Author Topic: Secret Recipes for Blade Lube (Read 2587 times)

Macgyver · « **on:** December 22, 2011, 12:22:12 pm »

Hey Everyone. I'm relatively new to sawing, and have been running a pine-sol water mix for a while in my Norwood MX-34. I ran the water tank empty right as it was getting dark last weekend, so I decided it was about time to quit anyway. Apparently it got down to 14 degrees overnight, and stayed around 20 all day. I didn't have the patience to sit by and thaw the lines to swap to windshield wiper fluid, and I wasn't sure how well that would work anyway.

Anyone got any super secret recipes, or anything that just works really well for blade lube in the winter? Any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks everyone in advance.

red oaks lumber · « **Reply #1 on:** December 22, 2011, 12:59:30 pm »

windsshield wassher fluid, good to minus 20, cheap

DouginUtah · « **Reply #2 on:** December 22, 2011, 01:38:30 pm »

Well, it used to be cheap...

The lowest price I've found this year is $1.78 at Wal-Mart. I think Home Depot wants $2.78. Just two or three years ago you could buy it for under a dollar on sale.

Quite a bit more than the claimed 3.6% inflation rate.

nas · « **Reply #3 on:** December 22, 2011, 04:03:03 pm »

I have a super secret recipe, but it's a super secret

Nick

red oaks lumber · « **Reply #4 on:** December 22, 2011, 07:19:42 pm »

at fleet farm i buy a case of 6 for $7.19

SPIKER · « **Reply #5 on:** December 22, 2011, 07:26:33 pm »

Menards often has it for 98cent still (ours anyhow) for the Blue or the BUG remover stuff...
Mark

Norm · « **Reply #6 on:** December 23, 2011, 05:41:34 am »

Try Dollar General for it too.

ladylake · « **Reply #7 on:** December 23, 2011, 07:12:50 am »

Diesel is a lot cheaper, takes about 1/2 gal per 8 hours. Steve

Magicman · « **Reply #8 on:** December 23, 2011, 07:46:20 am »

Be sure to check the label to insure that the jug contains either 0 or -32 degree formula. If you find that you have a frozen faucet, wrap it with one of those chemical hand warmers and a towel. It will thaw out quickly.

I purge the system with -32 degree formula.

thecfarm · « **Reply #9 on:** December 23, 2011, 07:54:36 am »

Another idea you may want to try with the amount is have 2 valves on your line.One have wide open,use it as a on and off ONLY,than have another to adjust with to have just a drip or a trickle or a stream.. Than use the on and off valve to turn the lube off when you are doing something else and turn it back on when you get sawing and the flow will be just right. This will save on the amount of lube you use too.

red oaks lumber · « **Reply #10 on:** December 23, 2011, 12:54:43 pm »

steve,
diesle must be cheap in your area 1/2 gal. is still over 1.75 . i can saw all day on 1 gal. washer fluid :)frozen wood dosent need as much lube, imo

eastberkshirecustoms · « **Reply #11 on:** December 23, 2011, 01:26:57 pm »

Diesel is $4.05 a gallon here, not exactly a cheap blade lube.

Banjo picker · « **Reply #12 on:** December 23, 2011, 06:44:41 pm »

It never freezes ...so I never have to purge a tank...and I don't think I will use a half gal. in 8 hours....it depends on how your mill is set up...with a true drip system it don't take very much....Yes it will gell at about 10 deg. and that might happen here two or three times a year...maybe...And when and if it does, I dang sure won't care, cause I won't be sawing anyway...Banjo

ladylake · « **Reply #13 on:** December 25, 2011, 05:35:13 am »

I,ve tried washer fluid in the winter, no way I'd get by on 1 gal a day with the wood I saw, more like 4 or 5. Steve

ladylake · « **Reply #14 on:** December 25, 2011, 05:39:24 am »

Quote from: ladylake on December 25, 2011, 05:35:13 am

I,ve tried washer fluid in the winter, no way I'd get by on 1 gal a day with the wood I saw, more like 4 or 5. I was stretching it a bit when I said 1/2 gal per 8 hours, it's less and no jelling trouble up here where it's mixed for the winter. Steve

bandmiller2 · « **Reply #15 on:** December 25, 2011, 07:16:57 am »

Mac,just use your regular mix and add some methonol in the winter thats the working ingrediant in WW fluid.Myself I use diesel/oil mix applied with a wick year round no drips,no buildup,no rust,no smell,no discoloration,no BS. Frank C.

Kansas · « **Reply #16 on:** December 25, 2011, 10:21:41 am »

So much of it depends on what your sawing, and what your climate is. Some woods we rarely have to use anything, such as cottonwood or sycamore. Others like the oaks, hickory, ash cut much better with diesel than anything else I have found. When you compare costs between things like windshield wiper fluid and diesel, look at the pile of the lumber at the end of the day. Look at how often you had to change the blade. The cost per board foot is inconsequential on either one. The size of the pile of lumber and not having blades heat up due to buildup, causing them to fail prematurely, is. Look at the cost of downtime due to freezing.

357blacksmith · « **Reply #17 on:** December 28, 2011, 10:18:28 pm »

Down here in east Texas, Dawn dishwashing liquid ( few drops to the gallon of water) keeps sap from building up on the blade, not sure about freezing temps though. Not that big of a problem here, but so cheap it might be worth a try, just let it drain out when your finished for the day so it wont freeze over night. Just a thought.

Dan_Shade · « **Reply #18 on:** December 28, 2011, 10:47:15 pm »

I used vegetable oil for a while, but it pretty much made a mess of everything. now I use dawn and pinesol.

Dave VH · « **Reply #19 on:** February 03, 2012, 05:25:48 pm »

is there a problem with any of these recipes staining the wood? I like the idea of diesel only because I have a large tank at my place, convience. I really don't mill that much right now anyhow. I haven't used any lube up to now, but i understand the advantage for it. I just outfitted my saw with a luber, and I'm ready to add the right formula. So far, I saw only hardwoods, and if you look at the logs that I have here, that's all it's going to be for a long time. I'm glad that this thread was started.

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Author Topic: Secret Recipes for Blade Lube (Read 2587 times)