Thread: Baby Oil?

Following Derek Cohen's piece on stropping, I use mineral oil (parrafin oil) as the medium for diamond paste on a strop and it works fine. I notice he uses Johnsons baby oil - nice fragrance.

I can't see why it won't work for honing on an oil stone as well, but I haven't used it.

Thanks, its good enuff for baby's bums...

I use K-Y Jelly with great success.

Originally Posted by Woodwould

I use K-Y Jelly with great success.

Why do I not believe you?

Originally Posted by Tex B

Why do I not believe you?

Maybe because neither KY nor baby oil are C18 products.
According to Moxon, you lubricate your whetstone with spittle (I know its more C17, but it's close enough!)

Did I say K-Y Jelly? Sorry, I meant Vaseline. I don't even know what K-Y Jelly is - honest!

Did they have K-Y Jelly in the 1800s?

I haven't have a chance to use K-Y Jelly yet

Originally Posted by jmk89

Maybe because neither KY nor baby oil are C18 products.
According to Moxon, you lubricate your whetstone with spittle (I know its more C17, but it's close enough!)

That's what my Dad taught me.

Baby oil IS parafin oil packaged with a little smelly stuff.....perhaps a little more refined.. but not much.

You can buy parafin oil from the hardware in 1l bottles.

cheers

Originally Posted by Sebastiaan56

Has anyone used baby oil for lubricating stones or strops? Seems like it might work as it is low viscosity and as it is mineral oil wont go rancid,

I've used kerosine on occasion. The objective, I think, is to wash away the dust.

I've used citronella oil (lamp oil) at a TTTG workshop. Does the job, smells ok, keeps the mozzies away and does not require any babies to be rendered down.
Pretty cheap too. Find it in the outdoors/bbq section at supermarkets, hardware etc.
Cheerio,
Virg.

Citronella is a finer oil and more suitable on oilstones than baby oil from my experience. I have not tried it on strops preferring brasso or silvo instead. Because brasso is dear, you can extend that out a little by adding some metho to the can and shaking the mixture vigorously.
On the oil stones I have not noticed any workable difference between Johnsons baby oil and the various cheaper no name baby oils.
Off the subject perhaps, but another great use for baby oil, is for oil paint cleanup for hands and brushes. It works even better if you use a bit of oil on towelling or heavy cotton cloth to scrub hands and squeeze out brushes. And not hazardrous like turps to our body.