How to Make Cutting Oil

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Things You'll Need

  • 1 quart of motor oil

  • 3 cups of dish soap

  • 4 gallons of water

Cutting oil is used when machining parts on devices such as lathes.

Cutting oil is oil used in machining and manufacture of metal products, which generates a great deal of heat. Cutting oil is applied to the work area, to carry away some of the heat and lubricate the cutting tool, enabling a better cutting motion with less friction and extending the tool life. Cutting oil can be made easily, using general household products.

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Step 1

Add the dish soap to the water.

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Step 2

Mix the soap into the water so it dissolves. The soap is the catalyst that enables the oil and the water to mix; otherwise the different densities make the oil float on top of the water.

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Step 3

Pour in the motor oil. Make sure that the water and the oil are mixed properly together with no separation. The water acts as a coolant in the cutting oil, while the oil acts as the lubricant, as the water is evaporated off by the heat generated in the cutting process.

Tip

If a sticky residue is left on the cutting tool following use, then the cutting oil mix contains too much soap.

A fire extinguisher should be kept handy as a precaution against the oil catching fire in the cutting process. When using this cutting oil, cutting machines should be set to a slower speed.

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