oil stone oil

Baby oil is a thinner grade of mineral oil.

Bryan in Broad Ripple, IN

>

N...not really.

Bryan in Broad Ripple, IN

>While baby oil is a type of mineral oil, it's not nearly as thick as garden variety mineral oil. Check it out and see for yourself.

-Bryan

50% light oil (sewing machine) 50% kero

Andrew F in Australia

>Hi Les,

I haven't read what all have said, but this mixture is what a number of cabinetmaking shops use - either the above or about 60% kero, 40% neatsfoot.

Cheers,

Andrew

Re: To clarify...

Jeremy Osner

>Cool, didn't know that -- I always assumed spermaceti was rendered blubber.

Re: To clarify...

Patrick Gibbons, Houston

>A bit of trivia; this was the preferred lubricant of watchmakers because of its viscosity and non-drying nature. Don't want to gum up a watch movement.

I have some

Todd Hughes

>Some years back I went to an auction at an old blacksmith shop that had been closed for about 40 years or so.One of the things I got was a big bucket of whale oil. A friend got another bucket which he later traded to me for something. One of the cans i had rusted out by setting on the ground in back of the shop but think I still have the other somewhere or the other. I used it sharpening stones and did work very nice, also for oiling of other stuff.Truthfully don't know if I could tell that much difference though between modern oils but was neat to use it...The old blacksmith apparently used it for tempering because one of the things I bought was his quenching tank with a lid which was about half filled with oil I didn't want the stuff to splash around in my truck so I just took it outside and dumped on the ground thinking it was regular oil befor I figured out that it was probably more whale oil.Wish now I had saved it maybe...OH well

This shop was mega neat, lots of big old time wood working machines and a big power hammer that ran off of overhead belts with a motor in the loft. Everything was just as the guy left it and looked like he just stepped out for lunch.Stuff sold pretty cheap too..... Todd