restoring wood bodied planes

[EricU]

I have an AC Bartlett woodie and (I think) a Stanley transitional that I want to use.  The Bartlett needs a finish of some sort, it's so dry I feel the wood sucking the life force out of my hands.  I see people recommending tung oil.  What about Watco Danish Oil or arm-r-seal?


Curious what finish Stanley would have used on the transitional. I'm out of alcohol, so testing for shellac has to wait.
eta: It's a Stanley Rule and Level no29

[bandit571]

Bodies that are too dried out..usually get a good soaking in BLO....except on the bed for the iron..
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Stanley #28 and #29

[Treebeard]

I agree with the BLO. It can really bring the dry wood back to life.

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- Mark

[EricU]

thanks, I saw a warning not to use BLO, but I've never really had any problem with it

[Bill Wilson]

thanks, I saw a warning not to use BLO, but I've never really had any problem with it

What was the warning against BLO?  I would think it would be the ideal, safe choice.

[EricU]

one person says that it doesn't penetrate enough, should use raw linseed oil.  Another said it promotes mold.  Not sure I believe the second person

[Tony Z]

one person says that it doesn't penetrate enough, should use raw linseed oil.  Another said it promotes mold.  Not sure I believe the second person

I've seen similar replies and I've concluded some are mixing BLO with raw, or vice-versa. For me, I used Johnson's paste wax, applied with a OOOO steel wool pad. Did an excellent job of cleaning grit and grime and left a slippery sole.

[Carl Grover]

I'm gonna throw out a suggestion that might help a little on the transitional. Try it out for a while before you restore it. I found that my transitional has a smallish tote and my paw isn't very comfortable with it. I restored one then hated using it.

carl

[EricU]

The transitional might just get a coating of wax on the sole.  I generally don't restore my planes beyond simply removing loose rust and trying to keep them from rusting in the future.  

I think the Bartlett needs more than that.

[TheCabinetmaker]

Museums stopped using BLO years ago because it darkens the wood over time. BLO will age cherry instantly and keep walnut dark over the years. If you look at some containers they say to mix it 50/50 with mineral spirit (they used to say turpentine). I use turpentine and find that if you wipe it on, let it set for 10 min then wipe it off it will dry in 2-4 days and leave a nice finish. By the way I believe that Lie Nielsen uses that for their workbenches.  Most modern plane makers use Minwax Antique oil on their planes.