Boiled linseed oil tacky

[Brad_bb]

I'm rather new to finishing.  I had some handles to redo - an axe, a shovel and a weeder.  I sanded them down smooth and then stained them with some general finish stain.  I did not stain the axe handle.  Then someone suggested I finish with boiled linseed oil. So I mixed 2 parts mineral spirits to 1 part boiled linseed oil and applied 2-3 coats over the course of a day.  Well the axe handle came out great, but the other two handles are still tacky after two days of drying.  Will this tackiness go away?  Should I follow up in a few days with some paste wax?  Again, I know I'm a newbie with refinishing, but trying to learn.  I thought I would leave the axe the way it is, no wax, use it for awhile and see how it does.  Any input appreciated.  By the way, the shovel and weeder handles were brand new, China made most likely.  The axe was a Swedish Gransfors.

[pigman]

BLO will stay tacky if it remains on the surface. The stain kept the BLO from soaking into the handles. After applying BLO all excess should be wiped off. I would remove as much of the BLO as possible from the stained handles with mineral spirits.

[Brad_bb]

Then what?  To was or not to wax?

[pigman]

Wax away after the BLO is dry and cured. It takes a few days for BLO to fully cure.

[CHARLIE]

Why wax an axe handle?  Wouldn't that make it slippery and easy to fly out of your hands?  I don't think I've ever waxed the handle of a tool like a shovel, hoe, axe, etc.......... 

[SwampDonkey]

I guess you confused me Brad. I thought you only used stain on the other handles and didn't wipe the access stain off and it became tacky. And your ax handle you only used BLO and wiped between coats as you should. You are suppose to wait a full day between coats however. I apply and wait a few minutes , maybe 30, and then wipe down. Gives it time to take to the wood. You dilute your first two or three applications as you did, then full strength for the last. The spirits or turpentine takes the BLO into the wood grain. The last coat is also wiped down. Feels skin smooth on any wood I used it on. I wouldn't wax those tool handles. Leave the waxing to that stained and polyed night stand. ;)

[Lud]

And  for the question of why BLO not a poly,  Brad?

A BLO is actually absorbed and can be reapplied , yeah?   Wheras a poly makes a skin that could flake and tends to create a flawed barrier which will hinder future treatment.

Maybe BLO feeds the wood , eh?  And poly is a skin of short term value on a used and abused surface like   a handle.  IMO

[Brad_bb]

Well, I'm learning here.  I put on light coats, but did not know to wipe the excess off.  Axe handle only got BLO and it's surface is fine and not tacky.  I was not planning to wax it.  Just use it for awhile and see how it is.  It looks like it was originally treated with BLO.

In the past I sanded and stained garden tool handles and then Polyurethaned them.  They turned out great.  This time I thought I'd experiment a little.  Why?  Well I learned last year that most guys will sand poly off of an axe handle if it's there because it will give you a blister because it's too grippy.  They'll have a smooth sanded surface so your hand can slide a little compared to the poly.  So with that same school of thought, I figured I'd take off the poly these tools came with and try some BLO, giving it some protection, yet letting your hands slide bit more than poly.  Again, an experiment.  And when using BLO, I didn't know if I should wax it afterwords. Worst case scenario is I could wipe them down with mineral spirits, or thinner, and re-stain and poly.    Trying to learn.

Refinishing these garden tools makes them look so much nicer.  They're for my mom.  She has them all hanging on pegs on one side of her garage.  They look so much nicer hanging up when I've refinished them, removing all the stickers etc, and the stain brings out the beauty of the Ash or whatever the handle is.