Thread: help me i need a wax for my plane sole

A bit of candle. You just need to rub on a zigzag line and it spreads over the sole when the plane is in use. In fact any wax will do. That is to make the plane slide over the wood.
For a protection against rust then a wax polish can be applied to the whole sole.
Regards
John

Yep I use candle wax, any wax will do but a candle will last for ages and is cheap.

really candle wax works? i've been using it and didnt feel any improvement, might have to look on that again.

paraffin wax candles or paraffin wax from the preservative section of the hardware

I rubbed a tealight over mine and the difference was quite significant...works a treat on handsaws too

Beeswax is good too and smells nice as well

im hesitant to use candle wax because it 'creams' for a lack of a better term.

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

Beeswax is good too and smells nice as well

You could have the best of both worlds there and shop at Dusk for your favorite scented candles. Nothing like a little lavender or vanilla aromatherapy in the workshop.

Regards,

Denim

paraffin wax is what I think most people use, I certainly do.
Beeswax is ok if it has a bit of paraffin in it to stop it from sticking as some grades can, and its well washed as honey acts as a moisture attractant.
Tallow and or mutton fat also get a mention in some quarters for wooden bodied planes
Don't use soap it'll cause rust and silicone waxes once they get on your work are death to fine finishes so no car polish etc.
cheers
Ian

Originally Posted by Denim

You could have the best of both worlds there and shop at Dusk for your favorite scented candles. Nothing like a little lavender or vanilla aromatherapy in the workshop.

Regards,

Denim

Or we could just ban people from putting those terrible shops into air conditioned shopping centres where the smell is so strong it gives me a migraine from 100m away.... I'm not a fan!!

The candle shops are second only to those ubiquitous nail salons that all seem to be staffed by asian girls with little english (hummmm, surely not employment as a pathway to immigration) - the solvent smell that blasts out of those salons surely exceeds the VOC guidelines for just about any workplace - it's worse than a spraypaint place!!!

A round tin and some rolled up felt or something similar to be the wick and raw linseed oil

My one is in an old bootpolish tin

It just sits on the bench and when it starts to feel a bit dry to the touch it gets a dribble of oil on it

Beeswax isn't the best stuff for metal plane bottoms, I've found - it tends to form a gummy residue that defeats the purpose. Pure paraffin wax is the better choice, as suggested, & getting some of the stuff preservers use sounds like a good idea. A block around 40 x 30 x 25mm will last half a lifetime, if you don't chew it to pieces by dragging brass screws through it, which I do - makes them drive home with half the effort , too....

I think the reason you didn't get a good response to a candle is probably due to the mix of waxes in the one you tried - the fancy ones seem to vary greatly in their paraffin content. I find a few swipes on the sole reduces the effort by a huge amount!

Cheers,

Coles and Woolies have Fowlers Vacola preserving Paraffin wax in tubs, I just break a bit off, use that and I find it makes a lot of difference.

Chris