How Much Oil do you put on a NEW Honing Wheel

[Bernard Calip]

Impregnate the wheel with oil......., Impregnate is not a quantity.

I looked on the forum and there is no description as to the amount to use?
Or how to apply it? 
There was a warning not to saturate the wheel.

I tried a 20 drops of oil and it was no way near enough, the wheel was dry as a bone.
The oil did not spread all over the wheel.

I noticed  Mr. Faris applying PA Honing compound on the center of the wheel.
My guess is that once you have enough oil on the wheel the compound will spread out evenly?

I am going to try two tablespoons of Norton Light Mineral Oil.
Going to use a small cloth and try to spread it all over the wheel, not just in the middle of the wheel.

Senior Moment going to call Wolfgang at Advanced Machinery tomorrow and ask him?

[Rob]

mm this is a classic old chestnut.  This forum has covered this topic many times Bernard.  Its regrettable that your searches didn't find it and a testament to how generally useless forum search engines are.  You have my sympathy. 

I'll try and summarise:

The manual is rubbish in this regard.....you're spot on.  The danger is to OVER oil.  Too little oil isn't an issue because the oil is really only a dressing until the wheel gets saturated with compound.  So on no account should you go bonkers and "soak" the wheel.  Quite the contrary in fact because if there is too little the compound will quickly fill up the leather anyway.  The leather will go black after short use also.  If you do over oil you'll have a heck of a job trying to get it out later.  If you under oil, you can always add more if the wheel seems dry and crusty.

Herman may be along later as I recall he had an interesting oil experience.  It's been discussed many times and Jeff has chimed in with numerous war stories.  So avoid over oiling and don't worry that by getting the starting amount too little that you'll harm the leather...you won't.  Over time the compound will do that job and if too dry, more oil later.

[Stickan]

The easiest way is to use a bottle with a pippet and start the machine, use the pippet and start from one end, have a nice oil flow and go to the nex side of the honingwheel. This way you have a constant oilflow and can do the same procudure some times till the leather has enough oil.
See that you get an nice dark brown color on the leather. Be carefull and be sure that the oil goes in the leather. To much oil will give the leather i shiny look so keep an eye on the leather so it dont.

[Herman Trivilino]

Hey Rob, glad to see you back after your sabbatical!

Yes, you are correct.  I had a heck of a time because I applied way too much oil.  But I repeatedly oiled mine several times over a period of several months.  It's not a problem, though, as eventually the oil will work itself out.

As to the answer to the "how much" question, well, I don't recall that question ever having been definitely answered. 

If you put too little it'll just take more compound to saturate the leather.  If you've already put honing compound on your leather honing wheel then I wouldn't add any more oil.

If you put too much oil on the wheel then it won't cut the steel properly and you'll have to continue applying compound until you eventually work the oil out.

I think the honing compound itself contains oil, so applying oil to a new wheel just breaks in the new wheel faster.

[Mike Fairleigh]

I'm not sure anyone has ever documented the "correct amount" to start with, but I would think 20 drops would be getting pretty close.  I'm one of the many who went WAAAY overboard when mine was new.  Trust me, you're better off starting with too little rather than too much.  Use lots of compound for awhile.

[Bernard Calip]

Thanks, for the information guy's.

Mr. Farris sorry for spelling your last name wrong on my post.

So I used two tablespoons soaked on a tiny cloth and spread it evenly as I could over all the leather surface.
Hopefully this is enough.
It is thinly coated in my estimate, but it is all over the leather. 
Not just in one spot in the middle of the wheel.

I resisted the urge to put more on, Thanks to your guy's comments.
A NEW leather honing wheel soaks up the oil big time as it is dry as a bone.

Take Care, Bernard

[Rob]

Hey Rob, glad to see you back after your sabbatical!

Thanks Herman.  My 87 year old Mum passed away in the fall so we've been involved in all that for a while.  Dad went 30 years ago so my brothers and sisters and I are now officially the next generation.  Quite a sobering thought that.

[Herman Trivilino]

I understand.  Almost three years ago my mother passed away at age 92.  My father 6 years before that.  My wife's mother just before that, and her father quite a few years ago.  So when my Mom went, she was the last of our parents, too.

But cheers, because we're all still here, and they would want us to enjoy life, not just as much, but more than they did.  That's just the way parents are, and always will be.

[Rob]

That's rather nice...thanks Herman

[grepper]

My wife's father passed.  As too my father and mother. 

As I age, I realize that all of this is not forever...

I don't know if I find this comforting or just curious,
but I suspect I shall be survived by my Tormek.

[Rob]

I think Lie Nielsen nailed the best marketing phrase of all time when they cotton'd on to "heirloom quality tools".  I mean that's why we blokes are always banging on about rusty old Stanley Bailey planes etc right?  As long as Dad or even Grandad owned them they have a value that is so far beyond money.

They symbolise quality time spent with Dad and catalyse all those memories......fantastic :-)

I genuinely hope to give my boys my Tormek and will specifically mention my tools in my will.  (It cost half the value of my estate so I better had :-)

[Ken S]

I know what you mean, Rob about valuing tools which have been in the family.  They are special. 

Don't worry.  Your sons should be able to retain your Tormek and tools after the death duty.  Hopefully the tax people will be satisfied with just your house, land, car, and bank account.  The tools should be safe.

Ken

[Rob]

Ah Ken...you've met the British Government then :-)  You forgot the shirt off my back :-)

[Ken S]

Rob, I probably spent about you did and your heirs will to have one Tormek.  My first unit was stolen.  The difference is my extra cost was due to burglary and yours is called VAT and death duty.

Ken

[Fineline]

The easiest way is to use a bottle with a pippet and start the machine, use the pippet and start from one end, have a nice oil flow and go to the nex side of the honingwheel. This way you have a constant oilflow and can do the same procudure some times till the leather has enough oil.
See that you get an nice dark brown color on the leather. Be carefull and be sure that the oil goes in the leather. To much oil will give the leather i shiny look so keep an eye on the leather so it dont.

Does anyone know of a video somewhere? Seems a lot easier to watch it and learn from it.
Thanks.