Drawer slides

[Mark Kelly]

Ok, I am not talking of the metal drawer slides that you buy, but the wooden ones you make. What type of wax do you apply to the sides so that the drawer slides in and out with less friction?

And, if any want to explain to this ignoramous: I have seen paste wax, which comes in a paste. Then I have seen (on TV) wax that seemed to come in a squirt bottle. Is this so? What type of wax is used for finishing furniture?

[Michael Perata]

I like Briwax. http://www.briwaxwoodcare.com/

[Bob Smalser]

For lubrication, leave the wood planed but not finished, then rub parafin canning wax onto all the bearing surfaces.

Carnauba finish waxes are softer and don't lube as well.

[Mark Kelly]

Where do you get parafin canning wax? I have never heard of that.

EDIT: Never mind. I found out what it is. It was a "Duh" moment. Thanks for the tip.

[Tim Sproul]

Bob,

IIRC......carnauba dries much harder than paraffin.....

Mark,

regular paste wax (Johnson's or Minwax - Johnson's is typically found with the cleaning supplies in the Borgs while Minwax is with the wood finishes, Johnson's is a bit cheaper) is excellent and cheap for lubricating drawer slides.

[Chris Padilla]

Want a smooth finish that is durable? Burn the wood. Really. Perhaps this is a dangerous thing to do but how many times have we burned our cuts on the TS? That is a pretty smooth and, I think, durable finish. I wonder if you take a torch to a piece of wood if you'd get the same thing?

I recall the mantle at my folk's place being burned with a torch as a finish.

[Mark Kelly]

Isn't it the friction that causes the wood to finish nicely? And because of the friction, it burns? I don't see how taking a torch would work to make a smooth finish. Hard to think of burning something nice as a finish! Especially something that has a lot of work in building it. :)

[Chris Padilla]

Mark,

What I meant (and I wasn't clear) is that a surface of wood that is burned (i.e. from a table saw) is very slick. Further, it takes a bit of effort to sand the burn marks away, right? This makes me thick it might be rather durable. So if you have two pieces of wood that need to slide against each other, perhaps purposely burning them on the TS might be a trick? It is probably more trouble than it is worth. In the end, good ole paste wax and perhaps even candle wax might do the trick.

[Tim Sproul]

Chris,

what you observe is the blade burnishing the wood. It burns it, yes. The effect you are refering to is the burnishing of the wood....just an ultra high polish. Taking a torch to the wood won't do it.

Some blades....such as Freuds 80 tooth "ultimate" cutoff blade (I cannot recall their model number) is designed to burnish the end grain of the wood as it cuts....leaving a glass smooth endgrain cut.

[Bob Smalser]

IIRC......carnauba dries much harder than paraffin.....
So is beeswax in its pure form, which I also use when I have it on hand.


Depends on what it's blended with, and many "furniture" waxes are quite soft.

Largely unimportant, IMO...use wax on your planed drawer slides...as hard a wax as you have.

[Wes Bischel]

Mark,

I've used a product called Slip-it from Rockler for many years and it has performed very nicely. My kitchen cabinets are from the '50's with wood runners - a little Slip-it on the runners nine years ago and they still slide smoothly. I bought a can almost eleven years ago and have most of it still - if interested, I could send some out your way. A little goes a long way.

Wes


http://www.rockler.com/ecom7/product_details.cfm?&offerings_id=213&objectgroup_id=14&catid=10&filter=slip%2Dit

[Chris Padilla]

Chris,

what you observe is the blade burnishing the wood. It burns it, yes. The effect you are refering to is the burnishing of the wood....just an ultra high polish. Taking a torch to the wood won't do it.

Some blades....such as Freuds 80 tooth "ultimate" cutoff blade (I cannot recall their model number) is designed to burnish the end grain of the wood as it cuts....leaving a glass smooth endgrain cut.
Tim,

Thanks for the clear up...makes more sense but I often burnish wood when I don't mean to!! :o

[Kent Cori]

Another vote for Slip-It. I've been quite pleased with the results and one can is probably close to a life time supply.