"finish" for old tools?

[toolmiser]

I have a few t bevels, and a couple of wooden folding rulers (not the painted ones).  I cleaned the t bevels with simple green to get the greasy dirt off, and now I feel like I should apply some sort of oil, wax, etc.

My wooden rulers haven't been touched, but they look dry.

I know something like linseed oil will darken with age, so I don't want that especially on the rulers.  I guess it would be ok on the t bevels, they are a bunch of Stanley, they could be rosewood, or even walnut, I am not great with wood id.

Maybe you even have some web site that might lead me to an answer to my question.

[Joe Bailey]

I have a few t bevels, and a couple of wooden folding rulers (not the painted ones).  I cleaned the t bevels with simple green to get the greasy dirt off, and now I feel like I should apply some sort of oil, wax, etc.

My wooden rulers haven't been touched, but they look dry.

I know something like linseed oil will darken with age, so I don't want that especially on the rulers.  I guess it would be ok on the t bevels, they are a bunch of Stanley, they could be rosewood, or even walnut, I am not great with wood id.

Maybe you even have some web site that might lead me to an answer to my question.

Paste wax is ideal for tools (and not just the wooden parts). Make sure the one you choose is free of silicone.
S.C Johnson, Minwax are both inexpensive, well-known names, but I swear by Bowling Alley Wax, google the name.

[Admiral]

+1 on plain old wax, I roll with Johnson's in the yellow can....

[Timberwolf]

+1 on plain old wax, I roll with Johnson's in the yellow can....

............................
I like Johnsons for metal but for wood I have preferred Kiwi shoe Polish in one of the colors like Cordovan, neutral, etc...it contains lots of carnauba wax in it's formulations and the "color" blends in the minor scratches and blems found in ancient tools..Takes a high spit-shine if that's what you want ,..or it can be like satin..I used it in my antique clock restorations..and of course, in the olden Day Marine Corps of 65yrs ago, we actually had leather shoes which we polished every day until you needed sun glasses to look at them!!!! It has to be good to stand up to military service...




Here's a shot of a Buck shipbuilder's smoother made from Lignum Vitae, polished with Kiwi..That is the only finish I have ever used on it and I have had it for 25yrs..

[Bill_Houghton]

The question is, do they make Kiwi shoe polish with real Kiwis (props to one of the Addams Family movies: if you haven't seen it, look here)?

[Rob Young]

The question is, do they make Kiwi shoe polish with real Kiwis (props to one of the Addams Family movies: if you haven't seen it, look here)?

The birds or persons from New Zealand?

[Timberwolf]

The birds or persons from New Zealand?

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The real question is..how many Kiwis do you have to squeeze to get a can full of wax....

[AHill]

The birds or persons or fruit from New Zealand?

You forgot one.

[andrewb]

I have a few t bevels, and a couple of wooden folding rulers (not the painted ones).  I cleaned the t bevels with simple green to get the greasy dirt off, and now I feel like I should apply some sort of oil, wax, etc.

My wooden rulers haven't been touched, but they look dry.

I know something like linseed oil will darken with age, so I don't want that especially on the rulers.  I guess it would be ok on the t bevels, they are a bunch of Stanley, they could be rosewood, or even walnut, I am not great with wood id.

Maybe you even have some web site that might lead me to an answer to my question.

Personally, I normally just use boiled linseed oil (BLO) and leave it at that.  Other folks have indicated that a mix of BLO, turpentine and beeswax in about equal measures is magic.  I've read that a cheap source of beeswax is toilet bowl rings.  Anyhow, I guess the turpentine helps liquify the wax and users of this mix swear by it.  I spend most of my time fixing old tools up for sale out of an antique mall booth and sales have generally been good enough that I've never questioned my methods.  When I get around to messing with my own personal collection I may try the BLO/Turps/Wax mix.

Andrew

[Rob Young]

You forgot one.

The goosberry-hybrid grown in New Zealand is now marketed as "Zespri". They dropped the "Kiwifruit" name.