Tapfree Question

Pinresto

Pinresto

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Hello All,
A few months ago at an estate sale I bought two unopened bottles of Tapfree tapping fluid. $1 each. These are older bottles but I'm not sure how old. The bottle says its for tapping, drilling and reaming of any metal except aluminum. It also says "NOT A CUTTING OIL". My question is, how can it be for drilling metals but not for cutting them? What happens if I use it for cutting? Will it work? Was this just marketing to get you to buy their cutting oils?
Also, I have no experience with this product. Is this considered a good product? Thanks

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You may have the last two cans of that stuff on the planet. It contains 1,1,1 tricloretheline (sp?), was outlawed in the late 70's as an ozone depleter. Great for tapping steel, reacts with aluminum, so don't use it with that. If you flooded the work with it, it could be a cutting fluid, but it is not a cutting oil. It has about the viscosity of water. Has a cinnamon-ish odor.

Save it for tapping, reaming. The stuff works great, but use it sparingly, you can't get any more.
 
JimDawson said:
You may have the last two cans of that stuff on the planet. It contains 1,1,1 tricloretheline (sp?), was outlawed in the late 70's as an ozone depleter. Great for tapping steel, reacts with aluminum, so don't use it with that. If you flooded the work with it, it could be a cutting fluid, but it is not a cutting oil. It has about the viscosity of water. Has a cinnamon-ish odor.

Save it for tapping, reaming. The stuff works great, but use it sparingly, you can't get any more.
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Well that's pretty cool. That's why I love estate sales. Thanks for the pointers. I haven't even opened them yet. I didn't realize it was so thin.
Now I've got to give it a smell..........yep, cinnamon-ey. It also has a neat little flip over spout inside. They don't make product cans like this any more. These two cans will last me a long long time. Thanks again.
 
I totally agree with the above post. The stuff works wonders when drilling and tapping hard or tough metals like stainless or tool steel. We used to buy it by the case in the shop. As mentioned don't use it on aluminum . It'll set up a reaction that will dissolve the aluminum. There will be a curl of smoke and a hole minus the threads.
 
I use the new version of Tap Free today. Like it better than I do the new version of Tap Magic. The new Tap Free has a oil base to it, but adds to the cutting acting needed. Nice smell, too!
Yeah, I have a couple of the last cans of the old version of Tap Magic, hidden out. Haven't had to use them, but have them in case a need comes up.
 
I used to use the stuff and wish that I could find more. It worked really well for tapping steel.
 
I opened my last pint of Tap Magic a month or so ago. I'd been storing it since before 1979, when I left one employer. I've obtained some of the new, it's not as good as the old, but better than some.
 
I don't think it is a good idea to smell it. I think it is bad for the liver. That's why it is not made anymore. I used to use it to cut some nasty stuff.
jimsehr
 
I remember using that in my dad's shop in the late 70's early 80's. Just seeing the can instantly brought back that cinnamon smell.
 
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