New tools you've bought recently?

[Eddo Rogue]

Well I never said it was my brightest move. I did use three other bits to get me to 1/2 inch. I had also used it to mount a couple of commercial can openers before... but they used 1/4 inch bolts... and it was close to a two hour drive to get the bigger drill. I'm also working with about half strength with my jacked up wrist and thumb.

Like I said... not a smart move on my part. I really liked that little drill... I hope to get it fixed and promise to show it a little more respect.

Lol aw you are still loved.

 

[sgtsandman]

Picked up a pitch fork.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

Picked up a pitch fork.

K.I.S.S.

 

[sgtsandman]

K.I.S.S.

Yeah, I want to get the handle properly prepped before I need it and the spading fork to break up the garden dirt more.

I strip all the varnish of the wooden handled tools and apply a proper boiled linseed treatment. It protects the wood better and gives you a better grip. Varnish is too slick and makes you work harder.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

Yeah, I want to get the handle properly prepped before I need it and the spading fork to break up the garden dirt more.

I strip all the varnish of the wooden handled tools and apply a proper boiled linseed treatment. It protects the wood better and gives you a better grip. Varnish is too slick and makes you work harder.

I am big fan of he linseed as well.
There's a guy on youtube that restores old axes and hammers,makes em fancy and shiny good stuff.
Saw a good video on a Stihl axe getting stripped down and recoated. I gotta do that to mine. The current factory finish on it should be called Blisterizer.

 

[sgtsandman]

The current factory finish on it should be called Blisterizer.

That is one of the reasons I strip all the varnish off as well. You expend so much energy just trying to hold on to the slippery varnish, it tires you out faster and there is the blister issue. I prefer wooden handles over metal and fiberglass anyway. I think they hold up better and when they do fail, are easier to replace and cheaper than buying a new tool.

 

[Eddo Rogue]

That is one of the reasons I strip all the varnish off as well. You expend so much energy just trying to hold on to the slippery varnish, it tires you out faster and there is the blister issue. I prefer wooden handles over metal and fiberglass anyway. I think they hold up better and when they do fail, are easier to replace and cheaper than buying a new tool.

Its a wood handle, nice shape actually. Just yea varnish sucks, why do they do that?
I have tightened up some old axes in linseed oil soak.
I am not a fan of fiberglass either. Hence avoid fiskars. I dont like the metal on em anyways, too rigid and brittle....as if they made the whole thing out of what should just the edge.
Not a fan of that do not strike warning either, real axes can be hit with a sledge, or flipped around and used as one.
I am a bit of an axe snob.
I can be a real axehole sometimes.
Big fan of metal collars too, I tend to bonk the neck after a few beers and a little cockiness.

 

[Roert42]

The fiberglass handles that are press fit, not riveted tend to last the longest and be the strongest in my experience.
I too cheap to buy a hood shovel so I just replace the wooden handles on my shovel every few year when I break them.

Prying big rocks and roots out of the ground does that.

 

[sgtsandman]

Its a wood handle, nice shape actually. Just yea varnish sucks, why do they do that?
I have tightened up some old axes in linseed oil soak.
I am not a fan of fiberglass either. Hence avoid fiskars. I dont like the metal on em anyways, too rigid and brittle....as if they made the whole thing out of what should just the edge.
Not a fan of that do not strike warning either, real axes can be hit with a sledge, or flipped around and used as one.
I am a bit of an axe snob.
I can be a real axehole sometimes.
Big fan of metal collars too, I tend to bonk the neck after a few beers and a little cockiness.

Fast and cheap is why they varnish. A good boiled linseed treatment takes a week, one light coat each day. Some say to give it another coat every month for a year and then once a year after that. I feel the 7 coats over a 7 day week to be adequate.

Axes are certainly a thing that you get what you paid for. My Collins aAxe is ok and it stays in the truck. The Estwing axe is adequate. I can't figure out a way to get a better axe to fit in the 2019. The Stihl forest axe is very nice as is their splitting maul. A Granfors Bruks or a similar high end axe would be nice but I have a budget that say no.

So far, I haven't had a need for a collar on any of the handles. Watch, I'll snap one tomorrow...

 

[sgtsandman]

The fiberglass handles that are press fit, not riveted tend to last the longest and be the strongest in my experience.
I too cheap to buy a hood shovel so I just replace the wooden handles on my shovel every few year when I break them.

Prying big rocks and roots out of the ground does that.

My transfer shovel has a fiberglass handle. I don't like it but I don't dislike it enough to just buy another shovel or try to rehandle it.

Prying stuff out of the ground is why they made spud bars.

 

[Roert42]

Prying stuff out of the ground is why they made spud bars.

Yeah but it’s heavy and all the way over there….

 

[Roert42]

Most of my yard tools I’ve acquired for no or little cost.
One axe I got free from an old guy who doesn’t plan on ever using it again. The other one, I found a rusty axe head laying behind my in-laws shed and cleaned it up.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I have what they call a MUTT... handle shrunk and head came loose. I might try to fix it and do a linseed oil treatment. Made top hack roots for landscaping.

 

[sgtsandman]

I have what they call a MUTT... handle shrunk and head came loose. I might try to fix it and do a linseed oil treatment. Made top hack roots for landscaping.

Depending on how much room is left on the handle, You might be able to get away with just removing the wedges and resetting the handle. While setting the handle, make sure you trim off any wood shavings to make sure they don’t prevent the head from fully setting. If you haven’t set an axe head before (I’m assuming you have but others might not have), hold the axe upside down and smack the handle with a dead blow hammer (better), a wooden mallet, or a rubber faced hammer so you don’t damage the handle. (A hammer head should be set the same way).

My local hardware store has a replacement wood and metal wedge package. Reset the handle, if you can, pour some linseed oil in the eye and let it soak a little. Pour out the excess. Wet the wedge with linseed oil and drive it in. Trim the wedge flush with the handle and drive the metal wedge in at a 45 degree angle. Then tape the eye so you can create a little “cup” to hold linseed oil to let it soak up whatever it will absorb over night.

That will give you the best chance for success and greatly reduce the chance of the wood drying out again. Not 100% but short of doing a new handle, nothing is going to be. It just depends on how well you can get the head reset with the existing handle.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I'm going to have to pull the Mutt out from the rafters in the shed and give it a good look. I'm not sure what condition the handle is in. I just remember it being a handy tool and would have liked to have it functional a coupe time over the last year.