Best Made Axe Restoration Series: PostScript, Finishing

After we’ve hung our axe with a new helve we move on to finishing both the helve and the head. This is done not only to protect the wood and steel against the elements, namely water, but also for aesthetic purposes. 

There are two choices for protecting an axe head: wax and oil. They both serve to protect the steel from moisture by forming a water repellent layer over the axe head. Gun oil, used to protect firearms is a popular choice as is linseed oil. In the wax department we use plain old Johnson wax in the metal can. Beeswax can also be used. Wax it just like a car. Apply the wax liberally, allow it to dry, then wipe the excess off with a cloth. We even know some folks who mix wax and oil together by heating the wax, stirring in linseed oil and letting it form a paste. 

The most common finish for helves is linseed oil, but wax is also used on some. We prefer the feel and finish linseed oil gives. For our restored Jersey bit we used Watco’s Danish Oil Finish, which is simply linseed oil, pigment, and a solvent that speeds the drying time. One of the nice things about using an oil finish is that it can be reapplied and sanded as needed. We also periodically apply linseed oil to the end of the helve in the eye of the head because if the wood dries out too much it will shrink and the head will become loose. 

We’ve painted a portion of our Jersey bit with a synthetic lacquer based paint and sealed it with polyurethane. 

The last thing we do is christen our axe with a name. We think a name makes each axe just a little more special and personal. We’ve also found that folks tend to take better care of items that they’ve named. We’ve give our Jersey bit the name Melody Maker, after the lovely and talented musician and singer Melody Gardot.

We’ve included a photo of the head as we originally acquired it. Let it serve as a testament to how far gone into neglect and disrepair an axe can go and still be brought back to life. 

We’ll be sharing other restoration projects here in the future. If you have questions about this restoration, or a restoration project of your own, feel free to drop us a line at nick (at) bestmadeco.com, with “Restoration” somewhere in the subject line. 

Best,

Nick Zdon, Best Made Minnesota Outpost

5 Notes/ Hide

  1. thomepps said: amazing, im going to try this over the summer
  2. bestmadeco posted this