I haven't used my Waxwood staff in awhile. It was one of the first weapons I learned. But I need to start using it again. And, well, it is looking like it needs a cleaning. But I have a great staff and I don't want to damage it. Does water damage a staff? What do you do to clean your staff, or stick for that matter? Does the type of wood matter when cleaning?
Wood cleaner for waxed wood. Specialist floor cleaner will be perfect. Don't forget to re-wax it Might be a double pack out there?
How is it dirty? If the top layer has ingrained grime then maybe rub it down lightly with some wet/dry sandpaper?
Because it's wood and deserves treating correctly? However you clean it you'll strip it of any oils it has. They need to go back and it should last forever
Oiling it I can understand, although as it's a staff it will rapidly absorb sebaceous oils from handling, but waxing will drastically change the feel of it.
Oiling it might be better under the circumstances but it'll need something. Something real without silicone. Wax and a good rub shouldn't present problems if you use it sparingly
But it's an unfinished product normally. I also can't find white waxwood flooring anywhere, so I'm confused by that reference.
If it's cleaned it'll need it's oil replacing. As it is it's there because it's cheap. Needs a chance
I think what's thrown me is that you started talking about waxed wood cleaner and rewaxing for wood that isn't waxed. Yes if you've used a chemical cleaner it may well need oiling but it may well not need such a product.
Wow, this thread went in a strange direction. Anyways... I’ve been sanding and oiling my wooden implements for years, and I’ve always been happy with the results. This includes waxwood, maple, hickory, and a number of Exotics that I have since stopped using because I have skin sensitivities to some naturally occurring oils produced in some of these woods. Typically I just sand it to whatever fine grit feels right, but 400-600 give very nice results. If the staff is dirty, sanding can clean it up all over again. Then multiple applications of linseed oil, applied over several days, rubbed in with an oil-dampened cloth rag. When the wood is fresh and dry it will soak up the oil quickly and be dry to the touch, and you can apply multiple coats in a single day. Gradually it will take longer to dry to the touch, and that is when I stop applying. Linseed oil takes time to fully cure and that can depend on the climate. It can take weeks, perhaps even months in a cold climate. I give it a week or so after I stop applying the oil and then I begin using them. They will be dry to the touch, but leave a slight oily residue on the hands. When that residue stops, you know it is fully cured. The oil hardens when it cures, slightly stiffening the springiness that waxwood has. It also hardens the surface of the wood a bit, making it more durable to impact. The oil also darkens the wood over time, to a golden orange which can be very attractive, an effect that can be quite dramatic in waxwood and maple, but less so in hickory. You can always apply more oil in the future if you need, and you can sand it off and refinish if needed. Start with a rough grit, 100 or so, work it until you uncover fresh wood, and then work down to fine again. I’ve done this for staffs, spear shafts, short sticks, sword handles, scabbards, tomahawk handles. I’m in the middle of finishing a hickory staff for my wife, as I’ve been teaching her kung fu during our Covid quarantine and unemployment. Linseed oil gives some weatherizing protection, although it won’t be as impenetrable as a heavy spar varathane or such. It is also a softer finish, very smooth and comfortable in the hands. It soaks into the wood, rather than making a coat on the surface.
Try leaning it against a wall, against the warp, eventually it may straighten out, but keep an eye on it or you might end up with a new warp in the other direction. Once straight, store it flat and supported, or in a rack straight up so it doesn’t take a new warp. I find that my oiled wax wood staffs don’t warp. I think once the oil cures and hardens it resists the warp.
