What finish do YOU use on wooden handles?

[Bman]

Addicted - That link/article was about oil finishes.  That's why you didn't read anything about shellac/lacquer/etc. as those are solvent finishes.  Varnish is also a solvent finish, but mixed with oils to produce various "marketed finishes" which is why the term varnish kept appearing.

Duke - I've never used pure tung oil, so no words of wisdom here.  I am glad you were able to educate yourself with the products us consumers are purchasing.  Like you said, the bottle of Formbys says tung oil, but that's not all that's in the bottle.

Gummi - For starters, I think I've helped blow this way out of proportion.  There's really nothing "wrong" with any of the finishes that people posted/used.  They must have worked and been happy with the results otherwise they would have posted a 'don't do this' comment.   Take Duke for example - he's been really happy with his "tung oil finished" handles.  But now he's aware that he's actually been using an oil/varnish mixture. 

Oil & solvents like shellac & lacquer will make the grain pop.  But, there's almost zero protection from those products.  (on the exterior)  Water & sun will wear out a pure oil or lacquered finish in no time flat.  That's where the benefit of the mixed finishes (oil & varnish) comes in as you get a bit of both.  And they dry a lot quicker than pure oil.

What do I think is the best practice?  Keeping the grills under cover when not in use, dry as much as possible, clean, and some sort of finish that makes em' look good.  What that finish is ----- no right answer.  Personally, I'll probably use whatever I have on hand or what's available locally.  An oil to make the grain pop and some sort of varnish to add durability.  Might even be a deceptively sold product that's one-in-the-same as the linked article refers to.

My goal of making these posts wasn't to point out or say what everyone is doing is wrong.  Just additional education for the stuff that's being sold so each one of us can make our own decisions.

[pbe gummi bear]

Addicted - That link/article was about oil finishes.  That's why you didn't read anything about shellac/lacquer/etc. as those are solvent finishes.  Varnish is also a solvent finish, but mixed with oils to produce various "marketed finishes" which is why the term varnish kept appearing.

Duke - I've never used pure tung oil, so no words of wisdom here.  I am glad you were able to educate yourself with the products us consumers are purchasing.  Like you said, the bottle of Formbys says tung oil, but that's not all that's in the bottle.

Gummi - For starters, I think I've helped blow this way out of proportion.  There's really nothing "wrong" with any of the finishes that people posted/used.  They must have worked and been happy with the results otherwise they would have posted a 'don't do this' comment.   Take Duke for example - he's been really happy with his "tung oil finished" handles.  But now he's aware that he's actually been using an oil/varnish mixture. 

Oil & solvents like shellac & lacquer will make the grain pop.  But, there's almost zero protection from those products.  (on the exterior)  Water & sun will wear out a pure oil or lacquered finish in no time flat.  That's where the benefit of the mixed finishes (oil & varnish) comes in as you get a bit of both.  And they dry a lot quicker than pure oil.

What do I think is the best practice?  Keeping the grills under cover when not in use, dry as much as possible, clean, and some sort of finish that makes em' look good.  What that finish is ----- no right answer.  Personally, I'll probably use whatever I have on hand or what's available locally.  An oil to make the grain pop and some sort of varnish to add durability.  Might even be a deceptively sold product that's one-in-the-same as the linked article refers to.

My goal of making these posts wasn't to point out or say what everyone is doing is wrong.  Just additional education for the stuff that's being sold so each one of us can make our own decisions.

Thanks Chad. I like to learn about the details so I don't think it has blown out of proportion. I would just stain (I use that word colloquially)  the wood but I was wondering if there was a better way. Ill look into the oil and varnish mixture because I want them to be low maintenance.

[cbpeck]

I'm still not sure why some people dislike polyurethane for handles. Is there a concern about the heat exposure or is it something else? I'm not aware of anything more weather resistant than polyurethane, and the satin finishes are quite nice, IMO.

[zavod44]

Spar is superior to the poly I have used.  I have handles I finished a year ago with poly and they haven't held up nearly as good as the spar.  Most spar varnish is marine grade, which is designed to get wet.  Unless you go to conversion varnish which is the best stuff I have ever seen.  I'm sticking with spar varnish...

