I just wanted to point to a 2011 Idea or Article from Paul (@paulgrow) . He gives lots of good tips and there are over a dozen comments.

http://garden.org/ideas/view/p...

Of course this thread is open to anyone who wants to add their practices, tips, questions and photos.

All I have to say is don't be like me!

Drain hoses and irrigation timers, and cap them to keep bugs and dirt out

Clean hand tools and bring them inside. Oil them! Sharpen hoes and spades over the winter. Wax the handles. Hang them where they won't absorb mositure. Sing them to sleep. Take care of them and they will take care of you.

Sharpen your lawnmower blade.

And if you have some that you've neglected, that plastic stuff that you can either dip handles in or brush it on works wonders!

>> that plastic stuff that you can either dip handles in or brush it on works wonders!

The soft, red goopy stuff that becomes like rubber? I've meant to try that ever since I saw the ad where a nerdy-looking guy with a gleam in his eye is chasing a cat, with a can of the dip-it goo in one hand.

I've thought that I would use urethane on any wood that got TOO cracked and nasty. But for now, mineral oil or "orange oil" furniture polish to soak in, and wax to coat, have worked OK.

I use beeswax where I want a "grippy" handle, and paraffin where my hands need to slide, e.g. a rake.

That goopy red stuff is indeed what I meant. I had a small hand cultivator that was just a mass of cracks and weathering. Dipped it in that red stuff and it's as good as new, or even better. The surface isn't sticky or tacky, just a nice non-slip finish. I have a photo of my little tool somewhere. I'm quite pleased with the result.
Ah, here's the photo. I dipped it about 3 times. You can still see how deep the fissures in the wood were.

Now it looks expensively hand-carved under the coating.

That was done 3 or 4 years ago, I think. It has held up very well. I made sure that the sealing coat covered the intersection of the metal and the wood. Unfortunately, that goo doesn't keep at all well in the can. Use it all right away after opening, or forget it!

Thanks for the warning!

I think my oil treatments would last longer if the tool was never exposed to drizzle, but I live in the coastal PNW. One year, maybe.

But it is easy to re-oil wood as long as I have an oily rag I don't mind getting somewhat dirty. I store some rags in plastic baggies so the oil and dirt stay inside the baggie.

I clean and dry the handle before re-oiling, but even so the mineral oil pulls dirt out of the grain in the wood.

Wax lasts longer than oil, but wood "feels better" with little or no wax. I think it "lasts longer" with wax. Usually I oil first so the more mobile oil soaks in as deeply as possible. I imagine that the wax dissolves a tiny bit in the oil, so that it (might) penetrate the surface better after I oiled it first.

where do i buy the plastic goopy red stuff?

is it a name brand?

We got ours at the local hardware store. I think it also comes in yellow. I know I found an online link not too long ago. I'll take a look. You can brush it on as well, but I wouldn't use a good brush for that myself.

Oh, here it is. It's called Plasti Dip.
http://www.plastidip.com/home_...

Woofie, thanks for the write-up on the Plasti Dip.

I've been meaning to pick up a can for awhile and good info on using the contents of the can once it's opened, something I'd wondered about.

Yes, it will turn into a nice solid mass in the can, and in fairly short order. I put the cap back on, wrapped the top in plastic and snugged a rubber band around that and it still dried up quickly.