Oil and wax for hand tools?

[D_W]

IIRC there's a problem applying BLO to rosewood - in that it turns the rosewood so dark you loose the grain.

I apply a number of coats of BLO to most handles (except rosewood), then when the handle won't absorb much more BLO I give it a couple of days before applying "Black Bison" wax. For rosewood I go directly to the wax.

There are better finishes, but this works for me, 'though I'm not a heavy user of my tools.

Cheers, Vann.

I like the handles to look dark (more stock looking) and use BLO on rosewood due to that, but certainly someone wanting a more natural look won't like it.

Same thing on beech, where you could apply something thin without BLO - I like that the BLO darkens the wood tone and makes it look a little more warm, as brand new bright beech can look a little too "IKEA".

 

[Racers]

My knives in my avatar are much darker now the Cocobolo is now nearly a uniform brown colour they have a couple of coats of Danish oil.

Pete

 

[D_W]

My knives in my avatar are much darker now the Cocobolo is now nearly a uniform brown colour they have a couple of coats of Danish oil.

Pete

Presume it's inevitable. The only thing that I ever finished that got dark over time and that I didn't like was an infill made of bois de rose. It was a beautiful deep reddish brown, and it took very little time to for it to become a uniform brown. I wish I would've saved the piece of wood, but I thought it was cocobolo and I didn't have enough sense to know otherwise.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Danish oil for me. Three thin coats, wiped on, about 6 hours between each, then a vigorous burnish with a soft cloth after about 24 hours. I did try brushing it on once; this gave a thicker coat which took about a week to cure. One advantage of Danish for me is that it starts to develop a patina quite quickly in service, though some may not like this. It also leaves the tool having a definite 'wood' feeling, and it can easily be rubbed down and re-coated at any time. Because the coats are thin, a tin lasts a long time - I'm still using one I bought about a decade ago (and it would have lasted even longer if I hadn't knocked the tin over and spilled a goodly dollop of it last year!).

There are so many individual preferences for tool finishes (wax, oils, varnishes, shellac, lacquers, and mixtures thereof) that it's impossible to say that any are 'right' or 'wrong'. Some people like the hard, durable surface of lacquer or varnish, other the softer feel and appearance of oils. Personally, I dislike varnishes, finding them too slick and 'plasticy', and find they tend to kill the 'wood' feeling, but others do like them, and who am I to say they're wrong?

 

[bugbear]

Danish oil for me. Three thin coats, wiped on, about 6 hours between each, then a vigorous burnish with a soft cloth after about 24 hours. I did try brushing it on once; this gave a thicker coat which took about a week to cure. One advantage of Danish for me is that it starts to develop a patina quite quickly in service, though some may not like this. It also leaves the tool having a definite 'wood' feeling, and it can easily be rubbed down and re-coated at any time. Because the coats are thin, a tin lasts a long time - I'm still using one I bought about a decade ago (and it would have lasted even longer if I hadn't knocked the tin over and spilled a goodly dollop of it last year!).

There are so many individual preferences for tool finishes (wax, oils, varnishes, shellac, lacquers, and mixtures thereof) that it's impossible to say that any are 'right' or 'wrong'. Some people like the hard, durable surface of lacquer or varnish, other the softer feel and appearance of oils. Personally, I dislike varnishes, finding them too slick and 'plasticy', and find they tend to kill the 'wood' feeling, but others do like them, and who am I to say they're wrong?

I agree with pretty much the gist of everything you say, but Danish "Oil" has a proportion of varnish in it!

BugBear

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Danish oil for me. Three thin coats, wiped on, about 6 hours between each, then a vigorous burnish with a soft cloth after about 24 hours. I did try brushing it on once; this gave a thicker coat which took about a week to cure. One advantage of Danish for me is that it starts to develop a patina quite quickly in service, though some may not like this. It also leaves the tool having a definite 'wood' feeling, and it can easily be rubbed down and re-coated at any time. Because the coats are thin, a tin lasts a long time - I'm still using one I bought about a decade ago (and it would have lasted even longer if I hadn't knocked the tin over and spilled a goodly dollop of it last year!).

There are so many individual preferences for tool finishes (wax, oils, varnishes, shellac, lacquers, and mixtures thereof) that it's impossible to say that any are 'right' or 'wrong'. Some people like the hard, durable surface of lacquer or varnish, other the softer feel and appearance of oils. Personally, I dislike varnishes, finding them too slick and 'plasticy', and find they tend to kill the 'wood' feeling, but others do like them, and who am I to say they're wrong?

