I will often "freshen" a handle with a 50/50 mix of flaxseed oil and pine tar and I scrub it with a fine gray 3M finishing pad. It cleans the grime off and help rejuvenate the wood. The 3M pads dont leave all the particles behind like steel wool.
And dont buy your Pine tar from the farm store! Auson 850 is the good stuff made for preserving wood. Bickmore and the Lucky Horseshoe brands are a low grade tar for coating horse hooves, not for woodwork!
I’m kind of the same way. I do hit them with Ballistol to keep them from rusting (most of the time lol), but until it’s time to sharpen them they may look a little scummy. Still cut the same though.
I like to clean my axes with hand sanitizer and toilet paper 🤣 But seriously. . . WD40 takes sap off the metal fairly well. BLO and turpentine on the handle.
Steel starts to get "mirrorish" around 800 grit and on up from there, but the scratches can still be seen close up. About 3000 grit the scratches are so small it's very mirrorish. Above 3000 grit I would say felt belts or polish wheels are needed to keep going. It's hard to find out just want grit certain compounds are but white compound I've read is around 3000 and green around 8000. Pastes and metal polishes sometimes tell you the microns of the abrasives but I think they are similar to green compound.
If I want to clean an old axe head without removing all the patina, I really like fast orange hand cleaner with pumice. It has enough abrasive to remove stubborn grime while not totally destroying patina.
I use a wire wheel on an angle grinder to get eucalyptus sap off the whole head, then wd40 or turps and some fine sandpaper on the bevels. A 3m scotchbrite belt on the beltgrinder works well too
Keep up the great work! Hope you have been well! Can't wait for the rest of this series!
Sisyphus abides.
I will often "freshen" a handle with a 50/50 mix of flaxseed oil and pine tar and I scrub it with a fine gray 3M finishing pad.
It cleans the grime off and help rejuvenate the wood.
The 3M pads dont leave all the particles behind like steel wool.
And dont buy your Pine tar from the farm store! Auson 850 is the good stuff made for preserving wood. Bickmore and the Lucky Horseshoe brands are a low grade tar for coating horse hooves, not for woodwork!
Truth! Stockholm Tar all the way
Confession time.
I'm that person that allows his basques and to get minor spot rust 🤫🤷♂️
Love me a patina earnt from hours of use.
"Minor" might not get you flagged, but you're playing a dangerous game mister.
I’m kind of the same way. I do hit them with Ballistol to keep them from rusting (most of the time lol), but until it’s time to sharpen them they may look a little scummy. Still cut the same though.
I like to clean my axes with hand sanitizer and toilet paper 🤣
But seriously. . . WD40 takes sap off the metal fairly well. BLO and turpentine on the handle.
TP is a strategic resource sir! Get your wartime mentality on.
Turpentine is distilled pine oil.
Are there any metal polishes that will get a full on mirror? Let’s say if you got it done to a 6000 grit whetstone first?
Steel starts to get "mirrorish" around 800 grit and on up from there, but the scratches can still be seen close up. About 3000 grit the scratches are so small it's very mirrorish. Above 3000 grit I would say felt belts or polish wheels are needed to keep going. It's hard to find out just want grit certain compounds are but white compound I've read is around 3000 and green around 8000. Pastes and metal polishes sometimes tell you the microns of the abrasives but I think they are similar to green compound.
Sand , burn , oil.
Where ya been?
A plaque is upon the land.
I just hit my axe bevels with a 120 grit flap disc on a 4 1/2 inch angle grinder.
Effective 👍
I was waiting for a new video from you Lane! Just to say hope you’re healthy and doing well. Love your humor, music and realness. Keep it up!!!
There is life yet in us.
If I want to clean an old axe head without removing all the patina, I really like fast orange hand cleaner with pumice. It has enough abrasive to remove stubborn grime while not totally destroying patina.
pumice! That's a good idea.
Thanks lane .
What going on with more forest axes
Working on them.
I use a wire wheel on an angle grinder to get eucalyptus sap off the whole head, then wd40 or turps and some fine sandpaper on the bevels. A 3m scotchbrite belt on the beltgrinder works well too