A small discovery. I've tried all manner of tapping lubricants over the
years, and they all sort-of worked. Well, worked better than tapping
dry. What works better than anything else I've tried, at least for
aluminum, is Rustlick WS-5050 emulsion of chlorinated paraffin in water.

Given that I have this stuff in my coolant pump, I always have a gallon
on hand. I just flood the area, and proceed. This while using a
piloted tap wrench in the drill press (or mill).

Joe Gwinn

On 2008-01-17, Joseph Gwinn wrote:
A small discovery. I've tried all manner of tapping lubricants over the
years, and they all sort-of worked. Well, worked better than tapping
dry. What works better than anything else I've tried, at least for
aluminum, is Rustlick WS-5050 emulsion of chlorinated paraffin in water.

Given that I have this stuff in my coolant pump, I always have a gallon
on hand. I just flood the area, and proceed. This while using a
piloted tap wrench in the drill press (or mill).

Out of curiosity -- what metals are you tapping with this? I
would expect it to work well on a steel -- especially a tough steel, but
I'm not sure that it would be any better than kerosene or WD-40 (if as
good) on aluminum alloys.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
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--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

Joseph Gwinn wrote:
A small discovery. I've tried all manner of tapping lubricants over the
years, and they all sort-of worked. Well, worked better than tapping
dry. What works better than anything else I've tried, at least for
aluminum, is Rustlick WS-5050 emulsion of chlorinated paraffin in water.

Given that I have this stuff in my coolant pump, I always have a gallon
on hand. I just flood the area, and proceed. This while using a
piloted tap wrench in the drill press (or mill).


So this is using your coolant concentrate full strength on the tap?
That's pretty cool!

Jon

Joseph Gwinn writes:

Rustlick WS-5050 emulsion of chlorinated paraffin in water.

Where "paraffin" means more or less kerosene. Nasty stuff.

http://www.ospar.org/documents/dbase...0on%20SCCP.pdf

In article ,
Richard J Kinch wrote:

Joseph Gwinn writes:

Rustlick WS-5050 emulsion of chlorinated paraffin in water.

Where "paraffin" means more or less kerosene. Nasty stuff.

http://www.ospar.org/documents/dbase...0on%20SCCP.pdf

Not so fast there. The term "chlorinated paraffin" (CAS 63449-39-8)
covers the range C10 to C30 (10 carbon atoms to 30 carbon atoms in the
molecule), while SCCP (Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffin) covers the
range C10 to C13. So C14 to C30 is OK.

See
http://apps.kemi.se/flodessok/floden/kemamne_eng/klorparaffiner_eng.htm
for more information. CAS 63449-39-8 is the term for chlorinated
paraffin wax, not chlorinated kerosene.

Nor is ITW going to let their best-seller WS-5050 slip away, if all
that's needed is to use the long-chain stuff.

The stuff in WS-5050 is greasy on the hands, versus a light oil like
kerosene. And chlorine (and/or sulfur) is required for a heavy cutting
fluid to work.

Joe Gwinn

In article , Jon Elson
wrote:

Joseph Gwinn wrote:
A small discovery. I've tried all manner of tapping lubricants over the
years, and they all sort-of worked. Well, worked better than tapping
dry. What works better than anything else I've tried, at least for
aluminum, is Rustlick WS-5050 emulsion of chlorinated paraffin in water.

Given that I have this stuff in my coolant pump, I always have a gallon
on hand. I just flood the area, and proceed. This while using a
piloted tap wrench in the drill press (or mill).


So this is using your coolant concentrate full strength on the tap?
That's pretty cool!

No, I'm using the water emulsion, although I would assume that the
concentrate works too.

WS-5050 is sold as a tapping fluid, so the discovery is that it works
better than the more expensive specialized tapping fluids.

Joe Gwinn

In article ,
"DoN. Nichols" wrote:

On 2008-01-17, Joseph Gwinn wrote:
A small discovery. I've tried all manner of tapping lubricants over the
years, and they all sort-of worked. Well, worked better than tapping
dry. What works better than anything else I've tried, at least for
aluminum, is Rustlick WS-5050 emulsion of chlorinated paraffin in water.

Given that I have this stuff in my coolant pump, I always have a gallon
on hand. I just flood the area, and proceed. This while using a
piloted tap wrench in the drill press (or mill).

Out of curiosity -- what metals are you tapping with this?

Aluminum, 5025 or 2025 alloy to be precise.


I would expect it to work well on a steel -- especially a tough steel, but
I'm not sure that it would be any better than kerosene or WD-40 (if as
good) on aluminum alloys.

I'll be trying in in 1018 steel soon enough.

My impression is that WS-5050 worked better in aluminum than kerosene or
alcohol. Or Tap Magic.

I bet one can dissolve WS-5050 concentrate in kerosene, and it might be
useful.

Joe Gwinn

On 2008-01-18, Joseph Gwinn wrote:
In article ,
"DoN. Nichols" wrote:

[ ... ]

Out of curiosity -- what metals are you tapping with this?

Aluminum, 5025 or 2025 alloy to be precise.

O.K.

I would expect it to work well on a steel -- especially a tough steel, but
I'm not sure that it would be any better than kerosene or WD-40 (if as
good) on aluminum alloys.

I'll be trying in in 1018 steel soon enough.

My impression is that WS-5050 worked better in aluminum than kerosene or
alcohol. Or Tap Magic.

Hmm ... the *original* Tap Magic was a *very* bad choice with
aluminum. Purple smoke, rust on the tap, and discoloration on the
aluminum. :-)

I bet one can dissolve WS-5050 concentrate in kerosene, and it might be
useful.

Perhaps so. Or it *might* even *have* some kerosene in it. :-)

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

Joseph Gwinn writes:

Not so fast there. The term "chlorinated paraffin" (CAS 63449-39-8)
covers the range C10 to C30 (10 carbon atoms to 30 carbon atoms in the
molecule), while SCCP (Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffin) covers the
range C10 to C13. So C14 to C30 is OK.

My understanding is that the CAS number is qualified as short chain, not
waxy, paraffins.

Nevertheless, the word "paraffin" here means an alkane, not wax. Kerosene
is a blend largely of paraffins in this sense.

See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraffin

In article ,
Richard J Kinch wrote:

Joseph Gwinn writes:

Not so fast there. The term "chlorinated paraffin" (CAS 63449-39-8)
covers the range C10 to C30 (10 carbon atoms to 30 carbon atoms in the
molecule), while SCCP (Short Chain Chlorinated Paraffin) covers the
range C10 to C13. So C14 to C30 is OK.

My understanding is that the CAS number is qualified as short chain, not
waxy, paraffins.

As mentioned in my prior posting, see
http://apps.kemi.se/flodessok/floden/kemamne_eng/klorparaffiner_eng.htm
for more information. In the facts column to the right, CAS 63449-39-8
is the term for chlorinated paraffin (or hydrocarbon) *wax*, the
implication being that longer chains are used.


Nevertheless, the word "paraffin" here means an alkane, not wax. Kerosene
is a blend largely of paraffins in this sense.

See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraffin

I fail to see the relevance. We have a CAS number, which is far more
precise than the general word "paraffin".


Joe Gwinn

Joseph Gwinn writes:

... the implication being that longer chains are used.

You're right about the CAS number. My comment about the term "paraffin"
stands.