Oil or Wax?

[Jeff Ranck]

Stan's post in another thread reminded me of the oil pot he posted about a while back. It was fun to go re-read the post again and all the great associated commentary. Which brings me to the purpose of this post. More of a "I wonder" type question. Do more folks use wax or oil?

I've always used wax on my planes/saws to reduce friction. I have some monster candle that my wife gave me that I keep handy and scribble on the bottom of my planes and such. It will probably outlast my life. I've been thinking of creating a "holder" so that I can leave it on my bench and drag the planes across. However, if I'm going to build a holder, then should I try an oil pot?

At the end of the day it probably doesn't matter, but I thought it would be interesting to see what people use.

Jeff.

[Jim Koepke]

use wax or oil?

Both

jtk

[John Schtrumpf]

Both

jtk

:D That's what I do. I oil my tools when I am done with them. They start out oiled the next time I use them, but as the oil wears off I wax them.

[Chet R Parks]

Same here, I use both. Wax on saws and planes when in use, oil when finished and on chisels during use. I made an oil pot the day after I read Stan's post, never regretted it. I didn't have bamboo so I used a plastic "Sippy cup" with a domed cover when not being used.

[Jim Koepke]

Not sure why Stanley deleted his post. The URL had a couple extra characters before the https: that kept it from working.

https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?243280-The-Essential-Oilpot&p=2557373#post2557373

jtk

[Ted Phillips]

I keep a bar of canning wax in my plane drawer and use it on the bottom of the planes. For my saws, I use one of Paul Sellers' "rag in a can" oilers. The wax tends to build up on saws, so I prefer a light machine oil on them.

[Hasin Haroon]

Hi Jeff
I use both - Wax to keep the plane bodies and saws protected and lubricated, and oil to keep the moving parts smooth. I have a Paul Seller's style rag in a can, that I charge with oil AND paste wax. I find that just leaves a slightly thicker film on my tools that take fingerprints less.