Hi BobL,
I do need to put a thermometer to the bar after using to validate my handy fingertip temp reading...I'd be very interested to see if there is some actual, meaningful reduction in temps with the straight canola. I'm not using my aux oiler on the short bar, though I may simply to add a bit of weight off the far end of the mill.
In reading about canola's physical properties and seeing several sources say (sorry 'bout the unintended alliteration) that it has a higher shear strength than petro oil, I wondered if that translated to a tendency to hang on around the nose. The canola is certainly less viscous out of the bottle than even basic motor oil, but what I've noticed, both in the oil tank and in the frying pan, is that its viscosity is not dramatically changing when hot. I did a bit of an unscientific test when I switched oils by using the saw a good while with dino and pouring it out, noting how it poured and "about" how fast. Switched to canola, did the same thing, and visually it seemed there was little difference between the oils when hot.
I notice a lot of variation in price and availability for canola on various threads, but where I am on the southern Oregon coast, each is easy to get and the difference in price between a gallon of canola and a gallon of, say, Husky bar oil is no more than a few dollars. I switched primarily because I was getting more oil on me than I wanted, and I noticed a sheen on some of the leaves of the salal around my work area (salal is a native shrub/understory plant here for those who don't know), and don't relish that sheen in my lungs.
