# Blade lube for bandsaw



## hermit (Oct 19, 2010)

What do you bandsaw millers use to lube/cool blade ? I cut some green hickory and had a real problem with sap buildup. I read another place they used 50/50 mix bar oil and diesel. I wonder about that staining the wood. How about pine sol and water ? dish soap?


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## Timberframed (Oct 19, 2010)

I don't have a bandmill but what about vegetable oil? Some guys here use it on chain mills.


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## BobL (Oct 19, 2010)

I though you could just use water on a BSM?


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## aardquark (Oct 19, 2010)

I've cut a lot of spruce/pine/fir with an older LumberMate, and a slow water drip is enough to keep the pitch from building up on the blade.


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## Cmccul8146 (Oct 19, 2010)

I use a mixture of water & dish detergent on my Oscar 228. Owners manual says to never use any flammable mix as lube for bandmill. Only takes 1 or 2 drops about every 2 seconds.


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## deeker (Oct 19, 2010)

On my Norwood Lumbermate LM2000 I use water with dish soap to keep the sap off, at a v e r y slow drip.

Winter I use windshield washer fluid with dishsoap.

Oil will not help. Except to wear out the belts FASTER. Rots them.


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## stoking (Oct 19, 2010)

water and pine sol for softwoods, just water for hardwoods.


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## Ted J (Oct 19, 2010)

This weekend I was cutting two pine logs for 6x6 posts. I had a good deal of sap build up until I found the right drip rate to where the blade was running clean. If it drips too much It just makes a mess of everything...


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## SPM in King (Oct 20, 2010)

Water and pine sol for hard and softwoods. Really works on White Ash. Keeping the blade cool helps.

Steve.


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## Sawyer Rob (Oct 20, 2010)

I use plain water in the summer, and windshield washer fluid in the winter. If i'm having a sap problem (not common) I put a tiny bit of dish soap, or pinesol in the water, but 99% of the time i don't use anything in the water.

Rob


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## hermit (Oct 20, 2010)

Thanks For all ideas. I'll try plain water or washer fluid now that it is getting colder. I have an 1989 LT 40 Woodmizer.


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## mktjqk (Oct 20, 2010)

I also have a woodmizer LT40 hydraulic. Cut about 30 fresh pines into 3/4 inch lumber for a guy in south Jersey a few weekends ago. Upped my dish soap concentration to cup in the 5 gallon water lube. Blades stayed sap free all day. I will normally just use plain water unless I see some build-up on the blade, and then just a splash of dish soap.

I also run the drip very fast. Helps to keep the saw dust under control and keep the blade cool. I rarely have to tighten the blade when using a high flow rate, but if I run out and the blade starts to heat up it will stretch a fair amount so I'll tighten after pretty much every log.


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## 04titanse (Apr 15, 2013)

I am about as green as they come, only milled 3 small trees so far, but I have been using 1/2 cup of pine-sol with 1.5 gallons of water milling green hemlock and no build up at all.

Sorry didn't realize this was two years old!


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## Dad2FourWI (May 3, 2013)

@ 04titanse,

I am even "greener" than you! .... but I am attending a WoodMizer open house tomorrow and I will ask a few questions re the use of soaps and detergents in the tank and see if they have any additional feedback...

I have a lot of Red Pine, White Pine, and soft Maples that I expect might need something to help cut the sap.... I have talked to many that never use a drop of anything when milling oak... but I know how pine rosin can "muck things up"!!!! We run our chainsaws with larger teeth for this same reason... I used to cut pulp for Nekoosa Edwards... and yes, that was over 30 years ago!!!

I will post tomorrow or the next day with what I find out!

-Dad2FourWI


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## SDB777 (May 4, 2013)

I use PineSol and water.....but I have noticed it does need to be washed off pretty quickly after or it'll 'stain' the timber.

Maybe I'm using too much PineSol?







Scott (and it's cheap) B


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## excess650 (May 4, 2013)

I use Dawn dishwashing liquid and water and have never had any sap buildup. I can't say that it stains the wood either.


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## Dad2FourWI (May 5, 2013)

I asked this question and the general opinion was to just use water... if the log was very sappy the rate of water should be increased.

For winter time, use a water/windshield wiper fluid mix or water/RV winterization fluid (the "pink stuff").

These were the answers I received but like I said, I have yet to try them out!!!

HTH,
-Dad2FourWI


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