The Essential Oilpot

[Stanley Covington]

The oilpot is an essential tool for precision woodworking.

I first learned this fact while living in Japan when I was called a fool by a joiner for not having one in my tool kit. I won't bore you with that embarrassing story, but a quick tutorial on oilpots as I understand them may be useful.

In Japan, oilpots are used by nearly every woodworking professional. They are typically made of bamboo, which is abundant here. But wood works well too, as do plastic bottles. Don't use metal or glass since these materials will dull your edged tools if you hit the container's lip by mistake. Murphy rules triumphant.

If you use bamboo, simply cut a segment, as in the photo, creating a cup. True up the bottom, or foot, as they call it in pottery, so the segment will stand straight and without rocking. Chamfer the edges. You want to keep the waterproof membrane inside the segment intact, so don't sand the inside.

If you use a wood block, I suggest you orient the grain horizontally to reduce the forces of gravity causing the oil to migrate down through the xylem and seep out onto your workbench.

White oak is a good choice due to the tylosis structures that close off and seal the xylem tubes making white oak waterproof and consequently the wood of choice for making barrels and warships for thousands of years. Any coopers or ship builders reading this may have alternate suggestions.

Cut and or drill a blind hole in the wood block sized to tightly contain the wick material. You may also want to make a matching lid at the same time.

Don't forget that plants, including bamboo and oak, are solar-powered waterpumps. Whether wood or bamboo, you need to seal the xylem tubes to minimize oil seepage. A good quality urethane or polyurethane will work well. I suggest applying 2 or 3 coats of colored product, containing lots of solids, on the inside surfaces of the cavity. After the urethane has dried, wrap the inside of the cavity with a single or double sheet of aluminum foil, with the foil extending out over the edge, for additional seepage protection. Be careful to not tear the aluminum when placing it.

The wick will contain the oil. An old but clean piece of cotton T-shirt material will work well. Don't use a cloth that will produce a lot of lint particles.

You need to experiment rolling up this material, tying it with a string, and inserting it tightly into the cavity. Add or remove material, or change your rolling technique, until you get it right. Size it so 1/4" - 3/8" or so is projecting past the lip of the cavity. This is critical. If it falls a bit short, you can place some cotton scraps in the cavity's bottom to lift the wick higher.

Stuff the wick into the cavity, cut off the protruding aluminum foil, add your oil of choice, and voila!

When I made my first oil pot over 30 years ago, I was told to use vegetable oil. Guess what... veggie oil goes bad and becomes stinky in a few weeks, and hard in a few months. Back in the States, I used Olde English Lemon furniture polish, which is just mineral oil with coloring and scent added. This worked well, but was unjustifiably expensive. For many years I have used various brands of 5w synthetic motor oil. Mobile 1 has the nicest smell, IMO. No need to spend a lot of money on this oil, but you want something that is very stable, is a great lubricant, and is sticky. Synthetic motor oil meets the bill and can be procured anywhere at a reasonable price. Your mileage may vary.

The exposed end of the wick will become dirty with sawdust over time. Clean it by brushing with a steel bristle brush. The same one you use to clean your rough lumber before planing will do. You are in the habit of scrubbing rough lumber with a steel brush to remove embedded grit before planing it, aren't you?

I keep my oil pot in a metal can when not in use to keep it clean, and to prevent it from accidentally oiling the inside of my toolchest. A plastic bottle or even a plastic bag will work just as well.

I always have my oil pot sitting close at hand on my bench top or perched on the beam/column I am working on. Besides wiping my marking knife and marking gauge cutters on the wick, I frequently stab my chisels into it to reduce friction in the cut and improve control/precision. You will find that a dab of oil on your blades will reduce the tendency of the wood's grain to drag and misdirect them.

When cutting joints with a saw, I pick up the oil pot (it's sized for my hand) and wipe the wick on the blade frequently. Once again, less friction, and better control. Especially when cutting resinous softwoods or tropical hardwoods.

I also wipe the blades and soles of both my wooden and steel bodied planes on the oilpot's wick to reduce friction during the cut, and wear on my soles. It makes a big difference. Try an occasional dab on the leading edge of the chip breaker/cap iron too. It makes the shavings flow better with less back-pressure. When I first experimented with synthetic motor oil, I was concerned it would soften or damage the soles of my wooden planes over time. It has not. Of course, I don't slop it on.

When shooting, a bit of oil from my oilpot on the plane's side and sole makes a big difference. Give it a try, and you will wonder why you hadn't used oil before.

Before putting my tools away at the end of the day, I quickly wipe their blades on my oilpot's wick to prevent rust. What could be more convenient?

The oilpot in the photos below is 85mm tall x 75mm diameter, and is sized to fit my hand. I have used it for 6 years. The wick is the original one, and is only half as long as it was when new, but is still perfectly functional. The orange paint is a natural urethane called cashew, made from the sap of the cashew nut tree. It is used a lot in Japan as a substitute for urushi (natural lacquer). I used this gaudy color so it is readily identifiable as mine.

Stan

[Frederick Skelly]

Good stuff. Thanks for the tutorial Stan!
Fred

[Prashun Patel]

That was such a wonderful and generous write up. Thanks for this.

[Brian Holcombe]

Thank you Stan, I have been using camellia oil, is this advisable or too thin?

[Pat Barry]

I never would have thought about using 5W30 on my tools, and I know if I did I would never have admitted it here for fear of ridicule, but in retrospect, why not? I would more likely have used mineral oil. Stan, is mineral oil another acceptable oil?

[Stanley Covington]

Thank you Stan, I have been using camellia oil, is this advisable or too thin?

Camellia oil will work fine. Just remember that if it is real camellia, it will go rancid and harden with time. This is not a serious problem with an oilpot because you can add more, or replace the wick if it gets too bad.

If it is the camellia oil sold in the States called Sword Tsubaki, then it is mineral oil, and will not harden. I have a bottle or two of that around here somewhere I picked up a flea market. Not much use for it. I also have a bottle of real refined camellia oil a relative gave me sitting on a shelf. I'm bald, so the days of oiling my curly locks are long past. You can have them all if you want them (the bottles, not the locks:rolleyes:).

Only you can decide what is too thin or too thick. I prefer a little heavier oil that stays on the tool longer.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Well written. Does the motor oil and mineral oil not interfere with the finish? I have long intended to make an oil pot and even got the cloth to do so. I should really get off my bum and do that.

[Stanley Covington]

I never would have thought about using 5W30 on my tools, and I know if I did I would never have admitted it here for fear of ridicule, but in retrospect, why not? I would more likely have used mineral oil. Stan, is mineral oil another acceptable oil?


Pat:

Mineral oil is very good.

There was a time that the idea of using motor oil on woodworking tools was repulsive to me too. But a chemist friend enlightened me.

Remember that the market for oils for woodworking, sports equipment (bicycles, guns, fishing gear, etc) is miniscule, and that the products targeting these small niche markets are mostly diluted, modified, and repackaged versions of advanced lubricants developed specifically for more high-volume markets that can absorb the R&D and production costs involved in synthetics, such as motor oils, transmission fluids, gear oils, pneumatic tool oils, medical and dental equipment oils, etc..

These advanced lubricants are formulated from the same synthetic base used to make the best motor oils. In addition, the market for motor oil is absolutely huge, and so a lot of heavy duty R&D goes into developing the high-performance products. We don't need the high-temperature high-shear performance such motor oils can provide for our woodworking tools, but it doesn't hurt. Off-the-shelf synthetic motor oil is the cheapest and easiest way to get hold of some excellent oil.

The people and companies selling repackaged products at inflated prices, including Sword Tsubaki and Olde English Lemon furniture polish, will never tell you they buy it by the 55 gallon drum at bulk prices and put it into little bottles with a drop or two of perfume and colorant added. That's their business. But I'm not going to buy it.

Mineral oil works fine, but I think synthetic motor oil is a better product at a cheaper price.

Just my opinion.

Stan

[Mike Cherry]

Once you load the wick with oil, do you have to feed it oil again or is it pretty much set for life? Thanks for sharing this technique.

[Robert LaPlaca]

Very nice write up Stanley, thanks for sharing.

[Stanley Covington]

Well written. Does the motor oil and mineral oil not interfere with the finish? I have long intended to make an oil pot and even got the cloth to do so. I should really get off my bum and do that.

Malcolm:

This is a very valid concern, and one that bothered me at first. In my experience, it does not interfere with the finish, or weaken glue bonds at all. Note that I am not advocating slopping a lot of oil on. And by the time I am putting a finish plane to the surface of the piece I am making, there is no need for oil anyway since it is very low-friction work.

