. Still it works pretty darn good. I tried some 3D mold making with just a few drops of that rubbed on the surface, and an air blast. I tried the same mold (reverse cavity) first with just the air blast. Upon close inspection the one with just the air blast was decent, but I could see a few tiny spots of galling or tearing. With just a couple drops of Tap Magic and an air blast it was nice clean tool marks from edge tot edge and end to end. Wow! I have to say it works pretty good with aluminum too.

It says "For All Metals" on the can, and lists just about anything I could imagine having a need to machine from iconnel to brass. Still I take my snake oil with a dash of salt. I have to say that it does make a huge difference on what I have tried though.

O.K. The later form, then.

Which it would not with the 1,1,1, Trichlor in it. :-)

That is what matters. I keep my can of the old style for really tough jobs, and use the more modern for most things -- and especially Aluminum (if it is something a bit beyond what WD-40 will work well for. It is pretty good for aluminum work.

Enjoy, DoN.