Waxing Plane Soles

[Bobby O'Neal]

I've seen/heard of people putting a small amount of wax on the sole of a plane to reduce friction during planing. So what kind of wax should this be and does it really make a substantial difference? Could this create any finish problems? Thanks

[Dave Cav]

Normally I just keep a piece of old candle handy (white/colorless). Recently I got a chunk of beeswax that seems to work about the same. Gulf canning wax should work fine, too.

[Rob Young]

Use paraffin wax. Look in the canning supplies section at your grocery store.

Scribble on the sole with a corner of the wax block.

It makes a big difference.

You aren't going to leave behind enough wax on the wood to make a difference.

[Steve Dallas]

I've seen/heard of people putting a small amount of wax on the sole of a plane to reduce friction during planing. So what kind of wax should this be and does it really make a substantial difference? Could this create any finish problems? Thanks

Makes a difference, but the effect is short lived on metal planes. Waxing wooden planes seems to make them better and better.

[jerry nazard]

Steve makes a good point about metal planes. I keep a suede covered block of wood on my bench, charged with paraffin. Every so often, I pull the plane over the waxed leather to give it a hit of lube. Works like a charm!

[Tony Shea]

It may be short lived on a metal plane but the short amount of time that the wax is there makes it well worth the effort to scribble every few strokes. Especially when doing lots of stock prep with a jack and jointer plane, the heat created really gets these metal planes sticky. The first time I tried out some wax I was in complete shock of how much effort is lost in the form of friction. Night and day. Parrifin is the preffered wax but other types will work in a pinch.

[Tom Winship]

I know this is sacrelige to say this to neanders, but I also use canning wax (parrafin) on the bed of my planer. It sure makes the boards go through easier.

[Michael Peet]

It may be short lived on a metal plane but the short amount of time that the wax is there makes it well worth the effort to scribble every few strokes. Especially when doing lots of stock prep with a jack and jointer plane, the heat created really gets these metal planes sticky. The first time I tried out some wax I was in complete shock of how much effort is lost in the form of friction. Night and day. Parrifin is the preffered wax but other types will work in a pinch.

What Tony said. I am jointing the ash for my bench by hand. I use those small tea light candles, since I have a whole bag of them for jack-o-lanterns. I'm told they are paraffin. You can see one all the way in back there, by the small squares. I think I've gone through 2 so far.

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It doesn't take much, just a big ~~-shaped scribble or so, is all I do.

Mike

[Jeff Skory]

I started out using Johnson's paste wax and then tried all kinds of candles. Some of them go on but don't come off.

Finally I bought some canning wax at Meijer. Works fantastic! And like the others have said, it doesn't last long but it's the best wax I have tried so far.

[Mike Siemsen]

In a pinch you can use waxed paper or a waxed paper cup. Beeswax is a little sticky for my taste, I prefer paraffin ( in the UK I believe paraffin is kerosene)

[george wilson]

I'd only use paraffin,as it is a dry wax. I've also used it on planer beds many times. I'd think that bee's wax,being so sticky,would have more chance of remaining on the wood,to some greater degree,and making trouble.

[Dan Sink]

Roy Underhill writes in this month's issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine about using tallow, which is melted animal fat. He says its the best lubricant he's tried. He apparently makes his own by boiling mutton fat from his butcher. Sounds like a step too much for me, paraffin wax will have to suffice. Still, it was an interesting article in another great issue from PWWM.

[Larry Marshall]

Tallow works fine on wooden planes. For metal planes paraffin is preferable and, as others have said, must be applied regularly. I'd also add, don't over do it. A little, done regularly is superior to a heavy layer of wax.

For what it's worth, el cheapo canning wax ($2-3 for a lifetime supply) is a fairly pure mixture of short (16-30 carbon) straight-chain hydrocarbons. I've shoved this stuff through gas chromatographs and used to use it as standards for some of my work. More fun to use it on hand planes :-)

Cheers --- Larry 'aka Woodnbits'

[harry strasil]

another lubricant WWers of long ago used for their Woodies was BLO, they cut off the bottom of a small glass bottle and rolled up a strip of felt that was taller than the cut off bottle and then sunk a hole in a piece of scrap 2 by or so and added BLO till the felt was damp and set it on thier bench close to the piece being planed, and when the plane started to drag, on the back stroke they would drag the plane bottom across the top of the damp felt to lube the sole of the plane. This way their was no wasted time stopping to apply lube, wax, etc to the plane sole. FWIW

[Mike Konobeck]

If you want something that lasts longer then give Renaissance Wax a try. It dries harder than the others and really is amazing stuff. It is expensive but as you will see everyone say in the forum a little goes a long ways. It also can be used as a wax on any wood project. I have started using it on everything and will likely continue to do so but am always open to alternatives. I was having problems with my router plate sliding on my dovetail jig and a little big of wax cured it. Went from sticking to running smooth for the entire project of routing a lot of box joints. The other waxes seem to come off in just a few passes and don't really dry or bond very well to metal. Especially when you are dealing with a slightly rougher surface to begin with.