Stan

[Stanley Covington]

Mike:

Ah.. the perpetual oil machine. Nope, you will need to add a bit of oil after a while. Perhaps I should have covered this in my original post, but while you do need to soak the wick initially, you don't want it to be so wet it slops a thick coat of oil onto your tools. A light coat is all you want or need.

Stan

[Glen Canaday]

This is what Paul Sellers wipes his tools on in his videos, isn't it? If so, I made one from a jar from the dollar section at Target. I found one that had a lid that was open but had a wire grate tacked in. I stuffed the jar with rolled-up shop towels (clean ones, mind you) and filled it with as much mineral oil as it could hold. Then I knocked the grate out and screwed the lid back on to hold it all in place. Works great.

I rediscovered sole waxing just yesterday as well. I had forgotten about the beeswax I had in a drawer.

Incidentally, in case someone doesn't know, pure mineral oil without additives is sold in drug stores alongside laxatives. It often goes on sale..$1.89 or so for a 16oz. bottle. When it isn't on sale it can run around $5. I like it because it has no smell, and I use it for everything from this to sharpening.

[Stanley Covington]

Very nice write up Stanley, thanks for sharing.

You are welcome. I hope you give it a try.

You don't have to actually make the oilpot to test it, BTW. Just wipe your tools I described above with a clean oily rag and confirm the improvement in performance yourself. Once you have done this, you will see the value of an oilpot immediately.

I should add that I was taught to use paraffin wax, caning wax, by my father who was a carpenter and cabinetmaker. I can still remember clearly the sight of screws and nails melted into the cake of wax he kept in the steel toolbox in the bed of his '68 Chevy truck when I was a small boy. It was my job, as the oldest son, to help him clean his truck and toolbox on weekends. Not much fun in the hot Las Vegas summer sun, but I don't recall minding.

I still use caning wax for some jobs even now. But for the purposes I described in my first post, the oilpot is superior in every way.

Stan

[Stanley Covington]

Nothing new under the sun.

I remember David Weaver telling me that he had used a heavier mineral oil intended as a laxative for cattle and horses as a rust preventative for tools. I think he said he had bought it quite cheaply at a feed store. Not many feed stores here in Tokyo, but for you folks in rural areas, it might be worth looking into if motor oil doesn't appeal.

Stan

[Derek Cohen]

Don't forget, another form of mineral oil is baby oil, such as Johnson's. This is also useful for diluting/levelling Veritas green compound, such as on strops.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Brian Holcombe]

Camellia oil will work fine. Just remember that if it is real camellia, it will go rancid and harden with time. This is not a serious problem with an oilpot because you can add more, or replace the wick if it gets too bad.

If it is the camellia oil sold in the States called Sword Tsubaki, then it is mineral oil, and will not harden. I have a bottle or two of that around here somewhere I picked up a flea market. Not much use for it. I also have a bottle of real refined camellia oil a relative gave me sitting on a shelf. I'm bald, so the days of oiling my curly locks are long past. You can have them all if you want them (the bottles, not the locks:rolleyes:).

Only you can decide what is too thin or too thick. I prefer a little heavier oil that stays on the tool longer.

I'm not sure if it's the real thing or mineral oil, it has kanji on the bottle and no English that I can recall. My bonsai teacher gave me the bottle because the pump was faulty (and I'm the only person he knows who hates stainless steel shears). I will take you up on that :cool:.

I have a giant bottle of Mobil 1 5w-30 so I will give that a try as well. The smell will bring back memories of the machine shop.

[Kirby Krieger]

Wonderful (useful, informative) thread — thank you (and the commenters).

Paul Sellers recommends oiling tools often enough — or emphatically enough — in his free videos that one of the first organized things I did as a beginner was buy a small bottle of Camellia Oil and a rag, dampen the rag, and use it. I keep it in a plastic sandwich bag in my apron. The oil appears to "self-distribute" throughout the rag. This blackened some woods when used on the soles of my planes, so I switched to lubricating them with wax from an old candle. The trick, afaict, is to lubricate before you need it.

—Kirby

[Stanley Covington]

I'm not sure if it's the real thing or mineral oil, it has kanji on the bottle and no English that I can recall. My bonsai teacher gave me the bottle because the pump was faulty (and I'm the only person he knows who hates stainless steel shears). I will take you up on that :cool:.

I have a giant bottle of Mobil 1 5w-30 so I will give that a try as well. The smell will bring back memories of the machine shop.

If it is in a plastic bottle, it is probably the version called Hamono tsubaki, written 刃物椿, and which they translate to "Sword Tsubaki." If it is in a glass bottle, it may be the real thing.

I'll send you the bottles. You still have curly locks:p

[Brian Holcombe]

Hah! Indeed, they were what won over my wife.

I must have the sword tsubaki, as it is a plastic bottle.

Thank you kindly! I will put them to good use. :D

[mike holden]

Stan, thanks for response.
Mike

[Jim Koepke]

Stanley, thanks for taking the time to share an important part of woodworking tradition.

I tend to have a loose furniture oil rag laying around and a block of wax or two to keep things lubed.


Incidentally, in case someone doesn't know, pure mineral oil without additives is sold in drug stores alongside laxatives. It often goes on sale..$1.89 or so for a 16oz. bottle. When it isn't on sale it can run around $5.

I buy buy mineral oil at the local Kroger affiliated grocery store. A pint is priced in the $2-$3 range.


I remember David Weaver telling me that he had used a heavier mineral oil intended as a laxative for cattle and horses as a rust preventative for tools. I think he said he had bought it quite cheaply at a feed store.

When I compared the price between the grocery store and the feed store we visit most often the gallon pricing was higher than buying it by the pint. Haven't checked all the feed stores around town.

jtk

[Luke Dupont]

Great tutorial!

I'm not sure if I understand one thing, though: do you cut the bamboo off between two nodes (so that it is completely sealed), and then drill a hole in the top to put the rag?

I suppose an alternative would be to just leave one top open and roll up more material, such that it still fits snugly, yes? Or would that soak up too much of the oil?

Anyway, thanks for sharing! These are the sort of tid-bits that are quite helpful -- things/practices that I wouldn't have even known existed, much less think to do or look up!

[Andrew Hughes]

I would like to thank Stanley for sharing also. I use mostly wax for my Western planes and sav my dwindling bottle of oil for my Japaneese chisels.
I do remember reading or hearing that motor oil can make a great protection lube for hand tools.I guess I shouldn't have dismissed it before try it.I don't know if I'll use bamboo but I'm gonna think about something similar.
Heres my coveted bottle I've been nursing for sometime now .

[Patrick Chase]

Thank you Stan, I have been using camellia oil, is this advisable or too thin?

Real Camellia oil, or the stuff that's sold for woodworking?

Real Camellia oil solidifies and becomes rancid like any other vegetable oil. I actually tried 100% pure Camellia oil very early in my woodworking voyage, and couldn't understand why everybody was raving raving about "Camellia oil" as my results differed greatly from theirs. I don't think you'd want to use it in an oil pot. At the very least you'd be replacing a lot of wicks.

The stuff that's sold for woodworking, even from outlets like TfJ, is basically a Camellia-scented light mineral oil. I think it would work (and it works as described in all of the aforementioned rave reviews), but there are cheaper ways to acquire light mineral oil.

[Patrick Chase]

Remember that the market for oils for woodworking, sports equipment (bicycles, guns, fishing gear, etc) is miniscule, and that the products targeting these small niche markets are mostly diluted, modified, and repackaged versions of advanced lubricants developed specifically for more high-volume markets that can absorb the R&D and production costs involved [snip]


You could replace "advanced lubricants" with many other things we use in woodworking in that sentence, and it would still hold true. "Woodworking specific" products are often more a matter of marketing and distribution than any real underlying difference. I'm continually amazed at outlets that sell stuff straight out of the 3M catalog at hideous markups.

(Note: I am not referring to LV there. I generally have to buy in volume to significantly beat their prices on stuff like 668X or 061X. They're scrupulously fair when they resell general-purpose "catalog items").

[Patrick Chase]

I would like to thank Stanley for sharing also. I use mostly wax for my Western planes and sav my dwindling bottle of oil for my Japaneese chisels.
I do remember reading or hearing that motor oil can make a great protection lube for hand tools.I guess I shouldn't have dismissed it before try it.I don't know if I'll use bamboo but I'm gonna think about something similar.
Heres my coveted bottle I've been nursing for sometime now .

