Easily Restore AND Weatherproof The Rough Worn Handles On ALL Your Garden Tools!

[@janeteholmes]

I’ve wrapped my handles in brightly coloured handle-bar tape. This makes them very comfortable to use and much easier to find when I’ve left them somewhere!

[@Singlesix6]

When I married her 7 years ago my wife had a 50-year-old bow rake with a handle twice as rough as yours, twice as cracked, twice as dirty and it was shedding splinters. I have a great rake, but need one for a little beach cottage to spread oyster shells in the drive. I started with 60 grit yesterday and it tore up the paper. I looked at my belt sander, checked the hardware store for a new handle - $16.49 - and ended up buying a nice, cheap, new rake for $26. The long handle is sturdy and metal is painted, but the salt air is going to eat it up anyway. It would have been fun wire brushing the iron, treating it with Ospho to convert the rust and then messing with that old handle or replacing it, but I think I'll spend the time fishing.

[@bender49ers]

Can you tell me about oyster shells in the drive? Why do you do that?

[@Singlesix6]

@@bender49ers If you can get them for free they are cheaper than buying truckloads of gravel.

[@bettyboyd1395]

Read the cautions on the linseed oil container. Do not wad the rags and simply toss in the trash. Spontaneous combustion will start a fire a few hours later. Put rags in a container of water

[@jasonmysinger9464]

I’m restoring an old scythe I just purchased, and this video is perfect!! Thanks for sharing and all of the helpful hints!

[@GardenWellEatWell]

Fantastic Jason! I'm glad you found the video. Good luck with your gardening this season! Paul

[@reaganl.5113]

The old saying goes, apply once a day for a week, then once a week for a month, then once a month for a year, then once a year for life. My fathers hand tools get a coat of BLO applied with steel wool annually in mid Summer and are still better than new. This works on the metal parts as well.

[@themonsterunderyourbed9408]

The video says RAW, not boiled

[@JackJensenTrader]

@@themonsterunderyourbed9408 It does say raw, but that doesn't mean boiled won't work, too. Fwiw, from my reading, for this purpose boiled will be just fine. Main downside is possibly discoloration.

[@kennethsmith317]

​​@@themonsterunderyourbed9408 "the old saying" "my father would do". Clearly this was being done long before KZbin existed and there is more than 1 method to preserving your wooden tool handles.

[@MrEchskech]

Pro tip. Watch at 1.25 speed

[@RustyZipper]

Start at 6:29

[@unknown-ql1fk]

If you blacken the wood prior to linseed oil it will become very resistant to rot. I use a weed burner torch/propane torch to char the wood til its total black then, without using sandpaper, SOAK them in heavy coats of the oil. The linseed oil will cure faster due to the massive surface area and charcoal (the new exterior of the handle) is highly rot resistant. Also your tools are now black handled and they look very cool

[@GardenWellEatWell]

Thanks for the comment. I'll have to try experimenting with that. Paul

[@stevesteiner9472]

And, for bonus points, this will also chase the last of the moisture out of the wood making it absorb the oil more easily and thoroughly.

[@JackJensenTrader]

Interesting. Do they still need to be re-done each year, though? What's the process for future years (if so)?

[@kennethsmith317]

​@@JackJensenTraderI've never done this before, but I would assume that you just need to re-apply the oil annually after.

[@kraptastic333]

Thanks for the informal, but concisely eloquent delivery of a topic that many could try to define as dull. You really connected with sensory and positive energy throughout. Subbed

[@cocobobo5962]

Linseed oil will also help protect the metal portions of your tools.

[@jsmcguireIII]

I also paint three red stripes on all my field tools so if I find it your barn I will know!!!

