Thread: Lubing my tool.

What about Silverglide??

I found out about this stuff in a post here yesterday

If you're smearing animal glue along the bottom of your plane, you're planing a fair amount of glue (I've done it myself). I normally pop off large gobs of glue with an old chisel (actually a new cheap-and-nasty chisel) prior to planing.

I've always used a very wet 50/50 mixture of beeswax and parafin wax disolved in naptha (Shellite in Australia) to protect and lubricate my planes, chisels and saws etc. I keep a folded rag in the wax jar which I use to apply frequent, generous amounts. The naptha flashes off quickly leaving a thin, even coating of hard-ish wax which I buff when dry. I've never encountered any problems with wax residue when gluing or finishing.

I only ever use a dot of bees wax if anything, never use Mr sheen or silicon (even the slightest amout) as it will repell your finish and at best leave rings or dots in your finished surface.

Originally Posted by Claw Hama

I only ever use a dot of bees wax if anything, never use Mr sheen or silicon (even the slightest amout) as it will repell your finish and at best leave rings or dots in your finished surface.

Hope you do not mind me highlighting your comment, ClawHama, but that statement should be writ large. I have ruined several jobs with minute traces of silicon from my Triton, even from overspray from the roller door track.

Silicon is essentially refined sand, and sand belongs on beaches, not near the workshop!

Cheers

Graeme

Hi Graeme
It is I who should appologinse for not being more bold. Luckily I leart about Mr Sheen and silicon from others many years ago. Many car buffs made the mistake years ago of polishing their cars with it, oops, fine as long as you never want to repaint or touch up ever agian.
When I supply my furniture to clients I throw in a bottle of O'Cedar or similar and tell them never under any cercumstances to use Mr Sheen.

Is there a way to lubricate the sole of the wood plane or to make it very slippery; that makes it slide as well as when it runs on a goodly smear of wax; but it leaves no residue on the timber?

HH

You should not need to wax the soles of wooden planes. They burnish on the wood surfaces and then glide. On my metal plane I scribble a little candle wax. That's all that is needed.

Regards from Perth

Derek

But
if the wax or oil used is compatible with the finish any amount transfered to the surface shouldn't matter.
I suspect, but it would take months of testing to confirm, that all oil and organic solvent based finishes are compatible with the oils and waxes typically used to lubricate metal planes.

But I think I'd steer clear of using synthetic engine or transmission oil on a plane

For wooden planes a wipe with a rag with linseed oil on it works well for me - in fact after a while the rag has enough oil in it that I don't need to use the bottle at all. Linseed doesn't interfere with finishes AFAIK

Same as Jeremy - that's what I was taught way, way back when most planes were wood and I was young. If you get hold of an old english plane thats seen the end of its days and cut into it, you find it still smells inside of linseed.
Cheers,
Jim

Originally Posted by derekcohen

You should not need to wax the soles of wooden planes. They burnish on the wood surfaces and then glide.

I think that depends on the timber you're working. Some timbers require that I wax the sole regularly, others not at all.