Diesel/kerosene & bar oil sawmill blade lube causing trouble w/finish?

[Treebucker]

Hello all,
I'm new here. Like most of you, I have a keen interest in wood. :cool2: But I work the other side of the aisle in the sawmill department. I would really like some input from people experienced in the end-use of the product.

There has been much debate among sawmillers about which bandsaw blade lube works best: water/water mixes vs diesel/kerosene and chainsaw bar oil mixes. Each camp strongly believes their lube is the best. There is little scientific evidence to support either side's arguements. I'm in the water camp, but that is because of smell and costs.

Water is typically used without any additives and applied at a rate from ~1 drop per second to full stream. Additives include: ~1 drop of dish soap per gallon of water; ~tbsp. pinesol per gallon of water; and water mixed with windshield washer.

Typically, diesel/kerosene and chainsaw bar oil mixes are applied at a rate of ~1 drop per minute. A typical mix is 50/50 diesel or kerosene to chainsaw bar oil.

Based on my experience operating a band mill, there are times that the head can remain parked in a cut for several minutes. There are many reasons this could happen: clear an obstruction, refill the gas tank, etc.. The operator, due to apathy or memory, is not going to shut off the lube every time this happens. So when the cut is resumed, the buildup of lube on the band will end pulled into the cut.

I want to find out if anyone here has ever had, or suspected, trouble with their final finish due to diesel/kerosene and chainsaw bar oil residue from the sawmill?

Secondly, have you ever been put off by the smell of the same when buying lumber?

 

[Steve Worcester]

For turning, I don't see how the lube formula is going to affect us much. Mostly I think because we cut away portions of the wood. For flat work, where the user wants to keep a good portion of the dimension, I can see a possible issue. The dishsoap would interfere with adhesion of a lot of finishes.

If the smell is in a mill yard, no problem. In a building where you are selling dimensioned lumber, a problem.

 

[MichaelMouse]

As Steve mentioned, turners take away all that isn't a plate, and we flat work types plane the rough stuff, so it's a problem that is no problem. Used to take my spent motor oil over to my neighbors to lube their blade guides. Have to say I never noticed anything on the lumber.

Go with what your insurer and your accountant tell you and you'll be fine. Unless you have a wife with another opinion.

 

[Paul Engle]

Hey Treebucker,
when I was younger working in the North Idaho forest , we used two man cross cut saw with the 3rd man feeding the lube , etc. We used kerosene/water and when the kerosene was gone it was water/watermix w/ #1 or #2 diesel from the jammer( #1 has more gas/kerosene in it). never seemed to have enuf kerosene. then along came mr. chainsaw and bye bye to the cross cut. so my guess on the saw header would be kerosene/water. my guess is now adays to use ethlineglycol/water recirculated and filtered.But that would be a machinists guess.... . But I have never smelled anything on FAS or blows or con common, my guess would be the plainer takes most of that off ?

 

[Barbara Gill]

I have run a Wood-Mizer as part of my custom sawing business since 1985. I used to use the water lube but it was a real PITA. Now I have one of those squirt bottles with a pointed end on the cap. I keep it filled with diesel fuel. If sap starts building up I give the blade a little squirt. I never have had any problem with the wood I have used nor have I ever had any negative feed back from customers. I can't imagine using diesel fuel or oil as a constant blade lube; what a mess that would be.

I have never noticed any odor on the boards as I stack them or when they are used. If any did soak into the very green (wet) wood it would be planed off before being used in a project.