A liquid metering and coating apparatus for use in a thermal toner fixation unit of a plain paper copier or printer. The apparatus consists of a release oil-supply roll (2) having a compliant and flexible porous permeation control layer and a cleaning blade (4). The cleaning blade (4) is mounted so as to contact the surface of the permeation control material. The cleaning blade removes excess toner and other incidental debris from the surface of the permeation control layer thereby providing a freshly cleaned surface from which controlled amounts of release oil are uniformly coated onto the surface of an adjacent contacting roll (1).