Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Prevent Axe Heads From Coming Loose
How to Prevent Axe Heads From Coming Loose. Although many axe handles are well made, well treated and reinforced, they can still shrink and swell if they're made from wood. If an axe handle shrinks too much, the axe head can become loose, which creates the danger that the axe head might fly off with the next swing. There is a preventative step that...
Although many axe handles are well made, well treated and reinforced, they can still shrink and swell if they're made from wood. If an axe handle shrinks too much, the axe head can become loose, which creates the danger that the axe head might fly off with the next swing. There is a preventative step that you can take to stop the axe handle from shrinking, however. Just use this system to keep your axe handle saturated with boiled linseed oil, and you'll never have to worry about another wobbly axe head.
Things You'll Need
Axe
Electric drill
?-inch drill bit
Boiled linseed oil
Fasten a ?-inch drill bit onto your electric drill. Turn the axe upside down and rest the head on the floor or on a stable surface. Hold the handle steady as you drill a hole about 2 to 2 ? inches into the butt of the handle. The hole should be drilled straight down, parallel with the length of the handle.
Pour boiled linseed oil into the hole and lean the axe against a wall or in a tool rack so that it remains upside down. The oil will gradually soak into the entire axe handle through the pores in the wood.
Wait for the oil that remains in the hole to take on a waxy consistency. This will happen after a matter of hours. Once the oil has solidified to some extent, you may use the axe as you normally would, but the oil will continue to permeate the axe handle.
Check the oil level every time you use the axe or about once a month if you use it infrequently. Top off the oil level whenever it appears low. Be sure to allow the oil to harden before using the axe.
Tips & Warnings
This technique works because linseed oil will keep the wood well saturated for a prolonged period of time, reducing the extent to which the wood can shrink without weakening or rotting it. You can use similar techniques to solve other problems that are caused by shrinking wood.
Never swing an axe with a loose or wobbly head. It could come flying off with any swing, turning it into a deadly projectile.