The stuff in that bottle is just light mineral oil with Camellia scent, confirmed both by comparison to my identical bottle and by comparison of the label to Stanley's post #19.

No need to nurse.

[Kenneth Fisher]

336280
One of the very first things I made in my shop, an old tin from some chillies or tomatoes, an old towel and a bottle of 3 in 1 oil. Certainly not as nice as Stanley's, but still very effective. Amazing how much of a difference it makes after a few swipes on the bottom of a plane or back of a chisel.

[Patrick Chase]

336280
One of the very first things I made in my shop, an old tin from some chillies or tomatoes, an old towel and a bottle of 3 in 1 oil. Certainly not as nice as Stanley's, but still very effective. Amazing how much of a difference it makes after a few swipes on the bottom of a plane or back of a chisel.

Hey, why not some CRC 3-36 (http://www.amazon.com/CRC-Multi-Purpose-Lubricant-Corrosion-Inhibitor/dp/B002SK8QQK/ref=pd_sim_328_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=41grwNowMlL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL480_SR321%2C480_&refRID=0QJ512TWP1WY6WQEBY80) while we're at it? It's mostly mineral oils (http://www.crcindustries.com/faxdocs/msds/3006.pdf), and if you buy by the gallon it's almost cost-effective... :)

EDIT: The main non-oil component (dipropylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate) is pretty nifty stuff (http://www.dow.com/en-us/markets-and-solutions/products/dowanol/dowanoldpmglycolether) from a corrosion-control perspective.

[Patrick McCarthy]

Stan, I am another who is appreciative of the information you share, and the time and effort it takes to do so. Thank you, Patrick

[Stanley Covington]

Great tutorial!

I'm not sure if I understand one thing, though: do you cut the bamboo off between two nodes (so that it is completely sealed), and then drill a hole in the top to put the rag?

I suppose an alternative would be to just leave one top open and roll up more material, such that it still fits snugly, yes? Or would that soak up too much of the oil?

Anyway, thanks for sharing! These are the sort of tid-bits that are quite helpful -- things/practices that I wouldn't have even known existed, much less think to do or look up!


Luke:

You cut just below the joints in each case, leaving a wide open mouth at the top, and a small cavity at the underside with a rim or foot of bamboo. Just as if you were making a cup.

Stan

[Stanley Covington]

I would like to thank Stanley for sharing also. I use mostly wax for my Western planes and sav my dwindling bottle of oil for my Japaneese chisels.
I do remember reading or hearing that motor oil can make a great protection lube for hand tools.I guess I shouldn't have dismissed it before try it.I don't know if I'll use bamboo but I'm gonna think about something similar.
Heres my coveted bottle I've been nursing for sometime now .

Hate to tell you this Andrew, but it is labeled "Hamono Tsubaki" just like the two bottles I am going to send Brian. Mineral oil.

Regards,

Stan

[Stanley Covington]

You and everyone are very welcome.

Stan

[Robert McNaull]

Thanks for sharing Stanley, I honestly would never have even considered trying this because I would have assumed finishing issues later. Apparently, like in many similar things in my life, I should assume nothing:).

Bob

[Phil Mueller]

I'll throw in my thanks too; Thanks Stanley!

I first saw this on a Paul Sellers video as well. I've been using an oil rag on tools for sometime, but you've inspired me to quit procrastinating and make one. Here's what I came up with today...a Planters almond can and old t-shirts. Used the can of 3 in 1 that's been sitting on the shelf for quite a while.

336295

Probably need to trim the top a bit, but good for now.

[Stanley Covington]

I'll throw in my thanks too; Thanks Stanley!

I first saw this on a Paul Sellers video as well. I've been using an oil rag on tools for sometime, but you've inspired me to quit procrastinating and make one. Here's what I came up with today...a Planters almond can and old t-shirts. Used the can of 3 in 1 that's been sitting on the shelf for quite a while.

336295

Probably need to trim the top a bit, but good for now.

Phil:

Congratulations on the new adventure! I think you will like the results.

Just a note on the container. Metal is perfect in every way but one: In the heat of battle when stabbing your chisel into the oilpot and wiping your saw, eventually, if you are as focused on your work as I tend to be, you will stab the edge of the metal container with your chisel, or wipe the metal rim over your sawteeth, dulling them. Not fatal, but not ideal either.

On the other hand, you may have superhuman powers of focus and hand-eye coordination, and leap tall buildings in a single bound!

Good luck.

Stan

[Andrew Hughes]

Ya i figured it out no problem.I probably paid .50 for the oil and 12.50 for the cool bottle.I guess i will fill it with regular mineral oil,it just won't be the same now all the magic is gone.:(

[Phil Mueller]

Me? Accidentally jam a chisel into the metal? Scrape a plane iron?
Absolutely possible! I did take to heart your original suggestion for something non-metal. I'll be looking out for a piece of bamboo for sure.

[ken hatch]

Stan,

Thanks for the thread, I'm a little surprised at the number of folks with out some convenient way to oil or 'slick" their tools. I will go back and forth between the oil box and canning wax for my metal planes and saws, using which ever is at hand. Seldom will an iron not be oiled after sharpening. I have to say I never thought about oiling the woodies.

Anyway I cleaned up my oil box to get it ready for its closeup. This one has been on my bench for a number of years and works well. It was a thirsty sucker when first built but now I can't remember the last time I charged the oil. I'm on the lookout for a good hunk of Bamboo, I really like the way your oil box looks, I expect it is very handy more so than the box I'm currently using. Besides somewhere in the "tool room" there is a small can of Cashew lacquer that needs a mission, if I can just find it.

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh222/VTXAZ/oilBox160424sweetMaggieDogB_zpsxc9uyu4w.jpg

ken

[Stanley Covington]

Ken

I have read from multiple sources about how tallow (rendered beef or mutton fat) was once used in Europe and the Americas. I think one post in this thread linked to Mr Schwarz'e blog about a tallow pot on the Rubou benches. I have also read that it is the hardened remnants of accumulated tallow that forms the black grunge found on many antique planes. So it seems lubing planes has an old history in the West too.

Stan

[Lenore Epstein]

You know, it's so dry here that none of my tools have rusted, even after sharpening, unless I've thoughtlessly left them in contact with something wet that won't itself dry quickly, so I decided the need to oil everything in sight only really applied to high-humidity woodworkers (I do wax my plane soles and lightly oil their innards just because I can't see them, but that's about it). It just never occurred to me that oil would have a substantial lubricating effect between wood and the cutting edge, but now I'm going to oil up a bit of cloth so I can see how much difference it makes in performance.

No motor oil for me, though; I hate the odor! I've been using a little bottle of Hoppe's gun oil I bought on a whim because the little orange bottle reminds me of firearms training I had in another lifetime ever so long ago. If I really take to this oil thing I might have to find me a bigger bottle.

[Stanley Covington]

No motor oil for me, though; I hate the odor! I've been using a little bottle of Hoppe's gun oil I bought on a whim because the little orange bottle reminds me of firearms training I had in another lifetime ever so long ago. If I really take to this oil thing I might have to find me a bigger bottle.

Wow! Hoppes! If they made an aftershave I would use it!

Some synthetic motor oils smell really bad. They add zinc and other metals to increase shear performance and to cushion bearings. Take a sniff of Mobile 1 before you condemn them all. Not as good as Hoppes, but not repulsive IMO.

Stan

[Lenore Epstein]

Take a sniff of Mobile 1 before you condemn them all. Not as good as Hoppes, but not repulsive IMO
Made me laugh! The fact that carrying and maintaining a gun came during a special period in my life means a whiff of gunpowder or gun oil makes this Yankee Democrat get all moon-eyed. That's not nearly as classy as Proust's madeleines, but then again, neither am I.

Mobile 1 is cheaper, though, so if it passes the sniff test (I'm working in my dining room, after all) I could make it my everyday oil and save the Hoppes for, erm, special occasions?

[Phil Mueller]

Love Hoppes myself, but due to the toxicity and hazardous/flammable nature, can't even find it in gun stores around here anymore. Most have gone to a synthetic cleaner and oil called M-Pro 7 Gun Cleaner and M-Pro 7 Gun Oil with LPX.

According to the manufacturer these products are odorless, non-toxic, non-hazardous, biodegradable, non-flammable and environmentally safe. The only reference to ingredients is "Combines high quality synthetic oils and LPX additives"
They claim LPX has the lowest known friction coefficient.

Since it's all I can find, I use it for my firearms and it does clean and lubricate well. At the price though, not something I wanted to use for the oil pot.

