Vegetable oil as bar oil

My friend told me that he heard that vegetable oil could be used as bar oil. Is this true?

 

If you are carving a side of beef...

I think it would be too thin for bar oil and certainly would not have any tacifiers.

 

It can be done. I have a small saw I use to cut pieces of fruit wood for my smoker that I use veg oil in. There was a huge thread over on arboristsite.com about it. If you find it be prepared for some hard core master debating!

There are some pros and cons. As Guido Salvage mentioned no tackifiers so the oil is less likely to stick to the chain after it makes the turn around the nose of the bar. I havent noticed this issue with the 16" b&c on the saw I use. I'm not sure that it would work in long bar lengths or heavy use.

The other main issue is that the oil if left will thicken and solidify as it ages and can cause clogs of the oiling system. Most saw makers seem to have a biodegradeable bar oil. IIRC they are mostly canola oil with added tackifiers and stabilizers.

 

I believe there are veggie based oils available, but they would be specifically produced for bar oil. I wouldn't use veggie (cooking) oil, I don't think it will work that well.

 

Canola oil is used by some
Bar Oil | Page 2 | Firewood Hoarders Club

 

I did not know that bar oil had stuff in it to make it more tacky and thus stay on the chain better.

 

As stated above , Canola oil works . Other vegetable based oil may work , but will oxidize and turn to glue on the saw . I use a mix of about 50/50 bar oil ,Canola for winter sawing . No ill efffects .

 

I use the oil I drain from the Cummins in the saws.......IP runs and hides......

 

Oh boy you gone and did it now!

 

I hug the tree right before I cut it down, does that count??

 

Ive used canola for a long time and it can cause problems over time. I've found mixing it with dino bar oil lessens the likelihood of issues.
I wouldn't recommend using it below 40F either and definitely DO NOT use peanut oil. If you want to see what I mean,,, take the veggie oil out of your cupboard and leave it outside on a nite below freezing.

 

I use soybean/salad oil for all my saws in all seasons.Can be a wee bit thin on a real hot summer afternoon but still enough remains on bar/chain to lube all the parts sufficiently.No problems using it regardless.Since I never leave gas or oil in the saws more than a few weeks without using or draining it.

 

I'm sure canola oil would work fine for your purposes as a homeowner/wood burner if you gave it a try. Now, if it was Kimberly&Co Redwood Milling Inc , you'd probably be better off sticking to normal bar oils.

 

Yeah, I'm another one as I have been doing this for years!

Should resurrect that thread, huh?

 

Please don't.

 

Me too.
I have a bio/black diesel setup.
Finished oil goes into a final settling tank and whatever is needed gets pumped off the top to final use.

 

We use vegetable oil in a battery operated chainsaw when quartering moose

 

I've used Canola Oil in my saw for over four years, the veggie oil will thicken up real good in the winter time, since I do cut some in the winter, I stay away from the veggie oil.

Grab yourself a small bottle of either the Canola or Veggie Oil just so you can try it before buying a bigger container.

 

And a julian cutting attachment for the chain!