THIS IS A HAMMER 11/10/11

Using Linseed Oil to Preserve Tools

Q: I’ve heard mixed information about using linseed oil to preserve tools over the winter. Do you place it on the cutting blades of garden tools, or only on the handles? Is there an alternative protectant for garden and work tools? — John F., Providence, R.I.

A: Linseed oil isn’t a good protectant for the metal parts of tools. The reason is that it creates a somewhat gummy, sticky coat that may be hard to clean off come springtime. It often is used to coat and protect wooden handles, but like most preservative products, linseed oil has its benefits and its drawbacks.

First, many people don’t know that there are two kinds of linseed oil available: raw and boiled. Raw linseed oil is extracted directly from flax seeds, with no additives of any kind. It’s straight-up linseed oil and nothing else. The raw oil dries extremely slowly, over several weeks, and so it develops a kind of gummy or sticky texture that you may not want to experience when picking up a hammer.

Boiled linseed oil is not actually boiled. It has several ingredients added that quicken drying time and prevent mildew from setting in. If you want to coat wooden tool handles with linseed oil to preserve them, this is the product to use.

The website NaturalHandyman.com has a pretty detailed article available on various uses for raw and boiled linseed oil.

A note of caution when using linseed oil: After use, wash any rags that are soaked with the oil in soap and water immediately, or store the rags in a pail of water that is covered. Linseed oil tends to heat up as it dries (through a process called oxidation), and while that isn’t a problem for a tool handle with a light coat of boiled oil on it, it can be a problem if a pile of oil-soaked rags are sitting in a corner of your garage drying out. For the same reason, you’ll also want to air-dry the washed-out rags rather than placing them in the clothes dryer. Spontaneous combustion is only fun in science class.

Before you get completely turned off toward linseed oil, keep in mind that safety is a priority when working with any type of solvent or chemical, and review the warnings on the back of all the products you use.

Which leads into alternatives to linseed oil. You’ll find several kinds of wood preservatives on the shelf at your home-improvement store. Pick a protectant that is specifically formulated for wooden tool handles. It needs to quickly penetrate the wood, not leave a residue on the surface and ideally provide some protection from the sun as well.

HOME TIP: To prevent glue from sticking to a painted or varnished surface, brush a thin coat of raw linseed oil onto the surface first. Once the gluing project is done, the oil can be wiped away.

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