Care for handles in tough conditions

C

Chignecto Woodsman

Joined
Aug 2, 2014
Messages
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Any thoughts on how to care for handles in tough conditions? As in work in wet conditions, camping, winter camping, etc.

My only thoughts are to condition the handle well before and after, maybe rotate axes between trips if possible, and warm slowly in winter. I also like to keep a deerhide cloth attached to my pants, helps to keep things clean and dry while having other uses. Probably not a lot one can do, but there may be other ways to keep a handle in good shape in rough conditions.
 
Bees wax or another good wax with some adhesive properties to seal around the head and end grain on top of the head.
 
I lived with the Ojibway-Cree in n. Ontario for 7 months in 2001-2 and discovered that the trapline gun stocks and axe handles that looked the least worse for wear had naturally been lubricated over and over with beaver fat. This wasn't intentional but only through handling and skinning of carcasses.
 
garry3 said:
Bees wax or another good wax with some adhesive properties to seal around the head and end grain on top of the head.
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This is the best. First finish the haft with BLO then top it off with several coats of tung oil to form a waterproof barrier.

For the wax sealer I use a blend of beeswax, BLO & turps.
 
Square_peg said:
This is the best. First finish the haft with BLO then top it off with several coats of tung oil to form a waterproof barrier.

For the wax sealer I use a blend of beeswax, BLO & turps.
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I hope you don't mind but I am interested in trying this mix. The beeswax I have is a stick that is solid at room temperature, I also have BLO and turpentine.

What proportions of each have you found that make what you end up using? And, do you you heat it up to mix or apply? Not looking to steal the Peg's family recipe or anything. Just interested in the preservative and penetrative quality of beeswax and BLO together.
 
No family secret. I just use equal parts of each. Melt the beeswax on the stove. Stir in the BLO & turps. Pour it into small canning jars so you can microwave it later for use. It's great to coat axe heads with, too. Just warm the metal first.
 
I was always told that the best thing was to keep things in the conditions they would be used in. So axes got kept in the unheated shed generally. My dad had an ax that lived in a plywood crate for decades and didn't show much sign of wear, got linseed oiled whenever the mood struck, but not much else, well, maybe random oils from whatever was in the crate as well, gear oil, bar oil, engine oil.

My assumption was that moisture was not the main concern itself, but how fast it absorbed and evaporated from the wood.
 
I use Tung oil than a mix of Tung and beeswax and than finally straight beeswax and I use a heatgun on a low setting to help with e straight beeswax. It's a bit of a process but the result is a handle with a great warm feel and the water can't fly off the handle fast enough.
 
Square_peg said:
No family secret. I just use equal parts of each. Melt the beeswax on the stove. Stir in the BLO & turps. Pour it into small canning jars so you can microwave it later for use. It's great to coat axe heads with, too. Just warm the metal first.
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This is the same if you want to treat canvas for waterproofing.

The mix with tung oil sounds good, I think tung oil takes a fair bit longer to absorb and dry though. Handles with BLO and beeswax work quite well, but don't seem to be as good as a nice old patina.

Another question, for an old handle should some sanding be done in the middle to help it absorb oil, or do you guys think the knob and eye are will absorb enough?

gadgetgeek, mainly for me it is the issue of winter camping and day trips in wet snow. That's a good point about the rate of the moisture entering/exiting the wood.
 
Given the "abuse" i've seen some handles take, its more the care later rather than before that is worth focusing on. Letting them warm up and dry out slowly rather than leaning it against the wall at the fireplace.
 
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