plane wax?

[Justin Cavender]

What is a good wax or polish to put on a plane sole to prevent rust. Do they sell anything at the big box stores?

[Tri Hoang]

I asked the same question when I first started with hand plane and my mentor said "use the cheapest candle you can find". I did and it works wonderfully.

I also tried bee wax...not as good as the good old candle. However, the best wax I've used so far is paste wax that came in a 8oz can. I use a folded towel dipped in the wax and wipe it on the sole back to front.

[Sam Takeuchi]

Beeswax is good, so is candle. Both keep sole slippery as well as keeping plane from forming rust. Other than that, keep good air circulation to prevent damp air from settling around the planes. If you want to keep your plane in very clean condition, clean them often. Grease from fingers will slowly darkens the bare metal.

[Bill McDermott]

Justin,

I once made the mistake of using beeswax. It works, but it's more sticky than others. Candles are easy to scribble on the sole, and they work great. I've settled in on using everyday, hardware store, Johnson's Paste Wax. A paper towel, a quick swipe and wipe - and you're off to the races. I feel like I can do a better job of protecting all of the exposed steel with the paste wax than with anything solid.

I just can't understand why waxing the sole make planes cut better, but it does. When the old #4 stops cutting, a bit of wax on the sole makes everything right again. The reduction of friction across the board makes sense to me. Why changing nothing other than wax makes it cut again remains a mystery. What are the physics in that?

[lowell holmes]

I use Johnson's floor wax on mine.

[RickT Harding]

I also tried the beeswax and wasn't happy with it. Recently I picked up some carnuba paste wax from woodcraft and that seems a lot nicer, once you get past the fruity smell in the shop. :D

[Thomas Crawford]

Johnson's paste wax is in the cleaning supplies section at the BORG. Otherwise I've seen a large square of paraffin wax used.

[Tim Thomas]

I couldn't find Johnson's in the store, so I use "Minwax Paste Finishing Wax" and it works great. If you have power tools it works very well on them too. Protects the cast iron tops of my table saw, jointer, bandsaw, etc. and makes the wood slide over them much more easily. Of course, I also wax the soles and sides of my hand planes.

One thing about the wax, put very, very little on the plane. You really don't need much at all. If you have an old sock (and who doesn't) I think that works great as a wax applicator and buffer. I put a small lump of wax down in the toe of the sock and work that lightly over the sole of the plane just until there is a slight hazy film evenly spread over the surface. Let that dry for a couple of minutes and then use the other end of the sock to buff out the wax. Easy, fast, cheap and it really does make your planes perform better.

[David Keller NC]

Justin - Most of the replies you have here don't really answer your question - preventing rust. "Scribbling" a parafin or beeswax candle onto the sole of the plane is aimed at reducing planing friction, which it does quite well, particularly with metal planes (though it also works with wooden ones as well).

If you want to prevent rust in a humid environment, wax is not the way to go. Except for high-silicon paste waxes, they don't provide much of a hydrophobic barrier at all to moisture. The high-silicon waxes (usually formulated for autos) are just barely OK at preventing rust, but they have the downside of significantly interfering with finishes if some gets on your wood that isn't planed off - the result is streaks of bubbling or blushing, especially with laquer.

If you want to prevent rust on your planes, the absolute best way to do this is to lower the relative humidity in your shop to below 50% and below 80 degrees F. If that's not possible, the second best way is to use oil. Oil has the advantage over wax that it is considerably more hydrophobic, and it will form complete film over the surface with no microscopic "holes".

There are a lot of oils that you can use for this purpose. The traditional, old-school one is raw linseed oil (the "boiled" kind will eventually harden on the plane and form a gunk that's difficult to remove). Others that are popular for the purpose are so-called Camilla oil and 3-in-1 oil.

The only thing to watch for is that you don't get a lubricating oil that has chloroflurocarbons in it ("teflon" oils) or silicone. Both will interfere with finishes if not all of it is removed from the surface.

[Dominic Greco]

What is a good wax or polish to put on a plane sole to prevent rust. Do they sell anything at the big box stores?

