Lubrication

[twostroke_blood]

What is everyone using for lubrication? I started with windsheild wiper fluid in the cold weather, but now im switching over to one cup of pinesol to a gallon of water. Whats a good rule of thumb for how much to run on the band while cutting?

[W]

I use WW in the winter, but now I use 1 cup pinesol per 4 gals water ( or whatever the woodmizer reservoir is).

scy

[FiremanEd]

We run WW cut 50/50 during the winter, a little stiffer if it's going below 9F. Pure water in warm weather and let the luber go, we're not having any buildup that's lube related. A little pinesol or dishwashing soap wouldn't hurt, I just never remember to buy it.... and pure water works fine.

[woodmills1]

just a note, pinesol removes grease.  I added some to my blade sharpener water and soon took the bearing out of the front of the motor.

[Tony]

just a note, pinesol removes grease.  I added some to my blade sharpener water and soon took the bearing out of the front of the motor.

 I guess that's the reason the bearings on the guides freeze up only after a short while on my TK1600. 

                                                     Tony

[gary]

Does anyone  use straight deisel or kerosene? That was what was in my mill when i bought it . The guy i bought it off of said he used that because water stained his wood.

[flip]

I would think that anything other than water would leave a stain or effect the wood or its ability to dry and stain.  Isn't a water stain just the minerals left after the water dries?  I guess one could use distilled water   I'm getting ready to start my fuel and lube plumbing and my intentions are to run straight water only.  If for some reason I need to saw when it's below freezing(which I'm too much of a wuss to do anyway) couldn't you add some isopropyl alcohol to the water to keep the water from freezing

[Engineer]

I lubricate myself with some single malt, maybe Macallan or Glenlivet, and occasionally a Bass Ale or Anchor Steam.... 

Oh you meant blade lube?

Winter I run 1 gallon of windshield washer (the orange stuff that acts as a de-icer) to a cup of cheap dish soap to the rest of the jug hot water, as hot as I can get.  By the time it's cooled to 40 degrees or so, it's gone. 

Summer I run dish soap and cold water only.  No oil, no kerosene, none of that stuff, I don't want me or what I'm sawing smelling like fuel. 

[hiya]

I use kerosene. The last time I sawed I used water. The red oak boards looked like somebody sprinkled pepper on them. I only saw once or twice a month and the guides & blade are all rusty. That doesn't happen with kero. I don't see any effects on the lumber from it.
Richard

[ladylake]

Tony
 I was going through bearings pretty regular on my B20 guide wheels but since I drilled a small hole in the bearing seal and grease it every day or so with a needle point grease gun  I haven't had to replace any.  One of them was already  a little noisy and it's still in there over 6 months later.
Steve

[twostroke_blood]

What is the purpose of lube anyway? Is it to lubricate the band, or to clean it? Also wouldnt kerosene disolve grease as well as detergents?

[ladylake]

Two stroke
I'd say the main purpose is to keep it clean. If you get pitch buildup it won't cut straight. The only place it would lube is the back of the blade and flange on the guide wheels. Sure runs a lot quieter with lube.  Steve

[Rockn H]

I run water year round.  If I'm cutting pine I add one cup of liquid soap per five gallons of water to keep the sap off the blade and to cool it.  Sap buildup will make the blade dive and a hot blade , often indicated by less tension on your gauge, will dull quicker. 

I use kerosene. The last time I sawed I used water. The red oak boards looked like somebody sprinkled pepper on them.

When using water to saw Red Oak I run just enough water to help cool the blade.  The water causes the tanin in the oak to stain the saw dust.  If you notice, you blade will turn black for the same reason.  Less water and sweeping the sawdust off your boards as they come off the mill should just about stop the pepper look.

[Furby]

I haven't cut anything that needed lube of any kind, but it will be water when I do!

[woodmills1]

I use 50/50 diesel and bar oil.  Squirt it from a can only when blade is noisy or sap builds up.

[jrokusek]

Is lube absolutely necessary when cutting hardwoods?  I will be finishing my homemade mill sometime this month and this was one of my final questions. 

Does the lube need to be in front of the guide bearing?  Seems to me that it would help conserve bearings if you put the lube behind the bearing.

Jim

I haven't cut anything that needed lube of any kind, but it will be water when I do!

[Larry]

Depends on the hardwood species...I have found ash always needs lube and lots of it.  Other hardwoods are hit and miss.  I sawed red and white oak this morning.  Didn’t need a drop for the red oak and maybe ran a cup or less for the white oak.  Tomorrow might be a different story.

[flip]

Is there a problem with running too much lube.  Like the old addage, if a little is good a lot is better?  Obviously ya can't keep dumping lube on by the bucket but wouldn't a steady flow be good in all wood?

[ARKANSAWYER]

   I use about 1/2 cup of pine oil and a good squirt of Dawn dish soap in the water jug on my WM.  The lube mostly keeps the blade cool which keeps the sap from sticking to the hot blade.  If you do not think the blade gets hot run it through about 12 inches of oak for 8 ft then as soon as it stops reach in there and grab it with a bare hand.  IT will be very warm.  Woods like ash, hickory, white oak and heart pine will need some lube.  The duller the blade the more lube.  To much lube sometimes is worst then no lube.
  If you are sawing oak and do not want the metal stain on your lumber add Murphy Oil Soap (about 1/4 cup per jug) and it will stop it.  Now on your oak that stain you see will plane out and does not go any deeper then the gray of being airdried in the sun.
  As for diesel/bar oil or kerosene it takes very little to lube the blade and the best systems I have seen rigged used a "wick" to place it on the blade.  It did keep the blade clean but was not enough to cool the blade at all.  I would assume that the oil would break down the belts on the wheel after a time.  I know when I saw power poles with lots of oil in them my band will jump off from time to time because of the oil.   Other then that I never have one jump off unless I hit it on something.  I personaly do not like to think that there is diesel or kerosene in my sawdust pile as it will burn.  Just me.
  The cooler the blade the less stuff sticks to it.  The cooler the blade the longer the blades seem to last.   I saw full time and lots of different stuff so lube on the blade will make a differance at the end of the day.   As for the lube washing out the bearings I do not believe it will.  I run lube daily year round and on only the second set of guide bearings after over a million bdft sawn.

[woodmills1]

i tend to agree that the water will cool the blade, but just got sick and tired of haulin the water jugs and havin freeze up problems in the winter.  Also absolutly true that any blue stain in oak that happens at the mill will plane right out, not so for stain from metal in the tree, haven't found anything that will get rid of that.  As far as the diesel mix breaking down the belts I havent seen any problem there and probably havent pushed a band off more than twice in 10 years without hitting anything. I also went down one size on the belts and really get lotsa time out of them as well as far less broken blades.   Lets get to the real bottem line here, as long as the mill is reasonably designed and not way out of wack as far as alinement, it all comes down to the blade.  Sharp and set for the wood being cut and it works.