Thread: Wood v Iron Planes.

Sounds like Linseed oil.

Originally Posted by IanW

Occasionally, but more often, bloody overalls, Jake. White coats might have the boffin image, but they aren't much use when you're chopping up a large, messy beast!

I think I know what you mean about wax smearing & building, but paraffin doesn't do that. I tried beeswax, way back, & it wasn't satisfactory at all (smelt good, though). The paraffin wax I'm talking about is used for embedding tissues for slicing into 5u sections, but I've seen other folks recommend what's used when bottling jams & stuff, which is probably much the same (but costs about a tenth as much as it's not 'laboratory' grade) . I got the techs to save me some when they cleaned out the embedding machine, rather than chuck it out. I poured the molten wax into a flat dish & let it set, giving a solid block about 20mm thick which I then I sawed into convenient-sized smaller blocks. This stuff is very clean compared with beeswax, a single wipe along the sole gives a fine smear that lasts for a few minutes of planing, then it needs another wipe. Having done it this way for 40 years or more, it's just part of the rythmn, now. And I make a thin paste by mixing it in warmed gum turps. I scrub a small amount of this onto wooden threads with a toothbrush, and let it dry - makes my clamps & bench screws run very nicely...

The old-timers often used tallow or soap. My old pot always had a cake of 'Sunlight pure washing soap' handy, which he also used on nails before driving them into hard woods. If you've not used anything up til now, you have a pleasant surprise in store.

Cheers,

I see said the blind man. Like your use of paraffin. very cool. I tried using paraffin once, but didn't go so well so dumped the idea. But sounds like I wasn't using the lavatory grade .

I'll stick with my oil and turps though, uno, cause it works for me. But one thing you'd probably know….. Is turps on the skin not such a good thing? …. I'm assuming its not a good thing, cause it stinks and instinctively doesn't feel right…but, guessing its not the end of the world.

Whats can I replace the turps with thats less taxing on my health ? Have been just using typical mineral turps. Something natural that thins vege oil.

please excuse the possibility of it being a stupid question. My memory never been the best on general knowledge. My mind always focuses on whats most important, and everything else disappears very quickly for some reason.

Gota ask as well……. has this ever happened you…..say, you finish an experiment…….walk into your bosses office and say. ' Boss! ….I've finished the experiment….whats the next one'…….. she looks at you intensely over those glasses on the edge of her nose for a moment……then shakes her tired up hair loose in that mesmerising head whipping movement….. then jumps up onto her desk and in one dramatic fluid motion rips open her lab coat (filled with pens) yelling ….. ' ME ! …… I'M YOUR NEXT EXPERIMENT BIG BOY ! '

just wondering if that really ever happens. uno.

Originally Posted by apricotripper

I see said the blind man. Like your use of paraffin. very cool. I tried using paraffin once, but didn't go so well so dumped the idea. But sounds like I wasn't using the lavatory grade .

I'll stick with my oil and turps though, uno, cause it works for me. But one thing you'd probably know….. Is turps on the skin not such a good thing? …. I'm assuming its not a good thing, cause it stinks and instinctively doesn't feel right…but, guessing its not the end of the world.

Whats can I replace the turps with thats less taxing on my health ? Have been just using typical mineral turps. Something natural that thins vege oil.

Try gum turps, if you don't like mineral turps. Gum turps is a 'natural' product, which makes some people feel better (you could argue the oil deposits from which mineral turps is made are just as 'natural! ). Gum turps costs more, but that isn't a big deal for the quantities I use. It smells better, too, but any solvent isn't good for skin if it's exposed to it long/medium term. Trouble is, we expose our skins to all sorts of stuff which isn't particularly good for it (soap, for e.g. ), so if you are unfortunate enough to develop a dermatitis or something, it's often hard to know who/what to blame - once it starts, all sorts of things can make it flare up. What gets me at this time of year is sanding dust - dries my hands out like nothing else, & I get painful cracks at the tips under my nails. Another good reason to avoid sandpaper, I reckon!

Originally Posted by apricotripper

….. she looks at you intensely over those glasses on the edge of her nose for a moment……then shakes her tired up hair loose in that mesmerising head whipping movement….. then jumps up onto her desk and in one dramatic fluid motion rips open her lab coat (filled with pens) yelling ….. ' ME ! …… I'M YOUR NEXT EXPERIMENT BIG BOY ! '

just wondering if that really ever happens. uno.