I agree with pretty much the gist of everything you say, but Danish "Oil" has a proportion of varnish in it!

BugBear

Indeed so! I've no idea what the proportion is in my particular tin, but the finish it gives is nearer to 'oil only' than 'varnish only', so I assume it's a greater proportion of oil than varnish. Nice finish for a tool handle, whatever it is.

 

[sploo]

OK. You guys have convinced me - Danish oil it is then

Question is: do I apply wax over the top or leave it with just the oil?

 

[AndyT]

OK. You guys have convinced me - Danish oil it is then

Question is: do I apply wax over the top or leave it with just the oil?

Either. It really doesn't matter. Add wax and buff it if you like shiny things.

 

[Cheshirechappie]

OK. You guys have convinced me - Danish oil it is then

Question is: do I apply wax over the top or leave it with just the oil?

Either. It really doesn't matter. Add wax and buff it if you like shiny things.

Agreed! Whichever you prefer.

It's often a good idea to try out finishes on a few pieces of scrap (especially for any job of consequence in a timber you're not familiar with). In this case, a couple of wooden file handles, or a piece of dowelling would do. Try both unwaxed and waxed, and see which is better to your hand.

(Must admit that I prefer unwaxed for tool handles, but for something a bit more decorative and ornamental, waxed can look superb and the aroma is lovely.)

 

[sploo]

Either. It really doesn't matter. Add wax and buff it if you like shiny things.

I'm originally from the Birmingham area; if it's shiny, we'll nick it. I like shiny :wink:

It's often a good idea to try out finishes on a few pieces of scrap (especially for any job of consequence in a timber you're not familiar with). In this case, a couple of wooden file handles, or a piece of dowelling would do. Try both unwaxed and waxed, and see which is better to your hand.

(Must admit that I prefer unwaxed for tool handles, but for something a bit more decorative and ornamental, waxed can look superb and the aroma is lovely.)

The problem is that I don't think I'll have a suitable example wood on which to test out the finish. TBH I don't even know exactly what wood the original handles were made from

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

Just a bit of info that might be useful. Technically paste wax and the like IS an oil finish, so is compatible with Danish oil et al, before after or between applications. Linseed oil darkens with the absence of light. Use BLO or Danish oil with a high proportion of linseed and keep that plane in a cupboard, the handle will get very dark indeed. Rosewood handles become almost totally black. Exposing to bright sunlight-light reverses the darkening to some extent, but not completely. I would avoid linseed oil if the wood colour is important.

Mike.

 

[ED65]

Technically paste wax and the like IS an oil finish

How's that exactly? I can't speak to every version but most are just waxes and solvent to soften.

The points about linseed oil darkening in your post is great info but I wanted to clarify this given all the existing confusion surrounding a few other products as already discussed in the thread.

I also wouldn't recommend wax under or between coats of any spirit-borne oil finish as it'll reduce durability. The effect may not be excessive, but it's worth knowing about for a high-wear item like a tool handle.

 

[Jacob]

Raw linseed oil for tools. Thinned with real turps (smells nice) or white spirit. Just splash it on all over, wood and metal. On wood it polishes up very nicely with use. On metal it leaves a thin rust protective layer which rubs off on soles etc.

 

[arnoldmason8]

Hi All --- My preferred method of refinishing tool handles is to remove existing finish as required, wipe on a couple of coats of french polish with a cloth and let it harden and then rub on some Black Bisson wax with synthetic steel wool, let the wax harden and then polish off with a cloth. This is fine for saw handles and plane handles but can be a bit slippery for chisel handles until the finish wears a bit.

Regards --------- Arnold

 

[Jelly]

Technically paste wax and the like IS an oil finish

How's that exactly? I can't speak to every version but most are just waxes and solvent to soften.

I can see where he's coming from in that waxes, oils, resins and solvents are all organic compounds (some natural some hydrocarbon derived)and thus are mutually soluble... By mixing them in various proportions you can achieve vastly differing results, (see more or less the entire coatings industry).

Drying oils are bit awkward in that fully hydrocarbon materials are soluble in the oil, but once it starts to polymerise they'll form inclusions if they're not volatile enough to evaporate off. Organic chemicals which are closer to those found in the natural world (Specifically alcohols, fatty acids, some ketones, some aromatic compounds, and numerous others) will react with the oil to produce a different polymer to the pure oil, and depending on the properties of the materials added softer or harder.

 

[D_W]

Raw linseed oil for tools. Thinned with real turps (smells nice) or white spirit. Just splash it on all over, wood and metal. On wood it polishes up very nicely with use. On metal it leaves a thin rust protective layer which rubs off on soles etc.

