I was thinking about changeing over to diesel as a lube on my mill. Right now I'm having a pitch problem. After my cut I have to let the blade run a minute to clean the blade and then make my next cut.
I'm useing half a bottle of pinesol (16 oz)and a little dish liq added to 5 gallons of water. I've heard people using diesel and I just wondered if people are using reg or off road. Also does it prematurely ruin your belts and does it stain the wood your cutting?
I know some people use it, however the smell can remain on the boards, which could be a problem if you are sawing for other people. Also, consider where it will go if it doesn't go on the board...
Environmental and smell issues aside, I know the people the do use it seem to like it, but it takes much less of it than water. Just a drop every now and then.
Have you tried using more soap and/or increasing the flow?
i have a squirt can that i lube the roller pads on my norwood with. i also use that same mix on my blade when i get a really pitchy log. i just turn the water off and give it a squirt as i cut. works well for me. i have not noticed any oil problems with the wood yet.
btw it is 50% kerosene and baroil.
i use diesel. off road and even dirty or wash diesel works ok. cheaper the better. a drop every 4 or 5 seconds. i always shut it off when stopped to turn the log or offbear. if i cut 1000 bdft it might only take a quart. and no freezing. i am on my first set of belts and my mill has 400 hours on it so i would say that the belts are wearing normally. staining on the boards is minimal as well but i dont cut many mantle pieces or things that would be a problem on. pc
50 50 diesel and bar oil from a squirt can as needed, only trouble is the quality of squirt cans today.
Diesel in the winter, water in the summer. I'd run diesel all year if it did'nt smell. Steve
I use a diesel drip onto wipe pads. If I don't forget to turn it off I never smell it and no one has complained of the smell on the lumber. It is very effective even in small amounts. However, I do admire those who shun it for environmental reasons.
I've used the Woodmizer additive for eastern pine at the recommended full strength and it works. Doesn't smell. Don't have to have the lube flowing full speed either. Tried dishwasher soap once and it worked too. Pinesol a number of times with partial success but didnt get up to a pint or more per 5 gal yet. Pinesol smells the best.
Off road diesel here. Just a small drip. Determine the amount by watching the band for the pitch build up. I've never had any issues with smell. I've built rough pieces and finished projects out of both hard and soft wood where diesel was used as a lube with no staining problems.
We use diesel when we need it. We don't use water. We have tried just about everything, and diesel simply works better.
There is another alternative that might be good for those in a warmer clime. At one time, we tried bio-diesel. It was a bit more expensive that regular diesel, but didn't have the smell. (kind of smelled like McDonalds) Problem is, the stuff jells in the winter. In the end, it was just easier to grab regular diesel out of the tank.
I have not used diesel but several of my friends in the mountains do. Lately I have been using windshield wash fluid and have had good results. Hey KelLoGg good to see a neighboring sawyer on here. I'm in N. Durham Co. Maybe we could compare notes sometime. Brian
HD, as stated above, many sawyers successfully use Diesel applied in different ways. There is nothing wrong with experimenting to find the best lube for your use.
If you want to continue to use water mix, I would recommend 2oz of Cascade per gallon of water. That mix figures out to 50¢ per 5 gallons. In the Winter you will have to add a gallon of -32° windshield washer fluid to prevent freezing.
Cascade automatic dish washing liquid does not produce bubbles. The generic that I tried didn't work well.