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<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/utility/FeedStylesheets/rss.xsl" media="screen"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"><channel><title>General Gardening </title><link>http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/225.aspx</link><description>An area for questions, queries and conversation on general gardening topics</description><dc:language /><generator>CommunityServer 2007.1 SP1 (Debug Build: 30415.43)</generator><item><title>Re: top tip for tool</title><link>http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/95086.aspx</link><pubDate>Fri, 04 May 2012 18:59:09 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">067b4958-8d6e-4ae0-88b5-4af491fdf8f2:95086</guid><dc:creator>jon jon  </dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/95086.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=225&amp;PostID=95086</wfw:commentRss><description>Linseed oil £4 
Danish oil £4</description></item><item><title>Re: top tip for tool</title><link>http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/95032.aspx</link><pubDate>Wed, 02 May 2012 21:38:18 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">067b4958-8d6e-4ae0-88b5-4af491fdf8f2:95032</guid><dc:creator>Arrem</dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/95032.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=225&amp;PostID=95032</wfw:commentRss><description>&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;No doubt about it, Danish Oil is a first rate product but in reality no better at the preservation of wood than Linseed Oil which is a fraction of the cost.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description></item><item><title>Re: top tip for tool</title><link>http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/95003.aspx</link><pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2012 15:30:49 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">067b4958-8d6e-4ae0-88b5-4af491fdf8f2:95003</guid><dc:creator>jon jon  </dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/95003.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=225&amp;PostID=95003</wfw:commentRss><description>I use Danish finishing oil.i find it better seems to leave a polished finish</description></item><item><title>top tip for tool</title><link>http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/94999.aspx</link><pubDate>Tue, 01 May 2012 13:37:45 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">067b4958-8d6e-4ae0-88b5-4af491fdf8f2:94999</guid><dc:creator>Happy Hedgehog</dc:creator><slash:comments>0</slash:comments><comments>http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/thread/94999.aspx</comments><wfw:commentRss>http://mygarden.rhs.org.uk/forums/commentrss.aspx?SectionID=225&amp;PostID=94999</wfw:commentRss><description>If you use wooden handled spades, forks or any other gardening tool here is a top tip.
At the end of each season clean of the wooden handles and make sure they are dry, then get a soft cloth with linseed oil on and rub it into the wood give it a good couple of coats. Then just before the new season give them one more coat. 
Try and put more oil where the wooden handle enter&amp;#39;s the metal shaft as this is were all handle tend to break caused by the wood rotting through dampness.
I know this works as i have my grand parents tool that are now a good 70 years old and as strong as ever.

Also if you want quality garden tool the best place to buy these are at car boot sales.
D handle spade and forks are the ones to look out for.
As a Blacksmith i can tell you that the quality of steel and the wood was far better on these old tools than modern equipment.I am constantly re handling modern spades and fork and having to straiten out bent forks. 
Happy Gardening
Brian</description></item></channel></rss>