Cleaning Trefolex ???

Hi

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 ???

Any experience with this ?

thanks Tim Nash South Africa

Reply to
TMN
Loading thread data ...

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.

Reply to
newshound

In article , newshound writes

Or even just leave them at the bottom - judging from my 20-year old tin, my as-yet-unborn grandchildren will be passing it on to their heirs.

David

Reply to
David Littlewood

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.

Reply to
Richard Edwards

.

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.

Where's Mark Rand? He'd tell you

Norm

Reply to
ravensworth2674

'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.

Mark Rand RTFM

Reply to
Mark Rand

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

Cheers

Norm

Reply to
ravensworth2674

Just a bit of googling will get you the Safety data sheet:

formatting link
it conditions to avoid are HEAT! caution highly flammable and toxic vapors produced! dont think Id be heating it, YMMV.

You could try just pushing it through a metal sieve, my tin is 'squishy' enough that this might work.

If you do heat it do it outside, not over a naked flame and let us know how it goes. Dave

Reply to
dave sanderson

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.

Next?

Norm

Reply to
ravensworth2674

sheet:

formatting link
> on it conditions to avoid are HEAT!

I don't think you would have to heat it enough to be dangerous, for it to become fairly liquid. ISTR it goes quite runny just left out in the hot sun.

Tim

Reply to
Tim Leech

Wild random thought:

If the metal is ferrous, how about a magnet?

AC

Reply to
AC

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 !!!

Reply to
TMN

Works fine here.

Reply to
Sandy Morton

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.