Hi Tony,

What I offer is based on limited experience. A few years back I obtained from
Peter McBride a rather lovely wooden jointer that had been linseeded so badly
that it was like handling a soggy jellybean. Gummy and tacky from layer upon
layer of uncured oil. In some places, like around the handle, it was thick
enough to scrape off. Bleh!

Peter's advice was metho and fine steel wool, and it worked a treat. It took
quite a while,  but the results were worth while. I eventually got it back to
bare wood more or less, and applied a thin layer of boiled linseed. The sole,
once cleared of oil buildup, appears to be lignum vitae.

Whether you apply my advice to valuable tools is entirely up to you. I don't
know how this would work with baked on oil. Hmmmm... oven de-greaser probably
would be bad for wood :-)

Cheers,
Philip. 




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