Guy at the store said I could clean guns on the kitchen table and then eat off of it without worry. I think I'll pass on that. Wouldn't make LOML very happy.

[Stanley Covington]

Love Hoppes myself, but due to the toxicity and hazardous/flammable nature, can't even find it in gun stores around here anymore. Most have gone to a synthetic cleaner and oil called M-Pro 7 Gun Cleaner and M-Pro 7 Gun Oil with LPX.

According to the manufacturer these products are odorless, non-toxic, non-hazardous, biodegradable, non-flammable and environmentally safe. The only reference to ingredients is "Combines high quality synthetic oils and LPX additives"
They claim LPX has the lowest known friction coefficient.

Since it's all I can find, I use it for my firearms and it does clean and lubricate well. At the price though, not something I wanted to use for the oil pot.

Guy at the store said I could clean guns on the kitchen table and then eat off of it without worry. I think I'll pass on that. Wouldn't make LOML very happy.

M-Pro 7 cleaner is a very old formula used for several hundred years for cleaning pen nibs. It dissolves carbon and powder fouling exceptionally well. But Hoppes No. 9 is still more manly.

Dollars to donuts their gun oil is a repackaged product from some other industry.

Stan

Stan

[Lenore Epstein]

Aw, Phil, you're breaking my heart! I've deliberately kept myself from geeking out over oil chemistry, but at the very least I guess I'll have to stop dabbing a little behind my ears and on my wrists before going out.

Seriously, though, I've used so little oil at a time that I hadn't thought about its effects, and I usually have a window open nearby, but if I'm going to be using more oil more frequently I ought to make sure that whatever I use isn't going to make me sick.

[Wes Harper]

What about Ballistol? Anyone have any experience with it?

[Stanley Covington]

If you want a safe oil, try some of the stuff made for dental handpiece (drill) lubrication. There is a famous sword polisher here in Tokyo who for many years has repackaged this kind of oil and sold it at a very high price for rust protection for swords. Great stuff, BTW.

Nontoxic, but very effective.

Matt Lau might be able to recommend some.

[Stanley Covington]

What about Ballistol? Anyone have any experience with it?

I used Ballistol for my muzzleloading rifles when it was all the rage. Developed in Germany before WW1 from coal tar. Ok lubricant. Not so hot at corrosion resistance. The smell is something you either love or hate... like nothing else.

I wouldn't use it again.

Stan

[Patrick Chase]

Love Hoppes myself, but due to the toxicity and hazardous/flammable nature, can't even find it in gun stores around here anymore. Most have gone to a synthetic cleaner and oil called M-Pro 7 Gun Cleaner and M-Pro 7 Gun Oil with LPX.

According to the manufacturer these products are odorless, non-toxic, non-hazardous, biodegradable, non-flammable and environmentally safe. The only reference to ingredients is "Combines high quality synthetic oils and LPX additives"
They claim LPX has the lowest known friction coefficient.

Since it's all I can find, I use it for my firearms and it does clean and lubricate well. At the price though, not something I wanted to use for the oil pot.

Guy at the store said I could clean guns on the kitchen table and then eat off of it without worry. I think I'll pass on that. Wouldn't make LOML very happy.

If you want to know the composition of something like that you should always start with the MSDS (http://www.mpro7.com/uploads/7/3/5/0/7350024/m-pro7_gun_oil_lpx_msds_sds_0312.pdf). The ingredient list isn't complete but it gives a reasonably clear picture in this case.

[Kees Heiden]

Hmm, that Tricresyl phosphate doesn't sound so harmless. It is a neurotoxic and "numerous poisonings" are known according to wikipedia.

Maybe better stick to tallow. BTW, it is not just the tallow that makes old English (and continental) beech tools so dark. It is also smoke from the coal or browncoal they were burning in almost every stove, combined with the usual shop dirt, sweat, aging of the wood etc.

[paul cottingham]

I keep a rag in a cup that I use with McQueens mutton tallow. The rag slowly got saturated. Now...I am goin to try this. Great idea.

[Kirby Krieger]

Inspired, I made my own oil pot from recovered materials.

My father (and his father before him) smoked a pipe. Every day — pipe racks in his office, pipe racks at home, tampers, reamers, Italian polishing clothes, names close to magic in my boyhood mind: meerschaum, burl. Then one day he showed his doctor a white spot on his tongue and was told to stop smoking. Never touched another lit pipe. (After about a year, my mother collected the pipes and the paraphernalia and put them in a drawer.)

I smoked a pipe for a week. Liked it. My wife told me she liked the smell, but intended to stop kissing me.

The pipes lay quietly in a drawer for years.

Reamed one clean this morning, sanded the inside, rolled one of the Italian polishing clothes into a tube, stuffed the tube in the pipe, and scissored the exposed edges of the cloth. Holds oil well. Bonus: can refill oil-pot from the bottom.

336345

[Stanley Covington]

Inspired, I made my own oil pot from recovered materials.

My father (and his father before him) smoked a pipe. Every day — pipe racks in his office, pipe racks at home, tampers, reamers, Italian polishing clothes, names close to magic in my boyhood mind: meerschaum, burl. Then one day he showed his doctor a white spot on his tongue and was told to stop smoking. Never touched another lit pipe. (After about a year, my mother collected the pipes and the paraphernalia and put them in a drawer.)

I smoked a pipe for a week. Liked it. My wife told me she liked the smell, but intended to stop kissing me.

The pipes lay quietly in a drawer for years.

Reamed one clean this morning, sanded the inside, rolled one of the Italian polishing clothes into a tube, stuffed the tube in the pipe, and scissored the exposed edges of the cloth. Holds oil well. Bonus: can refill oil-pot from the bottom.

336345

Beautiful oilpot! And it comes with built-in handle that can be held in the mouth!

Stan

[Patrick Chase]

Hmm, that Tricresyl phosphate doesn't sound so harmless. It is a neurotoxic and "numerous poisonings" are known according to wikipedia.

The stuff in the gun oil is Tritolyl Phosphate, not Tricresyl Phosphate. There isn't as much information about that, and phosphates are almost always problematic to some degree, but the MSDS doesn't look all that bad to me.

[Kees Heiden]

Oops, my google fu left me for a moment. I don't know much about chemistry anyway.

[Mike Brady]

Speaking of pipes, I'm going to pick up a PVC plumbing pipe cap to use as the cup. I'll have to eyeball them, but I imagine 2" (I.D.) would be about right.

[Patrick Chase]

Oops, my google fu left me for a moment. I don't know much about chemistry anyway.

I work with search engines for a "search giant", and I got basically the same result when I did the same search yesterday. I'm pretty sure my fu is reasonably good, since I know how that sausage is made.

There just isn't much out there for Tritotyl Phosphate (mostly people selling it).

[mark kosse]

being a old cap and baller you all can use what I use, a can of Crisco. It lubes, helps prevent rust, is non toxic, doesn't spill or spoil and comes in its own container with a lid. melt in a little beeswax or some toilet bowl ring for a thicker lube with more protection. it works best if the toilet bowl ring is unused though.

[Phil Mueller]

That's a good idea, Mike. Thanks.

[Bill McNiel]

For those interested in having a traditional Japanese Oil Pot, I have access to Bamboo (approx 3 1/4" OD). If 10 or so Creekers want one I will gladly provide the Bamboo for the price of shipping, probably by USPS?

[John Stankus]

The stuff in the gun oil is Tritolyl Phosphate, not Tricresyl Phosphate. There isn't as much information about that, and phosphates are almost always problematic to some degree, but the MSDS doesn't look all that bad to me.

Different names for the same stuff
Here are about twenty different names for the same stuff
http://www.commonchemistry.org/ChemicalDetail.aspx?ref=1330-78-5
Refer to the CAS number for a unique identifier

John (chemist by day)

[Allan Speers]

I just use an old bag of french fries from McDonalds.

- They're greasy as heck, and they never go bad, seeing as they're not actually made from anything organic. :p

[Chris Hachet]

Thank you for a wonderful write up. And thank you also to the other posters here. I learn so much every time I visit the place.

[Jon McElwain]

Malcolm:

This is a very valid concern, and one that bothered me at first. In my experience, it does not interfere with the finish, or weaken glue bonds at all. Note that I am not advocating slopping a lot of oil on. And by the time I am putting a finish plane to the surface of the piece I am making, there is no need for oil anyway since it is very low-friction work.

Stan

Stan,

I'll admit, the idea of an oil pot is new to me. That said, I do oil my tools from time to time but then I use a clean cloth to wipe off the excess oil. I use oil or paste wax on cast surfaces like the table saw and soles of planes, but this is more for maintenance (monthly or so), not consistently while working on a project.

