Paraffin on plane sole

[Tom M King]

I tried it once, decades ago, but quickly forgot about it. I don't use it, and see no need for it. If you're pushing down hard enough for it to matter, you're pushing down too hard. The plane sole doesn't need to be pushed down on the surface-only in contact.

This from someone who is in the top, small percentage point of workers in total square feet planed.

[Lee Schierer]

Does the wax not create finishing problems downstream? I was always warned against doing this to avoid surface contamination. I've never done the experiment to see if it's an actual problem.

If you use solvent based finishes there is no problem. Any residual wax is dissolved. With water based stains there could possibly be a problem. A couple of passes with sand paper should remove any residual wax.

[Warren Mickley]

I used paraffin for a few years in the 1970's but then I read that oil gives a better feel. It does, and have not used wax since. I actually hardly use oil either. Some woods do not need oil at all, but some woods seem to need it, and will make noise even, without it. If I just touch the tip of an oil can and rub the sole of the plane, that solves the problem for thousands of feet. If you are away from the shop, you can touch the skin between your nose and eye and get enough oil for the sole. You really don't want the plane skidding around the way it does with wax.

I have never used any lubricant on a wooden plane sole. I have also never sanded a wooden plane sole, always using a plane to true the sole. Maybe a sanded sole is rough enough that wax is helpful.

Grease and oil and wax are all sometimes helpful for a saw or an auger bit, but most times are unnecessary. For working away, a piece of wax is most handy to have in your pocket or box.

I use water stains, and I never sand, but I think using a lubricant with restraint will keep you out of trouble.

[Tom Bender]

[QUOTE= from Tom King
This from someone who is in the top, small percentage point of workers in total square feet planed.[/QUOTE]

That's a bold statement. I don't question it, but am impressed. Would you share a bit of wisdom? Like, what planes get the most use? How do you secure the work? What do you make? How do you sharpen? Do you listen to music? Stuff like that

[Tom M King]

Many planes. From old molding planes, to mostly Stanley's for bench planes. I restore old 18th, and early 19th Century museum houses. Work is secured all sorts of ways, from on a sawhorse outside, held by helpers, to more normal benches, and for long pieces, sometimes just on top of something butting against a wall.

Sharpen with anything from oil stones I bought new in 1974, to an array of waterstones on a dedicated sharpening bench, under a small stream of running water (water runs out of the ground around here, every few hundred yards, and electricity generated by water running downhill). Any really, sometimes, whatever is available, like bricks on a chimney when up on a roof working on replacing a window sill.

One example, on an early 19th Century house, several thousand square feet of floor space on four levels, all the replacement siding was handplaned to match other work on that house. That's just one example.

No. I don't listen to music when working. I'm not a hobbyist. I get paid to produce work. I'm sure there may be someone, somewhere that planes more square feet than I do, but I haven't met that person yet.

An old quote comes to mind: "Those that can, do. Those that can't do, teach. Those that can't teach, preach. Those that can't preach, become politicians."

edited to add: I forgot the "what do I make" question. Look at my website. All that work was done with my hands, with one, or two helpers.

[Aaron Rosenthal]

I use either mineral oil soaked in a number of shop towels within a cup, or paraffin wax. Both are close by.

[Scott Winners]

What I have been doing is keeping the white candle my church hands out Christmas Eve and using that on the iron surfaces in my shop like plane soles and band saw table.

I did get a bottle of jojoba oil for chisels and plane irons at the local hippie store for much less than L-N charges.

[David Bassett]

... I did get a bottle of jojoba oil for chisels and plane irons at the local hippie store for much less than L-N charges.

I need to find me some hippies. The large Jojoba Oil bottle from L-N is about 1/2, per oz, the best price I've found around here. (It's always in the organic beauty product section in tiny bottles for $$$.)