Justin,
To help to reduce rusting, after use I give my planes a swipe with a rag lightly coated in Renaissance Wax or Mother's Carnuba Wax. This particular rag has been soaked with TopCoat and other waxes so that is a rust preventive in itself! Chris S calls these type of rags "Woobies" (You had to have seen the movie "Mr Mom" to get that one!). My tool cabinet also has a container of dessicant in it to reduce the humidity.

As far as lubricating the bottoms of hand planes, parafin wax works great and is cheap as hell. If you have an Ace Hardware near you stop in and look in the aisle where they have canning supplies (I think most Craft Supplies Stores will sell it as well).

I picked up a box of paraffin wax for about $5 and so far haven't put a dent in the one bar I've been using. It works GREAT and I would have to say it has made planing even easier than before.

[Mike Brady]

I might be a little cautious about using automotive waxes on or around wood. Almost all of them contain silicones or related compounds. Butcher's or Johnson paste wax is all petroleum or natural waxes and are safer for the eventual finish on the wood. Paraffin canning wax is good too. Bee's wax can be grabby.

[Eric Brown]

I use paraffin wax for lube also but have made a small wooden holder with rubber feet for holding two bars end-to-end. I set this on the bench and set the plane down on it occasionally. Just picking up the plane with a slight sliding motion up is enough to lube the bottom. I try to make my last several cuts dry to prevent finish issues. For rust prevention I use a dehumidifier. (I work in a basement shop).

-Eric-

[Todd Hyman]

I picked up a box of paraffin wax for about $5 and so far haven't put a dent in the one bar I've been using. It works GREAT and I would have to say it has made planing even easier than before.


You can also buy it at supermarkets. I know Krogers sells it and its located with the canning supplies, normally near the ziploc bags.

[Bill Houghton]

I might be a little cautious about using automotive waxes on or around wood. Almost all of them contain silicones or related compounds. Butcher's or Johnson paste wax is all petroleum or natural waxes and are safer for the eventual finish on the wood. Paraffin canning wax is good too. Bee's wax can be grabby.

Car waxes contain fine abrasives, too.

[Michael Trivette]

Johnsons paste wax is best bought at any grocery store in the floor/mop/ cleaning supplies section.

I'ts alot cheaper in the grocery stores than the BORG or hardware stores.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Beeswax is sticky and gooey. It is also acidic and can hold and bond with moisture.



A good groomsman will rub bees wax into the laces of the lord's shoes so his master's laces will not come untied. You don't have to be a manservant to do this to your dress shoes. Just work a little bees wax into the laces about twice a year and you won't be bending over to tie your shoes.

As for wax on any wood working metal surfaces: Any paraffin whether it is a paste form or candle matters not one whit. Paraffin is a petroleum product and is hydrophobic - unlike bees wax, and also unlike bees wax paraffin is slippery stuff.

The ability of beeswax to bond with water is put to good advantage in the cosmetics industry where moisturizers and balms include it in their compounding. The function is as an emulsifier. Burts Bees is one of many examples.

Bees wax is a compound of "esters of fatty acids (~74%), hydrocarbons (~20%), and propolis, pigments, and other substances (~6%).
The esters consist of straight chain carboxylic acids consisting of 18 to 36 carbon atoms, linked to a straight chain alcohol (always an even number).
The hydrocarbons are straight carbon chains containing an odd number of carbons (anywhere from 21 to 33 per chain). "
Sources:
* The Merck Index, 8th ed., Merck & Co., 1968.
* Paraffin Wax Fumes (http://www.osha-slc.gov/ChemSamp%3CSUB%3Edata/CH%3C/SUB%3E259400.html), OSHA Chemical Sampling Information, OSHA, 1999.
Found here: http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/consumer/faq/beeswax.shtml
more here:
http://www.chemistrydaily.com/chemistry/Beeswax
http://www.insectscience.org/4.29/Kameda_JIS_4_29_2004.pdf
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T8J-4TNWGP9-2&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=5ea36923d373e0c5bd55012e2846b818

[David Keller NC]

"Beeswax is sticky and gooey. It is also acidic and can hold and bond with moisture"

I will disagree in one and only one respect - beeswax is very effective at reducing planing friction one either wooden or metal plane soles. One reason is that it has a very low melting point (one reason why if feels sticky while petroleum waxes feel dry to the touch). Planing wood does heat the sole of a plane quite a bit - I find having a wax on the sole that will liquify under the heat and pressure of planing to be quite an advantage.