My question is how much oil do you actually apply and when you stab a chisel into the wick or when you wipe a plane blade? Do you wipe it off on a dry cloth after the wick or go straight to the wood? If there is enough oil to make a visible mark on the wood, I cannot see how it would no affect the finish. How often do you oil? Seems like I don't use a given plane for more than an hour before I am ready to move on to the next part of a project - would you oil once during this session? 5 times? 10? How about a chisel?

I sure appreciate the write-up and your time in answering so many questions!

Jon

[Kirby Krieger]

I just use an old bag of french fries from McDonalds.

- They're greasy as heck, and they never go bad, seeing as they're not actually made from anything organic. :p

Don't know if you are serious or not — I have seen it used on jobsites to repair a minor scuff when no-one had any Brazil nuts in their lunch box.

[Stanley Covington]

Stan,
My question is how much oil do you actually apply and when you stab a chisel into the wick or when you wipe a plane blade? Do you wipe it off on a dry cloth after the wick or go straight to the wood? If there is enough oil to make a visible mark on the wood, I cannot see how it would no affect the finish. How often do you oil? Seems like I don't use a given plane for more than an hour before I am ready to move on to the next part of a project - would you oil once during this session? 5 times? 10? How about a chisel?
Jon

I don't measure the amount of oil I apply, so it is hard to describe in writing, or even with pictures. It is not a conscious effort to apply just the right amount of oil. When friction increases beyond what it should be when using a plane or saw, I wipe. When I feel the wood in a mortise cut trying to drag my chisel away from the line, or the sides of the mortise become ragged, I stab the chisel into the pot.

I don't normally keep enough oil in the oilpot for a heavy coat in any case. On the other hand, if the oilpot's wick becomes too dry, not enough oil gets on the tool, so I either wipe several times, or add more oil to the oilpot. You will need to experiment for yourself.

To answer your other question, I do not wipe oil off except in cases where I accidentally applied too much oil. This sometimes happens after I have added too much oil to the oilpot, or could not wait long enough for the oil to soak deeply into the wick. I can feel the extra drag and goopy feel of too much oil even as the tool is on the wick. It is very obvious.

I have intentionally applied PU and shellac over surfaces planed with an oiled sole. Of course, there was never any visible oil, either shine or staining, left from the plane when I applied the finish material. No problems even after several years.

Likewise, I have glued up and broken test joints cut with oiled chisels. Not problems. I think FWW Magazine did a similar test some years ago and reached the same conclusions. The glue simply does not care about a bit of oil inside a joint. But once again, I am not slopping on enough oil to coat the inside of the mortise. In fact, nearly all of the oil is on the ejected chips. I do not oil for the last few finish cuts, or when cleaning up the sides with a paring chisel.

I do not apply oil to chisels when chopping or paring dovetails. But I do lightly oil saws when cutting dovetails and tenons for the extra precision.

In my first post to this thread, I mentioned the effectiveness of an oilpot in reducing friction when using a shooting plane. It occurs to me that I should have mentioned the difference between oil and wax for this job. We have all waxed a shooting plane and maybe even the raceway of the shooting board itself with paraffin wax and have noticed how the wax clumps and builds on the bed of the raceway. Oil won't do this.

Stan

[Mike Holbrook]

I have been using Camellia oil, not because I thought it was exotic or better for tools but because I have been concerned about "additives" in many of the commercial motor oils, 3 in 1, WD-40....

I have had problems with my skin, particularly on my hands. A gluten free diet has helped a great deal. Turns out trying to keep gluten out of ones diet is quite the chore. What I have learned over the last year is how many products, even foods, contain substances that can cause large numbers of people issues. Frequently labels attempt to hide rather than reveal. Often the contents of products are remixed and renamed so they can use questionable substances that benefit the bottom line. If things that are sold as food can be a health risk, I worry about what they might put in "detergent" motor oils, oils designed to remove rust, dirt, carbon...

The dental tool oil or mineral oil sounds like a better bet safety wise to me. I am surprised at myself for bringing this up as for many years I paid little attention to what came in contact with my hands with no problems. Sometimes we learn the hard way, get a wake up call...

Anyone out there have knowledge about the "additives" in oils designed more for use in machines than for contact with human skin? I will admit to, what I consider a healthy paranoia here.

[Stanley Covington]

I have been using Camellia oil, not because I thought it was exotic or better for tools but because I have been concerned about "additives" in many of the commercial motor oils, 3 in 1, WD-40....

I have had problems with my skin, particularly on my hands. A gluten free diet has helped a great deal. Turns out trying to keep gluten out of ones diet is quite the chore. What I have learned over the last year is how many products, even foods, contain substances that can cause large numbers of people issues. Frequently labels attempt to hide rather than reveal. Often the contents of products are remixed and renamed so they can use questionable substances that benefit the bottom line. If things that are sold as food can be a health risk, I worry about what they might put in "detergent" motor oils, oils designed to remove rust, dirt, carbon...

The dental tool oil or mineral oil sounds like a better bet safety wise to me. I am surprised at myself for bringing this up as for many years I paid little attention to what came in contact with my hands with no problems. Sometimes we learn the hard way, get a wake up call...

Anyone out there have knowledge about the "additives" in oils designed more for use in machines than for contact with human skin? I will admit to, what I consider a healthy paranoia here.

I think you are wise to be careful of what contacts your skin.

My chemist friend told me that lubricants used for dental and medical equipment are not only safe, but are made to quality standards much higher than any other industry, including the food industry. Some years ago, a different friend gave me a plain, unmarked bottle of a clear oil used for lubricating dental handpieces, which are basically drills of course. I never knew the name or manufacturer. It was an excellent oil. I imagine it was pretty expensive.

There are surely plenty of lubricants approved for use in the food industry that would be safe. I am not sure what they are, or how to purchase them retail, but if someone can suggest what and how, please let us all know.

If you make a good leakproof container, do not overfill it, use it properly, and at all costs avoid using it as a sunscreen applicator, you need never get any of the oil on your skin. I do not recommend doing woodworking with oily fingers.

Health issues aside, some people do not mind oily fingers. I had an uncle who suggested that motor oil was the best way to make a car's paint shiny! I kid you not. My father said I should oil my car's clutch plates to make them last longer! I have heard that this works for brake pads too....

And then there was the suggestion of using McDonalds fast food french fry grease. Yum....

I am not recommending any of these. I refuse to touch McDonald's grease, much less put it into my mouth.

One does need to be remember to be careful when adding oil to your oilpot, or it will overflow wetting the container's outside, and perhaps getting some on your hands.

The wick needs to be tightly rolled and sized so that when inserted in the container, there will be adequate friction holding it in place. If the wick is rolled loosely, or does not fit tightly, chisels and sawblades will tear it to pieces quickly, and the wick will fall apart. If it does not fit tightly into the container, it will fall out, or rock around, or spin. Not good. This means that a good wick becomes fairly dense after rolling and insertion, and consequently, it will take some time for oil to soak in. The fact that the wick projects past the container's rim does not help.

You need to add the oil a bit at a time and let it soak in before adding more or it will run down the sides. This can be frustrating in the middle of a big project with deadlines and the customer looking over your shoulder, and I have been known to carelessly use my oil pot while there is still oil sitting on the top of the wick. Ergo, the need to wipe the excess oil of the tool to avoid making a mess. Unless you have a tiny oil pot, adding oil should be something one does monthly, not daily.

Stan

[Patrick Chase]

There are surely plenty of lubricants approved for use in the food industry that would be safe. I am not sure what they are, or how to purchase them retail, but if someone can suggest what and how, please let us all know.

There are multiple levels (http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/445/food-grade-lubricants) of "food-grade" lubricant, depending on whether the compound is expected to intermix with food. Category H1 (https://www.grainger.com/category/ecatalog/N-1z0dxfh) is the most stringent, to be used in applications where intermixing is expected.

Even CRC 3-36 is nominally "food-grade" as it's NSF-certified for category H2. Note however that lubricants in that level are only allowed in locations where there's "no possibility" of direct contact with food.

[Stanley Covington]

There are multiple levels (http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/445/food-grade-lubricants) of "food-grade" lubricant, depending on whether the compound is expected to intermix with food. Category H1 (https://www.grainger.com/category/ecatalog/N-1z0dxfh) is the most stringent, to be used in applications where intermixing is expected.

Even CRC 3-36 is nominally "food-grade" as it's NSF-certified for category H2. Note however that lubricants in that level are only allowed in locations where there's "no possibility" of direct contact with food.

