Hopefully, you already have linseed oil on hand to coat the wood handles of your tools. Wood will always look better than plastic and you can enjoy knowing that you are using natural materials the way that outdoorsmen have for centuries. A small beehive can produce a lot of beeswax.
If you notice the wood starting to dry out you can add another coat of the oil. Once applied, the Linseed oil will provide up to a year’s worth of protection to the wood. Many house and business fires have been started from piles of rags soaked in Linseed Oil. As Linseed Oil dries and is exposed to air, the temperature increases high enough to ignite the paint thinner inside the oil. I can’t overstate enough how important this step is. You can also put rags in a sealed metal tin soaking in water until you can dispose of them properly. Wash the rag well with dish soap and water and then put it outside spread flat on cement to let it dry. Note: Rags coated in Linseed oil are extremely flammable and may spontaneously combust if left. You want to apply at least 3 coats to the wood to fully protect it. When it is almost dry (anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours depending on ambient temperature and humidity), use a clean lint-free rag to wipe off any excess oil. The beauty of Boiled Linseed Oil (as opposed to raw Linseed) is that it will dry quickly. Use a circular motion to rub it into the entire surface. Using a lint-free rag, apply the linseed to the wood. You want to expose the fibers under the surface, but you shouldn’t be removing much wood. Lightly sand off the surface of the wood. You can use a rougher sandpaper for a tackier finished product, but it won’t feel as nice in hand. I recommend a 180 or 200 grain sandpaper. First you need to remove the old oil and rough up the wood just a bit.We’ll go through the process of applying linseed oil to an axe handle, but keep in mind that this process will work on a gunstock as well. It’s cheap, easy to apply, and is one of the best wood protectants out there. Boiled Linseed Oil is my go-to oil for wood. Ideally, you want to use a drying oil that polymerizes (forms a hard surface) on the outside of the wood. Standard kitchen oils like olive, coconut, or vegetable oil will hydrate the wood, but they won’t form an impenetrable surface on the outside to protect it. This will keep the wood hydrated, help repel water, and increase the resistance to cracking or chipping. One of the most important things about maintaining wood is to make sure it is oiled and sealed annually. While it can require some extra steps to maintain, there is no reason that a quality wood stock or tool handle can’t last every bit as long as a plastic one. There is a common misconception that wood on a shotgun or rifle stock will not last as long as a plastic one. Synthetic rifle stocks and fiberglass tool handles have sadly become more and more popular as folks opt for the perceived increase in durability. Whether a hickory axe handle, walnut gunstock, or birch knife handle-there is something very alluring about the look of wood on a tool. I want to talk a little about properly maintaining some of the tools you use while recreating outdoors.
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