Do You Need a License to Put Wax on a Plane Sole

[Jim Foster]

I rubbed a little canning wax on my #7 today and the only analogy I could come up with, was high performance tires on a sheet of black ice. I feel like I need to get a permit before I do this on a regular basis.

[Harlan Barnhart]

Pretty impressive isn't it? Doesn't last very long though...

[Russell Sansom]

Same for saws.

[Stuart Tierney]

I rubbed a little canning wax on my #7 today and the only analogy I could come up with, was high performance tires on a sheet of black ice. I feel like I need to get a permit before I do this on a regular basis.

Wait till you try a wooden body plane...

Granted, they do need a little tlc on occasion, but us apparently 'silly' folk who fiddle with woodys don't do it because we like to fiddle and adjust them. ;)

Stu.

[Zach Dillinger]

Wait till you try a wooden body plane...

Granted, they do need a little tlc on occasion, but us apparently 'silly' folk who fiddle with woodys don't do it because we like to fiddle and adjust them. ;)

Stu.

Haha! Well said!

[David Weaver]

I rubbed a little canning wax on my #7 today and the only analogy I could come up with, was high performance tires on a sheet of black ice. I feel like I need to get a permit before I do this on a regular basis.

Maybe put a lanyard on the end of it, in case it launches itself.

[Zach England]

Does paraffin work better than paste wax?

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Best wax I've used on metal plane soles is paraffin canning wax with about 20% beeswax mixed in. I have a bunch of chunks kicking around from when I was wax potting pickups I'd been building for electric guitars.

[Dale Cruea]

I have a chunk of beeswax laying near my bench. Whenever my planes start to drag I just rub a little on the bottom. It does not seem to help much on my corrugated soles. Works great on my LN #5.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Not helping with the corrugated soles? Interesting - seems to help quite a bit with my Millers Falls 22C, at least, by the time I get where I'm pulling off a long, full width shaving.

[Jeff Wittrock]

I've always been amazed at the difference myself. I'm cutting some gears for a wooden clock, and just a little wax on my turning saw blade makes a big difference.

[Nelson Howe]

Just don't use turtle wax.

Too slow.

Nelson

[James Carmichael]

Wait till you try .
a wooden body plane...

Granted, they do need a little tlc on occasion, but us apparently 'silly' folk who fiddle with woodys don't do it because we like to fiddle and adjust them. ;)

Stu.

Wait till he builds a woody.
I prefer carnauba wax, easier to apply.

[Andy Margeson]

I was amazed the first time I tried it. Can anyone explain why it makes such a big difference, even with a corrugated sole?

[Christian Thompson]

I think it all comes down to friction. The formula for friction for a plane is the weight of the plane (plus any downward force you exert on it) times the "coefficient of friction" for metal on wood. The coefficient of friction is just a number determined through testing - rubber on concrete has a high number and steel on wood has a lower number. Lubricants like wax lower the coefficient of friction. The friction equation doesn't contain anything about surface area, so the corregated sole really shouldn't make a difference as far as friction goes.

[John Coloccia]

I think it all comes down to friction. The formula for friction for a plane is the weight of the plane (plus any downward force you exert on it) times the "coefficient of friction" for metal on wood. The coefficient of friction is just a number determined through testing - rubber on concrete has a high number and steel on wood has a lower number. Lubricants like wax lower the coefficient of friction. The friction equation doesn't contain anything about surface area, so the corregated sole really shouldn't make a difference as far as friction goes.

It helps when the wood surface is very flat and you get a bit of "suction" between the plane and the wood. It also helps when you have other factors contributing to resistance other than just simple friction. For example, pine can be very sticky because of the resins. The stickyness is proportional to the surface area.

Frankly, I generally never really saw much difference but if I were to get a corrugated sole it would probably only be on a smoother. It does seem to help on smoothing planes....but a bit of paraffin helps more, so I guess it's just not for me.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

About the only way a corrugated plane has helped me is that it seems to "hold" the wax a little longer than a smooth plane; but I can't actually prove it. I've thought about melting wax and filling the corrugations with beeswax, but that smacks of effort.

