"Ed Huntress" wrote in message
...
"Uwe" wrote in message
...


I have two questions regarding cutting fluid, I just used a fair
amount
for
a cut off operation and was amazed by its effectiveness, but it
wasn't
biodiesel, it was some tapmatic product.

First how does it do it, I mean what is the mechanism by which
cutting
is
soo obviously improved?

Second, what does it do to me. I am not supposed to breathe the fumes
and
avoid contact with my hands while, in reality I breathe nothing but
and
I
am
practically swimming in it.

How long do I have to live??

Uwe


Chuckle!

I'm not sure I can provide the proper reasons cutting fluids works as
they
do aside from reducing friction and cooling, but as far as how long
you
have
to live, I'd say you have little about which to be concerned.

I started in the trade back in '57. It was common practice to add
(gallons
of) 1,1,1,
trichlorothene to the oil in lathes to improve machining. You'd have
it
on
you day in and day out.

I'm not suggesting it was anything good, but no one that I know has
suffered
anything obvious from the experience. That isn't true of many
solvents,
however.

Avoid breathing the fumes as much as possible, and keep the stuff off
your
hands and arms, but don't lose sleep if you happen to get the
occasional
sniff or splash. You should live to be an old Uwe.

Harold


Thanks, you made my day

Uwe

Harold is onto something that's only talked about in hushed tones today.
Trichlor and other potent solvents have been used for cutting fluids under
severe conditions, but not many people are alive to talk about it. g

When Dr. Eugene Merchant was doing his research to quantify the
metal-cutting process, back in the 1950s, he used carbon tetrachloride in
many of his experiments examining the microscopic phenomena involved in
peeling and shearing metal chips away from the parent metal. As most old
machinists knew in those days, it was the ultimate cutting fluid. I have
used it a couple of times for difficult hand-tapping jobs. Somehow it gets
into the cleavage zone and cuts the forces down to something like half of
normal, not to mention giving a superb finish.

By the time I was in the shop, carbon tet was not being used. They used
1,1,1, trichloroethane (Chlorothene) instead. It's the same stuff that
used to be found in Tap Magic and other brands of ferrous tapping solutions,
as you likely know.

Using it also is a good way to kill yourself.

That's a little extreme if you're talking about Chlorothene. No one died,
and as far as I know, no one lost their health. Well over 100 machinists
worked at the facility. I fully agree with carbon tet.

So, nobody talks about it
today. In fact, I won't talk about it any longer. Don't do it, and you're
on
your own.

They're still talking about Chlorothene, so much so that pints of old
formula Tap Magic are selling for $50. It's worth every penny if you're
tapping difficult material.

Harold