What did you rehang today?

I like both of those, Smith357. I think it's great that you're taking care of that family heirloom.
 
Here is a pair that I finished tonight. Actually the hammer was done a few days ago, but I didn't feel comfortable posting just a hammer here until I had an edged tool to go along with it.

The hammer is special. It is a fine 4lb head on a handle that I crafted from half of a dry old gray sledge handle. I resurfaced and thinned it until it fit this head. It is now 14.5 inches long and weighs 4lbs 4 oz. It has a mahogany wedge.

The axe is also special. This is because it is my first true rehang that allowed me to to feel truly legit. I have done hammers, hatchets and even re-wedged axes, but this is the first TRUE rehang on a new handle, reshaping etc. on my own with a rasp, a Mora and sandpaper. It is a Michigan Dunlap head on a NOS handle from a hardware store that went out of business about 20 years ago around here called Grossmans. I chose these for my first attempt because I knew that if I were successful I would have a nice quality tool, but that if I wrecked something it would not be a tragedy. I think that it turned out great. It is 31 inches long and with the 3.5lb. head weighs a bit under 5lbs. It has a traditional poplar wedge. It now has a metal wedge that was driven in by the pictured hammer. These are not the best work that you have seen, but they are the best that I have done and the first that I have done that I am really proud of and think will stand up to real use and real scrutiny. Both have been BLO'd and bees-waxed.








 
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Gidday jblyttle. Looks good! Here I get to use an old phrase properly: you are definitely 'getting the hang of it'.
 
Nice pair Jblyttle! I like seeing the hammers you put together by the way. The wedges on both look really good and very clean. Just BLO on the handles of both?
 
Agent_H said:
Nice pair Jblyttle! I like seeing the hammers you put together by the way. The wedges on both look really good and very clean. Just BLO on the handles of both?
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Thank you sirs. BLO then BLO/turp/beeswax paste. I have noticed that any older handles that I have darken up quite a bit more than fresh ones even after the light wood has been revealed by scraping and sanding. It looks new and pale, but always darker with oil than new wood. I like it.
 
Square_peg said:
I use that stuff, too. Makes a nice protector for the head as well as the handle. I've come to prefer tung oil on the handle.
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Yes, I always coat the head- I like the darker look that it gives the metal, and if there is any powdered rust reside left over hanging out on a pit or crevice it gets soaked with oil/wax and sealed. It also darkens to to the point of being invisible.

I see tung oil on the hardware store shelf and know that it is popular to use on wood but I don't know how it compares to BLO in terms of protection, drying, color etc. Oh, and cost. That familiar can of BLO from KleenStrip is at HD for $8, Ace hardware for $10 and I have seen it at Rockler woodworking store for the stupid price of $16.

I am interested in Howard's Feed-N-Wax, but every time that i think about picking it up I realize that the stuff that I make is about 1/4 the cost per volume and functionally about the same.
 
jb, your hangs look spot on.

I thought for years that I had been useing bees wax and blo. What I have been useing is a microcrystalline wax. It is soft, brown in color and seems to have some addhesive qualitys.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcrystalline_wax

Any finish that will build up on wood is superior to those that don't. BLO is more of a preservative. It works as a preservative but it won't keep moisture out. Unless you put on enough coats to build up the finish. Its possible but not at all practical. thats why blending blo with wax makes since. BLO and wax blend being the last coat or coats only. Tung oil will build up. Most blends you would buy at the hard ware store will build up. They will usually be sold as an oil finish.

For some reason high gloss seems to be the most durable finish if the product comes in different grades satin through high gloss for example. I have know idea why but it has proven true for me.
 
jblyttle said:
I see tung oil on the hardware store shelf and know that it is popular to use on wood but I don't know how it compares to BLO in terms of protection, drying, color etc. Oh, and cost.
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I think BLO penetrates better. Tung forms more of a coating on the surface while still penetrating some. I usually give a haft a couple coats of BLO followed by a couple coats of Tung. If I really want a premium finish I use 4 coats of each. The tung oil produces and noticeably grippier finish than the BLO does. And I think tung is a more durable finish than BLO/Turp/Beeswax.

