Thread: Handle Restoration

Hi
most here are apposed to varnish or polyurethanes for various reasons. Mostly to do with the fact they are harder to refinish. Most tend to use Ubeaut waxes, Tung oils Linseed etc. Basically Varnishes dry to a hard shine finish but sweat from the hand tend to ruin the look over time. The advantage to waxes is dirt etc just requires a little scrub with steel wool or scotch bad and kero and remove the dirt and you can then refinish as required where as varnish and poly tend to be much more effort requiring stripper and sanding.

I refinished many of my Plane and saw blades with poly a few years ago I wish i had not because i like the waxed look better now. And I am sure the removal will be a PITA in a few years.

Thanks Kiwioutdoors

Do you know if they stack at all? eg can I put the stain on for colour, and then something like linseed oil on top?. I did a couple as a test last night just to see the effect, on chisel handles I was planning to replace anyway. This morning then are feeling pretty good and look fantastic. I'm not a big sweater so maybe with a little lemon oil on top I might get away with it?. The reason I tried it at all is that I bought a can of stain/varnish for a furniture project and needed to test it on some scrap wood, the chisel handle was closest to hand and I know I'll have extra left over.

I 'm not a fan of poly either. Feels too plasticy in the hand. I tend to use 4-5 coats of pure tung oil, and maybe some danish oil to finish it off. I don't stain my handles - just sand and finish so they quite often end up looking patchy as bits of the old stain remain. Doesn't bother me in the slightest as my tools are for using, not looking at.

If you use an oil-based stain, you should have no problem applying any oil or oil-based finish over top.

Old wood handles I use boiled linseed oil. Wipe on with a rag and dry next day. More coats as or if required. On bare wood I do a first coat thinned with turps so it soakes in. Every year or so I give them all another wipe. Good on wood bodied planes and the bench also. The before and after saw handle is an example. You can wax over it also when fully dry.
Regards
John

Thanks John - out of curiosity, what brand is the saw? I picked up a split handle the other day that looks identical and as planning on copying it for a few of mine

Andrew,
It's a Spear and Jackson I got from a garage sale for $1. My first saw resto. I did a post on it about 4 or 5 years back.
Regards
John

Thanks John - the handle I have feels good to the hand, I'd assume this one is even better after your work on it. With the linseed oil, I've read that the rags used can self combust - what's the risk of using it and does it ever happen when used on wood?

Yes, an oil-based finish on a rag can self-combust when you're finished with it.

Lay it out on the concrete outside or drop it in a bucket of water.

...and no, it won't make your wood self-combust!

For a resto is it worth saying that there are two options? One is a complete sand back to bare wood and start over with your finish of choice. The second is to clean up the finish and improve it while leaving the patina of use in tact.

Thanks Ern and Stu, appreciate your taking the time to answer my slightly bizzare ("will it make my tools explode?") questions!