raw linseed oil vs BLO vs tung oil vs anything else

Yes, I only use raw linseed oil. What was cut from the manual in editing is that I cut it with PURE GUM TURPENTINE. This is a non toxic mix that will dry. Of course, you wipe off the excess anyway. I like to finish with a beeswax salad bowl finish made by Claphams in Abbotsford, B.C., Canada. I sometimes rub the finished waxed handle with charcoal. I only use charcoal from my own wood fire, never charcoal bricketts. The charcoal gives the handle a somewhat aged look and jump starts the natural ageing process. I used a water and charcoal paste to age replacement logs in historic log buildings. My grandfather taught me to char the butt end of locust fence post before we set them in the ground. He said that a chared locust post " lasted 3 years longer than a rock". I also like PURE Tung oil for the oil coat.
 
Old Axeman said:
My grandfather taught me to char the butt end of locust fence post before we set them in the ground. He said that a charred locust post " lasted 3 years longer than a rock". I also like PURE Tung oil for the oil coat.
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Darn near the same idea as the Native recipe for cooking up a Common Loon, Vigorously boil water in large pot, add one Loon and a medium-sized rock. When the rock becomes soft serve up the rock.
 
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I've been using pure Tung oil than finishing it off with a 50/50 mix of Tung and beeswax, the wax can be a bit of a pain to work in but water beads up and runs off the handle and it feels great.
 
I recall a spoon maker who would soak his spoons overnight in a mix of beeswax and olive oil at 200 F overnight , that is about as good as it can get .

I've always used watco oil for axe handles , easy to wipe it on a few times a year .
 
I really like my pure tung oil from milkpaint company. The handles I've done have water beading off.
 
Square_peg said:
Watco is a tung-like wiping varnish. That's a good choice.
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which watco product are you guys referring too?

i have used the danish oil extensively, in all sorts of ratios from straight to 25% DO/ 75% BLO.

i have been satisfied with the end result every time. nice grain coloration too.
 
Old Axeman said:
Yes, I only use raw linseed oil. What was cut from the manual in editing is that I cut it with PURE GUM TURPENTINE. This is a non toxic mix that will dry. Of course, you wipe off the excess anyway. I like to finish with a beeswax salad bowl finish made by Claphams in Abbotsford, B.C., Canada. I sometimes rub the finished waxed handle with charcoal. I only use charcoal from my own wood fire, never charcoal bricketts. The charcoal gives the handle a somewhat aged look and jump starts the natural ageing process. I used a water and charcoal paste to age replacement logs in historic log buildings. My grandfather taught me to char the butt end of locust fence post before we set them in the ground. He said that a chared locust post " lasted 3 years longer than a rock". I also like PURE Tung oil for the oil coat.
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Some good information here. I am going to try the wood ashes. I have used Fiebing's black leather dye to make wood look like it was rubbed down with wood ashes. Of coarse its a completely different effect but many people think that is what they are looking at.

We used to keep a steady supply of Locust posts soaking in a 55 gal barrel that was buried in the ground and had a wood framed hoist system above it. I planted many of those locusts for corner and stretch posts. They will bend a fence staple as you well know. Those posts are still there after many years and will be after I am long gone I suppose. I have never heard of charring them though.
 
Before chemical preseratives, charring any species of wood to be placed in ground was a fairly common rural thing to do. We only did it to locust. Why would you use any other species of wood than one that will last three years longer than a rock?
 
Remembering my experiences with cosmoline and military rifles I reasoned that the
cosmoline was basically any kind of crude petroleum oil mixed with any kind of wax
and when heated definitely soaks into the stocks and forearms of rifles and so far as
I've seen lasts at least 60 or 70 years. Before my exposure to cosmoline my grandpa
use to paint his out buildings on the farm and wagons and any other wood thing he wanted
to last with the used oil from his tractors and farm machinery. Nasty for sure but I think the
point is we want an oil that will not dry out and mineral oil is the clean version of
petroleum oil if we dont want to use dirty motor oil or clean motor oil if we dont
need the engine additives. Anyway, Gramps suggested I use motor oil on any
kind of leather that I wanted to last instead of lanolin and guess what, my high
school football shoes and belts that I grew out of in 1973 are as limber today
as they were 40 years ago. Based on that logic I think we can mix up our
own cosmoline stuff using mineral oil and beeswax and when heated up will
soak into the wood and forever displace moisture. When cooled we should
be able to wipe off the excess ( like I did with my gun stocks ) and have a
permanently oiled finish.
 
