Lubricants
Common yellow soap cut up in strips about ½ inch or ¾ inch square is a good lubricant for spinning most metals. It should be applied evenly to the disk or blank while it is revolving, by holding the soap in the hand and drawing it across the surface. Beeswax is the best for spinning steel, but it is expensive. Lard oil mixed with white lead is a fair substitute. Either mutton or beef tallow applied with a cloth swab is very good on most all metals; also vaseline and graphite mixed to a paste and applied the same as tallow.