outofstepper Posted March 17, 2011 Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 Greets all.. this is one of those "little things in life" posts.. Today I finally got around to making a shooting board. Following suit on Shannon's HTS projects, I got some candle wax and rubbed the slide down. World of difference. With candle in hand, I recalled a passing tip (from Shannon) on waxing the plane soles. The comment couldn't have been more than that simple sentence.. and I never thought much about it in the shop. So I tried some on my jointer.. holy smokes! I don't even have to push the jointer anymore.. heck I have to do my best to stop it. And this whole time I've been hung up on my irons not being sharp enough.. or my angle not right for the task on hand.. and this whole time its been friction! Why isn't this one of those things you hear a lot more about? Why didn't my planes come with a stick of wax? Based on what I just 'learned' .. it turns out my planes are crazy sharp.. and the wood isn't as hard as I thought it was. Are there downsides? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cormier33 Posted March 17, 2011 Report Share Posted March 17, 2011 I've heard of applying it on the shooting board but the bottom of planes is new to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhl.verona Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 Are there downsides? Only if you use the ones that your better half keeps for those romantic evenings. I've heard of applying it on the shooting board but the bottom of planes is new to me. David Charlesworth, Rob Cosman and Christopher Schwarz use a hard (candle like) wax. Roy Underhill uses tallow - well he would wouldn't he? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outofstepper Posted March 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 Only if you use the ones that your better half keeps for those romantic evenings. You really think she'll notice the flat spots? now all my planes smell like flowers. cormier -- you're why I posted. let us know how it works for you. what I'm really wondering is just how many other 'obvious' tips there are out there like this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathryn Posted March 18, 2011 Report Share Posted March 18, 2011 Shhh . . . it's a conspiracy . . . . Someone asked the question of whether wax inhibits glue in joints or finishes, and no one could think of a time when it did. It doesn't really help when the surface area subject to friction is negligible, such as on a spoke shave or chamfering an edge with a block plane. But with a jointer, or even just a smoother, it makes a serious difference. It can really help with hand saws too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoboMonk Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 I usually use bees wax; from the apiary down the road. I also use hard castile soap; Kirk's Castile Soap is a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sac Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 I use a block of paraffin wax that I found in the pantry. Wife uses it for some recipe. Now I use it on my planes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bois Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 I also use a chunk of paraffin. I drilled a hole through it at the top, and it hangs on a nail on the wall next to my plane till so it's always handy and doesn't get lost. Also it has no odor like a candle would. It's also handy for using on screw threads. You can find it in any hardware store, or anyplace they sell canning supplies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RenaissanceWW Posted March 21, 2011 Report Share Posted March 21, 2011 The problem with these "obvious" tips is that they got that moniker by being "obvious" to someone somewhere. This makes them hard to compile and even think of in the first place since they are so obvious. Every time I come away from a lecture from a master excited, it is usually about something "obvious". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wareagle Todd Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 I also use parraffin wax. Its what they use for can fruit and jelly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted March 24, 2011 Report Share Posted March 24, 2011 I also use parraffin wax. Its what they use for can fruit and jelly. It's also what they use for most candles (other than fancy things like beeswax candles). It usually has colors and scents added when used in candles, but it's still paraffin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markhochstein Posted March 26, 2011 Report Share Posted March 26, 2011 If you have old candles around the house to use that's great, but if you're going to go out and buy something for this purpose, just go buy a box of paraffin wax from the grocery store. I got a 1lb box that has four "bricks" in it for $2.49. That's enough to last quite a while. Gulf Wax @ Walmart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmrys Posted March 29, 2011 Report Share Posted March 29, 2011 For those of you (like me) who do not have climate controlled shops....it will melt in the summer heat. My block of parafin luckily was in a plastic storage box. Now it has taken on the shape of the box, but it still works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyNoName Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 I was at a Woodcraft getting some supplies, and they happened to have a small box of beeswax sticks at the counter. I remembered hearing about using wax on the soles of planes before, and this triggered the memory. I bought a stick to give it a try. The first time I used it, my smoother nearly flew out my hands! Funny how something that small can make such a difference. Jonathan ====================================== Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimV Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 Yea, parafin wax for me. Amazing what it does for my planes. I haven't tried it on my machine beds since I keep those waxed with Johnson's Paste Wax. I might try it on my jointer. That one seems the most "sticky" to me. