Just thought I'd start a thread, regarding the care of your favorite wooden weapons.
In general, many folks here have a collection of various wooden weapons, whether they're bo, jo, hanbo, tonfa, nunchaku, etc. After all, weapons training can be a vital part of any martial arts system.
For some folks, they're going to buy whatever's cheapest, and readily available, from the Century or Asian World of Martial Arts catalog. While I personally abhor the awful quality, North American red oak weapons, they are certainly good enough for people just looking to swing around such an item.
For those individuals, they can simply use, until the weapon develops a warping, cracking, or simply too many scuffs, in which case, they can throw it away, and buy another one.
For others, though, we take a bit more pride in the weaponry, and select woods that are going to be far more suitable for weaponry. Instead of throwing away the prized possession, there are ways of taking care of your weapons, so that they can last you for many years.
Let's start by treating your weapons when you first get them.
Often times, whoever made your high quality weapon, might put on a finish that you don't find too pleasing. Maybe it's a good finish for some, but certainly not for you. Or, maybe the wood might need a bit more smoothing (hickory weapons are notorious for needing some final tender love and care).
Before you begin your TLC treatment, though, make sure you have disposable gloves, a filtering mask, and wear safety goggles. I'm not kidding here, since sawdust from these finer woods and the varnishes can be VERY irritating, much more so than cheaper ones.
I would start by taking the finest grit of sandpaper, and gently sanding down the weapon. This way, you can help remove the old varnish, while also removing any shagginess left from the wood surface. Remember, you're not trying to remove any significant quantity of wood here, which is why I recommend light sanding.
I generally don't recommend using chemical strippers, unless you have a really, really stubborn varnish on it.
Clean off the weapon with a cloth that has been dampened with 70% isopropyl alcohol. This will remove the sawdust from the surface, and at the same time, evaporate relatively quickly.
Then take some 00 or 000 steel wool (very fine steel wool), and do another gentle rubbing of the surface. This will smooth down the surface even more, and give you a pleasing surface that will still give you good traction when you grip, yet slide through your hands when you want to do so, without developing blisters.
Repeat the cleaning process with another cloth, dampened with 70% isopropyl alcohol, removing the powdered wood from the surface.
Now that you have a nicely surfaced weapon, it's time to apply a finishing oil on it. There are two choices that seem to be quite popular: boiled linseed oil, and polymerized tung oil. Keep in mind, that if you're going to use either oil, that you remember to get either the *boiled* linseed oil or the *polymerized* tung oil. This is to prevent you from dying of old age before the finish cures.
Use a soft, lint-free cloth to apply the oil, evenly rubbing the surface of the weapon. If you're using boiled linseed oil, put the cloth in a sealed plastic Ziploc bag, and throw it away, since the oil gives off a good bit of heat as it cures, and yes, boiled linseed oil-soaked rags can spontaneously combust.
If you can, let the weapon cure in sunlight for about an hour. Turn it over so you get an equal distribution of sunlight.
Let the weapon's oil cure overnight indoors. Keep it in a well-ventillated area.
Upon the next morning, the surface should feel "dry," since the oil has cured. Give it another gentle buffing with the 00 or 000 steel wool, and this time, clean off the weapon with a lint-free cloth that has been dampened with water, to remove the powdered dried oil from the surface.
You can repeat the oil treatment and buffing as many times as you want, depending on how thick you want your hardened coating. In general, I use at least two coats, but for one particular weapon, I put several coats on it, until the last layer simply wouldn't cure completely, even after 4 days.
In the end, you now have a weapon that's going to have a nice, smooth feel to it, while giving you a good gripping surface. At the same time, you're also going to seal it off from the elements, and the cured hardened oil surfaces are going to protect the weapon from scuffing.
Best of all, if you do manage to scuff the weapon excessively, you can always re-apply another coating of the oil, and let it cure. Presto! Scratches will mostly disappear!
The two oils I recommended, polymerized tung oil and boiled linseed oil, each have their own properties that people like or dislike. I personally prefer polymerized tung oil for the surfaces of weapons that I grip (bo, jo, eiku, etc), and boiled linseed oil for the surfaces that I don't grip (such as the blade part of the bokken).
Remember, the polymerized tung oil and boiled linseed oil have catalysts in them that allow the oil to cure much more quickly, than their non-catalyzed counterparts (else you're going to wait for a half year for the oil to cure...).
The tung oil treatment tends to give a smoother feel, and doesn't feel sticky at all, whereas the boiled linseed oil tends to feel a wee bit stickier (although a bit more buffing with steel wool can help). The boiled linseed oil is also a wee bit harder, and has a shinier finish.
Either oil works great for the surfaces, though. It's just a matter of using what you want to use, and what surface you prefer.
Overall, though, I prefer the polymerized tung oil, since in addition to the smoother feel, it has that pleasant, nutty scent to it.
You can easily find the boiled linseed oil in any reputable paint store, or even in the paint section of Walmart, Home Depot, etc. Polymerized tung oil, though, is harder to find, and most folks go through Sutherland-Wells or Twisp Environmental.
