Wooden handle treatment / preservation

[AlanB]

My wife owns a lawncare / landscaping company.
We do not take very good care of the standard tools such as shovels, rakes etc.
We use many wooden handled tools, in general, the fiberglass handled tools do not hold up as well when sitting exposed to the elements, they start getting furry and the fibergass goes into the your skin when using them.

I am looking for a "treatment" to rejuvinate some of the wood handles that have been out in the weather too much, and to maybe preserve the other handles that have not weathered so bad.

Anyone have some real world experience?

I was thinking Linseed oil, but wondering how it would feel in hand?

Danish oil?, vegetable oil, motor oil?

Thanks

Al B

 

[Michael_E_Tx]

Hi Alan. I wouldn't use danish, vegetable, or motor oil. Boiled linseed oil isn't bad, but in my opinion will break down with sweat. I would use a marine grade tung oil. If you go to a marine supply store, you'll find various tung oil products. Get the one with the highest tung oil content.

A little light sanding and a couple coats will do. A little light sanding and repeat in the future to touch up.

Mike

 

[scott_vt]

Afternoon Alan,
I think Mike nailed this one ! A lot of people recommend using boiled linseed oil for that application, but I think the tung oil would hold up better. A couple of coats ans lightly sand in between coats !

 

[Egon]

Think I'd go with mineral oil. Its friendly to the human system.

Get the handles dry and lightly sand them, apply coat of mineral oil, let sit till sorta dry and sand again. Repeat the process untill happy. Doing this should be a regular scheduled maintenance item as well as sharpening and oiling the blades of the tools.

Some handles that have ridges in them may have to be replaced as they could lead to leaving splinters in the hand.

Used car oil makes a mess on your hands forever after. Just ask my neighbour how I know this!

 

[RobertN]

I'd sand them and then linseed oil or tung oil. Tung oil works nice on rifle stocks too.

As long as you are at it, make sure everything is nice and sharp; nothing worse than a dull too. when I did the same job, I carried a file in the truck ofr sharpening as needed.

Also, sharpen your shovels. It sounds funny, but it works. I learnt this at my fire fighter academy. I had never heard of sharpening a shovel till then. Ever since, I keep them sharp too, on the point and on one side. Keeping the side sharp is for a wildland clearing technique.

 

[escavader]

I remember something about keeping a wooden handle tight in a shovel,spade etc,you soak it in a bucket of old antifreeze,it makes it swell.
ALAN

 

[turnkey4099]

I remember something about keeping a wooden handle tight in a shovel,spade etc,you soak it in a bucket of old antifreeze,it makes it swell.
ALAN

I tried that last summer. It didn't work but that is what I expected as the splitting maul handle I tried it on was on its last legs. I think the advantage is that after it soaks in, the handle doesn't loosen up again from drying out. soaking in water only works until the handle dries again.

I have the gallon of antifeeze saved and needed the reminder. I have new handles now in my maul and sledge - might as well give them a good soaking since the season (for me) is over now. Also need to grind the mushrooms off the wedges and maul again and prep the saws for storage.

Harry K

 

[Buckeye_Jim]

I also remember my days as a firefighter with the California Division of forestry. We used linseed oil on all those shovels, rakes, and pulaskis.

Jim