For small diameters, it is not really necessary. The most difficult part I turned is a 2 inches rod of copper. Cutting fluid was a necessity to keep the part cool.I guess that if we put the part in the cooler it would help to begin the turning.

There are some materials, copper may be one of them, that tend to stick on the top-edge of the cutting tool. In this case a bit of lubricant might help. Or a steeper top-rake of the tool.

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I use cutting oil for all my machining. There are various types for different metals, but the regular ones for steel work, if that is all you have. I never turned copper, so I do not know if there is s specific one for it.

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Lard - I remember as a kid my Mom collected ALL the meat fat in empty metal coffee cans then put them once a week on the front porch stoop for some guy in a truck to collect the "lard" so they could make soap, lard, grease, and other things for the war effort - that's WW II - yes, I am that old.

Second, if you use lard or bacon fat be sure to clean it up really well.  When it starts to go rancid it can really stink up a place.

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For milling, I always use cutting fluid, mainly to preserve the cutters life and over heating both the part and the cutter.

Mark "The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me Current Build:                                                                                             Past Builds:  La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section

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A tool cutting a larger diameter work piece will heat up much faster than when reducing their respective diameters by the same amount because the tool has to remove a lot more material to turn a quarter inch off of a two inch diameter rod than off of a one inch diameter rod. When size matters, you can never have too much lubricant.

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When milling with a multi-tooth cutter, the situation is different. There you need a lubricant, at least for steel, and particularly when milling or sawing slots, as the mill or saw might get jammed otherwise in the slot. A blast with WD40 or similar also clears out chips.

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Tallow historically was more commonly used as a lubricant for steam engines than it probably was for candles. It was one of the few lubricants that handled the steam and heat well.

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Mark "The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me Current Build:                                                                                             Past Builds:  La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)

When working to close tolerances, I'd hesitate to put a work piece in the freezer to "cool it down" before turning. Temperature dictates the size of the work piece.  When a "frozen" work piece warms back up, it will be larger than when it was cold.

You may have to try to optimise work-parameters for your special case, so be prepared that the first part may not turn out as desired.

Mark - copper can be quite tricky - it work hardens quite quickly and pick up on the tips of tools can give a poor finish. Because it is very soft it can also be prone to snatching at the tool. My advice would be to use HSS tools which are sharpened to good edge. My preference is to use cutting oil as i think it lessens the tendency for pick up and snatching - as a result gives a better  finish.

Mark "The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me Current Build:                                                                                             Past Builds:  La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)

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I'm not sure what grade this copper is.  I bought it at the local metal yard (1 foot long by 3/8" for $3) which was the smallest diameter they had.

I only have sewing-machine oil and WD40 (or similar) in my workshop. I don't mess around with the animal fats that old-time machinist used.

Having turned copper I have found the most effective way to get a good clean cut leaving a nice finish is with Kroil used by gun gun users and as an anti seize medium.

To be honest, I never use any cutting fluids for turning model parts on the lathe. As pointed out by others, sharp tools are essential to avoid work-hardening. If any material starts to build up on the cutting edge, stop and remove the material or you may ruin your surfaces. Otherwise, I would not be too concerned about working with copper. You may have to try to optimise work-parameters for your special case, so be prepared that the first part may not turn out as desired.

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)

Lard oil is the clear, colourless oil pressed from pure lard after it has been crystallized, or grained, at 7° C (45° F). It is used as a lubricant, in cutting oils, and in soap manufacture. ... Lard oil has excellent lubricating qualities, but it tends to become rancid

Mark I typed turning copper on a lathe in YouTube and watched a couple of videos of turning copper and the operator didn't use cutting oil or coolant.

Two things.  First, what type of copper are you turning?  There are many grades and alloys of copper and they have different properties.

For drilling, especially deep holes, I always use cutting fluids for the same reasons. Also it is much easier to do the job with fluids.

That's what I thought... though it could be beef (from hamburger, etc.).  Now I know.   As far as cleanup.... there various solvents including dish soap.  I note that lard can be bought at the local grocers.   I'll try the cutting oil first.

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)

If nothing is use copper will become hot  and sticky very fast and it will be difficult to make clean cuts but this is for large diameters only.

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In the old time, they were using all kinds of grease and fluids. These old tables that we see were made for LARGE parts turning not really for Hobby jobs.

A would go with Gaetan: I rarely, if ever, use any lubricant on my lathes - there are not set up for using coolants anyway. Yes, pieces and tools become warm sometimes, but if they get so hot that the workpiece or tool gets damaged, you are doing something wrong, i.e. perhaps the tool is blunt. In the model workshop one rarely takes off so much metal that heat generation is a problem.

CH-53 Sikorsky - 1:48 - Revell - Completed                                                   Licorne - 1755 from Hahn Plans (Scratch) Version 2.0 (Abandoned)

Just a quick question as I got mixed answers from the place I'll be buying some copper rod to make kettles for my ship's stove.  When turning on a lathe or drilling/machining, should I use cutting oil?  Or not use anything?  I've done brass without oil, I've never done copper.

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The same applies to drilling: oil for steel and sometimes aluminium, when holes are deep; nothing for brass; copper may need a drop of oil.

Bacon Fat is Bacon Fat, not Lard, I save it for flavor when cooking. Lard is rendered from raw pork fat, not cured like bacon or Ham. Lard is rendered from the trimmings over low heat until a liquid, then filtered through layers of cheese cloth into storage container and allowed to cool and solidify, it will be white when set up. Straining the fat through cheese cloth removes any solids that will cause the Lard to go rancid and can be kept in a cool place for a very long time before use, it will be free of any salts, sugars and peppers used in curing meat.

Mark "The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me Current Build:                                                                                             Past Builds:  La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section

On the stripe of oil on the wall behind the lathe. I bought a large piece of formica and leaned it behind my lathe, resting the bottom inside the chip pan.  This kept the residue from the wall. Eventually a little got on the ceiling but that was over a few years.

Mark "The shipwright is slow, but the wood is patient." - me Current Build:                                                                                             Past Builds:  La Belle Poule 1765 - French Frigate from ANCRE plans - ON HOLD           Triton Cross-Section

That seems to be my normal mode of operation.  Test, test, test, and maybe I get what I want.  If not, change parameters and try again.

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Today, it is a lot easier, Only one solution for every thing. It look like oil, we add water to it and it turns white just like milk.I also tried other kind which turned blue.

Lard oil is pressed from lard. It has been the go to cutting fluid for copper for years beyond count. It sets up just below room temp so when the shop is cold in the winter it has to be warmed to liquify it. It will also get rancid, so keep cold when not in use. There are other fluids that work almost as well for copper, just don’t use anything with sulfur in it. It will turn everything black.

Jack  "No one is as smart as all of us" -  Is ón cheann a thagann an cheird  The craft comes from the head --------------------------------------------- Current build: US Constellation

I read someplace that Bacon fat could be used as a lubricant for working on non-ferrous metals.  As I had just cooked a pound of Bacon I had a jar of fat cooling off.  Took a very small bottle lid of it to the shop and it worked quite well when I was drilling with a #74 bit pretty deep.  I was concerned about the depth w/o lubricant and the Bacon fat worked quite well - didn't break a drill bit and got 6 holes done.  A toothpick dipped into the fat transferred the fat to the drill bit.

Thanks Keith. I picked up the copper today and hope to start this weekend. All my cutters for the lathe are HSS.   I do have some cutting oil.  I wonder what "lard oil" is?  Lard?