[Mitch Barker]

How does the paraffin differ from TopCoat with regards to friction reduction, and how long an application lasts? My can of topcoat is nearing empty, and I'm wondering if I should reinvest?

[John Coloccia]

TopCote rocks. I just hate spraying it all over the place on my hand tool side of the shop. I use it on all my power tool tables, though. Topcote may even work a little better, actually...it's just less convenient to apply, especially on saws. Maybe if you spray it into a rag first and wipe it on?

I don't find paraffin lasts very long. I usually rewax pretty frequently.

[Roy Lindberry]

Wait till you try a wooden body plane...

Granted, they do need a little tlc on occasion, but us apparently 'silly' folk who fiddle with woodys don't do it because we like to fiddle and adjust them. ;)

Stu.
Yeah...I got my first wooden bodied plane for Christmas, and was amazed at how it glided over the wood in comparison to my iron planes, even the waxed ones.

I do have a couple of questions, though. I trued up the sole on this plane (I would call it a try plane, but the mouth suggests a fore) and am wondering if I need to put a finish on the new sole, or if the bare wood is better. Or would wax serve the purpose of a finish? I certainly don't need any extra "glide" at this point, but I want to make sure I am taking care of my plane properly.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Anyone use oil for this? I've seen Tolpin and others recommend having an oil applicator on the bench, (if I remember correctly, Tolpin used a piece of carpet scrap mounted to a block of wood with oil sprayed on it) so after every few swipes, you can just run the sole of the plane over the applicator. Quicker to apply, I guess than scribbling wax on the sole.

[Eric Brown]

Here is a wax holder I made that holds two bars of paraffin and is held on the bench with a single dog hole peg.
I sit my plane on it when resting. Automatically takes care of the question of sitting your plane on its bottom or side and also relubes it. It's simple and works.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?115345-Wax-Holder-for-Handplanes-etc

Enjoy. Eric

[Jim Matthews]

Paraffin is cheap and commonly available - why bother with something marginally better for lots more money?

I like the carpet scrap with oil, but the wax bricks are compact. I also like taking a moment when planing to run the wax over the surface.
If I need wax, I'm probably breathing hard already...

[Paul Saffold]

Paraffin wax applied to the screw on a brace bit will help prevent the screw from getting clogged too. Handy stuff.

[Jim Matthews]

Paraffin wax applied to the screw on a brace bit will help prevent the screw from getting clogged too. Handy stuff.

Why didn't I think of that?
I put it on screws before driving them, why not on the brace bit?

Just when I began to think I was clever....
dang

[Bob Jones]

I use the wax bar from LN. Works great, used like a crayon. I used to use floor wax, but the LN bar is way better.

[Bill White]

Yes you do need to be certified, licensed, and qualified to wax plane soles. Send me the $25.00 fee and your papers will be in the mail (soon-some day-never).
Like anything in WWing, ya can spend your way to excellence, but most time the simple methods cost less and work well. Parafin is a simple and effective product. I even keep old candles for waxing screws. Same thing with toilet bowl wax sealing rings.
Bill

[Brent VanFossen]

It certainly makes a plane slide easier. I've just used whatever piece of candle I've had lying around.

I wonder, though, whether using these waxes, paraffin or otherwise, risks compromising the appearance of the finish that will eventually be applied.

[Michael Ray Smith]

Just don't use turtle wax.

Too slow.

Nelson

That there's funny. I don't care who you are.

[Michael Ray Smith]

My favorite concoction for this purpose is odorless mineral spirits, carnauba wax, and paraffin, 2:1:1 by weight. I put all three in a small paint can and set the can in a pot of hot water (not enough water to float the can, obviously) until the wax melts or dissolves. Note that the mixture is flammable, so it's not a good idea to heat the water with the can in it, especially over a flame. If the water cools before the wax dissolves, I remove the can and reheat the water. In any event, I keep a fire extinguisher handy, just in case. Then I let the mixture cool in the can to form a soft wax that's easy to apply.