I am assuming the recommendation to use an oil to lubricate the soles of your planes comes with a caveat that restricts its use to metal planes only.
Another great topic Stan. 4,000 views and nearly 100 replies says it all.
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge with the rest of us!
Fred
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
Here is a quick-and-easy oil wicke ...
Take one finger/postage stamp lubricator (I do not know the correct term) and add 3-in-1 oil.
This is flexible rubber with a sponge inside. It cannot damage the plane ...
It works well enough to get an idea if this is something you may prefer to a candle.
Regards from Perth
Derek
That container looks like it might be silicone like the glue brush trays I bought the other day. I was thinking about using one of the glue trays for an oil wick if the structure isn't too flimsy. Derek's container looks like it would be lest likely to spill. The silicone in the glue trays isn't suppose to allow the glue to bond to it, allowing any dried glue to be easily removed. I was wondering if anything in oil might destroy/marr silicone. Maybe Derek gave me the answer. My silicone kitchen utensils do not seem to mind vegetable/coconut/olive oils.
I got a couple silicone brushes with the glue trays, maybe I will try applying/spreading oil with one. They may hold too much oil, but if they keep the oil off my hands it might be worth it for me. Can't wait to see if the silicone brushes are reusable after the glue dries.
My oil pot with 3 in 1 oil (in the gluebot), grease box with lithium grease (for plane threads etc) and candle. The oil pot is the bottom of a vitamin bottle and I keep it in a snapware container.
oilpotclosed.jpg
oilpotopen.jpg
The grease isn't seeping out, it is smeared on the box from an over filling. If you search for 'Roy Underhill grease box' you will find more information on it. It's a trick box where you swing the top piece to the side and then the next piece back off the dove tail.
Edit: The episode http://www.pbs.org/video/1425807116/ Dovetailed Grease Pot
Last edited by John Schtrumpf; 04-30-2016 at 12:27 PM.
Just tried using mineral oil on the sole of my plane...
I was left giddy and speechless. I've always disliked how difficult it is to push handplanes, and thought perhaps I just wasn't getting them "super scary sharp" enough. But, a little oil on the sole and my smoothing plane simply glides along almost effortlessly.
I'm a complete convert now. I'll never use a plane with an unoiled sole again! Seriously. This is at least as important as sharpening!
PS. Does this also work with wooden planes?
Yes.PS. Does this also work with wooden planes?
Old hunks of candle wax work wonders to make planes work wood. I also have a cloth saturated with an oil and wax formula furniture polish that is often used to wipe down tools. As I recall it is mineral oil, beeswax and carnauba wax with a little bit of lemon scent. It is great on the metal and the wooden handles.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
Wax is easy to keep on the bench, easy to handle and doesn't make a mess if it is dropped.
Mostly though it is just what was handy at the time. It is used often on my lathe turned handles before removing them from the lathe. The heat generated from the friction gets it to soak into the wood a bit.
Think of wax as oil in a solid form.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)