|
Harry,
If I understand you correctly, you are packing the cutting teeth. I've used chalk to load file teeth for years. It stopps pinning and achieves a smoother finish. Using denim or other cutter packing as a chatter damper hadn't occurred to me. Like chalking the file, it will likely slow cutting but improve surface finish. Chalking the cutter would probably work also. I'll have to try it. Thanks for posting the tip.
Harley,
Lubrication allows cutting tools to apply more pressure to the cut without jamming the tool or chipping its cutting edges. It reduces chatter by preventing grabbing in the cut. It also reduces friction heating. So most any lube will at least help. If you search the web there are lots of examples even of dry lubes extending tool life and increasing cutting speed. Thinner cutting fluids (water solubles, for example) wash chips out more rapidly and cool better.
There is a tendency (I don't know the reason for this) for metal to cut more easily in the presence of some chlorinated solvents and other chemicals. You can actually feel a tap being easier to turn into the work if you use Tap Magic, for example. I have always assumed this was a weakening the metal bonds by chlorine radicals looking to react with iron? Mete can probably tell us if he sees this post. High sulfur cutting oil maintains its lube film through the pressure better than conventional oil. I don't know if acid radicals formed by the sulfur and trace moisture are doing some of the same thing the chlorine does or not? I know I don't want chlorine or sulfur left on a finished piece, because they will tend to promote corrosion under humid conditions, so I always flush them off and put a protective lube in their place. But for the fastest and smoothest cut, these specialized lubes do work better.
Nick
|