Can't say I've ever had that problem, fortunately (or unfortunately?)......

Cheers,

Originally Posted by IanW

Try gum turps, if you don't like mineral turps. Gum turps is a 'natural' product, which makes some people feel better (you could argue the oil deposits from which mineral turps is made are just as 'natural! ). Gum turps costs more, but that isn't a big deal for the quantities I use. It smells better, too, but any solvent isn't good for skin if it's exposed to it long/medium term. Trouble is, we expose our skins to all sorts of stuff which isn't particularly good for it (soap, for e.g. ), so if you are unfortunate enough to develop a dermatitis or something, it's often hard to know who/what to blame - once it starts, all sorts of things can make it flare up. What gets me at this time of year is sanding dust - dries my hands out like nothing else, & I get painful cracks at the tips under my nails. Another good reason to avoid sandpaper, I reckon!

Cheers,

ta. I see.

I don't remember using gum turps. But there is dejavu.

Will the gum turps/vege oil mix, once it drys out a bit, go sticky and gummy ? The last thing I want is gummy sticky shiit going everywhere.

hoping you'd know. Save me buying a bottle of gum turps that I may end up throwing out in 10 years.

Its just theres one thing I have noticed, in GENERAL, (despite them being more morally, ethically, better sounding), about natural products is, they don't work as well. Something a little inadequate about them that has us grabbing something more toxic.

Just wondering what gum turps negative is. As long as its a thinned out oil that doesn't dry sticky, and doesn't put my nerves on end sending me into thoughts about cancer alls well I think. Doesn't clog up the spray bottle either.

We all vary slightly in in our approach to keeping the sole of the woodie lubricated and that's not a bad thing. What ever works. To add to the discussion I use a normal paste wax. If the sole is nice and flat any wax soft or hard will allow the sole to glide better over the rougher surface being planed. As I see it the primary consideration for lubricating the sole of the woodie is to protect it from abrasion. I have not had any experience using an oil to lubricate the sole so I can make no comment on its use, other than to say be mighty careful if your using a linseed oil to do so, as any rags soaked with it can self combust given the right conditions. Paul sellers re-affirms that fact in within his video.

Blast from the past. When my father was serving his apprenticeship in Scotland as a Carpenter & Joiner, under the tutelage of a Master Craftsman. Throughout his tenure he was never allowed to work with a steel soled plane. The M/C was amendment that wooden sole always created a superior surface to that worked by a steel or metal sole.

I watched my father many a time work with a hand plane. He always made sure the sole of the hand plane was lifted away from the surface being worked at the end of each forward stroke. Its a good practice to get into if you want to keep your plane iron's nice and sharp a lot longer.

Stewie;

Originally Posted by planemaker

To add to the discussion I use a normal paste wax. If the sole is nice and flat any wax soft or hard will allow the sole to glide better over the rougher surface being planed. As I see it the primary consideration for lubricating the sole of the woodie is to protect it from abrasion.
Stewie;

that sounds like a good idea to me.

Originally Posted by apricotripper

...sounds like I wasn't using the lavatory grade .

Originally Posted by apricotripper

The last thing I want is gummy sticky shiit going everywhere.

I couldn't possibly comment

Originally Posted by apricotripper

Gota ask as well……. has this ever happened you…..say, you finish an experiment…….walk into your bosses office and say. ' Boss! ….I've finished the experiment….whats the next one'…….. she looks at you intensely over those glasses on the edge of her nose for a moment……then shakes her tired up hair loose in that mesmerising head whipping movement….. then jumps up onto her desk and in one dramatic fluid motion rips open her lab coat (filled with pens) yelling ….. ' ME ! …… I'M YOUR NEXT EXPERIMENT BIG BOY ! '

just wondering if that really ever happens. uno.

Yup, every night - when I'm dreaming.

Cheers, Vann.

Originally Posted by Vann

I couldn't possibly comment


Yup, every night - when I'm dreaming.

