What Can I Use As a Cutting Oil Substitute?

To be a glass, you need an essential aspect: oil. A stained glass arsenal artist must have this aspect. With a cutting lubricant, it’s best to fill the cutter reservoir. Cutting oil aids in easing the work and creating it more efficiently. 

However, you can use many types of oils to cut the glass. But most people want to know what oil I can use as a cutting oil substitute. It’s because, to avoid a sudden problem, learning about it is very important.

However, let’s talk about cutting oil and what I can use instead of cutting oil. 

cutting oil alternatives
Thread Cutting

What Is Cutting Oil?

Cutting oil is a lubricant and coolant formulated especially for metalworking processes like stamping and machining. There are different cutting oils, including oils, pastes, aerosols, oil-water emulsions, air, or other gases. 

Mainly, these oils come from animal fats, water, distillates, plant oils, air, or other raw components. Typically, you can use this cutting oil for drilling and cutting equipment to extend their life.

Depending on consideration and context, this oil is known as cutting oil, cutting fluid, coolant, lubricant, and cutting compound. Most machining processes and metalworking will benefit from this cutting oil relying on a workpiece tool. 

Standard exceptions are brass and cast iron; you machined it with dry. It’s not true for all brass because any brass machine will benefit from the cutting oil.

What are The Properties Of Cutting Oil?

Have a look at the cutting oil properties below: 

  • Keep the tool at a maximum temperature. A cutting oil could not let the machinery get hotter than the maximum temperature. 
  • Good cutting oil can lubricate the cutting rim and prevent the til welding. Also, it ensures the glass cutter’s life.
  • Moreover, it ensures the life of users. It should be safe for the environment upon disposal.
  • The lathe-cutting oil should prevent deposits and rust on the cutting tools.
  • The properties of cutting oil enhance the cutting tool’s life. Therefore, you must prefer cutting oil when working on stained glass projects. 

Cutting Oil Types:

Mainly there are two types of cutting oil: water-soluble and oil-based. They are typically separated into more groups.

Let’s get straight to the point.

Water-soluble cutting oil

Generally, this type of oil is referred to as a coolant used for cooling. Since you can mix it with water, it has no ignition risk. Hence, using water-soluble cutting oil is comfortable without operators. In addition, this oil tends to collapse quickly; you should be careful.

Oil-based Cutting Oil

Due to lubrication and prevention, the welding of this oil is perfect. In most cases, these oils ensure high work accuracy. On the other hand, because ignition by heat makes a fire, you should manage it carefully. 

Before using this oil-based cutting oil, you should need to add the following tools on a lathe, depending on the situation.

  • Automatic fire-extinguisher system 
  • A moist collector with an automated fire extinguishing tool interlocking a fire damper
  • A liquid temperature regulator 
  • A coolant blow tool 
cutting oil for drilling

How To Make Cutting Oil?

Eventually, cutting oil is oil needed in machining and producing metal products, which makes maximum heat. Additionally, it helps to extend the machinery’s life and lessen friction. 

Furthermore, you should use this oil in your work area to carry heat and lubricate your cutting tool to enable the best cutting motion. Nevertheless, using some available household products, you can make cutting oil easily. 

Things You’ll Need

3 cups of dish soap

1 quart of motor oil

4 gallons of water

Step 1: First, to the water, you should add the dish soap.

Step 2: Mix the soap into this water to dissolve. Actually, this soap works as a catalyst to enable the water and oil to mix. Otherwise, this oil will float above the water because of various densities.

Step 3: Pour this mixing aspect into the engine oil. Make sure that the oil and water will not mix properly. In cutting oil, the water works as a coolant while the oil works as a lubricant. 

Because of the cutting process, this water is evaporated by making the heat.With this process, you also can make a homemade bandsaw cutting fluid.

What Oil To Use For Tapping?

You can extend your tap life using proper lubricants in your tapping operations. Besides this, you can increase production, control workpiece size, make more accurate and smooth threads, and more efficiently remove the chip.

Cutting Oil Substitute

It would help if you used straight-cutting oil to get the best performance during your cutting. On the contrary, for your non-ferrous and non-metallic tools, using a cutting fluid and coolant is best. Below we have given some cutting oil substitutes that you can use: 

Light Machine Oil

Any portable machine oil you can use during glass cutting. It provides accurate lubrication, and you can buy this oil reasonably. So, if you are looking for cheap cutting oil, you can choose light machine oil. 

The main downside of using this lightweight oil is that this oil can sometimes be vicious. And this oil can actually impact your cutter’s feel and movement. Incredibly, It can significantly affect your performance if you use overly viscous cutting oil.

Kerosene Oil:

In the old days, Kerosene oil was the most common oil. Quickly, everyone can get this oil in the Kerosene lamps.

Surprisingly, as glass-cutting oil, this oil worked relatively well. The reason is that this oil can lubricate sufficiently and takes less oil to clean and quickly evaporate your tool.

Notably, this oil also has a downside, and that is the density of oil is very low, and it will easily leak out or get displaced. 

Vegetable Oil: 

As a cutting oil, you can use any vegetable oil. Accordingly, if you have another cutting oil, then not using this oil can be the best idea.

Custom Formulated Cutting Oil:

Due to the excellent glass-cutting features, this oil is better than other oils. Mainly, this oil comes with every advantage discussed above without any downside. 

Undoubtedly, this formulated glass-cutting oil can provide you with the exact required viscosity. Regardless, these formulated glass oils are the best options that are available on the market. Ergo, please don’t delay and go for it.

3-In-One Oil: 

As you know, 3-in-One oil performs well on many metals. Usually, it has a citronella odor; if the smell offends, general-purpose lubricating fluid and mineral oil work the same. Thus, you can use this 3-in-1 oil for drilling steel if you want. 

glass cutting oil substitutes

Pros And Cons Of Cutting Oil Substitute : 

Like every aspect, cutting oil has pros and cons. The pros and cons are: 

Cutting Oil Substitute Pros: 

The primary job of cutting oil is heat removal. Without any doubt, cutting fluids can cool down your workpiece and equipment. The reduction of heat helps to decrease thermal expansion. 

During machining, cutting fluids can develop a machined surface finish and decrease the wear of cutting tools. Apart from this, this oil also comes with anti-corrosion properties, which save machined grounds from corrosion. In fact, it can save power consumption by decreasing the machine forces. 

Cutting Oil Substitute Cons: 

On the contrary, the disadvantage of cutting oil is cost, health risk to workers, and environmental impact.

Final Word: 

You can face chip welding and oxidation without proper cutting oil for drilling, grinding, and other metal machining. To conclude, depending on your machine, cutting speed, and other requirements, you can choose cutting oil. 

Unfortunately, when you need a cutting oil, and you haven’t, you can use a cutting oil substitute. Above here, we give some substitutes for cutting oil that you can use during cutting glass and metal areas.

Read Also: Vacuum Pump Oil Substitute

Eusuf

I am Engr. Z Eusuf Lubricant Specialist, Mechanical Engineer & has been working with engine lubricants for a long time and knows what makes them work best. I can help you find the right oil for your needs, and I have tips on how to keep your engine running at its best.

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