sole waxing

[Andrew Fleck]

Hey guys,
I did a search on here to see how often I should be waxing the sole of my plane, but I didn't find much other than it should be waxed. I have my 5 1/2 set up to take a normal shaving and it does it very well with little resistance for 10 or 15 full length shavings and then it gets harder to push. I put wax on the bottom when this happens and it's good to go for another 10 or 15 swipes. Is it normal to wax this often? I'm using Johnson's Paste Wax if that matters.

Maybe its not as sharp as I think it is, but I'm fairly certain it is. Ive gone through great pains to learn how to get my blade as sharp as possible using waterstones. Any ideas?

[Sean Hughto]

I keep a hunk of wax or candle nub on the bench and just take few seconds to scribble across the sole now and then. Never counted strokes and it likely varies with circumstances and plane in any event. But sometimes I'm scribbling every few minutes so your experience sounds relatively normal.

[Andrew Fleck]

Thanks Sean, I'm going to do the same thing. I can see where reaching into a can of wax with a rag all the time will get pretty old.

[Judson Green]

paraffin, you can find it at your local grocery store. More than you'd use in your life time for 5ish bucks.

[Jim Koepke]

I only occasionally wax when it feels hard to push the plane.

Some folks have mentioned keeping a "wax station" on the bench. It is either an impregnated rag or a hunk of was that is held in place so the plane can be drawn over it from heel to toe to give a quick waxing without stopping work.

Old candles or candle drippings work fine for me.

jtk

[David Weaver]

paraffin, you can find it at your local grocery store. More than you'd use in your life time for 5ish bucks.

Paraffin is also my favorite. It's hard, it goes on easy and it's really cheap.

[Jim Matthews]

I use "stick wax" round left from my hockey days.
It's just paraffin, cast in a round form.

I don't like having any liquids on my benchtop - I knock stuff over all the time.
You can't spill solid wax, and it's easy to find if it is dropped.

Comes with it's own round container, and sits right on the bench.
When the going gets slow, swipe and go.

Easy enough to try both - get a votive candle for wax, and stuff an old tee-shirt in a can with some light oil.
If you've got salad oil, that should work. Camellia oil is what the Big Dogs sell, Paul Sellers uses 3-in-1 (http://paulsellers.com/2011/10/recycling-4oz-bean-or-tomato-tins/) on his.

There's no finish problems, using either - in my limited experience.

Plane two boards, and see which way seems best.
I'll stick with stick wax, me.

[Jim Neeley]

I'm a stick wax man myself as well. Since I'm the kind of guy that seems to be always looking for the tool I had in my hands 5 minutes ago (even when it's right near me) I have a half-dozen little sticks around my bench and try to keep one in my apron pocket.

I treat them kinda like pencils and tape measures; I figure that if I get enough of them spread around my shop, they can't all hide at once!! Am I the only one here who has tools that like to hide? <g>

Jim in Alaska

[glenn bradley]

paraffin, you can find it at your local grocery store. More than you'd use in your life time for 5ish bucks.

+1 I keep just cut the top of a package of Gulf wax (http://www.walmart.com/ip/Gulf-Wax-Household-Paraffin-Wax-16-oz/10420578) and give it a wipe when the going gets tough.

[Daniel Rode]

Grocery stores around here used to carry paraffin wax for canning but I couldn't find it anywhere. There was some sort of paraffin wax available as a refill for some sort of wax foot care thingy but it was expensive and I and the whole foot spa idea was unappealing :) I eventually order a box of Gulf Wax (pure paraffin) through Amazon. I think it cost me about $7 shipped and is probably a lifetime supply. I cut off 1/3 of one of the bars. That bit will last me for years. I keep it in my apron pocket or laying on the bench.

[Judson Green]

Grocery stores around here used to carry paraffin wax for canning but I couldn't find it anywhere. There was some sort of paraffin wax available as a refill for some sort of wax foot care thingy but it was expensive and I and the whole foot spa idea was unappealing :) I eventually order a box of Gulf Wax (pure paraffin) through Amazon. I think it cost me about $7 shipped and is probably a lifetime supply. I cut off 1/3 of one of the bars. That bit will last me for years. I keep it in my apron pocket or laying on the bench.

Ya might be able to find it at the local hardware store if ya want it now.

[Ben Wheeler]

Thanks for this question - it's something I've been wondering myself. I'm currently straightening hardwood 90x45s for my first workbench, and it's sometimes quite heavy going!

Nothing seems to be as readily available in Australia as in the US - can any fellow Antipodeans suggest what sort of wax I could buy and where?

[Warren Mickley]

I have never used anything on my beech planes, but I used paraffin on my Bailey planes until about 30 years ago. Then I read that oil worked better, not quite so slick so giving better control. I tried oil and liked the feel much better. I use it very sparingly and only when needed. It seems that some woods need lubrication a lot more than others. Depending on the woods I am working, I sometimes go months without oiling.