Patrick:

Thank you for the insight. I take it that H2 cat lubes are not necessarily safe for ingestion or skin contact.

I like CRC 3-36 a lot. Especially for saws. But it does turn into a semisolid wax when the carrier eventually evaporates. Great for tool storage, not so much for an oilpot lube IMO.

Stan

[Reinis Kanders]

I also liked CRC 3-36 for oiling tools for storage, but I think it was affecting drying out my fingers, they would become sort of scaly. Also if planing without wiping it of it would leave black marks for the first couple of strokes. I switched to fluid film http://www.amazon.com/Fluid-Film-nas1-Gallon/dp/B004NDDCKK/ and am pretty happy with its performance. Rust has not been any worse and fingers are better. Supposedly it is lanolin based do nothing bad in it. It does not leave black marks on wood and actually works nicely for oiling tool handles. I dispense it on a rag using oil pump like this one http://www.amazon.com/GOLDENROD-625-Pistol-Oiler-Straight/dp/B000VA93MK

[Charles Guest]

What is being described here is nothing more (or less for that matter) than an Oil Wicke. Popular Woodworking did an article with a little drawing/plans for one of these a few years ago. Jim Kingshott used one in every single video he did that involved hand planing. Adam Cherubini talked about them more times than I can remember. They're convenient. There are other ways of getting oil on a tool but the wicke keeps it off your hands. These are not in any way exclusive to Asian woodworking traditions.

A plain, hard household candle serves about the same function on a plane -- probably even better for iron planes.

Motor oil is mineral oil by the way. If it's not a vegetable oil (flowers, plants, etc.) it's a mineral oil.

[Patrick Chase]

Patrick:

Thank you for the insight. I take it that H2 cat lubes are not necessarily safe for ingestion or skin contact.

It's a matter of degrees. Any mineral-oil-based lubricant has at least the potential to be a skin and/or ingested irritant with sufficient exposure, and as I understand it the H1 requirement is that it be safe for the amount of transfer that comes with incidental contact. For example here's the MSDS (http://complyplus.grainger.com/grainger/msds.asp?sheetid=4087358)for an H1-grade lubricant. The reason they *don't* recommend induced vomiting is because the single greatest risk is for aspiration into the lungs (which impairs the lung's ability to extract oxygen, for reasons that should be fairly obvious).

As I understand it H2 lubricants are simply allowed to be a bit more hazardous, since the expected amount of transfer is smaller (nominally none).

Clarification from a Real Chemist (tm) would be welcome :-).

[Chuck Hart]

For those interested in having a traditional Japanese Oil Pot, I have access to Bamboo (approx 3 1/4" OD). If 10 or so Creekers want one I will gladly provide the Bamboo for the price of shipping, probably by USPS?


Bill I would like one if you have the bamboo. How tall were you going to cut it? I am not far from you.

[Stanley Covington]

What is being described here is nothing more (or less for that matter) than an Oil Wicke. Popular Woodworking did an article with a little drawing/plans for one of these a few years ago. Jim Kingshott used one in every single video he did that involved hand planing. Adam Cherubini talked about them more times than I can remember. They're convenient. There are other ways of getting oil on a tool but the wicke keeps it off your hands. These are not in any way exclusive to Asian woodworking traditions.

A plain, hard household candle serves about the same function on a plane -- probably even better for iron planes.

Motor oil is mineral oil by the way. If it's not a vegetable oil (flowers, plants, etc.) it's a mineral oil.

I don't get your point, Charles, unless it is to suggest that, because some people in one culture use one variety of a particular tool, no one could possibly be interested in learning about a different version used by a different culture. No one in this thread has suggested the oilpot is unique to Japan. In fact, others have already made the exact same point several times without being quite so dismissive.

Or perhaps your point is that, because this tool has been described elsewhere, it is a waste of time and electrons to have a post about it on Sawmill Creek? Obviously, it was a new idea for some of the readers, so perhaps not everyone read the PW article or saw the Kingshott videos. If the rule we must follow to avoid your disdain is to only write about subjects not written about somewhere else, then wouldn't that make an electronic forum focused on a subject as old and universal as handtool woodworking entirely meaningless?

Thank you also for clarifying that motor oil is a mineral oil. My mistake, but I had thought motor oil was a petroleum product.

But after thinking about it for 2 seconds, I remembered castor oil-based motor oils, and camellia oil-based motor oils. And then there's the current push for environmentally-friendly canola oil-based motor oil. Wow, are these all mineral oil too? Perhaps you could inform us where "mineral oil" comes from?

Your last sentence excludes a lot of oils that are neither mineral (aka petroleum?), nor vegetable based. I'm pretty sure tallow and lanolin were mentioned earlier in this thread. Crisco was mentioned, and while it is a vegetable oil nowadays, it wasn't that long ago it was made from pure lard. And please recall that tallow/lard can be made from not only cows, sheep, and pigs (Lardium), but from bears as well. Yummy. And don't forget the oil that made Nantucket great: Train oil, aka whale oil (which is actually a wax). Humanity has been using animal-based oils for a long time, it would appear.

I agree that a candle makes a fine lubricant, but I think an oilpot is better, and so I wrote the post. Just my opinion. Everyone has one. Apparently, André Roubo preferred "grease." I suspect he meant tallow (animal fat) of some kind. Oh my goodness, another opinion.

By the term "plain, hard household candle," do you mean Alkane candles or Cera alba candles? I suppose tallow candles don't qualify as "hard" but André might have liked them.

While the subject may have been written about somewhere, sometime before, I think you should write a post on the advantages of using candles. Perhaps you would clarify the difference between paraffin wax used in caning wax, and Alkane used in making candles? Perhaps you could wax eloquent on the friction and rust prevention characteristics, and maybe event the cost differential, of Alkane candles versus Cera alba candles used as a plane lubricant. And I would love to read your comparative analysis of these two varieties of candles when applied to chisels cutting through-mortises in large structural timbers.

Nothing new under the sun.

[Patrick Chase]

I for one appreciated your initial explanation and the subsequent discussion. Whether it's "novel" is of no consequence IMO - all that matters is that many people learned from you.

[Stanley Covington]

Although I have not yet used it, Jojoba oil has been available from the tool retailers for a few years now. Can anyone share their experiences using it?

Same questions re flaxseed aka pure linseed oil.

Thanks

[Allan Speers]

Although I have not yet used it, Jojoba oil has been available from the tool retailers for a few years now. Can anyone share their experiences using it?

Same questions re flaxseed aka pure linseed oil.

Thanks


I definitely wouldn't use linseed oil (or any organic oil) because it hardens over time. Your tools would likely start to get sticky.

[Stanley Covington]

I definitely wouldn't use linseed oil (or any organic oil) because it hardens over time. Your tools would likely start to get sticky.

Thanks Alan. That is consistent with my experience, but I have none with Jojoba oil. It has a pretty high oxidation resistance index (60?)

Stan

[Pat Barry]

Although I have not yet used it, Jojoba oil has been available from the tool retailers for a few years now. Can anyone share their experiences using it?

Same questions re flaxseed aka pure linseed oil.

Thanks
Stanley, I also enjoyed your topic and learned quite a lot from it and am therefore thankful. It certainly beats the numerous sharpening threads for interest in my mind. Thanks

Edit - removed comment to stay on main topic

[Malcolm Schweizer]

I definitely wouldn't use linseed oil (or any organic oil) because it hardens over time. Your tools would likely start to get sticky.

For the same reason, beware of many so-called camellia oils. I got a "great deal" on some on eBay and it all but ruined a few of my planes and saws which will now need to be soaked in astringent to get the sticky goo off. I applied acetone with a liberally soaked cloth and it didn't budge. I suspect it is corn or other vegetable oil.

[Stanley Covington]

For the same reason, beware of many so-called camellia oils. I got a "great deal" on some on eBay and it all but ruined a few of my planes and saws which will now need to be soaked in astringent to get the sticky goo off. I applied acetone with a liberally soaked cloth and it didn't budge. I suspect it is corn or other vegetable oil.

Condolences. I have had real, 100% pure D camellia oil do the same thing. I hope the rust is not too deep.

Stan

[Prashun Patel]

Malcom, even imitations are likely to be some kind of 'oil', by which I mean, mostly hydrocarbon-based. That means they should all dissolve reasonably well in mineral spirits. I would start with that. In fact, you could start with mineral oil, then move up to MS to remove the mineral oil.

