Neatcut vs. Suds?

[Jelly_Sheffield]

I am in the middle of trying to get my workshop back in some kind of order, and figured that once I've moved machines around (Toolroom Lathe, Horizontal Mill, Turret Mill) it would be good to actually get the coolant tanks filled up again.

What previously put me off is the propensity of suds to go absolutely everywhere if you don't get the position of the coolant flow just so.

A mate is suggesting Neatcut Oil as being less messy but as far as I can tell:

• it won't be anywhere near as effective at cooling when I'm running at high surface speeds,

• it's not so dense or viscous that it won't spray around, so any setup error is just going to result in a browner, stickier mess.

Opinions welcome.

 

[MattF]

A quick neb online seems to suggest that neatcut is for exactly that: cutting operations.

I am in the middle of trying to get my workshop back in some kind of order

I seem to go the opposite way. Soon as my workshop reaches something resembling tolerable, I buy another item which I then have to cram in.

 

[Jelly_Sheffield]

A quick neb online seems to suggest that neatcut is for exactly that: cutting operations.

I was thinking more generally of non-diluteable cutting oils, as I tend to buy from Pennine Lubricants, who stock several types.

The product info does seem to point to them suiting applications with high cutting pressures like cutting, tapping, screw machines, and gear shaping... But, you do hear of people on PM and the like running them in mills/lathes with success.

I am in the middle of trying to get my workshop back in some kind of order...

I seem to go the opposite way. Soon as my workshop reaches something resembling tolerable, I buy another item which I then have to cram in.

I'm not immune to that...

Being motivated to get the mystery machine inside definitely helps!

But honestly it got too bad to actually get anything done after I had to bundle a bunch of stuff in there at short notice, and it's only today I've had a fully walkable floor again.

 

[Keith 66]

If you are using a machine every day suds is probably better but if use is sporadic like mine the suds goes off in the tank. It also makes the machine go rusty.
When i worked at the college we used suds but stopped using it due to usage being variable! The other techie ordered a drum of ilocut, while it worked well it oxidised readily & covered the lathes in a layer of tarry varnish that stuck like the proverbial & took ages to clean.
Another techie recomended a straight cutting oil & the nearest equivalent to it is Crowncut 810, doesnt oxidise & works well, I tend to machine a lot of stainless steel (boat bits). Only downside if you are doing fast cuts it will smoke & breathing the oil smoke in cant be good. I have rigged a small extractor & pipe over the chuck to take the smoke & vapours away. It last for years & doesnt oxidise so the lathe stays clean & oily.