[Sam Stephens]

I have never used anything on my beech planes, but I used paraffin on my Bailey planes until about 30 years ago. Then I read that oil worked better, not quite so slick so giving better control. I tried oil and liked the feel much better. I use it very sparingly and only when needed. It seems that some woods need lubrication a lot more than others. Depending on the woods I am working, I sometimes go months without oiling.

+1
I use 3 in 1. i prefer it to the "feel" of wax.

[david brum]

I recently got a tour of the Port Townsend School of Woodworking bench room. They had small squares of low pile carpet on each bench. They saturate them with sheep fat (uggh) and just periodically pass the plane backwards over the carpet. It seems to work well for keeping the bottom of the plane lubed without interrupting your rhythm. I have no idea where you'd find sheep fat or what would happen to it in a warm shop in summer. I tried the same thing with Johnson's Paste Wax and it seems to work well. The other nice thing about the carpet is that I can also pass the sides of my LV planes over it before I put them away, so I don't get rusty spots.

[Bob Glenn]

Candle, that is all.

[Ray Bohn]

Back in the day, grocery stores in my little hometown quit carrying wax around halloween.

[Jack Curtis]

How about camillia oil in a holder on the bench? Check out the thread at http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?159070-Camellia-oil

[Jim Foster]

Canning wax might be seasonal at the grocery stores.

[Jim Matthews]

They had small squares of low pile carpet on each bench. They saturate them with sheep fat (uggh) and just periodically pass the plane backwards over the carpet.

In one of my better trades here in the Creek, I received a Lagniappe tin of Mutton Tallow for this purpose.
I must have knocked it off the bench, while using it. My dog ate the contents.

The aftermath wasn't pretty.

[Eric Brown]

I made a paraffin wax holder that has worked out well. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?115345-Wax-Holder-for-Handplanes-etc&highlight= I use it simply by setting my plane on it after several swipes. I try to remember to make the last plane cuts dry to avoid glue or finish issues.

[Michael Peet]

In one of my better trades here in the Creek, I received a Lagniappe tin of Mutton Tallow for this purpose.
I must have knocked it off the bench, while using it. My dog ate the contents.

The aftermath wasn't pretty.

That's an unfortunate visual.. Lee Valley (http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=69309&cat=51&ap=2) sells replacements, should you be interested :).

I use the Gulf Wax paraffin blocks myself.

Mike

[harry strasil]

[QUOTE=Some folks have mentioned keeping a "wax station" on the bench. It is either an impregnated rag or a hunk of was that is held in place so the plane can be drawn over it from heel to toe to give a quick waxing without stopping work.

jtk[/QUOTE]

I have looked to no avail for my post in the past where the oldtimers would set a cut off bottle bottom in a hole in a square of scrap wood with some scrap felt rolled up and stuck in it and some BLO to absorb into the felt and when the plane would start to drag, draw it over the felt on the back stroke to lube it, No wasted motion that way.

[Cody Cantrell]

I had a similar solution as Eric, I believe my plans were from Pop Wood magazine. This one has homemade silicone pads on the feet to keep it in place.

280892280893

Cody Cantrell

[Fred Taylor]

I believe what Harry referred to is called a plane wick. Folks use different oils. I like paraffin oil myself. I wouldn't recommend BLO. The rag insert can spontaneously combust with a drying oil. And it will eventually get stickier and stickier as the boiled linseed oil polymerizes. Traditionally it was raw linseed oil that was used. Camilla oil is also a good choice. A strip of old wool from hiking socks rolled up and placed in a round container makes a good wick. Soak it with oil, pass the bottom of your plane over it lightly and you're ready to go. You can also use tallow as a lubricant. It was frequently used to lubricate wooden planes, but works well on metal planes as well. Many old benches had a cup attached underneath to hold tallow or other types of animal fat. The craftsman could quickly dip in a finger and smear a little on the bottom of the plane between passes. If you do perfer to use paste wax, be sure it contains no silicone. Johnson's is one of the few that does not.

[harry strasil]

I stand corrected Fred, Thank you!

[John Walkowiak]

I had a similar solution as Eric, I believe my plans were from Pop Wood magazine. This one has homemade silicone pads on the feet to keep it in place.

280892280893

I wrote the article for this plane wick for PWW. Since then I made an extended version, about 20" long, for use with long planes. The inserts are blocks of paraffin used for canning. They work really well and make planning much easier. Once you get used to using one it becomes a necessary tool on the bench. Give it a try!

[Sean Hughto]

I wonder if my Pastor saw this thread last week? Cause Sunday's sermon was called "Soul Waxing." I dozed off a bit in the pews before my wife elbowed me, so I didn't really hear what it was about. Maybe God wants my soul to get a Brazilian or something. If unkept hair is like sins, I suppose waxing is just sort of an aggressive baptism? Or maybe, like with a plane sole, a waxed soul can slide more easily over lifes rough spots or even into heaven. Things that make you go ... hmmmm.

[Sean Hughto]

So my wife tells me I'm nuts and it was really about the old concepts of "waxing and waning" - like the moon. To wax is to increase and intensify and to wane is to diminish. We need to grow our souls and polish them up. And she said, no, the Pastor did not mention Mr. Miyagi or "wax on, wax off."