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New tools you've bought recently?


Tap magic is made for drilling/tapping/cutting. True lubricant just makes it harder for the drill/tap to bite and cut. Its like wd40 vs brake cleaner, both clean stuff, but in different ways. You want grabby lube, if that makes sense.

It has some kind of abrasive in it that really helps drill and cut threads. I have the regular and for aluminum stuff.

My bolt and nut store guy (yes that's all they sell) said there's and even better and more expensive cutting fluid, but he was sold out of it, but I'll score some to try... on our work expendables budget of course.

And yes, a little goes a long way.
 
I scored an ancient quart of Hercules Dark Cutting Oil that I use for most stuff on my drill press. It contains lard so you know it's good. I'm pretty sure they just drained grease out of someone's BBQ grill into a container and sold it, looks and smells just like it but it works good.

Did I mention it's got lard in it...?
 
20221017_175112.jpg


12 bucks for both sets on clearance at autozone today. Metric and SAE. Normal price was 22 per set. A hair over 30 bucks savings

AJ
 
Dang, that's a good deal... I'm a sucker for nut drivers but don't have any for the shop yet, just use my fancy 1/4" square drive extendy handle and sockets for now...

I accidently left my new to me air compressor on last night which I realized when I got to work this morning... was hoping it would just cycle a couple times and be fine but nope... looks like it broke the belt last night and the motor was just free spinning all day :). $14 for a new belt, looks like it was due anyway...
 
Tap magic is made for drilling/tapping/cutting. True lubricant just makes it harder for the drill/tap to bite and cut. Its like wd40 vs brake cleaner, both clean stuff, but in different ways. You want grabby lube, if that makes sense.

It has some kind of abrasive in it that really helps drill and cut threads. I have the regular and for aluminum stuff.

My bolt and nut store guy (yes that's all they sell) said there's and even better and more expensive cutting fluid, but he was sold out of it, but I'll score some to try... on our work expendables budget of course.

And yes, a little goes a long way.
Rubbing alcohol works excellent for tapping aluminum. Stick to tap magic for steel though.
 
I was told by old machinist that the point of the cutting fluid is not help with the actual cutting, but to help the flutes clear easily and to keep the tooling cooler. Which in turn allows the bit to cut faster.

Makes sense. If the bit gets hot and the chips clog up the flutes then it doesn't cut for shit, and that's exactly what happens if you do a lot of drilling without oil.
 
Man..... this has been bothering me for a long time.... total 'chicken or the egg' type thing in my mind...


How did we ever first make precision machining equipment... without already having precision machining equipment?
 
Man..... this has been bothering me for a long time.... total 'chicken or the egg' type thing in my mind...


How did we ever first make precision machining equipment... without already having precision machining equipment?


A lot of patience.

Find an old tool and die maker and they can cut you a gear within a couple thousands tolerance by hand with a file.
 
Man..... this has been bothering me for a long time.... total 'chicken or the egg' type thing in my mind...


How did we ever first make precision machining equipment... without already having precision machining equipment?
Not sure on details, but my Dad has a book that goes through how to build your own machine shop from nothing but scrap and raw materials. It's an old book, published 100 years ago or something like that. I'll have to ask him about it.
 
I was told by old machinist that the point of the cutting fluid is not help with the actual cutting, but to help the flutes clear easily and to keep the tooling cooler. Which in turn allows the bit to cut faster.

Makes sense. If the bit gets hot and the chips clog up the flutes then it doesn't cut for shit, and that's exactly what happens if you do a lot of drilling without oil.
This. Watching long twirls crawl up the flutes is so satisfying...
 

Build Your Own Metal Working Shop From Scrap (Complete 7 Book Series)
That's the one. It starts out building a foundry and sand-casting molds, then builds off of that piece by piece. Apparently published in 2011, so I was off by ~90 years there 😬.
 
I was told by old machinist that the point of the cutting fluid is not help with the actual cutting, but to help the flutes clear easily and to keep the tooling cooler. Which in turn allows the bit to cut faster.

Makes sense. If the bit gets hot and the chips clog up the flutes then it doesn't cut for shit, and that's exactly what happens if you do a lot of drilling without oil.
Theres too many variables that go into cutting fluid to properly describe its application lol. I will tell you that if your working with a harder material you are better off cutting dry and using compressed air for chip clearing and cooling. If your file wont cut it dont use cutting fluid.
 
Got the new belt for the air compressor in and on tonight, with the wear marks on the pump pulley (it's a narrow 6 groove belt) I'm pretty sure it wasn't running in the grooves... that and there were parts of the belt rusted into the motor pulley that I dug out with a hook tool after turning the motor on and running a wire brush along it... Still leaks somewhere so can't just leave it on but it works again. It's not a bad little guy for being 3hp, quiet and moves some air, I think 9ish CFM at 40psi and 8ish at 90psi... I don't remember what my old Kobalt is but I don't think it's that high...
 

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