Unless, that is, they send you some kind of varnish that has polymerized. In that case you might want to use a chemical stripper.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Malcom, even imitations are likely to be some kind of 'oil', by which I mean, mostly hydrocarbon-based. That means they should all dissolve reasonably well in mineral spirits. I would start with that. In fact, you could start with mineral oil, then move up to MS to remove the mineral oil.

Unless, that is, they send you some kind of varnish that has polymerized. In that case you might want to use a chemical stripper.

I tried mineral spirits and acetone. Not much luck. I did manage to briefly free up the wheel on my LN 97 1/2 but it quickly stuck like glue- literally. I'm going to soak it in mineral spirits for a while.

[george wilson]

Yes,CASTOR OIL was THE OIL used in WWI in rotary engined aircraft. Those engines spun around with the propeller to enhance their cooling,and issued a great deal of oil in the smoke they made. It was a problem for the pilots back then,because they inhaled a daily dose of castor oil. I don't think I need to tell you what castor oil does to the digestive tract!!:) So,in the name of protecting MOTHER EARTH,I can well see that there could be a regression to these earlier motor oil sources.

The castor oil used in these early aircraft engines eventually HARDENED UP,leaving the insides of the old engines PRISTINE from their dried oil films. This has largely made it possible to rebuild some early aircraft with ORIGINAL engines and get them flying again.(Though most repros do not have the luxury of an original engine,some lucky,and well monied people do have them).

Castor oil is also used in some paint products. I have a quart can of the type used in paints,left over from the days when I experimented with violin varnish making.

As for 17th. and 18th. C. references to GREASE,they did not commonly use petroleum,though they KNEW about it,calling it ROCK OIL,because in some places it naturally seeped out of the ground. They had no idea at all where this ROCK OIL was coming from,or,really,what to do with it. I think I have read references to it being used as a medicine(!). But,they used tallow and lard for the most part,and they did have vegetable oils. Samuel Pepys (17th. C.) in his autobiography ( A GREAT read !),mentions how delightful asparagus was,("Especially with oyl and vinegar.") I love re reading that book,and using the map of 17th. C. London,to re trace his paths.

[Prashun Patel]

I suspect it was a varnish or the "oil" polymerized into a varnish. Try a proper chemical stripper.

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Yes,CASTOR OIL was THE OIL used in WWI in rotary engined aircraft. Those engines spun around with the propeller,and issued a great deal of oil in the smoke they made. It was a problem for the pilots back then,because they inhaled a daily dose of castor oil. I don't think I need to tell you what castor oil does to the digestive tract!!:) So,in the name of protecting MOTHER EARTH,I can well see that there could be a regression to these earlier motor oil sources.

The castor oil used in these early aircraft engines eventually HARDENED UP,leaving the insides of the old engines PRISTINE from their dried oil films. This has largely made it possible to rebuild some early aircraft with AUTHENTIC engines and get them flying again.

Castor oil is also used in some paint products. I have a quart can of the type used in paints,left over from the days when I experimented with violin varnish making.

As for 17th. and 18th. C. references to GREASE,they did not commonly use petroleum,though they KNEW about it,calling it ROCK OIL,because in some places it naturally seeped out of the ground. They had no idea at all where this ROCK OIL was coming from,or,really,what to do with it.

Interesting- didn't know they used castor oil in the old rotary engines (which have always fascinated me) and didn't know about "rock oil." Thanks for sharing.

[James Pallas]

Gosh I almost feel criminal here. I keep one of those blue paper shop towels with a few drops of 3 in1 on it on the bench and a block of paraffin nearby. I use one or the other depending on the tool or the situation. I replace the shop towel every few days and have no guess as to the age of the paraffin. I think I may make one of those oil containers someday. No rust problem so far.
Jim

[Ray Selinger]

Thank you for your time and effort in posting. I'll have to make one. A PVC pipe caps are more common than bamboo here. I use Mobil 1 0-20wt as gun oil, never have to worry about cold sticking the firing pin. My wife uses mineral oil for her lapidary saws. Hydraulic oil had been recommended but, but as a millwright, I know that stuff is not good for you.

[Patrick Chase]

Gosh I almost feel criminal here. I keep one of those blue paper shop towels with a few drops of 3 in1 on it on the bench and a block of paraffin nearby. I use one or the other depending on the tool or the situation. I replace the shop towel every few days and have no guess as to the age of the paraffin. I think I may make one of those oil containers someday. No rust problem so far.
Jim

If it works, it works :-)

[Stewie Simpson]

I am assuming the recommendation to use an oil to lubricate the soles of your planes comes with a caveat that restricts its use to metal planes only.

[Stanley Covington]

I am assuming the recommendation to use an oil to lubricate the soles of your planes comes with a caveat that restricts its use to metal planes only.

Nope. Wooden planes make friction too.

[Frederick Skelly]

Another great topic Stan. 4,000 views and nearly 100 replies says it all.
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us!
Fred

[Stanley Covington]

Another great topic Stan. 4,000 views and nearly 100 replies says it all.
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us!
Fred

qay'be' (Klingon for "no problemo")

Stan

[Stanley Covington]

Thank you for your time and effort in posting. I'll have to make one. A PVC pipe caps are more common than bamboo here. I use Mobil 1 0-20wt as gun oil, never have to worry about cold sticking the firing pin. My wife uses mineral oil for her lapidary saws. Hydraulic oil had been recommended but, but as a millwright, I know that stuff is not good for you.

PVC would no doubt make an excellent oilpot. Probably functionally better, and more durable, if less neanderthalic, than bamboo or white oak. Certainly better than a metal can.

Please make one and share it with us!

Stan

[Derek Cohen]

Here is a quick-and-easy oil wicke ...

Take one finger/postage stamp lubricator (I do not know the correct term) and add 3-in-1 oil.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Planes/Oil-wicke1_zpsdaygszqo.jpg

This is flexible rubber with a sponge inside. It cannot damage the plane ...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a262/Derek50/Planes/Oil-Wicke2_zpsyrtcuaxi.jpg

It works well enough to get an idea if this is something you may prefer to a candle.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Mike Holbrook]

That container looks like it might be silicone like the glue brush trays I bought the other day. I was thinking about using one of the glue trays for an oil wick if the structure isn't too flimsy. Derek's container looks like it would be lest likely to spill. The silicone in the glue trays isn't suppose to allow the glue to bond to it, allowing any dried glue to be easily removed. I was wondering if anything in oil might destroy/marr silicone. Maybe Derek gave me the answer. My silicone kitchen utensils do not seem to mind vegetable/coconut/olive oils.

I got a couple silicone brushes with the glue trays, maybe I will try applying/spreading oil with one. They may hold too much oil, but if they keep the oil off my hands it might be worth it for me. Can't wait to see if the silicone brushes are reusable after the glue dries.

[John Schtrumpf]

My oil pot with 3 in 1 oil (in the gluebot), grease box with lithium grease (for plane threads etc) and candle. The oil pot is the bottom of a vitamin bottle and I keep it in a snapware container.

336657
336658

[Stanley Covington]

My oil pot with 3 in 1 oil (in the gluebot), grease box with lithium grease (for plane threads etc) and candle. The oil pot is the bottom of a vitamin bottle and I keep it in a snapware container.

336657
336658

Thanks for sharing.

The vitamin bottle is very clever, and cheap too.

How does the grease box work? Does the grease seep out?

Stan

[John Schtrumpf]

...How does the grease box work? Does the grease seeping out?
Stan
The grease isn't seeping out, it is smeared on the box from an over filling. If you search for 'Roy Underhill grease box' you will find more information on it. It's a trick box where you swing the top piece to the side and then the next piece back off the dove tail.

Edit: The episode http://www.pbs.org/video/1425807116/ Dovetailed Grease Pot

[Luke Dupont]

Just tried using mineral oil on the sole of my plane...

I was left giddy and speechless. I've always disliked how difficult it is to push handplanes, and thought perhaps I just wasn't getting them "super scary sharp" enough. But, a little oil on the sole and my smoothing plane simply glides along almost effortlessly.

I'm a complete convert now. I'll never use a plane with an unoiled sole again! Seriously. This is at least as important as sharpening!

PS. Does this also work with wooden planes?

[Jim Koepke]

PS. Does this also work with wooden planes?

Yes.

Old hunks of candle wax work wonders to make planes work wood. I also have a cloth saturated with an oil and wax formula furniture polish that is often used to wipe down tools. As I recall it is mineral oil, beeswax and carnauba wax with a little bit of lemon scent. It is great on the metal and the wooden handles.

jtk

[Luke Dupont]

Yes.

