Cutting/reaming oil

[SBS]

Have been using Mobilmet Omega, but have been informed that it is only available by the drum now, no gallon packaging. None of the other Mobil oils have as good properties for reaming. I also use this oil for turning barrels, threading and other general machining purposes, so don't want to get into an oil that is so pricey that it's impractical (such as oils sold by the quart for around $50). Any suggestions for something I can buy by the gallon?

 

[hammerjack]

Try you some Vipers Venom from Bob Pastor.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I second vipers venom. Grizzly sells it. I also use rigid dark from local electrical supply stores.

 

[Danny1788]

Does anyone use vipers venom or rigid dark oil with a flush system? if so what psi for reaming?

 

[shortgrass]

dark threading oil, less than $20 a gal. last time I bought. I try to use enough pressure to clear the cuttings but not make a big mess!

 

[Danny1788]

dark threading oil, less than $20 a gal. last time I bought. I try to use enough pressure to clear the cuttings but not make a big mess!

what RPM are you reaming at with the thick dark oil and flush system? I just bought 5gal of the dark oil and am working up a flush system for chambering, Hopefully this weekend if i get some time.

 

[dbramley]

I have had good luck with rigid extreme for reaming etc with a flushing system.

 

[shortgrass]

dark threading oil, less than $20 a gal. last time I bought. I try to use enough pressure to clear the cuttings but not make a big mess!

what RPM are you reaming at with the thick dark oil and flush system? I just bought 5gal of the dark oil and am working up a flush system for chambering, Hopefully this weekend if i get some time.

I can keep up with the feed manually @ 200rpm.

 

[Rustystud]

Reamers today are multi flute, and engineered to cut at higher speeds. Higher speeds require both coolant and lubricant properties. A chemical/mechanical engineer told me to use an "extreme pressure coolant lubricant", with a flush system. I started out using Rustlic 255R cut 5:1 with distilled water. Rustlic 255R is no longer available, it has been replaced with UltraCutt Pro. It is not cheap, but can be used over and over again. Still using the five gallons I bought in 2005. Will replace it this year. Figure that I have chambered over 3000 Barrels. I have 3 reamers with over 2500 chambers on them and never been resharpened. Think this system has well paid for itself. After dialing in a barrel I can cut the chamber in 15 minutes or less.
Nat Lambeth.
Nat Lambeth

 

[shortgrass]

Water soluble/synthetic coolants give up their heat faster than petroleum oil will. With 20 minutes or less of reamer cutting barrel and 4 gal. of oil I'm not heating the oil very much, if at all. Both cutting oil and water soluble/synthetics can be used for chambering. Water soluble/synthetics take less "pump" than 300ssu+ oil will and will more easily pass through a filter, too. "coolant grooves" need to be round into the pilot stem of the reamer for best results when using a 'flush' system. The rifling grooves just don't provide enough area for the needed volume of coolant/oil to effectively 'flush' the cuttings. Cuttings not 'flushed' help generate heat and can score chamber walls,,,,, neither is desirable.

 

[Danny1788]

Water soluble/synthetic coolants give up their heat faster than petroleum oil will. With 20 minutes or less of reamer cutting barrel and 4 gal. of oil I'm not heating the oil very much, if at all. Both cutting oil and water soluble/synthetics can be used for chambering. Water soluble/synthetics take less "pump" than 300ssu+ oil will and will more easily pass through a filter, too. "coolant grooves" need to be round into the pilot stem of the reamer for best results when using a 'flush' system. The rifling grooves just don't provide enough area for the needed volume of coolant/oil to effectively 'flush' the cuttings. Cuttings not 'flushed' help generate heat and can score chamber walls,,,,, neither is desirable.

The oil grooves your speaking of are they cut into the screw head or the actual piolt bushing? i looked at JGS website and they can cut grooves into the bushing or you can order them that way. What is the best thing to do?

 

[shortgrass]

The grooves are ground into the stem the removable pilot rides on. Some removable pilots are retained with a small screw and some makers use a snap ring. I like the screw head to be 'grooved/notched' to allow more oil to pass easily. You can't 'groove' the snap rings, but they don't seem to be much of a restriction anyway. Those I own that have the pilot retained by a small screw look like the pic you posted. Reamers you already own can be altered and coolant grooves ground into them. Solid pilot reamers can be altered to removable pilot that use a snap ring. Oil grooves can be round into them, too. I use Dave Manson, mostly. His turn around time on alterations like this is currently about 10 days and I always have received what I asked for (call and talk to Dara about what you want, she's good help that understands what you're asking/talking about)! With the flush system I'm more interested in "how much volume can I move over the reamer" than how much pressure I have on the gauge. I got way more pump than I could ever use,,, if I didn't 'by-pass' some oil I wouldn't be able to keep the nozzle afixed to the muzzle or I'd be taking a bath in dark threading oil. Neither of those options would have a good outcome......