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[Bob BQ]

For starters, I think I've helped blow this way out of proportion.

Not at all... just rescued 3 old wooden handles that could use some cleaning up, and this thread has been very educational.  Thanks!

[Dave O]

This thread is great, I have 3 original wooden handles from a 95' in ok shape, I just finished cleaning/sanding down and am ready to treat, my question is should I apply a mineral oil or any type of oil or just stain and spar varnish, they will be going on a red and I dont want them to dark.

[Bman]

my question is should I apply a mineral oil or any type of oil or just stain and spar varnish, they will be going on a red and I dont want them to dark.

*IF* you were to use all 3, the order is stain, oil, topcoat.  But it sounds like you'd be just fine skipping the oil part.  With a true oil, it takes days to dry before you apply a topcoat otherwise it might turn cloudy.  My recommendation - stain & spar varnish.  The oil makes the grain pop which is nice for natural wood with a clear topcoat.  Staining the wood kinda takes place of the oil giving you the color you want.

[Bman]

Gummi - stain or 1 coat of oil won't do anything other than give you color.  An oil/varnish blend will take a few light coats to achieve decent protection.  Poly or Spar are fairly quick and will leave pretty good protection while being low maintenance if you keep them under cover, dry, and clean.  Leave them out in the elements, especially the sun, and it'll show.

cbpeck - For handyman projects, varnish is probably just fine and most people would be happy with it.  Since I finish a shit-load of custom cabinets & trim work, varnish isn't even an option.  Lacquer or conversion varnish is where it's at.  But,,, that's for the interior.  Lacquer flat out sucks outdoors.  Would I use varnish on my own?  No.  Would someone else be thrilled with varnish?  Absolutely.

[zavod44]

Isn't tung oil just a 'watered down' version of regular varnish?
I've used boiled linseed oil to get the grain to pop, then coated with shellac then lacquer.  But, not for anything that goes outdoors.  Just interior cabinetry & trim.  Spar is decent, but when it wears out it should be completely sanded off and reapplied.  Probably not a big deal on something small like handles, but if they're stained it might pose a coloring issue. 
I'm probably way over thinking this shit, but (interior) wood finishing was my profession. 

Anyone notice the spar finished handles get soft with the heat?

The spar on mine seems to be hard when they are hot....I haven't noticed anything getting soft....

[Michael Berry]

How about just using a semi-transparent stain/water seal like you would put on your deck?  Anyone tried that?  Not sure what colors and I guess it wouldn't be very shiney but wouldn't it be protected?  I have about 6 sets of original handles,pretty solid but dingy and gray just siting in a bag just waiting for restoration

[G$]

14 months or so with just spar varnish on the handles. They are holding up great and do not seem to soften during use.  I also used spar on the custom side table I made.

[Duke]

How about just using a semi-transparent stain/water seal like you would put on your deck?  Anyone tried that?  Not sure what colors and I guess it wouldn't be very shiney but wouldn't it be protected?  I have about 6 sets of original handles,pretty solid but dingy and gray just siting in a bag just waiting for restoration

I have some semi transparent and it looks nice. I know weber used a solid orangy tan for a while that actually looks pretty good.

Spar is also nice and durable. I used to use it on old handles and my custom side table, but since getting Brians I haven't wanted to use it. I still just like to oil them.

[pbe gummi bear]

Alright you guys have inspired me. I have 3 unfinished oak and 2 unfinished maple (!) O'neals sitting here and I am gonna finish them. I just picked up some products so stay tuned for the before and after. I just did the first coat and they look sweet.

[mike.stavlund]

I got inspired, too, to get going on some samples for a red gasser I'm restoring.  Going to try out a few different options on slats for the side tables, and do some field (heat) testing of a finished handle (everything new is in white oak).  So I'll hopefully have some photos to share in a few days (my first coat on some stuff was in oil, and I'm heeding Bman's advice to let that oil cure really well before topcoating it). 

[pbe gummi bear]

Help! I accidentally rubbed Danish oil on a pre varnished handle. It's all tacky and gross now. What's the best way to strip it down?