[@Linzizzle18]

Thank you for your videos. My husband and I are about to move into our first home and all of this gardening and composting stuff is very new for me. Looking forward to more of your helpful videos! I like how you thoroughly explain things through. Cheers from your neighbor in Minnesota 😄

[@GardenWellEatWell]

Thanks for supporting my channel @Lindsey! I enjoy putting out the videos and am glad you're finding them useful. Good luck with your new home and future gardening! Paul

[@crossgrainwoodproductsltd9230]

My grandpa taught me this method, only he used motor oil! Lol, it worked great on the metal. Every late fall, when I stop using most of the told, I sit down and sand the metal first, then the wood handles. I used an old flannel shirt that I cut into squares to apply the oil, then to wipe off any residue. As I got older, I turned to using Linseed oil. I recently purchased some weather-beaten garden tools that I picked up at a tag sale for a different process to sealing the handles. I used waterproof wood glue and sawdust from an ash board. I mixed the glue and sawdust together to make a paste. I then applied this to the cracked wood using a putty knife that I bent around a pipe

[@stevesteiner9472]

No used motor oil goes to waste on my farm, that's for sure...

[@edsida]

How have the tools held up?

[@kimshatteen222]

Thank you my mom has a lot of tools in bad shape and this is very helpful.

[@GardenWellEatWell]

You're welcome Kim and thanks for watching! Paul

[@mtbhillbilly]

Just the video i was looking for thank you

[@GardenWellEatWell]

That's great! Glad you found my channel. Paul

[@Bigredkarl]

Dont just discard the oil covered sock these oils can spontaneously combust

[@acrscott]

Add water to the bag also.

[@montanaeaglescout]

Kind of surprise he didn’t cover this in the video

[@stevesteiner9472]

I came to comment specifically about that. There's probably enough oxygen left in the bag to melt the bag, then all heck'll break loose.

[@wanesweb]

Thanks for the video Good job My garden looks just like yours shovels stuck in the dirt pitchforks stuck in the compost waiting for me to go back the next day lol I always know where I left them lol

[@jaystonkey]

Excellent content, thank you! 👍

[@katieanneozarkhollowhomestead]

I use the same mineral oil I use on my cutting board for my garden tool handles.

[@bukidman83]

Excellent video. Excellent information. Thank you. I'm looking to refinish some 100 year old wood handles on a vintage waffle iron. I'd prefer to keep the original handles rather than fabricate new ones. Can I seal after applying oil? With a lacquer or clear coat?

[@davidisaacson9328]

Yes you can. But it has to be a "drying" oil that you use(linseed,teak,walnut,tung, etc.)...if you plan to seal with polyurethane or lacquer.

[@antoniokristler6973]

Long term question, would it have to be reapplied? How long does this last for?

[@GardenWellEatWell]

Hi Antonio, if your tools are in rough shape, then I would sand them well and apply at least three coats. That should last a couple of years. But to always keep them in great condition, every year you could give them a very light sanding and only apply one coat. Thanks Paul

[@jamestaylor8217]

I've often thought that a 2"ID pipe about 5" long with a sealed bottom would be a good way. Fill it with Linseed Oil up to the top after the tool is in and let soak for ??. Thanks. Good wider.

[@montanaeaglescout]

Linseed oil can combust /react with heat or air

[@jamestaylor8217]

Good point. Thanks.

[@dogood63]

I plan to take my old rake to the car wash next time I wash my car, to blast it good (to clean it & remove mold, etc.). Then let it dry out for about week. Following, I am going to cover the handle thoroughly with a hardy water resistant glue.

[@thatguy2224]

Thanks for the video. I am going to do the long handled tools on our wildland fire apparatus. They have never been done. How long till the first coat dries?

[@notthelake]

Usually 24-48 hours.

[@RascalKyng]

Raw vs Boiled, whats reccomended?

[@adamkoontz2914]

Boiled is fine, and it’s readily available everywhere. I disagree with video about raw being superior. I say six of one half dozen of the other. Birchwood Casey tru oil is my all time favorite, but it’s not cheap and it’s a ploymerized tung oil.

[@Distorted-Vision]

Is Pure Tung Oil better to use than Raw Linseed Oil?

[@notthelake]

Tung oil if it's left outside all the time. Linseed is fine if you usually store them in a shed or under a covering.

