I've been hearing a lot about biodiesel for an alternative clean, no toxic
emissions fuel. I've heard that it can be brewed anywhere, without any
safety hazards to the maker, so I suppose that it will gain a small or
moderate number of users. If it isn't hazardous and doesn't require imported
materials (lots of soybean farmers and cooking byproducts here at home), it
might gain a lot of popularity. I think I heard that Al Gore invented it.

I've been using a cutting lube marketed by Lenox (the saw blade company)
called Pro Tool Lube which doesn't appear to be any type of petroleum
product, and the label states that it doesn't contain silicone. It's
available at Fastenal distributors.
I dunno about esters and that stuff (knew an Ester once, but I called her
Eileen because she only had one leg).
It could be vegetable oil based, but I don't think I'll try frying baby seal
steaks or turtle eggs in it.

It seems to be a great product for steel, stainless, brass, hard synthetics
and aluminum.
In my limited HSM machining operations, it works great for turning, milling,
knurling, drilling, sawing and tapping. I'm convinced that it contributes to
longer bandsaw blade life.
It doesn't promote rust or corrosion, and actually seems to have inhibitors
in it, since my steel parts don't rust quickly even after using a water
rinse.
It's nearly clear, water soluable and about the same appearance as liquid
dish soap, and it has almost no odor until it gets hot enough to smoke, even
then it's low on the stink scale.

The one unusual characteristic is that it softens or blisters many common
(enamels) paint coatings that it gets on. It doesn't appear to leave any
residue after water rinsing that effects primer or paint adhesion.
I don't have any lube delivery systems, so I just brush it on or dribble it
in place from a dispenser bottle.

WB
...............

"mow4212345" wrote in message
ups.com...
I've seen various "natural" cutting and tapping fluids such as
"tapmatic natural" which claim to be esters of some sort of vegetable
oil. They also have a "citrus spice" scent which leads me to believe
they are either an ester of orange oil or a mix of orange oil and
biodiesel. My bedroom is right next door to my lathe so I don't relish
the thought of regularly using sulfurized cutting oil or kerosene.

With biodiesel so cheap (free for me) and less toxic than water
according to the MSDS, I was thinking of using it as a flood
coolant/lubricant. Does anyone know of any major disadvantages of using
biodiesel in this way?

-ben lipkowitz





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