Applying Linseed oil to a knife handle.
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Thats about it Zammo,
Some people will argue whether boiled or raw is best, I recon so long as you put something on it, it will be preserved.
There is a saying about oiling handles in general:-
Once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, and once a year for life.
Seems prety straightforward to me.
ATB
Ogri the trog
Some people will argue whether boiled or raw is best, I recon so long as you put something on it, it will be preserved.
There is a saying about oiling handles in general:-
Once a day for a week, once a week for a month, once a month for a year, and once a year for life.
Seems prety straightforward to me.
ATB
Ogri the trog
I soaked my second handle overnight in danish oil and it came out great ot took a few days to dry properly came out better than the first which was an number of layers of linseed oil.
My advice is you arent sure test it in a scrap of wood
My advice is you arent sure test it in a scrap of wood
I experimented last year with some adze and hatchet handles I'd made from apple and plum woods. I submerged the handles for two months in a bucket of linseed oil then I let them sit over the winter.
It worked. The handles are soaked right through and have a nice feel and grip and they have a very rich look.
I figure the handles are going to be around for a long time without any movement or checking in any kind of weather.
It worked. The handles are soaked right through and have a nice feel and grip and they have a very rich look.
I figure the handles are going to be around for a long time without any movement or checking in any kind of weather.
Raw linseed oil takes longer to dry than the boiled stuff. It can take weeks to dry properly. The boiled oil isn't boiled at all, it has chemical additive in it that speed up the drying process and makes it a better product for preserving things like tool handles, furniture, etc.
Downsides to linseed oil are that mildew likes it, it's not UV resistant (UV causes a lot of damage to wood), doesn't dry very hard, can get a gummy build up.
Downsides to linseed oil are that mildew likes it, it's not UV resistant (UV causes a lot of damage to wood), doesn't dry very hard, can get a gummy build up.
Way I was taught, you heat it in a stove pan, not so hot that you can't touch it, but warm so that it is absorbed quickly.
Rub it in with your hand, let the wood absorb that layer, then return to it. Each time you're done, put it in a stove, near a fire, or in a smoker (no wood chips of course
). The extra warmth will hel the wood's pores to absorb the oil.
A couple hours later, rub in another coat, and set into the heat source.
Rub it in with your hand, let the wood absorb that layer, then return to it. Each time you're done, put it in a stove, near a fire, or in a smoker (no wood chips of course
). The extra warmth will hel the wood's pores to absorb the oil. A couple hours later, rub in another coat, and set into the heat source.
I think some Danish Oil has a bit of stain mixed in. So it makes the wood darker.
Way I was taught, you heat it in a stove pan, not so hot that you can't touch it, but warm so that it is absorbed quickly.
Rub it in with your hand, let the wood absorb that layer, then return to it. Each time you're done, put it in a stove, near a fire, or in a smoker (no wood chips of course
A couple hours later, rub in another coat, and set into the heat source.
This is how I always finish small wood projects. It has worked very well for the last 30 years. I have a spoon I made back then that I still use at least every week. Never had to refinish it. The oil is all the way through and baked hard.
Depends on what was done when made, but well worth the effort if the finish is wearing through. Sand with 300 grit wet or dry and apply the oil as previously stated.
Well it wont work on any knives i have made because i use CCL oil, it is sealed so wont soak it up!
But adding a coat of oil over the top of a ccl oil finished knife will add protection to the knife. I even oil stabalised and micarta handles, rightly or wrongly. I feel it helps
But adding a coat of oil over the top of a ccl oil finished knife will add protection to the knife. I even oil stabalised and micarta handles, rightly or wrongly. I feel it helps
woodwalker
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I've never used micarta so I don't know, but I thought it was completely solid all the way through
and isn't it kinda plastic/resin anyway? I'd love to know as I was thinking of buying some soon 
woodwalker
Micarta is made up of layers of either canvas or linen and sometimes paper bonded together with epoxy or other media. The center of the fibers are exposed when cut or sanded.
It does absorb oil and varnish quite well and takes on a lustrous surface.
Before oil:
After oil:
It does absorb oil and varnish quite well and takes on a lustrous surface.
Before oil:
After oil:
Way I was taught, you heat it in a stove pan, not so hot that you can't touch it, but warm so that it is absorbed quickly.
Rub it in with your hand, let the wood absorb that layer, then return to it. Each time you're done, put it in a stove, near a fire, or in a smoker (no wood chips of course
A couple hours later, rub in another coat, and set into the heat source.
Hi OzaawaaMigiziNini and others,
I'm a newbie here and this is my first post.
I didn't get this very clear, do you heat the linseed oil or (maybe) heat up the wood (e.g. knife handle)?
You can get good results by warming up both.
Some people find thinning down the linseed oil with something like turpentine also helps - the thinned oil penetrates better. I've used turps and also kerosene for this (on a dinghy).
Some people find thinning down the linseed oil with something like turpentine also helps - the thinned oil penetrates better. I've used turps and also kerosene for this (on a dinghy).
Yup, linseed is good stuff for wood, boiled does dry quicker.
Soak overnight is a good easy method, then top the oil back in the bottle for your next project, it wond damage metal so pins, bolsters, tang, blade all fine no problems, it will darken the wood a little, but not as much as dirt so there ya go.
Just keep reapplying it at least once a year and you will pass whatever it is on to your kids...just watch how you apply it, if applying via a cotton cloth it can catch fire, so store the rag outside, preferably in a bucket of water after use.
Soak overnight is a good easy method, then top the oil back in the bottle for your next project, it wond damage metal so pins, bolsters, tang, blade all fine no problems, it will darken the wood a little, but not as much as dirt so there ya go.
Just keep reapplying it at least once a year and you will pass whatever it is on to your kids...just watch how you apply it, if applying via a cotton cloth it can catch fire, so store the rag outside, preferably in a bucket of water after use.
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