Linseed Oil for tool handles

I've done my homework on using linseed oil as a finish on a shipwrights/caulking mallet I am making for my old man. Ideally I would like to use raw linseed oil and apply it using the daily for a week, weekly for a month etc rule but I don't have time (it's for fathers day and I can't count on dad to keep up the regimen).

I understand that raw linseed oil doesn't contain the chemical drying agents that boiled linseed oil has and obviously takes a lot longer to dry. My question is this, can I use raw linseed oil to saturate the timber over a week or so and then seal it with boiled linseed oil over the top? Is there another better finish I could use instead for a mallet that will get beaten up and kept in a marine environment? I thought of simply using wax wax but I don't know how this would handle the moisture. The timber involved is Jarrah or red gum for the head and some mystery hardwood (possibly silver ash) for the handle.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Matto

Hey Mat, others will have other ideas no doubt but I use linseed on all my mallet heads, handles, hammer handles etc. Sometimes they get done quite often some have gone for years without. Slop it on let it soak in for a few hours to a day and wipe off the excess. Several times if you can, it will last for a good while.

I had a few experiences with linseed oil the worst of which was on a western red cedar clad wall siding in the afternoon sun . It turned black with mould in northern NSW.

The mallet should be right (red gum). The head won't absorb much oil anyway but your choice of silver ash I would question . In the tropics this turns streakey black ,soon after it's cut, from a mould in the air ,so you have to get something on it pretty quick. If you oil it with linseed oil I would be worried about that happening after a few months .

I guess its probably been given by now and is dad's problem , perhaps some shellac when it is dry or even poly . Lucky Dad.

You could have a look at poly oil mix . this should give you the fast dry time but give the oil soak you need { I would probably use 3 to 1 oil to poly , maybe with a splash of turps , {bit like a danish oil }

I used this a bit on some boxes I turned { mainly Spanish cedar } and apart from a slight darkening , it worked well

having said this I generally don't oil my tool handles . normally just EEE and Shellawax not the cream { 2-3 coats } and havent had any troubles

Cheers
Glenn

Just about all my tool handles are done as follows
1) 1 liberal wiped on coat of BLO.
2) Next day, take the same cloth and load the cloth with about a 50c blob of BLO and then add 1 large drop of site sponsors white shellac and wipe/rub onto tool handle.
3) Next day, repeat step 2) but use 2 drops of white shellac.
4) Day 4 repeat step 2) with 4 drops of white shellac - this will dry quite quickly
5) Finish with some site sponsors trad wax.

Leaves a very nice natural looking tactile feel ideal for tool handles.

Here is one example.