Do you bother to spend the time and money to shellac your wooden packbasket, or just use it as is?

I recall when I was a young'un that dad would do that with his pack baskets.

yes old school shellac hard to find now years ago every hardware store carried it ,i would use varnish now banchee

Or some Tung oil

3 coats of Spar varnish inside and out. Really put it on heavy to get the edges, joints, seams, etc.

Oldest pack basket is from 1978. Newer is from 1981. Still strong!

Shellack is to hard. . you are better off using linseed oil inside & out. Spike Draper taught me. pounded many slats for Black Ash Baskets just remember when done to dispose of rag that you used to put linseed oil on basket in garbage. linseed oil can self ignite. .

I have been using Pine Tar thinned with Turpentine on all my wooden tool handles. When exposed to heat it soaks deep into the wood. Some are using it on mil surp gunstocks. my next pack basket will get soaked in it, then set near heat.

Turpentine and linseed oil

a metal garbage can or lay it out to dry where it won't catch anything on fire

it is the drying process where it can self ignite

once fully dry if shouldn't be a fire hazard

Mixing tung oil or linseed oil with mineral spirits or turpentine 50:50 is a good choice for first coat, the spirits draw the oil into the wood. I use pure tung oil on most of my projects, it's a buildup finish that requires multiple coats, I've done as few as 3 and usually 5-6.
I prefer pure tung over linseed oil, it's a harder finish and if I'm worried about color change, linseed oil takes on a yellowish to brownish hue- probably not a problem on a basket. Both finishes need to completely dry before any poly, lacquer or varnish is applied, I also use spar varnish on all my outdoor projects - it will hold up well.

Another for for Spar varnish.
That's what we used on old style snowshoes decades ago to keep everything waterproof and flexible.

Boiled Linseed Oil on mine inside and out.Mine is big enough to put a five gallon bucket inside it and that prevents trap stakes and sharp stuff from poking through.

Spar varnish

I go for the oils too, nothing that will harden and crack then stain under the hard coating. Tung oil is great and so is linseed Boiled good stuff. In boat yards in NJ when I was a kid the saying was once a day for seven days then once a week for seven weeks with the linseed oil. I remember at the end of summer seeing wood that I started in the spring being used as I was getting ready to go back to school. That would be early 50's while I was in middle school.......jk

Additional thought: If you can't get pure Tung oil - I would use Linseed oil. Minwax Tung Oil is not Tung Oil

Right, unless the container says "Pure" Tung Oil the product contains very little or no tung oil. Minwax and Watco Tung oil are two examples, no tung oil in either product. Both are oil/varnish blends, the oils are not tung oils.

That doesn't make them bad finishes, I use Watco tung oil on some projects. I recently made a a walnut knife block and finished it with Watco Tung oil, seven coats buffed after each coat dried. It turned out very nicely.

For pack baskets I would think a flexible finish (oils) would be best but they don't offer much protection from the weather like film finishes (varnishes) do.

Bring some trapping wax to smoking hot and brush it on your basket that you pre-heated in the oven.
Best to do this on a hot day so it don't get thick spots. I do it to all my wooden things I use on the trapline, sifter, handles and walking stick.
Just what works for me

X2

I can't help you with your question, never tried it.

The reason I replied here is I've heard of a fella nicknamed Flint-Lock that is buddies with a guy named Leon who has the nickname of Speedy. Could this be you?

(I know Speedy well)