New Plane Care

[The Bear]

Hi

The instructions for my new plane say it is treated with rust preventative and to wipe it off with mineral spirit.

It then advises to apply paste wax.

I have Liberon Lubricating wax, will this do? Says to be careful to a use silicon free product to ensure no problems with finishing.

Any thoughts, do I need to do it, is the Liberon OK to use, or something else like Camilia oil?

Its a LV

Mark

 

[Pete W]

Yes, clean off the protective stuff. The Liberon lubricating wax will do fine for protection in most cases. If you have a humidity problem in the workshop you might want something more exotic, like the camelia oil (some of us find WD40 is more than adequate), but I'd go with the wax initially, especially since you already have it to hand.

 

[The Bear]

Is the Liberon silicon free??

Mark

 

[matthewwh]

This stuff was formulated specifically for the job, it's similar to renaissance wax but has added corrosion inhibitors. If you apply the thinnest coat you can, allow it to dry and then buff it to a shine it will reduce friction and protect the surface.

For new planes I'd apply a little each time you put the tool away in order to build up a series of thin fully hardened layers (much better than one thick one). After a few coats you can reduce the frequency of application and then just as and when it's needed. Once the surface of the metal has settled down you might only need to give them a polish once every six months or so. I still put a VCI pot in the box to protect the rest of the tool and the internals though.

 

[Jacob]

You really don't need to do anything at all, unless you are likely to leave your plane out in the rain, or accidentally drop it in a pond. In either case wipe of the surplus water and dry it off.
You could splash linseed oil all over it (raw, diluted half n half with white spirit) if you are really bothered, but don't be tricked into buying any magic fluids of any sort. Basically you have to keep your tools dry.

PS Camellia oil is an expensive hair and skin treatment, good for spots etc. Fooknose how it crept into woodworking. There must be a story there I guess. Most likely yet another plausible salesman.
Or woman. An ambitious Avon Lady? What about lipgloss around a plane mouth?

PPS what is a VCI pot? Whatever it is I'm sure nobody needs one (IMHO)!

PPS being serious here - if rust is a problem (humidity being the cause) then keep you tools under cover when not in use - box, poly bag, cupboard, drawer, anything.

 

[The Bear]

Jacob do you recommend any particular colour lipgloss for that?

 

[matthewwh]

Jacob's right, it's all magic trickery, rust is a just a figment of your imagination. You have clearly been inadvertantly dipping your plane in a pond without noticing. Ignore it and it will go away all by itself.

I wish!

ps (in response to JB's pps) VCI is volotile corrosion inhibitor, the stuff that the VCI paper that new tools come wrapped in is impregnated with. A VCI pot is a plastic tub with a felt wad that is soaked in the stuff so it releases its vapour slowly for a long time. The manufacturers recommend replacing them after 12 months but mine are still juicy after two years so that must be another conspiracy.

 

[Benchwayze]

I would make a glass case for it, and when I wasn't using it, I'd put it on display in the lounge. But then SWIMBO is tolerant in these circumstances.

John :wink:

 

[Jacob]

I googled VCI and the penny dropped - it's about packaging and keeping stuff factory fresh, which is what dealers and their customers all want and expect.
But to USE them AND keep them factory shiny is really difficult. This way madness lies, not to mention elbow grease and snake oil!
So don't bother.
Rust isn't a problem if you accept that any tool will slowly acquire a patina - steel slowly going grey/black where not polished by use etc and even picking up a few rust spots on occasions.
This isn't the same as having "a corrosion problem" - that's what you get when you have a real issue with damp, humidity etc. enough to reduce the usability of your tools. The basic solution here is to attack the cause, or keep your kit covered when not in use.

So stop polishing your tools and get some bloody work done instead!

 

[bugbear]

PPS what is a VCI pot? Whatever it is I'm sure nobody needs one (IMHO)!

Another well informed comment

BugBear

 

[Harbo]

Unlike JB I don't work in a perfect rust free environment and am not prepared to take the risk with my tools.
I am a great believer in Camellia Oil which has been used by the Japanese for their tools and weapons for centuries.
It is very user friendly, does not leave any nasty residues or contaminate timber and is very economical to use.

Rod

 

[GazPal]

Unlike JB I don't work in a perfect rust free environment and am not prepared to take the risk with my tools.
I am a great believer in Camellia Oil which has been used by the Japanese for their tools and weapons for centuries.
It is very user friendly, does not leave any nasty residues or contaminate timber and is very economical to use.

