The Guild of Metalsmiths presents:

Materials you might use



A durable hot cutting, swedging, punching, lubricant

Mike Mobley, a smith and farrier for over 50 years offered this recipe for his own special lubricant designed especially for hot cutting, and forming. Mike says it will stick on the tools even when driven into a workpiece at red heat and pretty much prevent the tool from catching and sticking in the work. He says it also helps maintain the temper in your cutting or forming tool.

Lubricant Recipe

 

	2# of beeswax
	1/2qt of 90 wt gear lube
	2 cans of STP
	4 tubes of graphite

	Boil it.

This lubricant ends up as kind of a paste which you can keep in a can near your workstation and periodicly dip your punch, drift, or chisel into. Mike kept a stiff brush in his so he could brush it onto the hot punches in his hydraulic press.