Axe Handles

[JonnyMac]

I dug out an old plomb swedish made axe last week as the father in law needed a hand with a tree.
I had a half hour to spare so i hit the head with a flapper disc and it became a shiney thing of beauty!
This got me wondering, what do people use on their hickory handles? If anything...
I was considering lightly sanding it to get some of the dirt off and it would be nice to rub it with some natural wax, but i don't want it to become too slippery...

 

[Killinger]

Boiled linseed oil!

 

[gungatim]

yep...BLO for outside handled tools, hammers, etc. poly is too slick...

 

[Youngguns]

Seriously? No pictures? But yes, polyurethane will blister your hands. Boiled linseed oil is the preferred method, but that doesn't stop me from using whatever oil I have closest at the time (i.e., motor oil). Used, or clean, it doesn't really matter to me. Used motor oil doesn't stain the wood as much as I would like it to though.

Also, you mentioned "help with a tree" - I'm not sure if you're splitting remnants of one, or you're chopping one down, but as someone said Abraham Lincoln said, "Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I'll spend the first four sharpening my axe." No high speed grinders, just you, your axe, a file, a stone, and time.

 

[valentine]

Boiled Linseed Oil is good stuff and it has many good properties which preserve the wood it's applied to. However there is a significant danger that the rags and brushes used to apply it may spontaneously combust when they are disposed of. The danger is real and I know of a garage that burned down after the owner threw a rag saturated with Boiled Linseed Oil into an open garbage container. The container was made of plastic and had no lid. Guy finished his work, tossed the rag and went to lunch. Came back to find the Fire Department hosing down what was left of his building. I will only toss used rags like that into sealed metal containers. I even throw water in them for good measure. Dangerous stuff. Be careful.

-Valentine

 

[JonnyMac]

Apologies for the lack of a picture... very poor on my behalf!!

 

[jakemac]

Just to add to the Boiled Linseed Oil discussion, smear it on the axe head as well. BLO was also used by oldtimers and blacksmiths to protect metal against rust.

 

[Sam'sAutoParts]

Also agree, BLO, or if you have time to wait for it to dry, linseed oil (takes longer to dry but seems to hold up just as well.