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Pat mentioned trying to buy beezwax in another thread and I thought I would mention that for lubricating my saw blades and also drills, I use standard wax candles as the lubricant, wiping the candle along the rear of the blade lubricates it well.
A box of 10 Price's Household Candles will only cost £2.99. from a hardware shop like Robert Dyas,
see; http://www.robertdyas.co.uk/price-s-...FebItAod7jYAWQ
and this pack of 10 candles will last a very long time as lubricants.
James
Yes, I use a piece of candle too.
I've found a candle is also a very good clean way of lubricating plastic curtain rails, and wooden drawers and their runners.
Following James' recommendation, my variation is to use tea lights, because it is easy to remove the foil and wick, leaving you with a handy disk, which can be strung and hung up. Dennis.
I have been using a bit of candle for years and keep breaking blades, sawing a piece of 7cm x 2mm thick silver (just one straight cut) I broke 4 with regular greasing, I have had a New Concept saw for about six months which is lovely so I thought I would try beeswax first, then look to see if it still happens as I havent had this problem before. The blades arent new either, so it must be either me, or the lack of lubrication. My gripe was with Cooksons, my daughter works and asked me to place the order for her, so I proceeded to order, then I remembered the wax, and added it to her order, but she objected to paying so much for the carriage compared to posting (most of the orders we have are around £60 - £70) and also having to wait in for the carrier on her day off, as the postie arrives at about the same time each morning, she could still have done all she needed to do. My husband did a short stint as a courier driver, so if he had 100 parcels and you were on his list as the 97th it would be about 5pm that you would get the parcel and if you only have one day off a week, you dont really want to be waiting in all day, the closest they can get to giving you a time would be either a.m or p.m.
I also have a huge candle which I run my blades and drills over, though I tend to use 3in1 oil for lubing now. I also have that stick for of lube… burr life? I find it rubbish.
I have burr life too and find that rubbish. I wondered about 3 in 1 oil, may try that. Surely candles are made from parafin wax not beeswax, (I have a friend that makes candles as a hobby, I will ask her) wondered if that mattered, but if others have been using it ................... may give it a try. I think beeswax is softer constituency.
Yes I think Burr Life and Cut Lube are a waste of money. They crumble and then you have to flame them to keep them together.
Bees wax clings on for longer, but can actually clog fine blades, causing them to feel blunt.
James is our piercing professional, and if candles are good enough for him, then they are for me too. As described elsewhere though, the wax is applied from the back of the blade, not straight onto the teeth. Dennis.
Sawpiercing is the life blood to the regalia industry and I have been involved in it for nearly 45 years and teaching for at least 20
I've used beeswax all my working life probably because I don't have to pay for it, candle wax I've also used in emergencies but I've always
favoured beeswax. When I use the wax I apply it in a single stroke directly onto the teeth, this has served me well over the years and I
usually have the frame in my hand for a minimum of 15 hours per week.
This is how I work in my industry where time and speed are essential and I respect other folks views and techniques.
Carlton
The teeth are (hopefully) downward pointing and do the cutting: the sides of the blade are where the friction surfaces are. I'd recommend to lube with beeswax one stroke to each side. I think applying beeswax to the back is probably a roundabout way of achieving this, but the blade won't begin to benefit until it is blade-depth in.:-pQuote:
Originally Posted by Dennis
Well, It's likely that there are as many opinions on this as there are professionals, so what chance do we amateurs have? Imagine the scene in a court of law:
Council For The Prosecution (CP): Mr Dennis, could you tell the jury how long you have been an amateur Jeweller?
Dennis: About twenty Years.
CP: Mr Dennis, Could you be more specific than that?
Dennis: Well I started on the first Thursday of May 1994.
CP: If your Lordship Pleases, the jury should not have to put up with the vagueness of this witness. I move that his evidence be struck from the record.
Judge: Granted. Mr Dennis. you may stand down, but I must warn you that if you discuss this case outside the court you will be held in contempt. nor may you search any electronic device on matters pertaining to it. Call the next witness......
