Cutting paste
Why use a metal cutting paste or drilling lubricant 
A metal cutting paste or cutting fluid should be used when cutting or drilling metal. The primary reason is to offset or reduce the inevitable build up of heat. Heat is generated due to both friction and energy lost whilst deforming the material. As air cooling alone is unlikely to be sufficient to prevent heat build up in both the tool and the work surface a drilling lubricant is required. Because excessive temperature can ruin the temper of the drill bit or the item being drilled it is important to prevent this happening.
Cutting lubricant or fluid is useful when drilling metal as it will :
- Reduce friction. Therefore reducing heat build up.
- Lubricate. This will reduce tool wear and prolong the life of the drill bit.
- Speed up the drilling process. The reduction in tool wear and heat build up will allow for a faster drilling experience.
Cutting fluid v Cutting paste
Both cutting fluids and pastes will have a lubricating effect. However their performance will depend on the quality of their ingredients. In particular the addition of superior extreme pressure or anti wear additives will greatly influence the effectiveness of either option.
Cutting fluids are best used when drilling on the level in comparison to a paste which due to its composition can be applied to a drill bit and used at any angle, even overhead.
We asked Frank Cox from
SMOKERBUILDER to test CUT-IT
when drilling some hard metal.
(Close up of Cutting paste on a drill bit)
Cutting fluids are best used when drilling on the level but a cutting paste, due to its composition, can be applied to a drill bit and used at any angle, even overhead.
CUT-IT metal cutting paste
CUT-IT is a high quality metal lubricant and cutting paste suitable for reaming, tapping, drilling and metal forming and is suitable for all metals.
The best metal lubricant paste is one which will not only adhere well to the cutting object but have the ability to withstand high pressure. CUT-IT has been designed for use in drilling harder metals. Because it contains premium extreme pressure and anti wear additives it is suitable for drilling the more difficult metals including stainless steel. 
CUT-IT cutting paste will:
- Reduce friction and tool wear
- Assist in rapid removal of heat
- Lubricate cutting tool and any metal being cut
- Work in overhead applications
- Speed up the cutting process
Cutting paste tested for extreme pressure properties
In July 2018 we commissioned leading testing house SFS (Subsea Fluid Services) to carry out a test to determine the extreme pressure properties of our cutting paste.
They performed the testing to the standard ASTM D 3233-93. This is the standard test method for measurement of extreme pressure properties of fluid liquids.
SFS tested CUT-IT using a Falex Test Machine. The test consisted of running a rotating steel journal at 290 revolutions per minute against two stationary V-Blocks immersed in CUT-IT metal cutting paste under a load of 1300lbs of pressure.
The result reported that torque was steady throughout indicating that the paste was lubricating well. 
