Shovel Maintenence

[Steve B]

I live in a dry desert climate. What can I do as a preventative to garden tool wood handles splitting? And after they're split, I need to sand them down and do .......... what?

Steve

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Boiled linseed oil may help. If the handle was too wet when made, nothing is going to help much as the wood will dry over time.

[mm]

Fill with plastic wood and use them for the work they can do, and not beauty? Don't need to sand then either, although a wire wheel might work faster than sandpaper anyhow.

My brother brought back a probably-cheap wood sculpture from Thailand and after a year it started cracking and cracked all over the place. I stained the inside of the cracks to match the very dark stain on the outside, and afaic it looks pretty good. You don't notice the cracks in the guys leg or his chest. At least from a distance.

[RicodJour]

If you're emotionally attached to the tools, then you're involved in one of those maintenance relationships. Periodic dressing with your choice of oil will keep the wood moisturized. As far as the splits, it depends on how bad they are. Wood filler would tend to crumble out as the tools are subject to a lot of flexure and heat/water stresses. You could caulk the gaps before you oil them the first time. Wipe off the excess with a damp rag and wait for the water to evaporate out before oiling them up.

Or you could end the maintenance and buy fiberglass handled tools.

R

[Oren]

I used 60 grit paper on an orbital sander; back and forth the length of the handles. This was an axe, sledge hammer and short excavation shovel. I was asking myself the same question.

The desert is hard on the wood, so I will follow the Boiled Linseed Oil suggestion. I happen to have some in the cabinet.

I doubt I'll be buying these type tools in the future, so a good clean-up is in order.

-- Oren

"If things get any worse, I'll have to ask you to stop helping me."

[Oren]

-- Oren

"If things get any worse, I'll have to ask you to stop helping me."

[Oren]

From the can label: Heats as it dries...generated heat can cause spontaneous ignition.....

I ain't joshin'

-- Oren

"If things get any worse, I'll have to ask you to stop helping me."