WOODWORKING QUIZ for 4 Nov 04

[Ralph Jones]

Good Morning Friends,
Now that I have myself on the right time schedule I think I can know when to post a quiz so you have some daytime to think about them.

Now for todays quiz;
I've built a couple of jewelry boxes with wood drawers on wood runners.
what's the best lubricant to make the drawers slide without sticking?

Respectfully,

[Wood Borer]

My thoughts.

The problem is friction and the aim is to reduce it. You can reduce the friction by using hardwood planed smoothly for the drawer bases and runners and not putting any finish on them. Softer woods provide more friction and wear quickly.

Another way might be to introduce a dry lubricant such as graphite (could be messy) or some people have suggested using soap or talc.

There are some self lubricating timbers but I think they are rare and exotic in Australia.

[barnsey]

Candle wax

Garden variety plain white candle. rub it on the runners and presto

Jamie

[Wood Borer]

barnsey,

The same stuff I use on the soles of my planes dahhh

I haven't seen the garden variety though

[barnsey]

That's it - exacerly

I could tell you where that word comes from - the chinese doctor - got exacerly disease - no probably a bit too politically incorrect

And garden variety are the ones that you get in the Bi-Lo packaging

[E. maculata]

I would use something like Tallowwood, or White Mahogany, really really slippery and very hard.

[Ralph Jones]

Good Evening Friends,
The answers you fellows gave are good one as there are many different methods for smooth drawer action and my answer is too long or I am too lazy to type it all out and besides there is a picture that goes with it.
So I am going to attach it for your enjoyment.

Thank you for your support,

Respectfully,

[RETIRED]

Gooday Ralph.

Although I very rarely answer any of your quizzes I find them interesting.

As you can see by the times the quiz is only up during our daytime when we have the least amount of people on.

What I suggest is that you post it for at least 24 hrs. It doesn't matter what time (your time) you post it but leave it up for 24 hrs, i.e. if you post at night, leave it until the next night to answer and post the new one.

You have done this in the past and it works well. Our clocks only moved an hour forward and that was only part of Oz.

[lyctus]

Parrafin wax is not only useful for this application, but it has 1001 uses throughout the workshop and home...wax the plattens of your thicknessers and jointers, wax the soles of your hand planes, wax router and saw and other machine tables, lock strikers in the house and the car and of course, back to where we started, drawer runners !