In general, many folks here have a collection of various wooden weapons, whether they're bo, jo, hanbo, tonfa, nunchaku, etc. After all, weapons training can be a vital part of any martial arts system.
For some folks, they're going to buy whatever's cheapest, and readily available, from the Century or Asian World of Martial Arts catalog. While I personally abhor the awful quality, North American red oak weapons, they are certainly good enough for people just looking to swing around such an item.
For those individuals, they can simply use, until the weapon develops a warping, cracking, or simply too many scuffs, in which case, they can throw it away, and buy another one.
For others, though, we take a bit more pride in the weaponry, and select woods that are going to be far more suitable for weaponry. Instead of throwing away the prized possession, there are ways of taking care of your weapons, so that they can last you for many years.
Let's start by treating your weapons when you first get them.
Often times, whoever made your high quality weapon, might put on a finish that you don't find too pleasing. Maybe it's a good finish for some, but certainly not for you. Or, maybe the wood might need a bit more smoothing (hickory weapons are notorious for needing some final tender love and care).
Before you begin your TLC treatment, though, make sure you have disposable gloves, a filtering mask, and wear safety goggles. I'm not kidding here, since sawdust from these finer woods and the varnishes can be VERY irritating, much more so than cheaper ones.
I would start by taking the finest grit of sandpaper, and gently sanding down the weapon. This way, you can help remove the old varnish, while also removing any shagginess left from the wood surface. Remember, you're not trying to remove any significant quantity of wood here, which is why I recommend light sanding.
I generally don't recommend using chemical strippers, unless you have a really, really stubborn varnish on it.
Clean off the weapon with a cloth that has been dampened with 70% isopropyl alcohol. This will remove the sawdust from the surface, and at the same time, evaporate relatively quickly.
Then take some 00 or 000 steel wool (very fine steel wool), and do another gentle rubbing of the surface. This will smooth down the surface even more, and give you a pleasing surface that will still give you good traction when you grip, yet slide through your hands when you want to do so, without developing blisters.
Repeat the cleaning process with another cloth, dampened with 70% isopropyl alcohol, removing the powdered wood from the surface.
Now that you have a nicely surfaced weapon, it's time to apply a finishing oil on it. There are two choices that seem to be quite popular: boiled linseed oil, and polymerized tung oil. Keep in mind, that if you're going to use either oil, that you remember to get either the *boiled* linseed oil or the *polymerized* tung oil. This is to prevent you from dying of old age before the finish cures.
Use a soft, lint-free cloth to apply the oil, evenly rubbing the surface of the weapon. If you're using boiled linseed oil, put the cloth in a sealed plastic Ziploc bag, and throw it away, since the oil gives off a good bit of heat as it cures, and yes, boiled linseed oil-soaked rags can spontaneously combust.
If you can, let the weapon cure in sunlight for about an hour. Turn it over so you get an equal distribution of sunlight.
Let the weapon's oil cure overnight indoors. Keep it in a well-ventillated area.
Upon the next morning, the surface should feel "dry," since the oil has cured. Give it another gentle buffing with the 00 or 000 steel wool, and this time, clean off the weapon with a lint-free cloth that has been dampened with water, to remove the powdered dried oil from the surface.
You can repeat the oil treatment and buffing as many times as you want, depending on how thick you want your hardened coating. In general, I use at least two coats, but for one particular weapon, I put several coats on it, until the last layer simply wouldn't cure completely, even after 4 days.
In the end, you now have a weapon that's going to have a nice, smooth feel to it, while giving you a good gripping surface. At the same time, you're also going to seal it off from the elements, and the cured hardened oil surfaces are going to protect the weapon from scuffing.
Best of all, if you do manage to scuff the weapon excessively, you can always re-apply another coating of the oil, and let it cure. Presto! Scratches will mostly disappear!
The two oils I recommended, polymerized tung oil and boiled linseed oil, each have their own properties that people like or dislike. I personally prefer polymerized tung oil for the surfaces of weapons that I grip (bo, jo, eiku, etc), and boiled linseed oil for the surfaces that I don't grip (such as the blade part of the bokken).
Remember, the polymerized tung oil and boiled linseed oil have catalysts in them that allow the oil to cure much more quickly, than their non-catalyzed counterparts (else you're going to wait for a half year for the oil to cure...).
The tung oil treatment tends to give a smoother feel, and doesn't feel sticky at all, whereas the boiled linseed oil tends to feel a wee bit stickier (although a bit more buffing with steel wool can help). The boiled linseed oil is also a wee bit harder, and has a shinier finish.
Either oil works great for the surfaces, though. It's just a matter of using what you want to use, and what surface you prefer.
Overall, though, I prefer the polymerized tung oil, since in addition to the smoother feel, it has that pleasant, nutty scent to it.
You can easily find the boiled linseed oil in any reputable paint store, or even in the paint section of Walmart, Home Depot, etc. Polymerized tung oil, though, is harder to find, and most folks go through Sutherland-Wells or Twisp Environmental.
