Wooden bench screw kind of sticky

[Tom Bussey]

This is probably a question for the finishing forum, but I bought a lake Erie bench screw and nut. Actually I got a good deal for it on this forum. Here in Iowa the humidity can get kind of high. I had my screw and nut at my shop, which has no heat or cooling, only a window fan if I open the window. The wood swelled up so that turning the screw got kind of hard. I took it home which is air conditioned and overnight it was fine. A couple of years ago it got so tight I couldn't turn it at all.

I have been thinking that maybe if I put an oil finish on it. Hoping it might block the wood from taking on some of the moisture. Has any one else had any experience with this and how did you fix it? I would like to use it on a Moravian bench I am building.

Any help or ideas would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

[Keegan Shields]

Probably not what you want to hear but perhaps metal threads are better for your application given the lack of climate control?

Alternately, you could try mineral oil or open up the threads with sandpaper. Might make tolerances pretty loose in the winter...

[Mel Fulks]

Bees wax is the best lube for wooden threads.

[Tom Bussey]

had the screw and nut at home for a couple of weeks to shrink it as much as possible. I took it back to the shop and applied BLO to both and man did I see a change. I could spin it a couple of turns before, but now It really spins. I brought it home last night to help control humidly. I have seen a couple of Moravian benches lately and I saw that the joints in the legs were pinned. The lower half of my bench is walnut so I ordered a couple of walnut dowels to pin it with, so I have time to let my screw dry as well as it is going to.

I figure about 3 costs but I liked the first coat and I will see about it after the second.

I did contact Lake Erie and was told to use oil and if I needed to the use rottenstone after if necessary, if I remember right. It was a couple of years ago when I did it, but things like that one tends to remember. They did say that if one lives in a high humidly area to let them know when ordering and that they could make it a little looser fit when they did it for you.

I have some actual bees wax so I think I will use it at the tail end of the build.

[James Jayko]

"If it turns and shouldn't, duct tape, if it should turn but doesn't, WD40"?

Definitely not WD40...wax, furniture polish? If the humidity is relatively stable but higher than where it was before, I don't think the taps for wooden vise screws are particularly expensive. You could just run it through the tap again?

[Bradley Gray]

Paraffin is my go to.

[Richard Coers]

You need a film finish if you want to reduce moisture migration. Oil won't work, and if you choose the wrong oil, it could make it worse by getting slightly sticky in high humidity. I know you don't like my advice, just trying to help.

[Mike Henderson]

Bees wax is the best lube for wooden threads.

I think Paraffin is better than bees wax.

Mike

[Scott Winners]

Hi Tom.

When I ordered mine from Lake Erie I let them know the wintertime humidity in my shop is usually 10-15%, summertime I regularly see 70-80% RH. I don't know what they did when they were making mine, but mine is perhaps a bit droopy in dry season but has never bound up in the wet part of the year.

If your existing screw and nut are in factory condition I have a friend in the Lower 48 I would like to gift a set to. If we can agree on a price you can just order a new set to go with your humidity levels.

FWIW I used Johnson floor wax on mine prior to install. I think I stopped at three coats. Wore out 5-6 shop towels with the buffing and went through most of a big box of Qtips buffing the threads inside the nut. I recall doing the hub and Tommy bar with a good quality carnuba wax. It looked great for about 17 minutes.

I haven't had to renew the wax yet. When I do have some adherent saw dust in the screws threads I can still dust it out easily and gently with a soft bristle whisk broom.

[Mel Fulks]

Could be that the “none of your bees-wax” threat has scared off some of the “ paranogged” Captain Beef Heart , gallery.
Harvard might just be sorting all this out now.

[Tom Bender]

If you seal it, that will reduce the effect short term humidity swings, daily or a few days. Not so much for seasonal swings. Polyurethane varnish would be much better than oil.

Lubricate it with paraffin.

Or just use steel and your favorite rust preventative strategy.

[Tom Bussey]

I have 2 coats of BLO on both the screw and the nut. There was a world of difference between a thread rod and threaded block coated with LBO and a bear thread. Since it is on a Moravian bench the whole system can be removed and I can bring it home to a more climate controlled invirement. I am going to take a look and see attitude for the rest of the summer. I really like Antique oil by Minwax. It is more of a wiping varnish than an oil. I believe it has a lot of BLO in it I can always go with that if I have problems in the future. It dries in 24 hours . I am afraid that a film finish may take up what little clearance I have.

I have been told that the government makes floor wax companies put something in the wax so it is not so slippery when on the floor and that furniture wax is better.

I left the screw and nut in my shop so now I will see about the humidly issue. I am not going to get to excited at the moment. And to James. I do not know of anybody doing a die for 2 1/2 -2 thread. The stuff stops at around 1 1/2 in diameter. so buying a tap and die are not an option.