However - I should emphasize that neither beeswax nor petroleum waxes of any kind will be at all effective at preventing rust. If that's what one wants, oils are required, with the more hydrophobic ones being more effective at rust prevention - typically the fluorocarbon/silicone oils are the best in this respect.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

beeswax is very effective at reducing planing friction one either wooden or metal plane soles. One reason is that it has a very low melting point (one reason why if feels sticky while petroleum waxes feel dry to the touch). Planing wood does heat the sole of a plane quite a bit - I find having a wax on the sole that will liquify under the heat and pressure of planing to be quite an advantage.


Work with me here please:
If I understand this correctly the contention is that one puts energy into both (a) overcoming the initial conformal adhesion of beeswax and (b) generating adequate friction to melt the wax and once that is done the wax flows under the plane facilitating a more free action on the workpiece?

I should think that you'd then you have to maintain a higher level of energy in order to maintain the heat generated by friction, in order to keep the phase change from reverting back to the semi solid sticky wax.

I can't tell you that the physics work exactly so in the instance of beeswax but, I can say that as a general proposition one observes that Temperature is reduced when volume is increased without an addendant increase in mass. It's the standard HVAC principle. Put a fan in the window blowing out and the room is cooler.

Also when you take a phase change material from a solid to a liquid. Some materials undergo temperature (energy input) differentials dramatically different during the moment of phase change such as water when you convert it to a solid or a vapor. At the moment of change one observes that the energy transferred in order to effect the change spikes.

This tells me that when the wax converts to a liquid it loses some amount of energy that was prior input by friction. At that moment the energy input must be slightly higher to prevent the loss of energy to cause recongealing of the wax.

Then of course the lessened friction of the liquid state of the wax would reduce the energy that would be expressed as heat. This tells me that the worker would have to dramatically increase the energy input to keep the wax liquid exactly because only heat will do that.

I know a physics discussion in an otherwise galoot matter seems a tad incongrous but, were it nor for physics and an understanding of the topic, I rather suspect that they would have need space aliens to build the pyramids.

But you get where I'm going with all this right?
Heat melts wax, at which point friction is reduced but you need friction to keep the wax melted so you gotta work harder to generate the necessary friction. And at each phase change the energy needed to push the wax over the edge spikes.

[David Keller NC]

"If I understand this correctly the contention is that one puts energy into both (a) overcoming the initial conformal adhesion of beeswax and (b) generating adequate friction to melt the wax and once that is done the wax flows under the plane facilitating a more free action on the workpiece?

I should think that you'd then you have to maintain a higher level of energy in order to maintain the heat generated by friction, in order to keep the phase change from reverting back to the semi solid sticky wax.

I can't tell you that the physics work exactly so in the instance of beeswax but, I can say that as a general proposition one observes that Temperature is reduced when volume is increased without an addendant increase in mass. It's the standard HVAC principle. Put a fan in the window blowing out and the room is cooler.

Also when you take a phase change material from a solid to a liquid. Some materials undergo temperature (energy input) differentials dramatically different during the moment of phase change such as water when you convert it to a solid or a vapor. At the moment of change one observes that the energy transferred in order to effect the change spikes."

While it's true that if the pressure is kept constant and the volume is increased the temperature goes down in the case of gases (according to the formula PV=nRT, or the ideal gas law), it's not necessarily true in the case of the other states of matter (solids and liquids) - it depends on the substance. In the case of water, for example, the as the temperature decreases and the water solidifies into ice, the volume of a constant mass of water actually increases.

On the practical side of things, though, I'll note that a few swipes of beeswax on the bottom of either a metal or wooden plane in my shop reduces the friction to the point where the plane is in danger of leaving my grip on the next stroke - it's that dramatic a reduction in friction.