Rod

Clove (Choji) oil is the oil that was traditionally used on Japanese weapons, but in it's purest form taken from crushed cloves. Modern varieties tend to be a mineral oil base with clove essence added and the same can also be said of camelia oil. Simply purchase clean/unscented mineral oil, add a drop or two of camelia/clove essence and you've the same thing for minimal outlay. Or raid the baby's cleaning kit and grow used to the smell of Johnson's baby oil.

I tend to use 3 in 1 oil on a rag and simply wipe tools down lightly at the end of each day/working session (Regardless of indoor/outdoor work) and have encountered few - if any - problems with tools rusting. Especially once the pores in the steel/iron have loaded with oil/wax. You don't need to over do things, but - more often than not - a tool will rust if bare metal is left exposed to damp air.

Did old timers have problems using neat's foot oil and beeswax as means of tool protection? Very probably and this is why most old tools have a certain patina to them, but a well used tool won't tend to develop rust on it's working surfaces and - if storing for a given period of time - a simple wipe down then wrap in an oily cloth will most often provide sufficient protection between use and maintenance sessions. :wink:

Desiccant silicon bead packets work well as moisture inhibitors within tool boxes.

I'm sure more modern rust inhibitors work extremely well, but we all need to bear in mind the fact not everyone possesses the means to buy into the more expensive ones. Just use what you find works well for yourself without breaking the bank and it'll leave your finances healthy enough to buy in that extra timber for the next project. :wink:

 

[Benchwayze]

...stop polishing your tools and get some bloody work done instead!

Idle tools are rusty tools, so don't buy tools you rarely use.


Think of all the wood you could buy with the money saved.

John

 

[bugbear]

Idle tools are rusty tools, so don't buy tools you rarely use.

A "weekend woodworker" inevitably has 5 day periods of disuse, which is more than enough time for rust to form in a workshop with any dampness at all.

BugBear

 

[jimi43]

Unlike JB I don't work in a perfect rust free environment and am not prepared to take the risk with my tools.
I am a great believer in Camellia Oil which has been used by the Japanese for their tools and weapons for centuries.
It is very user friendly, does not leave any nasty residues or contaminate timber and is very economical to use.

Rod

+1 =D>

PPS being serious here - if rust is a problem (humidity being the cause) then keep you tools under cover when not in use - box, poly bag, cupboard, drawer, anything.

I had a No.7 in a box...it is the only one that rusted because the wood was damp!

A plastic bag does exactly the same thing...any moisture in it...is captured and in close proximity with the steel...rust!

This subject is like Groundhog day....read any corrosion prevention thread on this forum and it will be a mirror image of this one....

Every circumstance is different...every user has different levels of acid on their hands...every workshop has or hasn't got a pond nearby....the list goes on. :wink:

Too many variables....too little time....

Now...where did I put that tin of diesel..... #-o

Jim

 

[Benchwayze]

Now that's the problem with mild sarcasm BB!
Whenever I use it I get taken seriously! :mrgreen:

I am in the fortunate position of not having to worry about rust; and not necessarily because I am always using the tools. My shop is half-integral with the house; it has a metal door which faces due south. This acts like a heat magnet... I am sure it is the reason I don't have problems with humidity. Even so, I do store my rust prone tools well inside the half of the shop that is 'in the house'.

I pay for that with the underside of the house stairs taking a lot of space in the deepest corner!

Some you win... etc.,

Regards
John

 

[The Bear]

Thanks for all the replies

I will strip the protective coating off and then decide what the reprotect it with (which will be something in case I accidently get in the shower with it, Jacob)

Mark

 

[Jacob]

Thanks for all the replies

I will strip the protective coating off a.....

Why not leave it on? Does it get in the way somehow?

 

[promhandicam]

If you are unfortunate to suffer from rusty hands - as I and some other woodworkers do - then nothing that I've tried (including the fancy expensive stuff from WSH) makes the slightest difference especially with whatever iron they use for the bodies of LV planes. All I do now is every so often clean the rust off with a bit of fine webrax. As Jacob rightly says, using the plane is the best solution - I only get rust on the parts of the plane that don't come into contact with the wood I'm planing - around the rear tote and on the left hand side - particularly if I've been using the plane for shooting.