 

[Danny1788]

The grooves are ground into the stem the removable pilot rides on. Some removable pilots are retained with a small screw and some makers use a snap ring. I like the screw head to be 'grooved/notched' to allow more oil to pass easily. You can't 'groove' the snap rings, but they don't seem to be much of a restriction anyway. Those I own that have the pilot retained by a small screw look like the pic you posted. Reamers you already own can be altered and coolant grooves ground into them. Solid pilot reamers can be altered to removable pilot that use a snap ring. Oil grooves can be round into them, too. I use Dave Manson, mostly. His turn around time on alterations like this is currently about 10 days and I always have received what I asked for (call and talk to Dara about what you want, she's good help that understands what you're asking/talking about)! With the flush system I'm more interested in "how much volume can I move over the reamer" than how much pressure I have on the gauge. I got way more pump than I could ever use,,, if I didn't 'by-pass' some oil I wouldn't be able to keep the nozzle afixed to the muzzle or I'd be taking a bath in dark threading oil. Neither of those options would have a good outcome......

last question shortgrass how much volume are you taking about? what is your best quess on the GPH or GPM your putting through the barrel? Also thanks for all your replys to my questions.

 

[Rustystud]

The coolant/lubricant lubricant I described at 35-70 psi will clear any and all chips. The coolant passes both inside and outside of the pilot. My catch pan has a 3/4" gravity feed hose back to my coolant tank. Some times I have to turn the pump pressure/volume down and let it catch up.
It is not surprising to hear people who have not used a gear head pump/flush system with the premium Extreme Pressure coolant lubricant say things that are not correct.
No one that I know of who has made a high pressure flush system has ever gone back to the old methods of chamber reaming.
Nat Lambeth

 

[shortgrass]

The grooves are ground into the stem the removable pilot rides on. Some removable pilots are retained with a small screw and some makers use a snap ring. I like the screw head to be 'grooved/notched' to allow more oil to pass easily. You can't 'groove' the snap rings, but they don't seem to be much of a restriction anyway. Those I own that have the pilot retained by a small screw look like the pic you posted. Reamers you already own can be altered and coolant grooves ground into them. Solid pilot reamers can be altered to removable pilot that use a snap ring. Oil grooves can be round into them, too. I use Dave Manson, mostly. His turn around time on alterations like this is currently about 10 days and I always have received what I asked for (call and talk to Dara about what you want, she's good help that understands what you're asking/talking about)! With the flush system I'm more interested in "how much volume can I move over the reamer" than how much pressure I have on the gauge. I got way more pump than I could ever use,,, if I didn't 'by-pass' some oil I wouldn't be able to keep the nozzle afixed to the muzzle or I'd be taking a bath in dark threading oil. Neither of those options would have a good outcome......

last question shortgrass how much volume are you taking about? what is your best quess on the GPH or GPM your putting through the barrel? Also thanks for all your replys to my questions.

The GPM you move and pressure on the gauge will be dependent on the bore size of the barrel. In a .224 or 6mm I'm moving about a gal. to a gal. and quarter per minute. Get up around .30 cal and I'm moving about a gal. and a half, maybe a tad bit more. Pressures on the gauge show anywhere from 30psi to 45psi. My gear pump will deliver up to 9 GPM The way I have it geared I don't think it could be stalled as long as it has a discharge somewhere. It's what I had, so its what I used. I've been using my home made flush system for about 3 yrs., now,,,, and Rustystud is right, I'll never go back to 'peckin' .050" at a time, cleaning the reamer & chamber between 'pecks' and oilin' with a squirt can..

 

[BOBC]

Have been using Mobilmet Omega, but have been informed that it is only available by the drum now, no gallon packaging. None of the other Mobil oils have as good properties for reaming. I also use this oil for turning barrels, threading and other general machining purposes, so don't want to get into an oil that is so pricey that it's impractical (such as oils sold by the quart for around $50). Any suggestions for something I can buy by the gallon?

Call Bob Pastor 269-521-3671 he uses and sells Viper's Venom. Best cutting oil ever.
A great number of gunsmiths use this product.

 

[David Sengelaub]

Like everybody on this site I like to use what I can get for "falling off the back of a truck" price. I'm in the honing business so honing oil is easily available. I use Sunnen MB30 honing oil, it is mostly animal fats and sulfur. It works great for threading and gives very smooth reamed chambers.

 

[Randfal]

I managed to find a gallon of omega on ebay last year by chance. But, I've used rigid dark, rigid extreme, even tried the quart bottle of Oatley Dark high sulphur threading oil and and they all work good. The Oatley was actually pretty good and easily bought at Home Depot. I do not pressure flush ream, it's not worth the mess or hassle on s one lathe shop volume shop. For production, probably worth it. 3000 barrels, that's 8.2years at one barrel per day.hmmm. Probably worth it for that. But it wasn't worth the mess for me when I tried it and Benchrest quality doesn't always benifit from hot rod machining. I'll take my time. I'm an oil fan.

 

[SBS]

Thanks all for the good suggestions and references.

 

[escopeta]

I have not built a flush system yet so I use the squirt can. Oil I have found that works very well is 20-50 Full Synthetic motor oil from your local auto parts store. I have used very many different types of specialized lubricants. This seems to work just fine and I only run about 120RPM on a pre-bored chamber so not a lot of heavy cutting.