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Linseed Oil Soak on Wetterlings

V

vrocco1

Joined
Jul 23, 2009
Messages
286
I just got my new Wetterlings hatchet. I want to protect the bare handle. I assume Linseed Oil is the best choice?

How do I go about applying it? Can it be done without removing the head? Do I just soak the whole thing for a period of time? Do I wipe it onto the handle?

Thanks for the help.
 
I wipe it on with an old cotton teeshirt- a soft bristled brush or foam brush would work too I'm sure. A few days later after it fully soaks in I give it another coat. Linseed is great, I use it on my rifles.
 
I do the same as Payette re: using a t-shirt to apply. I apply liberally, and if the weather is agreeable I'll leave it outside in the heat for as long as I can (couple of days (indoors at night)). Multiple coatings are usually worthwhile.

Be mindful of what you do with your rags! Spontaneous combustion is a real issue with linseed oil.
 
If you want to penetrate the eye are, soak the whole head in the oil for a day or two. The rest of the haft can have it applied however you want. Several coats are often called for.

I hope you mean Boiled Linseed Oil, which takes a while to dry.
Linseed oil (not boiled) never really dries.
 
This may sound stupid but........do I need to boil the linseed oil or is that how the product is sold, "Boiled Linseed Oil"??
 
Yeah, sorry.

That could have ended up bad. . .

BTW, the guys are right, whatever you use to apply it, don't leave it in a confined space, or if rags, don't leave them bunched together. BLO is exothermic (gives off heat) as it dries, and fires can start from it.
 
If I'm not mistaken boiled linseed oil has other chemicals in it than regular linseed. I usually apply a light coat every day for 4-5 days/coats. I don't think there's really a wrong way to do it.
 
I put some in a bowl and stand the axe up in it head down. and just ladle it over the whole thing every 30 minutes, or soak in a bucket, for a day. then let it sit and drip dry, wipe off the excess after a few hours (or overnight) and repeat by just brushing/wiping it on whenever I think about it for a week.

I'd suggest hitting it with some steel wool or giving it a light soap and water scrub to open up the grain a touch, just make sure it's dry before doing the oil.
 
I find that tung oil lasts longer than linseed oil, and stands up better to wet weather. I use it on all my tools with wooden handles: axes, canoe paddles, knives, etc.
 
I put some in a bowl and stand the axe up in it head down. and just ladle it over the whole thing every 30 minutes, or soak in a bucket, for a day. then let it sit and drip dry, wipe off the excess after a few hours (or overnight) and repeat by just brushing/wiping it on whenever I think about it for a week.
Click to expand...

Same thing I do. I hang the axe from the butt of the handle from the rafters in the basement, so the head is just above the level of my work bench. I just empty the can of linseed oil into the bottom half of a cut-off gallon jug. Then use a brush to pull some up and soak the handle from the butt down, for a few days. Then I let it dry for a couple of days, then polish it with steel wool.
 
I just use good old olive oil on my handle, has worked great. I know I know. But it works.
 
In order to get the oil to penetrate, you will need to remove the finish coating, varnish etc already on the axe to bare wood. Sometimes I will wrap an rag with kerosene or linseed oil around the handle then wrap plastic wrap around the handle and let it sit for days outside. Oily rags can spontaneously burst into flames. I "temper" blackpowder ramrods in PVC pipe filled with kerosene. Works for me. Makes them have more flex without breaking. Just my way.
 
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