Cheers, Vann.

jeez some people. just can't get their head out of the gutter. honestly mate

Just to throw my 2 cents worth in ,even though I've got most of the stanley bench planes I'm a wood plane convert , it's taken 10 or so years to get comfortable with the buggers but I find them more comfortable on my hands, there's no slack in the adjustment , for me they are faster to adjust. Spare parts are readily made so no searching for strange thread sized screws etc. The revelations that got me over the line were hand sharpening (oil stones now) and allowing the blades to radius and become convex then stropping on leather with chrome oxide. They are all mirror polished and cut like razors and it's faster to sharpen the laminate blades than the great thick chunks of hard steel that go for a quality blade today. The other is "tallow" or mutton fat .....was very suspicious at first but it works so well on all planes and has not affected any finish or stain. It has less gummy ness than wax seems to last longer on the plane bottom. As a further point two Mathieson jacks , one open mouthed and radius end blade and one with a tight mouth and a straight relieved blade do 90% of my work now. My smoothers rarely get a run except for the finest work.

Originally Posted by apricotripper

ta. I see.

I don't remember using gum turps. But there is dejavu.

Will the gum turps/vege oil mix, once it drys out a bit, go sticky and gummy ? The last thing I want is gummy sticky shiit going everywhere.

hoping you'd know. Save me buying a bottle of gum turps that I may end up throwing out in 10 years.

Its just theres one thing I have noticed, in GENERAL, (despite them being more morally, ethically, better sounding), about natural products is, they don't work as well. Something a little inadequate about them that has us grabbing something more toxic.

Just wondering what gum turps negative is. As long as its a thinned out oil that doesn't dry sticky, and doesn't put my nerves on end sending me into thoughts about cancer alls well I think. Doesn't clog up the spray bottle either.

Gum turps can be a respiratory sensitizer, but it's miles better than mineral turps which has lots of nasty's like benzene still in it

Originally Posted by Ian Wells

Gum turps can be a respiratory sensitizer, but it's miles better than mineral turps which has lots of nasty's like benzene still in it

A wise man said (several centuries ago), "All things are poison, there is nothing that is without (toxicity), 'tis the dose which maketh the poison". Good, essential, potable water is poisonous if ingested in sufficient quantities.

Both types of 'turpentine' have been used by a very large number of people over a very long time, now, & neither have a reputation for being any nastier than other common solvents. I much prefer the smell of gum turps, myself, but in terms of acute toxicity & effects on your skin or mucus membranes, I doubt gum turps is any better or worse than mineral turps - both can have adverse effects if you happen to be sensitive, or expose yourself to large doses. As to carcinogenic potential - the 'natural' world is just as full of potentially carcinogenic compounds as the 'synthetic'. But here too, it's the dose which maketh the poison (in this case, very much smaller doses and usually accumulated over much longer times). So the prudent person avoids contact with, or at least limits exposure to anything they are unsure of. Doesn't hurt to be careful, it may help you live longer, but no gaurantees......

Cheers,

Originally Posted by Ian Wells

Gum turps can be a respiratory sensitizer, but it's miles better than mineral turps which has lots of nasty's like benzene still in it

cheers mate.

well may the go is….just choose an oil thats quite thin to begin with, and avoid having to thin it.

cheep home brand canola oil I found is quite thin. But could be thinner.

Unless, there is an obvious method to thin oil I don't know of. I asked my wife (who cooks) and she says,….. 'there's no way. just choose a thin oil to begin with. …and Don't be a dick and put water in it jake. that won't work'

What are the cheapest thinnest cooking(won't hurt you) oils available ?

For my lubrication of plane soles I use Parrafin oil , just because with a thin dry film of the stuff applied with my felt pad rolled up and fitted into a tin , things like planes slide very nicely for ages . It also gets used on my machine tops . I apply it to the steel bar that my cast iron fence runs on, and it slides with the use of one finger for months .

It is also used in hand creams for moisturizer and is sold at chemists for relieving constipation by ingestion.
Is the bunnings Parrafin oil the same grade as the chemist sells ? I dont know .

Rob

Originally Posted by auscab

...Is the bunnings Parrafin oil the same grade as the chemist sells ? I dont know.

Well, what chemists sell for constipation (& what vets use for colicky horses) is 'pharmaceutical grade'. I doubt what Bunnings sell is quite the same, but I'm sure it's not terribly dangerous if you accidentally apply a bit to yourself (externally) during use.....

Cheers,