Raw or boiled, big fan either way. I think the way linseed oil polishes if you give it the time to dry is really under-appreciated, and it doesn't end up making a finish that cracks or flakes off later.

Especially if the start is bare or sanded to bare wood (most of my older planes are more in need of the oil than my newly-made planes - all are beech).

 

[Jelly]

Raw linseed oil for tools. Thinned with real turps (smells nice) or white spirit. Just splash it on all over, wood and metal. On wood it polishes up very nicely with use. On metal it leaves a thin rust protective layer which rubs off on soles etc.

Raw or boiled, big fan either way. I think the way linseed oil polishes if you give it the time to dry is really under-appreciated, and it doesn't end up making a finish that cracks or flakes off later.

Especially if the start is bare or sanded to bare wood (most of my older planes are more in need of the oil than my newly-made planes - all are beech).

I'm a fan of Double Boiled (I.e. Stand Oil, not oil with chemical drying agents in it) Linseed, though I suspect it would be form an overly thick and gummy covering on steel parts of tools to use it for Jacob's "coat everything" approach even if thinned.

That coat everything approach is a good one actually, I was sceptical until I tried it...

 

[D_W]

Raw linseed oil for tools. Thinned with real turps (smells nice) or white spirit. Just splash it on all over, wood and metal. On wood it polishes up very nicely with use. On metal it leaves a thin rust protective layer which rubs off on soles etc.

Raw or boiled, big fan either way. I think the way linseed oil polishes if you give it the time to dry is really under-appreciated, and it doesn't end up making a finish that cracks or flakes off later.

Especially if the start is bare or sanded to bare wood (most of my older planes are more in need of the oil than my newly-made planes - all are beech).

I'm a fan of Double Boiled (I.e. Stand Oil, not oil with chemical drying agents in it) Linseed, though I suspect it would be form an overly thick and gummy covering on steel parts of tools to use it for Jacob's "coat everything" approach even if thinned.

That coat everything approach is a good one actually, I was sceptical until I tried it...

I'll offer some information that is unsolicited. I wouldn't coat the iron, either, though on parts that are in contact with nothing, no big deal. I can imagine that everyone has seen planes that have had varnish or shellac applied to the iron because a user probably got tired of seeing rust, or because a "restorer" did everything.

On a plane iron when I make a new plane (something I take fairly seriously with the woodies), I clean the back of the iron so that it has nothing on it, same with cap iron and non-bevel side of the iron, and then I wax the top of the cap iron and the wedge so that the bed always has the strongest grip. That ensures that the wedge has the weakest grip and the bed the strongest. Any other way, and sometimes the cap iron moves its setting when adjusting for depth, which is undesirable. (if a cap iron has any burrs or hammer damage on it, then that has to be filed off smoothly).

So, no finish on the irons other than wax on top of the cap - linseed oil has pretty significant grip - and perhaps light oil anywhere else (which doesn't affect much on wood like wax does). I might change my tune if I was carrying a plane around to job sites where there was less control of moisture and temperature.

 

[Bm101]

Just got some a small takeaway food type container of microcrystaline wax from ebay, when I contacted the seller (a blacksmith) he recommended mixing 100g wax to 500ml white spirit to 100ml raw linseed oil. Heat to 100c then hand held blender on it. I like my necessaries staying where I was born with them so I won't be using the Mrs's blender on the mix. Can anyone advise on the mix ratios though. Sound sensible? I've got various pots ands bottles of BLO, turps, DO etc. Be interested to see if anyone has different mixes etc. I've never used it before. Can it just be warmed up and used on its own? It's for plane handles that I've stripped the varnish from and they've been stained 50/50 with mahogany and dark oak. A mix I stole from one of Alf's posts.
Cheers!
Chris

 

[Jacob]

[.......
I'm a fan of Double Boiled (I.e. Stand Oil, not oil with chemical drying agents in it) Linseed, though I suspect it would be form an overly thick and gummy covering on steel parts of tools to use it for Jacob's "coat everything" approach even if thinned.......

It would.
Raw linseed oil (half n half with turps) would not, though you wouldn't want it to settle in pools.
I'm somewhat mystified at the elaborate recipes proposed when there is such a simple and effective solution. I think it's an extension of simple commercialisation where makers claim "new improved" for their products with dubious quasi-magic secret recipes.

Looking at Bm101 formula above, why not chuck in Eye of newt, and toe of frog, Wool of bat, and tongue of dog, Adder's fork, and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg, and howlet's wing, just to be on the safe side?