Well I am sure we all have our opinions about lubricating our saw blades. I use standard candles because I was taught to and I say if it isn't broke why fix it.
Here are some examples of my piercing, which I started learning to do in September 1961.
Attachment 7304Attachment 7303Attachment 7300Attachment 7301Attachment 7302
James
Oh James, they are beautiful, you are a very clever talented boy. I really struggle with piercing, if I can cut with snips I will. I just feel a bit cack handed, its not just a sight problem. Perhaps I should do a bit every day, it has been better since I bought a Knew Saw but I still break blades for a pastime. I think it is because I dont keep the saw vertical all the time, it wavers. I know how it should be done but can't seem to do it.
Thank you for the lovely comment Pat, I haven't been called a boy for many years though, I will be 69 in a few months.
This was the Forget me not flower egg that I was piercing in that first picture, a photo taken in 1982.
Attachment 7305
James
Fantastic work James!
Pat, did you find the thread on saw blades breaking/blunting quickly? It seems not all blades are created equal.
If the problem is lubrication it will feel different than if the blade is blunt or brittle.
How relaxed is your shoulder and arm when piercing? I find its when tension creeps in there thats when Im likely to break a blade.
Trying to force a sharp turn is never going to end well either :)
Keep going with it James - don't give up - your work shows there is still hope for you yet :worthy:Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldsmith
are those bowls made from amethyst?Quote:
Originally Posted by Goldsmith
(I'm not going to say how awesome your work is, because you must get sick of hearing it ;) )
Yes Liz the fruit bowls are carved amethyst. Made on commission for Kutchinsky, Brompton Road, London, back in the days when the Kutchinsky family owned the shop.Quote:
Originally Posted by medusa
James
So what's a few years between friends. I will be 68 in 22 days time, born in the bad snow of 1947. My mum is 97 and my dad is 87, both still going strong and looking after themselves, with the help of a cleaner once a week. I have a lot to live up to.
I don't know about the UK but here in Australia I buy Beeswax direct from a Bee keeper I buy 1 kilo blocks for $16-17AU roughly 3-4 pounds
What on earth do you do with all that?
My thoughts exactly Dennis......Blimey.....that's an awful lot of beeswax to get through China.....??????
Makes candles, possibly?Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis
I buy beeswax in modest quantities occasionally to make polish out of. You allow a block of beeswax to soak in white spirit and in about a week you have a lovely cream polish that puts a shine on whatever you want to put a shine on; in my case hand-marbled paper and leather bookbindings.
Failing that, http://matteroftrust.org/5044/101-uses-for-beeswax
Not a problem my partner makes candles, plus I make my own furniture polish I usually end up with the scraps for my jewellery bench
Ive used AF cutlube ( swiss) since I got some for stone carving ages ago.
Bought some beeswax a few weeks ago to try and didn't like it at all so back to the cutlube, works really well for me.
i am not sure if anyone asked this so here goes.
I hear a lot about using beeswax, can i use the
beeswax from my local bee keeper?
Thanks
Beeswax is just wax from bees, so I can't see any reason why your local beekeeper's wax would not have the properties you need.Quote:
Originally Posted by Bmark1959
I use beeswax all the time for sawing, drilling when using burrs etc. I find it just as good as expensive little commercial preparations.
The trouble with beeswax is that it clogs very fine blades and stops them cutting as well. Burr Life is fine, but crumbles as it gets old, so most of it ends up on the bench.
I use candle wax in the form of tea lights, see page one above, because they are cheap and convenient. Dennis.
I normally use 6/0 or 4/0 and found exactly that Dennis hence why I prefer the cutlube.
I did try beeswax and candle wax and put it on the back of the blade as James suggested but still found it pretty sticky.
I've found the same thing with beeswax in fine blades. I smear a tiny bit of badger balm on the back of the blade instead and it seems to do the trick without clogging the teeth.
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