Paraffin on your saw teeth

[lowell holmes]

Do you use paraffin or bee's wax on your saws when using them?

I'm curious. I've been working some cherry wood that really binds when sawing with my LN saws. I find that paraffin on the teeth prevents that. I apply it to the soles of my planes as well.

I've known for years that sawyers sometimes did this, but it seems to me that a proper set on the teeth would be a better solution. I will say the
paraffin is a quicker solution, but I'm concerned if remnants of the wax could create issues when applying finishes.

[Jim Koepke]

My saws get a treatment of candle wax at times.

Some woods seem to expand when being sawn, especially if still a touch moist.

With some of my Disston saws it came to me that the plate is "taper ground" top to bottom and toe to heal. If the saw isn't used full length when starting a cut it may bind when a longer stroke starts using the full saw length.

With joinery saws that are not taper ground there can be a tendency to bind if the saw plate is thin and the wood or sawyer causes the cut to get out of line.

jtk

[David Weaver]

I do it on a saw, but if I have to do it many times, I either find a saw with more set or I add set to the saw that's binding.

[Judson Green]

With some of my Disston saws it came to me that the plate is "taper ground" top to bottom and toe to heal. If the saw isn't used full length when starting a cut it may bind when a longer stroke starts using the full saw length.

jtk

Oh yeah now ya tell me, that makes prefect sense.

I wax (paraffin) planes, saws, sticky bench dogs and use it on fences and table top surfaces too... In the shop.

[Mike Allen1010]

Paraffin wax on your saw plates is a great idea and it does help keep them sliding smoothly. David is also right, whether taper ground or not, if you're saw plate is consistently binding in the kerf, either you need more set, or there is some tension in the wood that's warping the kerf closed as you saw. A little wedge in the end of the kerf will fix this.


Paraffin wax mixed with it little spray of WD-40 (which dissolves the wax), also leaves a nice film that will protect your saw plates from rust. if you keep using the same shop rag for this purpose, after a while you won't even have to apply the wax/WD-40 just wipe down the saw with the rag.

Cheers, Mike

[Federico Mena Quintero]

Clarified bacon fat here. Works nicely. Unfortunately it loses the smell when clarified.

[Jim Matthews]

I'll drop in a cedar wedge, on long rips if the cut binds.

Sometimes, I'll use a defunct credit card or two.
They're enough to keep things from closing.

[Randy Karst]

A light dab of tallow here.

[Winton Applegate]

I think it is clear by now but I will say it in case it isn't clear : Wax on the sides of the saw not the teeth.
In the photo from left to right / clock wise :

• Camellia oil (mineral oil basically) and the black thing is an applicator for the oil; works well is compatible with finishes.
• Renaissance wax / my favorite
• The grodey looking yellowish stick is a very old candle that my Dad used for the same purpose (I use it mostly to wax drawer runners now).
• The small flat white disc is cross country skiing ("Nordic") glide wax works well but is expensive now, didn't used to be.
• The big tin is Carnauba floor wax; my second favorite and extremely inexpensive for how well it works and for the huge quantity you get.
• And finally the big white block is canning wax

All work. I posted all these because you may already have some of them around

Bee's wax is a little gummy and sticky (might have a touch of honey in it)(makes cabinet drawers stick before they glide so I would avoid that . . . better to use it in finishes than as a glide wax)

PS: totally + 1 on the wedge in the saw kerf. I do that for sure.

[Adam Cruea]

I just use it on my Disstons.

On my joinery saws, since I've learned how to saw, I rarely need to use it anymore. I might slap some on my 16" tenon saw when I'm ripping a tenon that's 2 - 3 inches deep, but that's more because the saw plate starts to warp due to heat and just causes a lot of friction. If I pop the saw out of the tenon and swipe wax down the side of the saw, it almost melts onto the saw.

I like Mike's idea of WD-40 and paraffin. Since one of my BadAxe's got a touch of fingerprint-shaped surface rust, I might employ this trick.

[Ray Bohn]

LV suggests not using bees wax on its joinery saws.

[Derek Cohen]

I echo David's comments - usually binding is telling one that there is insufficient set.

A little Renaissance wax rubbed on the plate kills two birds with one stone.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[lowell holmes]

I agree that set needs to be added, but setting the teeth on a 14 tpi saw is incredibly difficult for me, even with magnifying glasses.

I probably will go with a screwdriver set as Frank Klausz shows in his video. I've used it before.

[Tony Zaffuto]

Minwax or Johnson's Paste Wax for me. Have tried camilla oil and am not a fan.

[paul cottingham]

I use McQueen's Mutton tallow on my planes and saws for lubrication and rust protection. I only use it on joinery saws for rust protection. Great stuff. I used to use paraffin on my planes, but now prefer the tallow.