Recondition an axe handle

G

g123

Joined
Oct 25, 2009
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Hey Guys,

What is the best way to recondition an axe handle? An old axe I have has a good handle with vertical grain, but is very rough and needs to be sanded down. Where do I go from there?

Thanks,

Geoff
 
sand it down, soak it in kerosene for a few days, wipe off let dry, resand with smoother grit sandpaper, resoak in kero, then soak in linseed oil. Remove, buff with steel wool while wet and then wipe and hang up to dry
 
I would suggest sanding it down (start with 60/80 grit then move up to 220 grit), then wipe the wood with a damp (damp, not wet) cloth to raise the grain, wait for it to dry completely and then sand it again (you can repeat this a couple times, you`ll end up with a very smooth finish)
then apply linseed oil with a cloth or with sandpaper (380grit or finer wet or dry sandpaper) that will leave a satin finish if you do it long enough.
 
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Bushman5 said:
sand it down, soak it in kerosene for a few days, wipe off let dry, resand with smoother grit sandpaper, resoak in kero, then soak in linseed oil. Remove, buff with steel wool while wet and then wipe and hang up to dry
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There you go. Do what he said.
 
Kerosene is the modern version of coal oil. Coal oil was commonly used for tool handles during the 18th and 19th centuries. It was also used for soaking ramrods in. Not only does it waterproof, but it greatly aids in the flexability of the wood preventing breakage. This is especially true with Hickory. Also, a small dose of coal oil/kerosene was drunk to kill GI parasites, usually picked up from bad water.
 
Does it make the handle smell or does the linseed oil lock it in?
 
jw2n said:
Kerosene is the modern version of coal oil. Coal oil was commonly used for tool handles during the 18th and 19th centuries. It was also used for soaking ramrods in. Not only does it waterproof, but it greatly aids in the flexability of the wood preventing breakage. This is especially true with Hickory. Also, a small dose of coal oil/kerosene was drunk to kill GI parasites, usually picked up from bad water.
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Growing up in New Mexico in a very primitive lifestyle, if you had kerosene and bailing wire you could do anything. The smell goes away after awhile. Any wounds we had got a dose of kerosene. Also used to kill lice in the hair.
 
I bought an old Marbles 5 that had a loose head but it wouldn't come off.

I actually wrapped the whole hatchet in Saran Wrap filled with linseed and the handle soaked it up and the head is tight now!:thumbup:

Really helped the wood which was super dry.
 
I know more about treating ramrods than handles with kerosene. With ramrods, it is complete immersion. And, for long periods of time. When I refinish old handles, I prop them up a few feet from the wood stove in winter. This is done after sanding, and I check them daily for warping. After a couple of weeks I apply whatever stain/oil I have decided on. I leave in it the same location to allow a gentle heat aiding in penetrating and drying. I keep applying coats until the wood will not absorb any more. I dont know if this is the correct way it should be done, but I have been doing it for years, and it works well. The heat from the stove dries the wood, making it absord more oil. As an experiment, I have left these handles outside for extended periods of time. Rain runs right off of them, and they remain impervious to poor weather for a long time. With a loose head, an overnight soak in the toilet will tighten it for a while. Just dont forget it's there and sit on the toilet in the middle of the night.
 
I just make a trough with a sheet of heavy thick plastic and sandbags (or logs or whatever) and lay the handle down in it and fill low odor kerosene. (i sand the haft first , esp the end grain near the handle, to allow for better absorption of the kero.) 80 grit then 100grit
 
ChapmanPreferred said:
When you folks say soak, do you mean submerge or coat completely? Thank you for the clarification.
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Submersion would be nice and maybe quicker. To be more thrifty, wrap cloth around handle and saturate with kerosene. Wrap the whole thing with plastic wrap and forget it for awhile. It should get a good soaking that way. Extra ramrods for blackpowder have been left in PVC pipe with a cap at each end. The piipe is filled up with the kerosene and used over and over again to temper more rods. They don't seem to break as easily.
 
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