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Hand sawing and lubrication.....mutton fat

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Rob Keeble

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GTA Ontario Canada
When i was little i remembered my dad always getting a piece of fat from the sunday roast leg of lamb prior to it being cooked and smearing this fat on his hand saw blade before using it. It prevented it rusting but he told me it also prevented it binding while cutting.

Well i did not think much of it since i wondered how that would ge removed from the wood in modern day woodworking and not affect the finishing process. Kinda like glue i see it filling wood pores etc so how would one remove it.


Well i was searching on the LV site for the Waxilit stuff which it appears they no longer carry (dont know why it was great stuff to use on planes and cast iron tables for rust prevention and supposedly really worked well on smearing on areas where one does not want to glue to stick when doing glue ups. )
Anyhow came across this stuff its mutton tallow. Well would you believe it had me believing my dad was correct. They say any residue left on the wood does not inhibit stain penetration and finish.

So i was wondering anyone use this stuff and given what is being discussed in the thread on blade cleaning whats the thoughts on trying this in a light application on a table saw blade.
 
I first heard of using Mutton Tallow on the Wood Wright Shop. I've used candle wax to lube tools, and it's never caused me any problems; but, I'm going to order some while L V still has free shipping. Thanks for the information.
 
Rob, I was aware of the use of it back when but I never gave it much consideration figuring there are better ways. I know, a bit disappointing to hear from a hand tooler but none the less when I think of tallow I think of a greasy mess even though that not really the case.

I use renaissance wax, and find that it lasts a long time and does an excellent job.

That said I'm going to have to add this to my list of things to research and test.

I hope you and Dennis let me know how it works out for y'all!
 
tomi have used it for alittle while now and it seems to work just fine and there isnt a messy residue.. i do like the waxlite though.. have used that for years on my machines with great results
 
Forget what I said about buying some. I had occasion to visit my local grocery a bit ago. It's a small family chain with old style butcher sections. The head butcher there often puts sale stuff aside for us to cool at the at the FD.

Anyway, he's going to save lamb fat for me for a couple weeks... I'm going to render my own :)
 
I've used a block of paraffin for years - candle wax.
Per Roy Underhill's recommendation, I tried mutton tallow. It works well, but is a bit messier than the wax. I keep a tin from LV in my apron pocket. What I don't like is that I have to scoop a bit out with my finger, and then I have mutton tallow left on said finger. Haven't found any mouse bites on my wooden plane yet, but wonder if it might happen. I looked around locally for mutton tallow to render, but couldn't find any.
 
ken werner said:
I've used a block of paraffin for years - candle wax.
Per Roy Underhill's recommendation, I tried mutton tallow. It works well, but is a bit messier than the wax. I keep a tin from LV in my apron pocket. What I don't like is that I have to scoop a bit out with my finger, and then I have mutton tallow left on said finger. Haven't found any mouse bites on my wooden plane yet, but wonder if it might happen. I looked around locally for mutton tallow to render, but couldn't find any.
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ok curious as to why it has to be mutton tallow? would other tallow work?
 
Seems to me any kind would work, just that mutton tallow was the traditional material. Maybe you should try some from venison Larry?
If I remember right, didn't native Americans value bear grease as a useful agent?
 
You know Larry i have often asked myself the same question. What i remember from being a kid was we had meat fresh in the refrigerator. Mom would go to butcher regularly and not freeze.

To me the mutton chop/ leg of lamb roast where the fat was stolen to use for a saw was probably just the fact that going back to the UK woodworking teachings i bet its because sheep hence mutton was more common.

I dont see why a chunk of hard beef fat could not be used the same way. I still find it amazing (gonna try it out just for fun) that this stuff does not block the pores and mess with finish. I hear all the points made its one of those things i want to see before i believe. I guess the operative word is extreme moderation and a thin coat not varnishing the blade with fat. :D:rofl: So less is more i guess.

But i would like to hear the truths not some cooked up theory like mine. :D
 
i do know that venison fat is different than beef fat in texture and taste, venison fat is sticky in the mouth and beef fat is more slippery.. rob dont use any salt just raw fat in your testing..and around these parts mutton is available..
 
Gulf wax, paraffin. Get a box in your regular grocery store if they provide canning materials. It is what is melted and poured over jams and jellies to make them sealed. A box has at least 4 bars in it and it will last you your lifetime probably. The kids are always amazed when we disassemble a lathe and wax the lathe, tool and tailstock.
 
ken werner said:
If I remember right, didn't native Americans value bear grease as a useful agent?
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Man don't waste Bear grease on this if you got it. Best . Biscuits . Ever! Bear grease is really fine grained and makes fantastic pastries and .. biscuits :D Mixed with goose grease it also makes a great conditioner for your boots (lacking bear grease for the last ~25 years I've been using my "proprietary" beef tallow, neatsfoot oil and goose grease mixture which is a close second, a little wax dissolved in doesn't hurt either. My last batch of about a quart of this has been keeping my boots soft and delicious smelling - if you're a dog - for about 10 years and is only ~1/2 gone.).

Mutton fat is softer and stickier than beef tallow, I don't know what (if anything) that means in this context. I do know it means mutton tallow will soften/moisturize your hands better :D

I pickup old bars of canning wax at estate sales for essentially free so I'm pretty well set for a long time. Works well enough I've never really felt a need to explore, although I admit the academic exercise is amusing.
 
I received my tin of McQueen's Mutton Tallow today. So far, I like everything but the smell. It lubricates well and stays on better than candle wax. My #7 glides over the wood after I applied it.
 
Dennis Ulrich said:
I received my tin of McQueen's Mutton Tallow today. So far, I like everything but the smell. It lubricates well and stays on better than candle wax. My #7 glides over the wood after I applied it.
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What do you think about it now that you've had more time to play with it, Dennis?

Have you tried it on morticing chisels and saws yet? Talk about slick!

BTW - for those that don't know (Dennis does) I rendered up approx 20 oz of mutton tallow a few months back and have been playing with it - I like it!
 
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