Waxed my sole

[Mike Berrevoets]

I'm not a hand tool purist. I have planes and use them when they make sense. I was cleaning up some bandsawn long tapers and I was using one to smooth up the hard maple legs. It seemed like a lot of force was required and it seemed too much like exercise. :)

i then spied a box of gulfwax on my bench. I thought what the heck and wiped a bunch on the sole of the plane. Holy crap! The plane almost flew out of my hands when I started planing again.

Ok, I'm a slow learner. I have quite a few planes but never waxed the sole. Why didn't I do this before? Or, the real question why I'm posting....

Is gulfwax (paraffin, canning wax) the wrong thing to use on the plane sole? I can't imagine needing any more slickness but is there a better wax to use?

[Jim Matthews]

Thats what I use, it won't melt if left on the bench. Cheap, too.

[Frederick Skelly]

I use it too. Works great. Cheap.

[Jim Koepke]

I use old candles or wax left when they are finished burning.

Have also used paste wax or my furniture polish rag.

Use it on saws to make them flow through the wood a little smoother.

jtk

[Judson Green]

Yep gulf wax is my plane wax of choice. Try it on table saw fences and router bases too. Not a one trick pony.

[Mike Berrevoets]

Thanks all. I'll keep using it and try it on some other stuff too.

no worries that it will "contaminate" the wood and make finishing a problem?

[Allen Jordan]

I've never had any finishing problems after candle waxing my planes. You could always give it a quick sanding after with high-grit paper to remove any wax residue if you like.

[Patrick Harper]

A waxed sole will get you into hand plane heaven.

Wax, and wax regularly. Half the time I think I need to resharpen, the sole just needed a bit more lubrication.

[Joe Tilson]

I wish I had put some on my block planes this past winter. I'm having to clean them up again, since the humidity has returned. Slow learner or forgetful, or just didn't do it. Have had better fortune using car wax on the old contractors saw.

[Prashun Patel]

Or, the real question why I'm posting....

No harm in a soul waxing poetic about waxing a sole.

I also prefer the harder waxes like paraffin.

[Patrick Harper]

No harm in a soul waxing poetic about waxing a sole.

I also prefer the harder waxes like paraffin.

I have yet to try paraffin. How does it differ from something like paste wax? I suspect it would last longer.

[Prashun Patel]

I think paste wax is a blend of hard waxes and some mineral spirits, to keep it a paste. Paste wax is IMHO messier and just doesn't slide as easy. Paste wax (and wax emulsions like Anchorseal, which I use for turning stock and protecting iron from rust) goes on clearer and easier, but needs to dry before it's clean enough to touch.

The paraffin is like a crayon. Just color it on and go back to planing. Since it only lasts for a little while, it needs constant refreshing in process.

[Reinis Kanders]

I use 3in1 in a can stuffed with rag as a wick ala Paul Sellers. Before that I used canning paraffin , but rag in the can is much quicker and also can be used to swipe a chisel on before putting back in the rack.

[Joe Tilson]

I like using paraffin, then smooth it with my warm hands. This also helps with sliding my hands across the wood while working. Have also had good results with WD-40 on older saw plates, but it is messy when one tries to clean the plate the next time around. I am talking about plates that are never used for sawing, like the No.7 I keep for posterity.

[Curt Putnam]

Thats what I use, it won't melt if left on the bench. Cheap, too.

Mine didn't melt so much as it oozed around the base of my bench lamp. Took some work to get it off. Now I keep it in the fridge unless I'm actively using the stuff.

[Michael Ray Smith]

And the straw boss said, "Well, wax my sole." With apologies to Tennessee Ernie Ford.

I use Gulf Wax paraffin. I just sort of scribble it around on the sole. Most paste waxes are probably carnauba wax -- maybe beeswax -- with some sort of solvent. In my experience, neither is as slick as paraffin. Never notice any problem with a finish, but then again I never anything but shellac. If there's a problem with anything, I'd expect it to be with stains or dyes.