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Old timer at the shop told me to stop using coolant on aluminum and he was right
After 3 days of fighting with gummy threads on a 6061 part, I tried his trick of just a light mist of WD-40 and the finish came out mirror clean, no more sticky buildup.
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masonbell26d ago
Funny thing is the old school guys figured this out years ago because coolant actually breaks down the waxy coating on 6061 and makes it grab the tool more. The WD-40 works as a lubricant without letting the aluminum weld itself back to the insert. Also helps keep chips from sticking in the flutes on a drill or tap.
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samwalker25d agoTop Commenter
Oh man, I'm with you 100%. I swear by WD-40 for aluminum too, it makes such a difference with chip evacuation on a drill press.
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