I'd also note that the friction and heat of planing is easily enough to melt the very thin coating of any wax - whether parafin, beeswax, or the various mixtures of carnauba, beeswax and parafin waxes in "paste wax". Generally speaking, the higher the melting point of the wax, the more heat required to accomplish it, so in this sense parafin would take the most effort from the worker to liquify it.

However, that's not generally the observation in the shop - any wax radically reduces the planing effort required to push the plane through the stroke. This makes sense - the mass of the wax applied is so low that the heat required to melt it is infinitesimal compared to the starting and running friction of the sole against the wood.

[Kevin Hartnett]

If you want to prevent rust on your planes, the absolute best way to do this is to lower the relative humidity in your shop to below 50% and below 80 degrees F. If that's not possible, the second best way is to use oil. Oil has the advantage over wax that it is considerably more hydrophobic, and it will form complete film over the surface with no microscopic "holes".

There are a lot of oils that you can use for this purpose. The traditional, old-school one is raw linseed oil (the "boiled" kind will eventually harden on the plane and form a gunk that's difficult to remove). Others that are popular for the purpose are so-called Camilla oil and 3-in-1 oil.

The only thing to watch for is that you don't get a lubricating oil that has chloroflurocarbons in it ("teflon" oils) or silicone. Both will interfere with finishes if not all of it is removed from the surface.

Mr. Keller,

What is the optimal way to apply the oil?

1. Rub a light film all over using a cloth applicator? (Run the risk of missing a spot.)
2. Spray it on somehow (WD-40?)
3. Dip the whole plane in a bucket of oil and wipe off the excess.

Number 3 would be sure to get all surfaces, but it would really be messy?

What do you do?

Thanks,

Kevin H.

[Jim Koepke]

Mr. Keller,

What is the optimal way to apply the oil?

1. Rub a light film all over using a cloth applicator? (Run the risk of missing a spot.)
2. Spray it on somehow (WD-40?)
3. Dip the whole plane in a bucket of oil and wipe off the excess.

Number 3 would be sure to get all surfaces, but it would really be messy?

What do you do?

Thanks,

Kevin H.

I am not Mr. Keller, so I can only offer my own practice. I have a cloth that is used on almost all finished wood. It is saturated with furniture oil and wax. It likely does not matter much as to what brand or the make up, it does not seem to dry and finish can be applied on top of it.

My planes and other tools are often wiped down with this cloth. Maybe a spot gets missed, but likely, in subsequent wipe downs, any missed spots are covered. Every once in a while, a few new drops of the furniture oil/polish are added.

jim

[Rob Luter]

You can also buy it at supermarkets. I know Krogers sells it and its located with the canning supplies, normally near the ziploc bags.

+1 on that. My wife picked me up a box (Gulfwax I think) in the canning supplies aisle.

[David Keller NC]

Mr. Keller,

What is the optimal way to apply the oil?

1. Rub a light film all over using a cloth applicator? (Run the risk of missing a spot.)
2. Spray it on somehow (WD-40?)
3. Dip the whole plane in a bucket of oil and wipe off the excess.

Number 3 would be sure to get all surfaces, but it would really be messy?

What do you do?

Thanks,

Kevin H.

Kevin - I do something similar to what Jim suggests. I have a plastic zip-lock with a part of an old t-shirt in it, and I simply spray oil into the bag, close it and leave it. Capillary action ensures that the cloth will be evenly saturated with oil.

After use, and when I disassemble the plane to sharpen the iron, I wipe down all surfaces. After a few use sessions, it's pretty much 100% that oil will cover all surfaces that aren't directly abraded by wood. These (the plane sole and sides, primarily), I wipe down with the cloth after each use.

One note about this - the oil I use in the shop (Camila) will not prevent rust on a bare steel surface in high humidities under long-term storage conditions. There's a couple of reasons for this, but one of them is that the oil will allow a small amount of moisture to dissolve in the film. If you're storing tools long term in an unconditioned atmosphere and want to prevent rust, a much more hydrophobic grease is called for - cosmoline is the gold standard, but silicone greases will do just as well and be a bit less smelly.