[@TheSpoovy]

I did a few of my garden tools with raw linseed oil before putting them away for the winter (in an old shed in a new house). Just checked today (end of January) and most of the wooden handles have gone mouldy, the linseed oil treated ones definitely the worst affected.

[@stevesteiner9472]

If the mold had penetrated to the inside, and the wood was wet under the linseed oil, what you did was just give the mold a perfect, moist, sealed place to grow. I'm going to guess that the linseed oil ones were rotted all towards the center, whereas the ones that were not sealed probably only molded on the outside (where the water came and went via condensation as it warmed and cooled). The wood has to be really dry for sealing with linseed oil to be effective. Best bet is to do them right when you buy them or keep them in the house, preferably near the wood stove to dry out completely over the winter before sealing.

[@TheSpoovy]

@@stevesteiner9472 All of them only mouldy on the outside thankfully, but its true they wouldn't have been 100% dry before I treated them.

[@pompeymonkey3271]

I did this to my cricket bats, (made of willow) 40 years ago :)

[@BarryJones-i3y]

Just an idea. Use paper towels to apply the linseed oil. Using material with linseed oil you run the real risk of an exothermic reaction and then next thing, no shed. Simply dispose of the paper in a metal container and burn it. Cheers.

[@notthelake]

Has to be decent quality paper towels, or you get tons of shredded paper all over everything. I just lay any rags out flat on a concrete surface or hang on a metal rack to dry. The issue is when they're wadded up.

[@greekveteran2715]

I do 3 coatings of Raw Linseed oil, to ensure the oil will penetrate and get inside all the wood. Then I apply the wax. I know, it takes days wating 3 coatings to dry one after another, however, that's the best method, to create a wooden handle on your tools, that will be much tougher with way less chances to break and in the same time, you waterproofing it, from the elements. It can literally make a wooden handle last forever and perform better.

[@jillhill7283]

Thank you!

[@angelasheppard7197]

Thank you

[@tonka5]

Thanks!

[@SGHedge]

Will Olive oil also work ?

[@canadiangemstones7636]

No.

[@DEFENDERNZ]

Take a (roughly) 1m length of 50 or 65mm PVC pipe and cap one end. Half fill it with Linseed oil/turps mix and soak all your straight handled tools for half an hour each.

[@stevesteiner9472]

I was, literally just five minutes ago, wondering how the heck I was going to rig something up to give the handles a good soak...thanks!

[@johnruckman2320]

What about tung oil?

[@wanesweb]

I like to buy old ones the quality is so much better I bought new ones and they're already rotted and broken

[@stevesteiner9472]

I tried to buy a new axe handle. Three handles later, I happened to have to cut down a dead ash tree (borers got it). I made the blanks yesterday and will be making new handles for a few things over the next week or so.

[@mrmicro22]

I prefer mineral oil, multitude of uses including wood metal and !leather.

[@Bigredkarl]

You should really just burn the sock or be prepared for it to spontaneously combust there are videos where u can see one catch fire after it was used. safety first

[@notthelake]

Hang it up flat, lay it out flat. It won't combust. It's when it's wadded up that there is an issue. Or you could just wash it immediately. Raw linseed oil isn't as bad as boiled. I've often just hung the rag over the top of the bottle, it doesn't dry very quickly. A rag will still be somewhat wet a week later.

[@ding9633]

Anybody else using engine oil?

[@rawbacon]

Just about any oil will do......I mostly use mineral oil but use whatever you got.

[@Neo-tn1mc]

Linseed oil gives good friction on your mitts. And Linseed oil is not carcinogenic like motor oil

[@PS_____]

Motor oil is a backwoods classic. I personally don't, but I remember folks using it for everything from wooden tools to fence posts as a kid.

[@westcoaster3763]

You might oil your deck also.

[@dianeroome972]

@west coaster: or your log cabin.

[@full_metal2452]

Howard’s feed and wax

[@romil_nara]

just use bamboo handle it need lesser care and work with u for longer time

[@bookmangrant]

PM😅