What kind of lubrication should be used on the router BIT to prolong life?

http://www.hermance.com/Industrial/Grease-Lubricants/Bostik-DriCote-Blade-Bit-Cutting-Lubricant
anyone use the above lubricant? It is the only one found via google for router bits?

When cutting aluminum I use tap magic and it is awesome. Even plain water helps a lot.

Wonder if a drip bottle would be a good idea? There is a water based lubricant that looks like green goo, probably good for metals or plastics, not sure about wood though.

I have also seen blowers that cool the bit, another idea.

You seem to imply that you’ll be attempting to cut aluminum with your MaslowCNC. While people have been successful (search the old forum IIRC for the last aluminum cutting post ) I don’t think the Default Ridgid router should be used with any sort of liquid coolant.

It is NOT designed for that at all and could (easily) be the source of an electric short circuit.

You should be using the Ridgid Router in a manner consistent with its operation manual. (aside from the obvious mounting in the Maslow Sled.)

You may very well be able to cut thin aluminum sheets with MaslowCNC but in no way could I recommend any sort of bit coolant or any liquid in any form on or near the router in any Maslow design I’ve seen.

Safety First!

WELL HOW ABOUT DRY LUBRICANTS? Like the product in my original post. Seems kind of like a Teflon coating for bits to make them have less friction. I would imagine it can’t hurt?

1 Like

this makes no sense, the bit is designed to eat through the material. running the machine at appropriate speeds and feed rates with the appropriate bit WILL result in a successful cut.

You should not be using a bit or material that needs lubrication… Maslow is not the correct machine for that task.

The question is:

Can the machine run at an appropriate speed and feed rate using a given bit and a given material.

Cooling Lubricants, as used in CNC machines are used for heat dissipation and chip removal, NOT lubrication. NOT friction reduction.

Maslow, its components, and its design, is NOT appropriate for applications that require cooling other than air, and without a serious re-design for those purposes you’re better off finding an alternative means of doing whatever it is you’re proposing. (which you still haven’t clearly expressed in detail.)

Dry lubricants are for reducing friction on parts that interact in a non destructive manner. Maslow’s Bits (all router bits for that matter) interact with their work material in a completely destructive manner.

I’m happy to see or be informed about ANY instance where dry lubricants are used as a means of ‘Friction reduction’ in a milling machine.

good luck.

1 Like

DriCote looks like a wax dissolved in solvent, possibly paraffin (the wax, not the oil) could also work as well. I’ve got a wax stick (don’t recall the brand and it’s out in the barn) that I use on bandsaw blades (on the 2HP 17" saw with the bear decal on the side) that is probably similar. To be honest I’m not sure it helps, but it certainly doesn’t seem to hurt anything.

If it works with handheld routers, and you apply it as indicated, it won’t work any worse on a Maslow. No guarantee it’s not snake oil, though.

I wonder if WD-40 would work while maslowing aluminum? It might be messy, though. And how is cutting aluminum on your maslow working out?

1 Like