Blade Lube for your band mill?

[EZland]

All,  looking ot see what everyone uses for Band mill lube.  Water, bar oil, mix of something, used cooking oil, what is your choice of lube? 

[Chuck White]

I used to use a mixture of 3 gallons of water, 1 gallon of used cooking oil and ½ cup of Dawn dish soap.

Worked pretty good in warm weather, also was a good way to get rid of the cooking oil.

The dish soap was added so that the water and oil would emulsify.

Once the weather started getting cooler, the oil would solidify, float and would not mix with the water.

So, I quit using it after I got rid of the oil that I had collected and now I use water and about 4-5 tablespoons of soap.

[levans]

I use straight used cooking oil year round, it's slow in the winter and I have to shut the value back in the summer but so far it's worked well for me.

[Dan_Shade]

I used a mixture containing vegetable oil for a while, it gunked up my lubemizer bad. 

[EZland]

What kind of veggie oil?  Canola?   Has anyone tried mixing it with mineral spirits?   

[Magicman]

A search for blade lube will find many threads on the subject.  Also, you will get many opinions concerning water/soap/diesel/etc.  My advice is to use what your sawmill manufacturer recommends.

Here is a thread showing what I use:  LINK   Filling the 5 gallon jug with water and 10 oz. of Cascade cost about 60 cents.  Automatic dish washer liquid does not foam up when you are filling the jug, plus it has the surfactant necessary to break down the surface barrier and make wet "wetter".

[hackberry jake]

When I bought my jr, Ed recommended 1/3 bar oil and 2/3 diesel. He said 2-3 drips a minute. I have been using this mix exclusively except for once, I tried water and soap. I didn't like the water and soap as well. I had to fill my lube tank up at least twice in one day instead of once a month or so with the diesel mix. Whatever you choose stick with it. When I filled it back up with diesel/oil, it had a reaction with the soap and made jello.

[EZland]

 hackberry - Never thought of a mix turning to jello.  The water mix is working, but the first day I had it turned on too high.  It sprayed everything.   

Second day I turned it down prior to sawing and worked some what better.     Does you lumber smell like diesel? 

One thing I like about water is the price. 

I have been using canonla oil in my chainsaw for a few months and it is nice knowing you are only getting sprayed with cooking oil, instead of Petroleum.  I am not a green freak, but nice to know your not eating fuel. 

[hackberry jake]

The only place where it might smell like diesel is where the band enters the cant/log. It evaporates quickly. When I'm sawing sycamore all I smell is sycamore, same with oak and walnut and about everything else. If its turned down low enough, it's no an issue.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Sycamore, Oak and Walnut smell like $$$$$$$.......no matter what lube you use.  8)

[Sawdust Lover]

EZland, Everybody has there own opinion on what to use but I have been using lumber from bandmills for over 20 years. Depending on what the wood would be used for woodworkers dont like oils on there lumber, it's hard to finish and I have had alot of times when the finish would birds eye or orange peal. I use Pinesol in my tank and it's been working so far.

[EZland]

Pure Pinesol or a mix?  I like stuff you can buy in gallons. 

[Dan_Shade]

I like to dump between a cup and a pint of pinesol in my water tank.  If I don't have that, I've used dawn, and liquid laundry detergent

[JFarmer]

Straight water! Its cheap and has been working for me for years!

[hackberry jake]

I have finished a lot of the lumber I have cut using diesel/oil. Never had a problem. Even if the Lube mix didn't dry out while the lumber dryed out, I always send mine through the jointer and planer, which takes it down to fresh wood. 2-3 drips a minute means 3 drips per board max. You have evaporative losses because most of it sticks to the band or winds up in the sawdust. Just my experience though.

[thecfarm]

I use half diesel,half bar and chain,at a SLOW drip. Just a drip every few seconds does me fine. A gallon last a long time. No smell with the lumber. It's only a SLOW drip not a steady steam like I've seen some use as a lube.

[Compensation]

One gallon of water with 2-4 oz. pinsol

[EZland]

Wow, it seems that there is ton of thoughts on the best lube.  Great input, but as divivded as college football in the south! 

[Brad_S.]

EZland, Everybody has there own opinion on what to use but I have been using lumber from bandmills for over 20 years. Depending on what the wood would be used for woodworkers dont like oils on there lumber, it's hard to finish and I have had alot of times when the finish would birds eye or orange peal. I use Pinesol in my tank and it's been working so far.

I have never ever heard of diesel causing a woodworker issues. On the extremely long shot odds that it doesn't all evaporate during drying, it will be planed off in the dressing. Finally, even water based finishes use petroleum solvents in them so there wouldn't be any fish eyes. Fish eye in finishes are usually the result of silicone contaminants, not petrol based. If you are getting fish eye and orange peel, you are having issues other than what you used as a "lube" when sawmilling.
I don't mean to rag on you SL...just don't want mis-information to stop someone from using diesel as a "lube".

[WDH]

I use water, a few good, long squirts of dishwashing liquid soap, and a good slop or two of pinesol in the lube tank.  Since this is an important recipe, I wanted to be precise with the measurements  :D.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I use water, a few good, long squirts of dishwashing liquid soap, and a good slop or two of pinesol in the lube tank.  Since this is an important recipe, I wanted to be precise with the measurements  :D.

You got this recipe out of GOOD HOUSE KEEPING magazine......May issue.  :D

[WDH]

Exactly.  Not sure now that I think about it if the recipe actually called for a glop rather than a slop  ???.

[Magicman]

The proper measurement is glug.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

The proper measurement is glug.

If the GLUG don't fit, you must acquit.  :D

[CalebL]

I have finished a lot of the lumber I have cut using diesel/oil. Never had a problem. Even if the Lube mix didn't dry out while the lumber dryed out, I always send mine through the jointer and planer, which takes it down to fresh wood. 2-3 drips a minute means 3 drips per board max. You have evaporative losses because most of it sticks to the band or winds up in the sawdust. Just my experience though.

Jake's right.  After switching to diesel and bar oil, I will never go back to a water/soap lube.  I seem to be cutting a lot of really dry logs and the water lube would cause the wood to swell creating more heat and blade tension loss.  Switching to a diesel bar mix, this problem went away.  I usually drip about 4 drips per minute.  It cost me about $22 to fill my lube jug, but considering how long it lasts and how well it works, it's worth every penny.

I haven't had one person have any issue with the lube either.  After the lumber is cut and stacked, you can't tell what lube I used.