Using Paraffin On a Bandsaw

[rgsparber]

Paraffin makes a nice lubricant for my bandsaw blade, plus it is almost free. I’ve used the same wax for over 15 years.

If you are interested, please see

https://rick.sparber.org/ParaffinLub.pdf

Your comments are welcome. All of us are smarter than any one of us.


Thanks,

Rick

[DIYer]

Thanks rgsparber! We've added your Bandsaw Lubrication Fixture to our Bandsaws category,
as well as to your builder page: rgsparber's Homemade Tools. Your receipt:

Bandsaw Lubrication Fixture by rgsparber

tags: bandsaw, lubrication

[Baddog]

Neat idea. I've also used the cutting wax tubes for years. But I'm not as creative as you.

I just sort of brush the end of the stick against the teeth of the blade while running so that it kinda rakes off the end of the stick. That picks up the wax on the teeth, some of which then deposits at the leading edge of the cut. This produces an accumulation forming just ahead of the blade, and as it progresses, the wax is drug into the cut a bit at a time providing lubricated blade for the rest of the cut. On longer cuts, I repeat the process.

[Karl_H]

I first started using a block of paraffin on my hand hacksaw blades - the heat in the blade was enough to melt the wax into a fine film.
Does your bandsaw blade get that hot?

Karl

[Baddog]

Does your bandsaw blade get that hot?

Karl

Yes. It will melt the wax fairly quickly once into the cut a bit.

[JoeH]

Love it! Especially your method of recycling bits of candle wax with solar power. I also like the wax idea because it seems it would be less of a mess than oil. Thanks again.

[Scrounga]

Hi Rick and the other commenters, as I haven’t tried this I have a couple of questions: does the wax stay in contact with the blade during the entire cut and if so how.
How does the blade get lubricated on the other side. And most importantly what difference have you noticed it makes to your cuts.
I have a box full of wax so I’m keen to try this. Thanks Stuart.

[rgsparber]

Hi Rick and the other commenters, as I haven’t tried this I have a couple of questions: does the wax stay in contact with the blade during the entire cut and if so how.
How does the blade get lubricated on the other side. And most importantly what difference have you noticed it makes to your cuts.
I have a box full of wax so I’m keen to try this. Thanks Stuart.

As long as the block of paraffin is at least as tall as the stock, the blade will receive a continuous coating. The teeth cut the paraffin which is dragged into the cut and, somehow, does coat both sides of the blade. Hopefully, someone else has more understanding.

I found a discussion on this subject at https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/...andsaw.706083/.

Rick

[Moby Duck]

This is a great idea for woodcutting but I am not sure that this concept is a good idea when cutting metal. Metal cutting bandsaws should ideally have “coolant” not “lubricant”. Most commercial cutting fluids do both. Bandsaws need lots of coolant flowing over the blade to take away the heat being generated, and preserve the temper of the blade.

[JoeH]

Not wanting to argue, but I've cut a lot of metal on my bandsaw without coolant or lube and my bimetal blades last a long time. Granted I am not cutting with it 8 hours a day. I did use coolant when I had quite a bit of 1"x 6" hot rolled steel to cut but most of the time my work deals with smaller sizes.
I've never found my blade to get anywhere near hot enough to affect temper. I often check the blade after a cut and it is usually well within the easy to touch and hold range.