Saws, saw handles and Alburnums Elixir

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Dont know how many folks have tried this for cleaning tool and saw handles but i just did and it the best ive ever used. The guy who sells kramers anique restorers has this recipe for the homebrew known by many he calls igt Alburnums erlixir. Equal parts BLO, turp or mineral spirits, and vinegar. With some 000 steel wool and a few minutes and wow! I just tried it for the first time after using other methods to restore some saw handles and this stuff beat all.. Whether the piece has no finish left, patchy finish, or all the original finish.. or its clean, kinda dirty or filthy with grime and dirt.., This left my handles glowing with all their original patina and looking beautiful.. I would still use shellac or some light wiping varnish atfer this dries but for the initial cleaning and reconditioning this stuff is where its at. I used tung oil, Mineral spirits, and apple cider vinegar cuz its what i had on hand. I have experimented with other forms of cleaning like soap and water.. Simple green diluted. Mineral spirits etc.. but none comes close to the efficacy of this to clean varying conditions of old wood while maintaining the patina of an old piece and blending all the different colors and textures of old dry, dirty, patchy wood tool handles. What surprised me the most was haw it really improved the old finish on disston no 12 that had all its original finish (nearly) but looked hideous due to the ugly orange color it had turned over the years .. After treating it with elixir and steel wool it looks amazing now.. Did I say yet how much I liked this stuff? I highly recommend giving itg a try. The only one that didnt get this was the panel saw handle . It ended up with too litle of the original patina and prompted me to try something else in search of the perfect beauty of old wooden tool handles..</p>
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https://i.imgur.com/Xe1nRiim.jpg https://i.imgur.com/Dihw3j2m.jpg https://i.imgur.com/WqzDrX5m.jpg https://i.imgur.com/fcXe4Qcm.jpg</p>

Those turned out nice, Joel. Using tung oil (Watco or similar I assume)instead of BLO, you added a little varnish to the mix. I might just try a little wax and leave it. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for posting this recipe. With such an enthusiastic recommendation how can I not give it a try?

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Originally Posted by Phil Mueller

Those turned out nice, Joel. Using tung oil (Watco or similar I assume)instead of BLO, you added a little varnish to the mix. I might just try a little wax and leave it. Thanks for sharing.

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Tung oil ain't varnish; Watco ain't tung oil (it's a mix of tung oil-based varnish with lots of solvents and maybe a little bit of tung oil with a Japan drier, but not much). It would be nice if manufacturers didn't confuse everyone about what's actually in the can/jar/etc.

I added raw tung oil. But boiled linseed oil works great as well and dries much faster. I just happened to have the tung oil from a previous project. Closest thing at hand..

Good to know, Joel. I know Watco isn’t tung oil, but many express it as so. I made an incorrect assumption...thanks for the clarification.

I tried this recipe with raw tung oil once and the finish remained sticky for quite a while afterward. I figured the tung oil was left on too thick. Maybe I should have buffed more of it off with steel wool?

Yes. With raw tung oil or boiled linseed oil you always want to wipe off any left on the surface after allowing it to soak in for maybe 10 minutes or so. I always wipe my projects dry with rags or paper towels when I use it. And ALWAYS PLACE RAGS IN WATER OR SPREAD OUT TO DRY OUTSIDE. BLO or tung oil products create heat as they cure and can spontaneously combust if rolled up rags are left about. many times I will periodically go back and wipe thevwood down again as sometimes oil will seep out of the wood in some spots. Usually very minimal but I just keep wiping down every hour or so till no more comes out.

I did not notice any seepage with the elixir recipe I used on these handles BTW .

good info..thank you.