[kittletstv]

You want to use cutting oil if possible. Any oil helps but cutting oil is what is commonly used in machine shops. You also want to adjust the spindal speed with the belt according to what size drill you are using. The larger the drill, the slower your spindal speed should be. Also when you are drilling metal you want to slightly let up periodically then pull down into it again while drilling the holes. This causes the spiral shavings to break into pieces as they feed up and out of the material being drilled. If you don't, they can continually spiral out into long, vey sharp peices that can cut you very easily. Good luck with you machine. I have one that's approximately 60+ years old and still running great. Flux brushes work really good for swabing on the cutting oil. A tray hung down under the vise / platform works good to catch most of the shavings and used oil too -(makes for easier clean up). Be very carefull wearing long sleeve shirts around it when you are working. They can easily get wound up into the machine taking your hane / arm with it. Rule of thumb - no long sleeves, no rings, no loose long hair anywhere near it, especially at high spindal speeds.