Axe care?

PropThePolecat

PropThePolecat

Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
3,292
Hello all

I just bought a GB small forest axe which i received today. Im very pleased with it and im planning on going out tomorrow and try it out. Didnt expect it to be that sharp :eek: Positively surprised :thumbup:

Id like it to serve me for many years, so are there anything special i should do to take care of it?

Im going to wipe the head with some WD40 or other rust inhibitor after each outing, if its been exposed to moisture that is.

Im mainly going to use it in the fall when its wet and cold, and in the winter when its snowy and cold. Should the wooden handle be treated in some way so it dosent absorb water?

Thanks
 
Linseed oil is the answer.

For the handle rub it in with a rag. Do this several times, until the handle becomes saturated. This will protect like varnish, but won't cause blisters and feel "sticky"

For the head apply a thick coat with a brush, and hang it to dry. You can do it twice to be sure.

I've done this to several garden tools, and the finish will
withstand rough weather.

edit: If the handle is already varnished you will have to sand it off or use a chemical stripper. I don't have a Gransfors, and can't remember if my Wetterlings was varnished or not.
 
Last edited:
Gransfors Bruks soaks their handles in linseed then coats them in beeswax so you should be fine as far as the wood goes for awhile. When you do need to take care of it again though, you'll have to sand the beeswax off before applying a coat of linseed else it won't soak in. As for the head, just a coating of rust preventative of some sort will work - I use mineral oil or rub them down with a candle. The sheath should be taken care of with shoe polish the odd time to keep it from drying out.

That all said, cheers and enjoy the awesome axe! :thumbup:
 
tabeeb762 said:
Linseed oil is the answer.

For the handle rub it in with a rag. Do this several times, until the handle becomes saturated. This will protect like varnish, but won't cause blisters and feel "sticky"
Click to expand...

I got a can of boiled linseed oil at Lowe's (don't know what brand but I can look if it's important) and have so far applied it twice and the handle IS sticky. Is this just the excess, and I need to steel wool it off or what?
 
TimberWolf7.62 said:
I got a can of boiled linseed oil at Lowe's (don't know what brand but I can look if it's important) and have so far applied it twice and the handle IS sticky. Is this just the excess, and I need to steel wool it off or what?
Click to expand...

yes, I am curious about this as well.

Is it advised when I bought my new GB to go ahead and apply 1 to 2 coats of Linseed Oil to the handle? Or wait, use it and wear the finish off and then apply the Oil?

also, how sticky is the handle? so sticky that if laid down in the woods it will collect pine needles and leaves like a stickum might? or just tacky in your hands?

thanks for the information so far guys
 
TimberWolf7.62 said:
I got a can of boiled linseed oil at Lowe's (don't know what brand but I can look if it's important) and have so far applied it twice and the handle IS sticky. Is this just the excess, and I need to steel wool it off or what?
Click to expand...

I think you applied too much linseed oil. You don't want to leave excess on the handle because it will dry and be sticky. You can try steel wool or sandpaper, you can always add more linseed oil. The texture of the finished handle should be uniform and smooth.

If you remove any excess when you are applying the linseed oil, you should not have to use any abrasive to remove excess after drying.
 
I gave it a light going-over with steel wool and it seems to be ok now.

For future reference, should I cut the linseed oil with anything like paint thinner / acetone / whatever? It seemed to be fairly thick going on. Maybe apply and then wipe off after 30 minutes or so?
 
You can cut the oil with a solvent like turpentine or (healthier) orange oil. This will help the oil to penetrate. For the last coat, I'd suggest uncut oil.

And yes, put the oil on the handle and wipe off the excess after a while. Half an hour should work perfectly.


Ookami
 
It should say on the bottle to apply the linseed oil and wipe off after about ten minutes.
If it is sticky, then that means you have way to much on there.
I don't know if I would of chosen steel wool to remove it, but hey
if it works good for you. Yes, in the future just cut it with acetone, should do the trick.
 
I haven't needed to put much oil at all on the head of my SFA (mineral oil).

When I wore off the original handle finish, I reapplied linseed oil.

The leather sheath got a bunch of Sno Seal.

These three things worked well.
 
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