As for cost, I bought 3 bottles of Formby's at a yard sale a couple years ago. Paid 25¢ apiece for them. I'm still not through the first bottle. But, yeah. It's more expensive than BLO. My bottles are old stuff (no UPC code on the bottle). They state that it's a blend of tung oil and other varnishes. I've heard that the new stuff doesn't even have any real tung oil in it. I use the low gloss stuff and I really like the look.

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Sweden%20Axe%202.JPG



Pure tung oil is available.

http://www.realmilkpaint.com/oil.html
https://www.canadianwoodworking.com/get-more/tung-oil-debunking-myths
 
Good info. I won't buy it at the hardware store, but I'll add it to my list of things to look for at garage/estate sales. I'm sure that they will be giving them away, hazardous disposal is a pain when you have to move.
 
I used the tung oil finish on a mattock handle and a maul handle (low gloss), and it definitely feels more varnishy to me, and certainly much harder than straight BLO. I personally didn't like it very much, but I may give it a shot again at some point.

I recently picked up some beeswax, and was wondering how you guys made up your paste...double boiler?
 
Double boiler will work. I use a crappy little mini crock pot, you can get them for nothing at thrift stores if you can find one. It only holds about 24oz. I heat and stir mineral oil and beeswax for a while, then turn the pot off and let it cool to check the consistency. I like the pot because I can scoop some of the mix into a jar or tin and have some in different places, but can always plug the pot back in and heat up the bulk of the stuff if I want the extra penetration of using it hot.
 
chuxwan said:
Double boiler will work. I use a crappy little mini crock pot, you can get them for nothing at thrift stores if you can find one. It only holds about 24oz. I heat and stir mineral oil and beeswax for a while, then turn the pot off and let it cool to check the consistency. I like the pot because I can scoop some of the mix into a jar or tin and have some in different places, but can always plug the pot back in and heat up the bulk of the stuff if I want the extra penetration of using it hot.
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Great idea. Thanks!

Do the pastes stay workable when cool, or does it need to be applied to the handle when hot (i.e. needing gloves to prevent burning)?
 
It depends on your ratio and which oil you use. My paste for axe handles is mostly beeswax with not much oil, and it's pretty stiff. In this case, I'm just taking advantage of the non-drying mineral oil as a vessel for smearing the paste down into the wood fibers for great protection and grip, knowing that it will need to be re-applied every so often. The ratio could be very different, though. You can even just rub a beeswax candle onto the handle with a lot of pressure and coat the whole thing fairly well.
 
chuxwan said:
It depends on your ratio and which oil you use. My paste for axe handles is mostly beeswax with not much oil, and it's pretty stiff. In this case, I'm just taking advantage of the non-drying mineral oil as a vessel for smearing the paste down into the wood fibers for great protection and grip, knowing that it will need to be re-applied every so often. The ratio could be very different, though. You can even just rub a beeswax candle onto the handle with a lot of pressure and coat the whole thing fairly well.
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Awesome, thanks.
 
I don't have a set formula, although it's slightly more oil and turp and less wax. My first batch was equal parts of each and I found it stiffer than I liked. I never really make a new jar, I just heat up the existing one and add ingredients when it gets low. I eyeball it, just eyeball the amounts roughly.

I make it and store it in a screw top mason jar, the kind you make jam in. Cap off, the glass jar goes into a small pan of water on the stove top. Heat until its all liquid, take it out and it will cool off. I apply it to something when it;s warn like that, but make mine soft enough that it can be used whenever. When at room temp, it won't flow but is very soft. Its the consistency of room temp bacon grease. It will work harder, but wont soak in as well unless you warm the handle somewhat.
 
I heat the wax then take it off the burner and add blo.

You can get waxes in all types of consistancys. Carnuba is the hardest I have worked with. I have not tried it on handles, it might polish up and make the handle slick. I just don't know for sure.
 
SC T100 said:
Do the pastes stay workable when cool, or does it need to be applied to the handle when hot (i.e. needing gloves to prevent burning)?
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You need to warm it up, or better still warm up the piece you're going to put it on. I like to a piece near the fire for a bit before I apply the BLO/turp/beeswax. It rubs in real nice if the piece is warm. Often I'll rub down an axe head right after I finish cleaning it with the cup brush on the angle grinder. There's enough residual heat from that operation and the clean surface is protected right from the start.
 
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