I Know I'm Crazy, But...

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RossA

Joined
May 28, 2004
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Am I the only one here who uses mineral oil on wood handles?
I see a lot of posts about BLO vs. raw linseed oil, but I may be the only one using mineral oil.
In my experience, mineral oil soaks into the wood rather than making a coating on it. Seems like the soaking in effect would nourish the wood inside better than a coating on the outside. Also, since it soaks in, it seems to keep the handles from drying out and shrinking inside the eye.
It doesn't last forever, and for hard use tools it may have to be refreshed a couple of times each year, but it's cheap and easy to apply, and while you are at it you can rub a little on the steel part of the tool (axe head, hammer head, steel rake, shovel, etc.) for rust prevention.
I buy it at the drug store (store brand) and it's cheap. You can even use store brand baby oil which is just mineral oil with a little fragrance in it to make baby's bottom smell better.
Also, this stuff is good for wood handled kitchen knives and cutting boards. Next time you are in a kitchen supply store, look at a bottle of their high priced cutting board oil treatment. Read the ingredients. Know what it will say? Mineral oil.
Someone tell me I'm not all alone!
 
You're all alone ;)

Had to do it, sorry.

I never thought of it for the handle before but I'm willing to give it a try, guess I'll see what happens.
 
I don't see any problems with what you suggest. In a similar vein I've used Teak & Tung oil for years without any problems. I've watched more than a few lads in the forestry business, when I was living in B.C. merely rub down their handles with chainsaw oil every now and again. The purpose of an oil, shellac, varnish etc is merely to protect the wood from effects of sunlight and from drying out, near as I can figure, plus make 'sweaty' wood less appealing to salt-loving porcupines.
If embellishing for look and colour of wood is more important than mostly 'maintenance-free' then authentic spar varnish is just the ticket.
 
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Mineral oil doesn't "dry" (polymerize), so I imagine it could penetrate better, eventually. Linseed and tung oils (for example) will dry/polymerize/harden and seal the wood better than mineral oil.

Plant-based oils that go rancid are probably not considered "food grade" afterwards, but mineral oil won't go rancid, which is probably why it is so popular on cutting boards.

I recall Ernest DuBois saying how mineral oil will gradually work its way back to the surface, so this could mean that axe handles might be slightly more slippery with mineral oil? I think that the mineral oil will not be as durable or long-lasting as linseed or tung oil, but what someone choose for axe handles can be largely a matter of personal preferences and what is readily available.
 
I use mineral oil on all my knives and on the scales. Been very happy with it!
 
Steve covered all of my points probably better than I could have. I save the mineral oil for kitchen gadgets.
 
It works well on American scythe snaths specifically because of the slight lubricity it'll give to the wood. I usually use paint on mine though.
 
'you will get a lot of answers on here about the coating that is used on axe handles. I am not sure if any one answer is technically more correct than any other, as there are so many factors that can go into ones decision - money, availability, area of the country, conditions, etc etc etc.

My experience has led me to regular linseed oil. I like how it works overall. It does indeed soak in, for if you use too much it will leave a tacky sticky coating on your handles that imo is really bad. Plus linseed will leave a hard coating on the axe head for protection, while mineral oil will run off. I am also into WD40, which has to be reapplied like mineral oil and others, but I have had good results. My xp with mineral oil is that it is too runny and greasy for my liking. Whats that mean? Nothing. Just one guys take.

Bottom line if it works for you and you like the results, there you go. I think I will try some out on some handles and see how it goes for me. I am always up for trying new things.
 
I am also a linseed fan but I have several hand turned wooden bowls that my wife yearly coats in mineral oil. It does very well in that app so I'm sure handles would be a logical next step.
 
I think people treat their cutting blocks with mineral oil, so why not your axe handle?
 
What is now sold as 'boiled linseed oil' has drying agents in it which make it toxic. For this reason it's no longer considered safe for food service ware. Mineral oil is safe so it finds use in the kitchen. But as Steve Tall pointed out mineral oil will not create the dried protective coating that linseed oil creates. Mineral oil will not bond the pores and grain of the wood together like BLO will. BLO adds resilience to the wood. Mineral oil doesn't.

For my handles I start with a few coats of BLO to penetrate and protect/enhance the wood. Then I give it a few coats of tung oil which produces a harder finish. The tung oil finish also gives a better grip than a BLO finish.
 
Mineral oil is the standard for woodblock countertops and cutting boards. It does need to be reapplied often if the surface is used much. Although I've made my living as a woodworker for many years, I don't like wood handled tools. So treatment isn't an issue for me.
 
My oil of choice is equal parts raw linseed and tung oil with a dash of turpentine. I only ever use vegetable oils on cutting surfaces.

regards...Frank
 
I soak my hawk handles in raw linseed oil for three days, wipe dry, and let cure for about a month. After that, I sand it lightly with 400 grit sandpaper. I do apply a bit of mineral oil on both the wood and the steel when I sharpen because I already have it out for the stone.
-Evan
 
Ironwood666 said:
I soak my hawk handles in raw linseed oil for three days, wipe dry, and let cure for about a month. After that, I sand it lightly with 400 grit sandpaper. I do apply a bit of mineral oil on both the wood and the steel when I sharpen because I already have it out for the stone.
-Evan
Click to expand...

Just out of curiosity; Is there anyone who's tried this with an axe handle before hanging the head?
 
Alocksly said:
Just out of curiosity; Is there anyone who's tried this with an axe handle before hanging the head?
Click to expand...
Seems like a lot of needless effort to me (seeing as you really want a 'most-shrunk/dry' handle at the time of hafting and wedging) but then perhaps lubrication of the handle for the purpose of install is not a bad idea. Once hafted the entire head assembly can be soaked in a bowl of 'whatever'-oil for however long you want and that certainly won't diminish the grab, fit or hang of anything.
 
Well, specifically I'm thinking about a BLO soaked handle that had been allowed to cure for a month (or more) before hanging the head. So... hypothetical here; I dry out my handle material to somewhere around 10% then soak it in BLO, then cure it for a month then hang it. I had heard that the old trick of soaking the head overnight in water can eventually crush the wood and further loosen the head so I'm looking at this as a way to stabilize the dimensions of the neck before hanging (and thus possibly achieve a fit that's less likely to loosen over time and humidity variation.)

Or yes, ... I could be just wasting my effort.
 
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Sounds like a good idea too me. The only drawback I can think of might be the wedge not gripping the kerf as well. But if you scuffed the wedge and kerf then that wouldn't be an issue.
 
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