I have an old tin of Trefolex cutting compound which has a lot of metal chips in it - presumably from dipping the tap in directly. I was wondering if heating it till liquid and straining (stirring as it cooled) it would be bad idea ???
Don't see why not. Rather than straining, I'd be inclined to warm it up (maybe in a saucepan of hot water), let the chips settle, and decant leaving a layer of chips and dirt.
I used to use "Trefolex" when screwing conduit and thought it was crap then! I hope that your heirs will be better pleased than me I have two half tins of Rocol RTD plus a half tin of "Vanco". They will do me and my heirs. I think that I "binned the "Trefolex", if I still had it I would do the test for the OP, report back then bin it.
Looking at the Google comments, i would think that any of the really explosive things would have gone now. It suggests things like tallows, sulphurs, and such are still in the tin. Why not warm it up.This is is what people have been doing with it on lathes and drills and things=3D=3D and actually buying it for this.
'Fraid I've never used Trefolex. I was taught to wipe taps through a pot of common-or-garden tallow before use, but must admit that I tend to drip a bit of liquid tapping oil on instead.
I have to confess the smell of hot tallow is something which I was glad to forget. A bit of pure lard oil on the chips- the Myford ones, has to be encouraged. I keep giggling about the old air aces of WW1 who got the full blast of castor oil as they went into action. Sorry, fellas, got carried away.Oh, s*1t
Methanol/ethanol 1% when new and the lid shut! What now in the real world?
Tallow as a wiping agent for plumbing. Petroleum jelly taken in all sorts of orifices- and out. Maybe piles of problems here. You know, I could think of lots more hazardous things- like people. Let's get into the real world. Heat the bloody stuff up- or spend money- that dirty stuff that every Tom, Dick and Harry has had their hands- and perhaps a few more things- on.
Medical opinion is now in favour of a child eating a peck of dirt at nursery or play school- as a preparation for future life.
I've got to damned near 78- and I have ingested all sorts of things in that time.
And all this time I was hording my Trefolex like gold because I thought it was "the" cutting compound but I see that it is not held in the high regard I thought !!!
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