Wood Treatment for handles...

SamuraiDave

SamuraiDave

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Apr 6, 2001
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Around a year or so ago there was a thread about how one should treat handles.

It was one of the old timers that mentioned that his father used to treat his handles in a 50/50 mix of turpentine and boiled linseed oil. He mentioned that you seal the handles in a pipe and leave them in the back of the gerage for 6 months to a year.

So on Aug 14, 2007 I assembeled a 4" diameter PVC pipe with a cap on one end and a screw on cap on the other, filled it with 5 different hickory handles and a red oak wakazashi. Before hand I stripped the handles of laquer, sanded them and made sure they were very dry.
I wrote on the pipe what was in there and the date, you never know what happens to some of this stuff you put away for later.

I took the handles out of their container tonight.
Right now they are hanging in the storage closet outside. I figure that the cooler weather will let them dry more slowly. First thing I noticed about the handles is that the color has REALLY come out of them. They were origionally very plain, now they have striations from the growth rings.

It will be interesting to see how they season over the next 6 months or so. Right now they just stink like turpentine.

I am currently thinking about buying some more handles and beginning a new batch so that I always have extra on hand.

Anyone else have any experiments going?
 
SamuraiDave said:
Around a year or so ago there was a thread about how one should treat handles.

It was one of the old timers that mentioned that his father used to treat his handles in a 50/50 mix of turpentine and boiled linseed oil.

So on Aug 14, 2007 I assembeled a 4" diameter PVC pipe with a cap on one end and a screw on cap on the other, filled it with 5 different hickory handles and a red oak wakazashi.

I wrote on the pipe what was in there and the date, you never know what happens to some of this stuff you put away for later.

I took the handles out of their container tonight.

First thing I noticed about the handles is that the color has REALLY come out of them. They were origionally very plain, now they have striations from the growth rings.

It will be interesting to see how they season over the next 6 months or so. Right now they just stink like turpentine.
Click to expand...

I remember that thread/post Dave! One of the few things I've remembered lately.;) :eek:

Is there any chance at all for a few pics? I know I'd really like to see the results while the handles are still drying, probably take 'em a while to dry too! Maybe even as much as a year to be fully dry since they spent a year soaking? :confused:

I'm also curious to know if there's any perceptible added weight as well, guess it'd depend on how much of the mixture soaked in hunh?
Also wonder if there is indeed any added weight whether some of it may be lost through the drying out period?

Another thing I'm curious about is if there's any way to tell if there's any added flexibility to the handles, but I can't think of any really accurate way to test for it, anyone have any ideas?

Looks like I've got a helluva lot more questions than answers but that's what a good experiment causes.
Thanks for the pondering Dave. :thumbup: ;)
 
I've often wondered what would happen to wood if it was treated with shellac in a similar way. I've never bothered to try it, of course, but I have wondered.
 
I'm curious about warpage- either from the soaking or even during the drying.

Thanks for pioneering this, Dave! :thumbup:
 
Well, it has been 2 days and I just went out and checked on them. I turned them over on their drying pegs and it seems like their exterior is dry, they didnt feel wet or greasy and my hand only smells slightly of Boiled Linseed oil.

No warping either.

I havent handeled the handles in over a year, but they did feel rather heavy. Although that is only a observation, the only way you could really be sure about making them heavier is to weigh the handle before you put it in the container, and then weigh them after they are seasoned and dried. Since I didnt do that before hand it is kind of a moot point now.

Overall it looks to be a success, but then again, I plan on leaving them up to season out there for a few months. I have no reason to take them down and nothing to re-handle at this point in time.

Although I do have a few ideas for future projects, but I have to catch up on the work I have. ;)
 
Yeah - sometimes used it for gardening tool handles and the odd knife. The treatment you described will soak in a fair way but not completely if the wood is very dense, naturally oily/resinous or thick. You will also find that the finish dulls fairly quickly as the linseed dries. I have had wood end up with a slightly tacky feel when treated with linseed but this can be buffed out. You can leave it dull/satiny or use fine W&D and buffing wheels to bring it up to really high polish and show of the wood pattern if that's what you want.

When doing gunstocks it wasn't the oil that worked the magic but the hours and hours of rubbing.
 
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