[Market-farming] Getting ready for Spring

waldenfarm waldenfarm at bellsouth.net
Wed Jan 27 11:05:58 EST 2010


I use mineral oil and wipe it on with a rag at the end of each day when I 
clean tools. Mineral oil is non toxic and keeps the wood from drying and 
becoming brittle. If the handle on a new tool is vanished, I strip, sand and 
oil it. I've found hard finishes slippery in sweaty hands.

I learned this from a tool- believe it or not. I worked some years ago in a 
machine shop. It was a family business started by the owner's grandfather in 
1930. They had a pitchfork that was occasionally used to pick up wads of 
steel shavings. The handle looked aged, but smooth and richly colored. It 
had motor oil soaked in it from 50+ years of greasy hands. I figured the 
preservation of the handle was due to the oil.

Also, tung oil is a hard finish, usually used on furniture and bar tops.

Alex McGregor
Walden Farm
Waldens Ridge, TN

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Thomas Patrick Hurtgen" <hurtgenmeadows at gmail.com>
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming at lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 10:43 PM
Subject: [Market-farming] Getting ready for Spring


> What should I be using to wash and disinfect/sanitize plug trays and
> buckets?  I also remember a discussion many months ago about having
> interns oil the wooden handles of their "issued" set of garden tools.
> Is the oil anything different than the tung oil commonly used by
> woodworkers?  Are the handles sanded first?  Any varnish used after
> the tung oil?  Thanks for any help that you can offer.  Tom (central NC) 




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