Should I do anything to weatherproof my Wetterlings Axe handles?

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PharmBoy01

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Jul 12, 2008
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I have the 32" and 19.5" axes(both brand new) and the handles are nice and smooth but they don't look like they have any finish/weatherproofing. I was thinking about using 0000 steel wool and tongue oil but I wonder if this is a no-no....What does everyone else use on their handles(if anything)?..Thanks
 
Pharmboy01, Welcome to the forums. I would recommend sealing the handles. I normally sand with 60 grit, 150 grit, then 220, and then rub them with steel wool. Then I rub the top of the handle where it sticks out from the eye with some boiled linseed oil, as well as the rest of the handle. Make sure that you do not apply to thick of a coat of oil, or it will not dry properly. I try to do at least 3 coats of oil, with a day in between each coat. Joe
 
My grandfather taught me to soak the handles, after sanding the finish off, with kerosene. He called it 'tempering" the handle. I don't know why, he was a blacksmith also and would temper iron. I do this with hickory ramrods for blackpowder rifles. They last longer and flex more before they break. I guess the "coal oil" soaks into the wood cells and helps preservation of the wood. I have also used boiled linseed oil with thin coats and lots of rubbing. I just refinished an old military axe that was painted green with Kramers Best antique improver. It has oils and some beeswax floating in it. Smells like a mix of linseed and turpentine, another old time refinisher. Loosearrow
 
Many thanks for all the info!...Last night I went over it with 320 grit paper then 00 and 0000 steel wool...I then applied one coat of Formby's Low Gloss Tongue Oil...Today the handle is still shiny...???...Either the handles come already treated (and thus the wood won't soak up much oil) or I applied the coat too thick...I really don't want a glossy look..I did this same procedure (actually 3 coats) with a laminated AK gunstock and it turned out a perfect matte finish...The things I did different with the gunstock is I stripped all of the old finish off before I started sanding and I used my mouse sander before the 320 grit and steel wool...If the handle is still shiny tonight(and I'm pretty sure it will be) I will try to remove the oil and start over...Would it be better to use chemicals to strip the oil or just sand it off?...Any comments/suggestions/criticism welcome...Thanks again...
 
sanding oiled wood will gum up your sandpaper...just be warned.

i got a wetterlings a few weeks ago, and last week finally got around to treating it right.

when i first got it i gave the handle a coat of danish oil and then a coat of boiled linseed oil.

last week i filled the bottom half of a gallon jug with boiled linseed oil and put the axe head into the oil, submerging it. i tied the handle to the ceiling (exposed pipes in the basement) so that it would stand up straight in the oil. i took a cheap brush and pulled up a whole ton of oil onto the handle so that it was running down it thickly. i left it that way for about 6 or 7 hours, then removed the oil bucket and placed a rag under the axe so that it could dry. i left it that way for about 48 hours. i gave the whole handle a vigorous rubbing with a soft cloth to make the slightly oily feeling go away (i could have probably left it to dry for a while longer instead) and try to burnish it in a little bit. the boiled linseed oil hardens a little bit when it dries, and i wanted to swell the wood inside the eye of the axe to make sure it doesn't come loose.

on tools like axes and shovels where the nobody looks twice i like a boiled linseed finish. on knife handles i prefer danish oil, it doesn't have much color to it, and its a bit lighter weight...i think it brings the color and figure of the wood out better. i don't know if it protects as well or better or worse than linseed oil, but i like that the linseed oil hardens when it dries, another benefit to using it on the solid wood handles (vs scales that are just to build up the size of the grip vs having strain put on them)

just what i do, lots of different ways.
 
You could wrap a thin cloth around the handle till all the wood is covered and then soak linseed oil into it then cove with plastic so the oil has time to soak into the wood then wipe of the excess. Might be a fire hazzard, don't know if it will spontaneously combust. Would do it outside. Have done this with the kerosene on handles. Loosearrow
 
I often store my axeheads/handles in a bucket of turpentine and linseed oil during the firewood/tree felling season (basically everyday after use.).
 
I thank all for this info. I'm new, also and was wondering about the same thing as Pharmboy. Everyone seems to prefer tung oil or boiled linseed oil. I wonder what about a waterproofer, like Thompson's water seal or similar? Would that better preserve the wood? Do you use the same stuff for knife scales?
 
I stripped the handle with a spray-on chemical, rinsed with a water hose and allowed it to dry for 3 days. Then I went over it with 240 grit on my mouse sander followed by 320 grit and 0000 steel wool(both by hand). I have since applied 4 very thin coats of tongue oil, working it in as directed on the can and allowing it to dry 24 hours between coats. So far I am very pleased with the results. The can only mentions applying the initial coat followed by a second coat. It says that more coats can be applied to build sheen but I wonder if the 4 coats are enough? I like the way it looks now and I really don't want it looking like a shiny piece of furniture....
 
As I recall, Tung oil is fancy linseed oil, that dries in a hurry, leaving a hard surface finish.

I like it for gunstock finishes, but not my GB SFA.

With my existing linseed oiled axe handle finish, I just use the axe normally. Then, when the handle finish seems to be wearing thin, I clean it, and simply reapply the linseed oil.

A few days later, the finish is dry, and I'm ready to start swinging again.
 
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