I have never seen cosmoline used on wood but I don't know why it would not work. I have came across it with steel gun parts and saws usually wrapped in wax paper to keep moisture out and the cosmoline from drying out. Its very good at preventing rust but is not easy to remove after being subject to open air for seventy years. I think in some cases paint is easier to remove. I speak only of are military cosmoline.
 
A high end knife shop here sells a product that is a mixture of mineral oil and beeswax. It is usually applied to cutting boards and wooden food utensils. It goes on very easily and the hickory hafts I have been making absorb it really well. You don't have the toxic compounds issue to worry about, because you can eat things that come into contact with this stuff. It is also meant to be waterproofing. Finally, you don't have to worry about the flammable rags problem. I keep BLO around to soak the helve to swell it up in the eye.
 
http://youtu.be/DGIfsNv_7zs
the guy in the video swears by the stuff, and says he uses this Pine Tar mixture for a lot of his outdoor wood projects.
i'm getting ready to try this technique/formula on some of my axe handles and other tool handles.
i havn't found pine tar locally so i gotta go outta town for it.
i'm an old BLO guy from way back cause i bought to gals. of BLO at an auction years ago before i even knew what the stuff was good for. been using BLO for years and that says it pretty well, you gotta just about apply a new coat ever year for it to do much good at keeping out moisture.
i,think in the army they had a saying, apply it once every hour for a day, then everyday for a week, then every week for a year, or something like that. lol had something to do with M1 rifles.
 
Maybe everyone doesnt realize this (as I didnt) but common baby oil is made with mineral oil derived from petroleum oil and is food grade.
I mentioned before that if you want to moisturize and preserve leather, use mineral oil or baby oil. All the expensive leather preservative
I have ever seen had animal based oils from fat or skin and will dry out over time. ... but not mineral oil. I have leather boots and furniture
and saddles etc.... I use a mix of mineral oil and silicone brake fluid for all these items. The silicone brake fluid is the purest and thickest
liquid silicone that I can find. It is what I do but I am not sure the silicone additive makes it better than pure oil.
 
markv said:
http://youtu.be/DGIfsNv_7zs
the guy in the video swears by the stuff, and says he uses this Pine Tar mixture for a lot of his outdoor wood projects.
i'm getting ready to try this technique/formula on some of my axe handles and other tool handles.
i havn't found pine tar locally so i gotta go outta town for it.
i'm an old BLO guy from way back cause i bought to gals. of BLO at an auction years ago before i even knew what the stuff was good for. been using BLO for years and that says it pretty well, you gotta just about apply a new coat ever year for it to do much good at keeping out moisture.
i,think in the army they had a saying, apply it once every hour for a day, then everyday for a week, then every week for a year, or something like that. lol had something to do with M1 rifles.
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Should be able to find pine tar at your local farm supply store. Look for it around the equine section with horse shoes.
 
preventec47 said:
...I use a mix of mineral oil and silicone brake fluid for all these items. The silicone brake fluid is the purest and thickest liquid silicone that I can find...
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If you want to use silicone, then Food Grade Silicone Grease would be a better choice than Silicone Brake Fluid. The brake fluid has a toxic ingredient that can be absorbed through the skin, according to this data sheet from a manufacturer:

http://www.clearcoproducts.com/pdf/msds/specialty/MSDS-DOT-5-Silicone-Brake-Fluid.pdf

Food Grade Silicon Grease, on the other hand, has no components that are considered toxic, according to this data sheet from the same manufacturer:

http://www.clearcoproducts.com/pdf/msds/grease/MSDS-Silicone_Grease_3005.pdf
 
local farm supply store did not have the pine tar, reason i gotta go outta town to get some.
do a google search about the effect mineral oil has on leather over time
"The addition of mineral oils may lead to more rapid decay of non-synthetic stitching or speed breakdown of the leather itself" this is mentioned in a wiki article about Neatsfoot oil.
pine tar/BLO for wood, Neatsfoot oil for leather
 
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