Old hunks of candle wax work wonders to make planes work wood. I also have a cloth saturated with an oil and wax formula furniture polish that is often used to wipe down tools. As I recall it is mineral oil, beeswax and carnauba wax with a little bit of lemon scent. It is great on the metal and the wooden handles.

jtk

Thanks. I may try that!

I'm kind of curious; what benefit does wax, or wax+oil have over just simply oil?

[Jim Koepke]

Thanks. I may try that!

I'm kind of curious; what benefit does wax, or wax+oil have over just simply oil?

Wax is easy to keep on the bench, easy to handle and doesn't make a mess if it is dropped.

Mostly though it is just what was handy at the time. It is used often on my lathe turned handles before removing them from the lathe. The heat generated from the friction gets it to soak into the wood a bit.

Think of wax as oil in a solid form.

jtk

[Prashun Patel]

I have been using an oil pot for the past week. I am using a mixture of synthetic oils because that's what I had on hand.

I haven't noticed a big difference in chisels, but have really noticed a difference on my planes. I am working on a white oak park bench and the oil has really made planing the end grain quite easy. I must say I like the oil vs the wax, because it's very easy to get coverage.

[James Waldron]

I have been using an oil pot for the past week. I am using a mixture of synthetic oils because that's what I had on hand.

I haven't noticed a big difference in chisels, but have really noticed a difference on my planes. I am working on a white oak park bench and the oil has really made planing the end grain quite easy. I must say I like the oil vs the wax, because it's very easy to get coverage.

I normally use a mixture of oil and beeswax. Easy to apply, the wax makes it longer lasting than oil alone, the oil makes the wax easier to apply. To get them mixed, I use a small amount of mineral spirits to soften the wax to a mixing consistency. It evaporates over time with no discernible effect on performance. While it's still soft (newly mixed) I saturate a smallish microfiber towel, roll it up tightly and put it a matching oil pot container. From time to time, I pull the towel our, re-roll it to give a fresh, clean top and put it back into the pot. Rub it on a tool, let it stand ~5 minutes and buff with a clean dry cloth. Works a charm, good for about half-a-dozen sharpenings before it's time to reapply for either a chisel or a plane blade.

[Stewie Simpson]

As an a side note; If you want to make your own traditional furniture polish using beeswax; don't mix it with ordinary mineral spirits; use pure gum turpentine; it doesn't evaporate as quickly; allowing greater time for the mix to remain soluble resulting in a deeper penetration within the wood surface. Refer to msds recommendations when using pure gum turpentine. http://www.artspectrum.com.au/old/msds/msds_gum-turps.pdf

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/af219/swagman001/wax/_DSC0153_zpsx29pwike.jpg (http://s1009.photobucket.com/user/swagman001/media/wax/_DSC0153_zpsx29pwike.jpg.html)

In the UK, Mineral Spirit is commonly referred to as "White Spirit".

http://cambridgetraditionalproducts.co.uk/blog/turpentine-versus-white-spirit-in-beeswax-furniture-polish

[Brian Holcombe]

For those interested in having a traditional Japanese Oil Pot, I have access to Bamboo (approx 3 1/4" OD). If 10 or so Creekers want one I will gladly provide the Bamboo for the price of shipping, probably by USPS?

Bill,

I'd like to take you up on this, especially if anyone else is interested. Has anyone shown interest?

Cheers
Brian

[Lenore Epstein]

Bill,

I'd like to take you up on this, especially if anyone else is interested. Has anyone shown interest?

Cheers
Brian
I assumed the offer was to sent the pieces to a single destination for a group of people, rather than to ship pieces to different destinations. If that's not the case I'd love to get in on the action too.

[george wilson]

Turpentine(the REAL STUFF,WHICH IS GETTING VERY HARD TO FIND),and says "From the living pine" on the can,will harden into a hard film on your tools. I strongly recommend that you DO NOT use it on your furniture polish. If you do,every time you rub it on,you're going to leave another layer of hardened turpentine.

Most of the "turpentine" you can get these days,is not true turpentine as gotten in the old fashioned way from trees carefully slashed. It is made from ground up stumps distilled into some kind of hydrocarbon that is NOT the same as the real stuff. doesn't smell the same. And,it won't turn into turpene resin if you bubble air through it. I used to make that up for varnish making. I can tell the real stuff by smell,but have spent years making varnish,and I know the sharp,distinctive smell of real turpentine. You'll probably only find little bottles of it in artist's supply stores,and pay a very high price for the amount you'll get.

Real turpentine was excluded from the museum's paint shop because it is so bad to cause arthritis in gotten on the hands. I can't tell you how many times I got it on myself when I was younger(and turps was REAL!) I remember my mother putting a little turpentine in the cat's milk to rid him of worms,back in the early 50's. Poor animal. It probably burned in his guts.

[Stewie Simpson]

Refer to msds recommendations when using pure gum turpentine. http://www.artspectrum.com.au/old/ms..._gum-turps.pdf (http://www.artspectrum.com.au/old/msds/msds_gum-turps.pdf)

[george wilson]

Yes,rather bad stuff to mess with. I see the MSDS does not mention the arthritis part. But,that is why our paint shop stopped using it,using paint thinner instead.

To tell the truth,I don't want a lot of paint thinner on my hands either. They are already stiff enough. I don't trust that stuff either. But,this last part is just my personal feeling.

[Steven Herbin]

Hello all-

First post in a LONG time.

We moved to south Florida about 2 years ago. So rust is a real problem. To be exact, I have to look over my steel tools every day or two. And every day or two I find more rust even though I coat everything with Jajoba or camellia oil (at ridiculous prices). The rust comes back. Especially on my LN planes. Even my Bad Axe saws have small corrosion spots that I can't explain. Even my Starrett rules got some "coating" on them. I used a dremel with a gray buffer on them (horror of horrors) to clean them up and they now look like factory.

I bought some burgundy colored scotchbrite pads (LN recommended) and it gets the rust off quickly enough, but it's not the path I want to take.

So, I made a can with the rags that Paul Sellers recommended. I used 3 in 1 oil and seem to be refilling it all the time. It's probably a combination of the hot weather and humidity (although at this point, I hardly notice either anymore).

I will try the Mobil 1 oil and see if that works better (lasts longer without refill).

I usually use some craft wax that my wife bought me years ago to lube the soles of my planes and it does the trick.

Long and short, my son recommended that I use "FrogLube" on my firearms to clean and rust proof them. So I bought some and applied to a sample Bad Axe saw and an LN plane (requires heating the tool with a hair drier -- not too hot). The FrogLube melts right in and smells great -- not just good -- great. So far the tools have remained rust and corrosion free. My Starretts look factory fresh.

That was too much information, but rust on corrosion are more of a problem here than I would have imagined.

[Tom Stenzel]

Yes,CASTOR OIL was THE OIL used in WWI in rotary engined aircraft. Those engines spun around with the propeller to enhance their cooling,and issued a great deal of oil in the smoke they made. It was a problem for the pilots back then,because they inhaled a daily dose of castor oil. I don't think I need to tell you what castor oil does to the digestive tract!!:)...

When I was a teen I read a book called Iron Men With Wooden Wings, about the WWI pilots. It mentioned castor oil being used and the effects on the pilots. Not all the bombs dropped one the enemy came from the armory!

George is correct about the engine block spinning to aid in cooling but left out the part of what it did to the handling. A turn in one direction was fine, the same maneuver in the other direction could cause an unrecoverable spin. IIRC the Sopwith Camel could easily crash on takeoff with an inexperienced pilot because of all that rotating mass.

The sudden altitude changes also caused the pilot's eardrums to rupture. In those pre-penicillin days that was no laughing matter. Those pilots had it rough!

Oh, and I use wax on my planes (old block of downhill ski wax) but hadn't tried it on other tools. I'll have to give it a try.

-Tom

[Allan Speers]

As an a side note; If you want to make your own traditional furniture polish using beeswax; don't mix it with ordinary mineral spirits; use pure gum turpentine; it doesn't evaporate as quickly; allowing greater time for the mix to remain soluble resulting in a deeper penetration within the wood surface. Refer to msds recommendations when using pure gum turpentine. http://www.artspectrum.com.au/old/msds/msds_gum-turps.pdf





http://cambridgetraditionalproducts.co.uk/blog/turpentine-versus-white-spirit-in-beeswax-furniture-polish


Another option, if you can afford it, is spike oil. (oil of lavender.) It dissolves even better than turps, and (most importantly) is not dangerous or annoying to breathe. In fact, it smells lovely. The mom uses this for her oil painting, instead of triple-rectified turps.


it 'aint cheap, though.