Plane lubricating

[John p]

Up until now i have used a candle to lubricate the sole of my planes . Is there anything else i'm not very happy with this . What do you use

 

[Alf]

Personally I use a candle, so I'll leave alternative suggestions to those that use them.

Cheers, Alf

 

[ydb1md]

beeswax

slippery and it smells good

 

[Chris Knight]

Candles are the cheapest, nastiest rubbishy paraffinic wax in the world. They are where the stuff you can't sell in other forms gets dumped (I should know I used to work in the oil industry that made the stuff). Posh candles of the Bodyshop type have other nasty smelly stuff in them. Candles wiped on things like blades and plane soles just leave lumpy bits of wax in places you don't want them.

Candles used in the Vatican have 10% beeswax in them and are probably better as a result because beeswax is much nicer but harder.

You can use a paste wax like Liberon Black bison (also paraffinic but with a solvent that helps its spread more easily) or a liquid wax - Liberon make a specific lubricating wax - also very good.

You can also use an oil wick like old timers - you plane the layer off immediately so you don't have to worry over much about contamination of finishes. All in all this is a smarter option IMHO.

 

[Noel]

Coat of paste wax, quick buff. Candles are messy, smelly things.

Noel

 

[Alf]

Candles are the cheapest, nastiest rubbishy paraffinic wax in the world.

Chris is evidently a fan... :lol:

Chaps, just how much ladling on of candle wax are you folks envisioning here? :-s

Cheers, Alf

 

[John p]

You can also use an oil wick like old timers - you plane the layer off immediately so you don't have to worry over much about contamination of finishes. All in all this is a smarter option IMHO.



Just any old oil or somthing in particular . Will the japenese anti rust stuff do the job camellio?

 

[Anonymous]

Candles are the cheapest, nastiest rubbishy paraffinic wax in the world.

Chris is evidently a fan... :lol:

Chaps, just how much ladling on of candle wax are you folks envisioning here? :-s

Cheers, Alf

I agree with Alf. I'm starting to feel like I have a WMD in my apron pocket :lol: .

 

[Chris Knight]

John,
A regular mineral oil will do - the sort of white oil used in French polishing is fine.

 

[Anonymous]

I use everyday white candles without any of the problems reported here. No lumping nor other issues.

Tried bees wax but it didn't spread onto the plane as smoothly and evenly and so I returned to good old candles

 

[GCR]

I have always used a candle, just a very light "zig-zag". If that does not work you probably need to work on the sole of the plane and get it really smooth.

Bob

 

[bugbear]

Is there anything else i'm not very happy with this

What's the problem? Candles work well, IME.

For convenient application, you can't beat a solid wax. Most polishes work well, but are a tadge too soft to apply conveniently. Oils (e.g. raw linseed) need applicators. Beeswax is just a little too hard.

BugBear

 

[John p]

the sort of white oil used in French polishing is fine

I thought linseed oil was used in french polishing .

i'm posting more in the last two days than i have in the last three years .
Must be sickening for something .

 

[Frank D.]

I thought linseed oil was used in french polishing .

Some use linseed, some tung, but I think Chris is referring to mineral oil, which is very widely used here in Quebec for French polishing.

 

[Ed451]

I'm sure I read somewhere about putting a can/bottle of kerosene with a wick in it on you bench, and then simply running the plane over the wick from time to time to lubricate it. Those more experienced than I should be able to add something about this practice?

Ed :?:

 

[Chris Knight]

John,

Frank is right. The oil is used in French polishing simply to lubricate the rubber it has no part in the actual polish and is "spirited-off" in the traditional polishing method (removed with a quick wipe of alcohol). Mylands sell it as "Polishing oil".

Ed,

You can roll up a cloth, stuff it into a small, squat bottle (like a Baby Food bottle) with half an inch sticking out and let the bottle into a piece of wood for stability. The cloth serves as a wick and as you pull the plane the back for another stroke you can wipe the sole over the top of it to get a light smear of oil.