BoltonBullfinch wrote: ↑Wed Oct 09, 2019 8:25 pm
...You mentioned the other day about oiling my landing net handle, about how many coats of oil would you say?
Thanks
BB
Many thanks for all your appreciative words everyone..
BB:- Using linseed oil to finish wood takes far longer to achieve than varnishing, so you will need patience. However, in my opinion, the result is not only attractive and silky smooth, but far more durable, fully waterproof and can easily be refreshed. In fact, the more often that you do it, the better it will get. I gave up using varnish for net handles long ago and would never go back to it. Thick, glossy varnish is certainly very pretty and a quick fix, but oil is infinitely more practical and as 'Old Man River' says, fishing tackle is for using, not just for looking at.
To give you some idea, my wading staff was made from a length of Tonkin which I rejected as unsuitable for net handles as it had a couple of splits and some insect damage at the nodes. I made it into a staff without even bothering to straighten it, just heat treated and oil polished. It is now an essential for me when fishing and the lower part spends most of its time submerged, when not assisting walking through wet or muddy ground. To date, there is no sign of any further deterioration and it is as sound as it was when first made so please judge for yourself..
The quickest and easiest oil to use is 'Danish Oil' as it sets quite quickly in warmer weather or done indoors. Give the cane a really good rub down first with sandpaper or a rubbing block to remove the shine from the enamel-which is essential. If you wish to heat treat with a blowlamp or flame decorate, do it at this stage. After heat treatment lightly rub down again to remove surface carbon then rub in the oil vigorously with a rag-brushes are no good for this. After a while, the surface will go a bit tacky so repeat the rubbing in process again and set aside to dry. After a few hours, lightly rub down and do it again. You will need to do this at least three or four times, preferably more but it will be worth it.
The process for linseed oil is much the same, but it will take at least a couple of days between applications to key in and so will take far longer. Polishing in is hard, laborious work and I will not minimise this. Wear old gloves and an overall to stop it ingraining into your hands. The best way is to give it one good going over then set aside for a week and get on with something else, so possibly a close season job..
It also takes a very long time to dry out...an absolute minimum of about six weeks. When I redress a silk line, it usually takes about 12 weeks.
After a few months, the surface will go quite hard and if you give it another rubbing, the shine will be unbelievable! Repeat annually and it will get even better.
OMR:- I cannot say whether the African war club was made for use or for tourist shops and wall decoration, though personally, I am inclined to believe the latter. One thing is for sure; the ebony is heavy and dense enough at the removed business end to inflict very serious damage if you did use it against someone, but that will never happen now. It is not an easy wood to hand carve and the fish must have taken a good while to cut out so someone's patience will live on..
Thank you again for your kind words.
wm+
