staining an axe handle

[Remzy]

Leather dye work well in a pinch, just dont get too carried away with it, it will stain the heck out of your workbench

 

[quinton]

I use hickory scraps to produce this color. It's safe, all natural, durable, and smells good enough to eat.

 

[osage outlaw]

Has anyone tried fuming a handle with ammonia? I've seen in done on wooden longbows with great results. It gives the wood an aged look after a few days of fuming. It soaks into the wood so it won't rub off on your hands. I haven't tried it yet but I plan to. Here are some pictures of a bow being fumed.

Photos of a 5 day fuming procedure:

day 1

day 2

day 3

day 4

day 5

and this was the setup:

 

[Hickory n steel]

I use hickory scraps to produce this color. It's safe, all natural, durable, and smells good enough to eat.

That darker handle is just beautiful , if you made it then you are awesome.
Either way I love that handle.

 

[Square_peg]

Has anyone tried fuming a handle with ammonia? I've seen in done on wooden longbows with great results. It gives the wood an aged look after a few days of fuming. It soaks into the wood so it won't rub off on your hands. I haven't tried it yet but I plan to. Here are some pictures of a bow being fumed.

Photos of a 5 day fuming procedure:

day 4

That's a good look.

 

[rjdankert]

I use hickory scraps to produce this color. It's safe, all natural, durable, and smells good enough to eat.

Ditto on Hickory n steel's comment. That has a nice warmth and richness to it that makes you instinctively want to put your hands on it.

How do you accomplish that finish?

thanks,

Bob

 

[quinton]

That darker handle is just beautiful , if you made it then you are awesome.
Either way I love that handle.

I did make them, thanks. The other would have looked similar, but the stave was slim and there wasn't enough wood to make a full fawns foot. I also left it natural in color with only a few coats of blo.

 

[quinton]

Ditto on Hickory n steel's comment. That has a nice warmth and richness to it that makes you instinctively want to put your hands on it.

How do you accomplish that finish?

thanks,

Bob

Thanks, Bob. I did it like this, using the hickory scrap from the very stave the handle was carved from, then a few coats of blo.

 

[rjdankert]

. . .

I think I could do that. Although I suppose I'd have to eat the ribs. I was brought up with a very strong habit to never waste food. Left home 50 years ago and never could seem to break the habit. Oh well, I guess some things require sacrifice.

Thanks for sharing quinton. I was half expecting the answer: "I can tell you, but then I'd have to kill you".

Bob

 

[quinton]

I think I could do that. Although I suppose I'd have to eat the ribs. I was brought up with a very strong habit to never waste food. Left home 50 years ago and never could seem to break the habit. Oh well, I guess some things require sacrifice.

Thanks for sharing quinton. I was half expecting the answer: "I can tell you, but then I'd have to kill you".

Bob

When I cold smoke my bacon and jowls in the spring, I discovered that the axe I used to split the wood started taking on that rich color because I kept it in the smokehouse. Now, don't tell anyone or...

 

[rjdankert]

I don't know if this has any application to an axe handle, but quinton's smokehouse experience got me to thinking about this method used for shillelaghs.

"The wood would be smeared with butter or lard, and placed up a chimney to cure, giving the shillelagh its typical black shiny appearance."

The above is from Wikipedia, but lots more on the net.

Bob

 

[quinton]

I don't know if this has any application to an axe handle, but quinton's smokehouse experience got me to thinking about this method used for shillelaghs.

"The wood would be smeared with butter or lard, and placed up a chimney to cure, giving the shillelagh its typical black shiny appearance."





Bob

My procedure is basically the same. BLO, smoke, more BLO and smoke until I get the richness desired. The process is really adding patina, not a layer of color on the surface. I have a feeling smoking provides insect resistance too.

 

[Agent_H]

This is a great thread. Thank to everyone who is sharing their tips/tricks.

I'm craving bacon now as well

 

[Square_peg]

When I cold smoke my bacon and jowls in the spring, I discovered that the axe I used to split the wood started taking on that rich color because I kept it in the smokehouse. Now, don't tell anyone or...

You slaughter hogs in the Spring not the Fall?

 

[quinton]

You slaughter hogs in the Spring not the Fall?

I slaughter in the fall, typically November or December. The meat is salt cured at that time. Once the meat is cured, I wash it and hang it to dry, form a pellical, and come to equilibrium. The meat can be cold smoked at any point from there on. I like to smoke it in late February, or March when I trim my apple trees. Hickory smoked is awful good, but apple wood smoked bacon has always been my favorite!

 

[Ripshin Lumberjack]

Hi

I have been using Laurel Mountain wood stains. UTTERLY BEAUTIFUL! Just go on the web and type in Laurel Mountain or so and you will find this supply of stains. This is for fine gun stocks but does nicely on axe handles.

Ripshin Lumberjack

 

[Old Axeman]

quinton, i have never tried that, I like it. Hickory smoked Hickory!

 

[1215]

Sorry if I'm hijacking this thread...

Older handles...

Very interested in trying to semi-duplicate a color like this. I have an old 5# Legitimus that I restored (had a badly cracked/damaged head). I measured and have marked the original haft (every inch I took length, width and radius measurements at front/back + middle of width) so I can duplicate the pattern to a very similar grained, hand-picked HH haft. Only problem is the HH haft is brand new and doesn't have 40-50 years worth of use and annual BLO maintenance under its belt. How fast does a BLO'd haft darken vs. using stain? I'd rather not use stain but when I give this axe back I want it to look like it did when it was given to me. I went so far as to have the axe head powder-coated the same color red as it was originally from Collins so that with a little use it should wear similarly (except for the hammer marks on the butt). My hopes are that the metal (and newly added welded in metal) will patina same as before. I also hope her father says "just keep it, if I need it I know where to find it"...

Is it possible to stain to match a similar color to this or should I not mess around with that and just BLO & use it?? Thx.

 

[halfaxe]

Sorry if I'm hijacking this thread...



Very interested in trying to semi-duplicate a color like this. I have an old 5# Legitimus that I restored (had a badly cracked/damaged head). I measured and have marked the original haft (every inch I took length, width and radius measurements at front/back + middle of width) so I can duplicate the pattern to a very similar grained, hand-picked HH haft. Only problem is the HH haft is brand new and doesn't have 40-50 years worth of use and annual BLO maintenance under its belt. How fast does a BLO'd haft darken vs. using stain? I'd rather not use stain but when I give this axe back I want it to look like it did when it was given to me. I went so far as to have the axe head powder-coated the same color red as it was originally from Collins so that with a little use it should wear similarly (except for the hammer marks on the butt). My hopes are that the metal (and newly added welded in metal) will patina same as before. I also hope her father says "just keep it, if I need it I know where to find it"...

Is it possible to stain to match a similar color to this or should I not mess around with that and just BLO & use it?? Thx.

I don't know. Most, if not all woods darken over time naturally. I've added blo to a lot of old dried out gray handles. It turns them brown instantly when added and shrinks the checking somewhat. Makes them more beautiful for sure. I thought of trying this experiment. Put new handles with no lacquer outside on a table all summer baking in the sun. Flip a few times and leave it in the rain sometimes but try to avoid excessive wetness. I think they should stay dry and in the sun mostly. After a few months see if the handle darkens with blo.

 

[Square_peg]

That's not a bad idea, Halfaxe. Some of my favorite tool handles are ones that were left out in the sun of Eastern WA for a few seasons and then rehabilitated. It's a great look. I'm sure they're not as strong as they once were but they look terrific.