Peter:
As you know, the internet can provide a lot of information, some of it false. This seems to be especially true when it comes to finishes or refinishing. For redoing old tool handles, I have seen everything advised from sandpaper to oven cleaner.
I have some old saws, planes and drills I am restoring. Most are old family pieces from the last hundred years or so, and most have collected rust and crud from use and sitting in humid sheds for long periods. The metal I can handle, but what about the handles?
Here are typical problems:
> Apple or beach saw handles that have accumulated so much crud that they look very dark brown or black and feel gooey — and have also lost patches of finish to wear;
> Rosewood or cocobola drill handle that has collected so much crud it looks like worn black enamel;
> Plane totes and knobs with chipping or partial finishes.
I want these tools to still look like the antiques they are while looking as nice as possible, and also to feel nice and be protected. I do use them, rather than just look at them.
Do you have any recommendations for cleaning and either refinishing or protecting the wood?
Replies
Hi Joe,
As far as cleaning the gooey crud; I'd probably go for some mineral spirits and wash and dry it as I go. Also consider one of the dish detergents that lists grease cutting as one of it's attributes. Soap and water can be a wonderful thing. Also check out simple green as a cleaner..
If the finish is pretty thick and chipping is it possible it was an early twentieth century lacquer? I have some planes with the same condition but I'm sure they're not that early.
I would think after cleaning the saw handles I would consider giving them a coat or two of shellac. After curing shellac can be rubbed to silky smoothness. You could also consider an oil treatment of some sort.
Ditto for the cocobola and rosewood. Keep the finish thin as far as mil thickness is concerned.
Go easy on sanding the wood ( if required) as this is what removes the patina the wood develops. When cleaning or removing finishes, I try to do so in the most non evasive manner as possible.
There is the matter of the chipping finishes. You can lightly abrade the area and try building it back up with multiple coats of shellac or a brushing lacquer.
You could also consider removing a very cracked finish and re doing it. However you get into philosophical territory there. I don't know the value of tools with original finish and someone else might have other (better) advice for you on that one.
Let me know what you do.
Peter
Thanks, Peter. The shellac makes good sense (our favorite finish, eh?). I'll play around with a couple inexpensive and inconsequential old saws, and I'll let you know how things come out.
As to laquer -- how would one tell?
Joe
Edited 3/21/2007 7:12 pm ET by Joe Sullivan
Peter;Happy to report success thus far. I tried renovating two panel saw handles that were in pretty bad shape, and would not matter much if I messed them up. One was West-German made post war model, the other appears a lot older, of unknown origins. I used mineral spirits as you suggested. Used heavy shop paper towels and a touch of somewhat coarse steel wool. When I got them clean and the rough edges softened, I padded on about 4 coats of thin shellac over a two day period. Not sure the cut as I went by feel and did not measure, but would guess it was about 1 to 1.5 lb.The shellac was a bit glossier than I prefer for an old tool, so I took another piece of your advice and applied wax with 0000 steel wool. The only wax I had in the shop was the good mirocrystaline stuff called Renaissance. The results are just great. The handles now have a glow rather than a gloss, and have not lost their antique look.Thanks for the help.
Joe,
I'm glad you like the results.
Keep in touch.
Peter
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