Plane Oil

[Leigh Betsch]

I've read here that you should fill a woodie up with oil and let is soak for a few days. What type of oil is best? BLO?

[Larry Williams]

Use something flammable so you can burn it after soaking it? :o

I think it's bad advise and am curious where you read it.

[Casey Gooding]

I've heard that several times myself. I don't really see any benefit to it. I have done it to several mallets I made. Basically, it adds just a bit more weight to the tool.

[Rob Young]

There was a long and drawn out discussion recently on the Old Tools email list about this very thing. On the "its a good idea" side the consensus seemed to be use linseed oil but not boiled linseed oil with chemical dryers. On the "its a bad idea" side the argument was that it won't make much difference if the plane is in good shape and if it is badly cracked, no amount of oil is going to soak in and close up the cracks. Plus raw linseed oil takes FOREVER to dry.

The advice to plug up the mouth with putty (blade and wedge removed) and fill the cavity with oil appears in at least one of Bernard Jones' books if not both. And I've read versions of this advice here on SMC and else where (as if SMC was authoritative in some way :rolleyes: ).

On the whole, it probably won't hurt an old woodie you want to turn into a user but it might just be a bigger pain in the butt than it is worth. I wouldn't do it to one of Larry's new planes though. :eek:

I hope a few regular users of woodies (Jr., Don, et al) show up soon and put forth their opinions and experiences.

[harry strasil]

It adds weight to the plane body and also makes the body more or less self lubricating.

All the old woodies I have found that were still in good shape after all these years in existance show the signs of having this done to them. You know immediately first by the looks of the wood in the plane and then when you pick it up to examine it, you notice the weight.

[george wilson]

I sort of remember this discussion. I learned to fill my planes with raw linseed oil from an old English cabinet maker in his 70's in 1970. I have done this to my planes. Clamp the plane to a board mouth down. Stuff some soft window putty in the bottom of the plane's throat. Fill the throat with raw linseed oil. It will seep clear out to the ends of the plane,and you will need to fill the throat up several times for the longer planes.

I have found that this adds mass to the plane,and does make it slicker. I think there were some heated discussions about the benefits and pitfalls of this process. It has worked fine for me. No leaking out of wet linseed oil,etc.

I think some said that the oil inside the plane would never dry. It does dry on the outsides though,and doesn't seem to let oil from within seep through. I also think it might stabilize the plane .

That rather thickish,dark brown,built up in places crusty stuff you see on old planes may also be from rubbing tallow on them. The English always had a copious supply of that around!

[David Gendron]

Larry, can you tell us why you think it's bad advice? I read or heard that some where that it used to be the usual practice for new woodies!

[Leigh Betsch]

I think it's bad advise and am curious where you read it.

I read it here but I searched and couldn't recognize the thread topic. Also Steve Knight has it on his we site, but he doesn't say what type of oil.
So I got my question answered, raw linseed oil, thanks George and Rob. Whether is a good thing or bad thing I guess I'll have to experiment for myself to see, but not with my new jointer!

[Bill Wilcox]

I just watched this on PBS website. "The Woodwright Shop" program and a segment on a tallow pot for lubricating wood planes back in the old days in England. It seems that tallow was used for everything related to wood working tools.
Bill Wilcox
http://www.pbs.org/woodwrightsshop/video/2900/2901.html

[Mike Olson]

I know this is an old post but i have been reading old books on google books and i ran across this statement.


It is a good plan to soak tool handles mallets and wooden planes when new for a week or so in raw linseed oil and then rub them with a soft rag every day or two for a while If you use wooden planes give them a good soaking They will absorb much oil and work more freely and smoothly

Link to the book Woodworking for beginners: a manual for amateurs By Charles Gardner Wheeler 1907 (http://books.google.com/books?id=MacJAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA23#v=onepage&q=&f=false)

[Steve Dallas]

I've read here that you should fill a woodie up with oil and let is soak for a few days. What type of oil is best? BLO?

It would be harder to find an old woodworking book that DOES NOT have this advice. You can download plenty of these old tomes at wkfinetools.com

Use raw linseed oil if you can find it. You don't want it to dry. When it does dry it's time to do it again.

Cover the mouth from the sole side with glazing putty, block the plane upright, pour in the oil and fill the mouth very close to the top. When it's gone, i.e. fully absorbed, buff the exterior and put it to work. As somebody else mentioned, long planes may take more than one "mouthful" before they stop absorbing oil. Do this at least once a year, once every six months at a minimum in dry climates like Arizona and surrounding states.

[David Gendron]

When i make wooden parts for tools, I put them in a zipplock bag with BLO and mineral spirit and let them soak for a few days, it work realy well, the wood get totaly saturated!

[Jim Belair]

I curious why boiled oil would not be used. Does it dry too quickly to fully penetrate? What about sealing in a plastic bag (or diluting and sealing in a bag like David suggests)?

I have a new japanese plane body I've almost got tuned up and am considering the oil treatment, so this thread is timely from my perspective!

Jim B

[Steve Dallas]

I curious why boiled oil would not be used. Does it dry too quickly to fully penetrate? What about sealing in a plastic bag (or diluting and sealing in a bag like David suggests)?

I have a new japanese plane body I've almost got tuned up and am considering the oil treatment, so this thread is timely from my perspective!

Jim B

In this application, there is no advantage to the oil drying. I would think in a longer plane it could very well dry before wicking out to the ends.