Quick Tip: Paraffin Wax for Smoother Hand Planes

Quick tip that saved me yesterday: keep a block of paraffin wax in your shop. Sounds old-fashioned but it works.

The Problem

My hand plane was dragging on some figured maple. Kept catching and tearing out grain no matter how I adjusted the blade.

The Fix

Rubbed some paraffin on the sole of the plane. Night and day difference. Suddenly gliding smooth with no tearout.

Works on table saw tops too. And hand saw blades. Basically any metal surface that contacts wood.

Where to Get It

Canning section at the grocery store. The same stuff people use for sealing jars. Costs a few bucks and lasts forever.

You can also use paste wax but paraffin is cheaper and works just as well for lubrication purposes.

Old timers knew this trick. Sometimes the simple solutions are the best ones.