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan S Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 Hear in cenrtal IL. Hobby Lobby sells 10lb blocks of paraffin wax for $25. I have a life time supply sitting in the coat closet. Tim, Imo paraffin is great on machine surfaces, but you will need an electric buffer to get it rubbed out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon003 Posted April 11, 2011 Report Share Posted April 11, 2011 Paraffin is best. Some candles can have residues in them from scents or colors that can do bad stuff to your workpiece. DAMHIKT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick2cd Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 i use johnson's paste wax on my jointer, bandsaw table, table saw, and planer bed. am i missing something? is paraffin wax better for this purpose? i can't imagine getting it much slicker than i do with johnson's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimV Posted April 13, 2011 Report Share Posted April 13, 2011 i use johnson's paste wax on my jointer, bandsaw table, table saw, and planer bed. am i missing something? is paraffin wax better for this purpose? i can't imagine getting it much slicker than i do with johnson's. Nick, that's what I use on my machine beds too, but if the consensus says that parifin is better....Although I don't like the thought of needing an electric buffer per Dan. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markhochstein Posted April 14, 2011 Report Share Posted April 14, 2011 I think the paraffin is normally just used on hand planes. Whereas the machines are treated with paste wax. Using the paraffin on a hand plane only involves quickly drawing a squiggle down the plane bed, no buffing, no rubbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suiciedchild Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 I was always told to use a beeswax or a parafin wax and not to use the scented colored candle or anything that was described as haveing "silicates / silicons" becuase is can negativly affect the tool but , i could never find anything that actually said what the negative things are, i've personally used all kinds , from natural beeswax to my wife's yankee candle , i havent noticed a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jHop Posted May 6, 2011 Report Share Posted May 6, 2011 there are several different types of wax out there. Paraffin and Beeswax are the most common types of wax sold in the broadest of areas, but there are other types as well. I'd avoid using candles, unless you can verify that they are "pure" from one type or another, because of the various things that get added to the wax. One common additive is Stearite (don't quote me on the spelling), which slows down the melting of the candles. This is, from what little research I've done, something that is not very good for exposed metal, such as your plane irons. Not to mention the dyes or scents that are added are not always from an oil source. There's also gel wax / candles, and soy wax / candles. I haven't tried these on the blades yet, and I have no intentions of doing so any time soon. For those who don't want to just go get a block of paraffin (available in the canning sections of most grocery stores, also available from many craft shops), you can look into the emergency candles. A package of ten will usually be cheaper than a pound of paraffin, perhaps even around a mere dollar. And since these are emergency candles, they don't have things like dyes or scents. I definately second the idea of storing either your wax or your candles (for waxing purposes) inside a container, such as a plastic tote or box as mentioned earlier. By the way, most candles are created at about 170 degrees Farenheit. However, waxes melt at a much lower temperature. Sometimes, all it takes is sunshine through a window to cause them to melt. (found a link with basic information on the wax types... I apologize about it being for candle makers, but it has some information that might help the curious.)Candle Wax types chart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joestyles Posted May 7, 2011 Report Share Posted May 7, 2011 Read the label. You can get a pack of candles for a buck pure white unscented paraffin candles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suiciedchild Posted May 11, 2011 Report Share Posted May 11, 2011 Yeah all kinds of wax with tge exception of caranuba seem to be pretty inexpensive, even beeswax is only like a buck an once and they seem to last me a while even when useing it for turnings as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darnell Hagen Posted May 15, 2011 Report Share Posted May 15, 2011 There are benefits to being a beekeeping woodworker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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