Joe Fabbri
12-28-2011, 2:59 PM
Hi everyone,
I recently aquired a handful of old wooden planes, some molding, a plough, and some bench planes. I went ahead and cleaned some of them already with a damp cloth and then I applied a small amount of linseed oil on a rag. I didn't have the typical boiled linseed oil you'd buy in a can, but rather the type used in oil painting, called stand linseed oil. It's a bit more refined, and I think it will be less likely to yellow or darken over time.
To me, the few planes I cleaned up look great with this cleaning and oiling. The oil adds a nice luster and feel to the wood. But, I wanted to ask if what I'm doing is satisfactory or not. I know some say to simply wax the planes. But I felt the ones I had were on the dry side and could use a slight oiling first. But, what about wiping the planes with a damp cloth first? I just recently read that you should never touch them with anything with water in it, because it could cause them to swell and then check. This got me thinking. Have I made a mistake in cleaning them first in this way? If not a damp rag, then what should you clean them with first?
If I skip the damp rag, and simply use some wax, wouldn't that make oiling it ineffective?
And, what's a good general purpose wax to use? I used some old Simonize car and furniture wax on one of my first wooden planes--before researching it much. It seemed to do a pretty nice job. Is a generic wax like that okay?
They're not ultra valuable planes, nor are they in collector condition, but some are pretty nice, and I'd like to make sure I'm on the right path. So any advice is appreciated. And I'll try to get some pictures up soon.
Thanks,
Joe
I recently aquired a handful of old wooden planes, some molding, a plough, and some bench planes. I went ahead and cleaned some of them already with a damp cloth and then I applied a small amount of linseed oil on a rag. I didn't have the typical boiled linseed oil you'd buy in a can, but rather the type used in oil painting, called stand linseed oil. It's a bit more refined, and I think it will be less likely to yellow or darken over time.
To me, the few planes I cleaned up look great with this cleaning and oiling. The oil adds a nice luster and feel to the wood. But, I wanted to ask if what I'm doing is satisfactory or not. I know some say to simply wax the planes. But I felt the ones I had were on the dry side and could use a slight oiling first. But, what about wiping the planes with a damp cloth first? I just recently read that you should never touch them with anything with water in it, because it could cause them to swell and then check. This got me thinking. Have I made a mistake in cleaning them first in this way? If not a damp rag, then what should you clean them with first?
If I skip the damp rag, and simply use some wax, wouldn't that make oiling it ineffective?
And, what's a good general purpose wax to use? I used some old Simonize car and furniture wax on one of my first wooden planes--before researching it much. It seemed to do a pretty nice job. Is a generic wax like that okay?
They're not ultra valuable planes, nor are they in collector condition, but some are pretty nice, and I'd like to make sure I'm on the right path. So any advice is appreciated. And I'll try to get some pictures up soon.
Thanks,
Joe