​Refurbishing an axe questions

[Guest]

I’m not an axe guy, and if I bring a wood cutting implement I usually bring a saw. But I came across an axe head in North Carolina I want to refurbish.

I know some of the history of this axe; it likely belonged to a forester named Julian Weatherbee, a graduate of the Biltmore Forestry School in the early 1900’s

https://www.nabt.org/websites/insti...biology_teacher/2012/ABT_Online_Sept_2012.pdf

(The above article is well worth reading, if only for the realization of what Biltmore graduates were required to learn)

I took it to Council Tools in Lake Waccamaw and they identified it as a Michigan 3.5, probably made by them at least 60 years ago (or 100 years ago). I learned more from their historian in 20 minutes that I ever knew about axes.

http://www.counciltool.com/

The 3.5 refers to the weight in pounds of the axe, although this one, after 100 years of use and sharpening (and my first round of light cleaning), weighs 3.25 lbs. It was sharpened as a forester would use it, with one blade thinner and sharper and one thicker and more blunt. The sharp end for chopping trees and limbs, the more blunt end for chopping roots.



The worst of the rust and grime is off after a couple of sanding sessions and the revealed axe head is intriguing. There are some circular areas on the business ends of the blades that I would guess to be tool marks and the sharp end/blunt end are more readily apparent.



My plan is to return the refurbished axe to the widow of Weatherbee’s grandson, and maybe ask that it be hung in some place of honor and not used to chop yard debris. But after sanding off the grime I don’t know nothing ‘bout rebirthing no axes.

Oldie? Ppine? One of you axe aficionados – how should I proceed with the refurbishment and preservation?

 

[ppine]

Mike,
The Biltmore Estate and Forestry School was at one time the center of forestry in North America. Everything we knew at that time came from Germany.

You hold an important piece of history in your hands. There is always disagreement about how to "restore" old tools and guns. The original patina is important. Do not take the axe head any further. Put some oil on it to inhibit rust. Add a proper straight hickory handle and secure it with a wooden wedge. That's all there is to it.

You are right about double bit axes that were traditionally sharpened differently. No forester worth his salt would ever cut roots or grub stumps with an axe. They might use a Pulaski or an old axe, but never a good axe used for felling and limbing.

 

[Guest]

You hold an important piece of history in your hands. There is always disagreement about how to "restore" old tools and guns. The original patina is important. Do not take the axe head any further. Put some oil on it to inhibit rust. Add a proper straight hickory handle and secure it with a wooden wedge. That's all there is to it.

PPine, I had concerns about removing that original patina and know that is a mistake often made with antiques. But I wanted it looking like something my late friend’s widow would display and not toss in the pile of other rusty tools.

And I was curious about what lay beneath that rust and blacken grime. There may be a very faint Council Tool mark on the edge of one blade, mostly vanished from year of sharpening. The tool marks are more obvious, as is the difference in the blades.

Any special oil you recommend using? Just wipe it on, wipe it off?

I found the broken end of the handle and will try to recreate it. I didn’t think to bring that home with me to duplicate.

 

[ppine]

Any oil, WD 40, gun oil, etc will work. You just want a thin film to prevent rust and oxidation of the steel.

I read the article Mike. Thanks. Forestry has not changed that much. It is still a rigorous field and math is very important in mensuration along with statistics and engineering. I studied for a summer quarter in the woods near Mt Rainier. We learned to make topographic maps, drive bulldozers, use dynamite, pack horses with a diamond hitch and how to build with logs.

The best forestry schools now include U of Washington, Oregon State, and U of California at Berkely. The Yale School of Forestry is right at the top and is one of the oldest. I have not heard much from Duke and UNC lately but they are highly regarded in the East along with Purdue U.

 

[memaquay]

That's quite a find! Reminds me that I have yet to finish the restoration of an old axe head I started. I realize that you want to restore this axe for philanthropic reasons, but i would be hard pressed not to use it. It just screams out "use me".

 

[oldie moldy]

Well boys, everybody's different but I never had a gun I didn't shoot or a tool I didn't use.
About cleaning off the crud: I can't imagine the original owner would tolerate it on his tool or gun and I won't either. The removal in no way degrades the functionality, in fact quite the reverse.

Mike, I use bunches of Huberd's Shoe Grease on the axe sheaths I make and rub on Johnson's paste car wax to the axe heads when I put the axe up. Never had rust.
House Handles are what I use anymore, get a handle to suit you and if you can put it over a heater and finish drying the wood. The more the wood gets a chance to dry the better fit will be achieved. You see, you can do a really good fit but if the wood shrinks with loss of water, well the dang thing is loose again.

That's all I know and a little bit more, Rob

ps might be a time to read those DIY things about axes...

 

[seuss]

If Weatherbee came out of the Biltmore School at that time it was likely that his axe doubled as a Biltmore Stick. The handle would be carefully notched or otherwise marked to allow a forester to estimate log size and lumber potential.

The Cradle of Forestry people might have an example in their collection. Or maybe the Forest History Society. I know that they were working with film makers this summer making a documentary about Schenck.

 

[Guest]

Thanks all.

Ppine – I sanded it with 220 – I didn’t want to get too aggressive and leaves my own scratches. The rust is gone and I’ll leave the remaining patina in the pits and tool marks that would require more aggressive action. The linked article about the Biltmore School was written by my friend and mentor of 40+ years who passed away this summer. He was an amazing man; he had obits in Ornithology, Botany and Herpatology sites.

One of his obits here:

http://wicbirds.blogspot.com/2014/07/dave-lee-original-creator-of-west.html

Oldie – Paste was I got, as well as gun oil. I’ll try the wax. I scrolled through the DIY’s looking for posts I remembered you having written about axe refurbishment but didn’t located them. I’ll look again. I also looked at House Handles and will probably go with one of those. Except…

If Weatherbee came out of the Biltmore School at that time it was likely that his axe doubled as a Biltmore Stick. The handle would be carefully notched or otherwise marked to allow a forester to estimate log size and lumber potential.

Seuss. Dang, I should have brought the broken handle home with me. I’ll retrieve it next time I’m in NC and check it for notches or other marks. If I find them I’ll try to recreate them on the new handle.

 

[Holmes375]

I met Dave a few times at herpetological symposia. An interesting fellow with a very diverse knowledge base. We spent time discussing the subspecific validity of Crotalus horridus atricaudatus (canebrake rattlesnake). A prolific writer and a superhero in the chelonian conservation world. His passing was a loss felt by a great many people.

 

[Guest]

I met Dave a few times at herpetological symposia. An interesting fellow with a very diverse knowledge base. We spent time discussing the subspecific validity of Crotalus horridus atricaudatus (canebrake rattlesnake). A prolific writer and a superhero in the chelonian conservation world. His passing was a loss felt by a great many people.

It is a small world eh?

Dave was one of my best friends for nearly 40 years and the world is a far less interesting place with his passing. I helped build the first enclosure at the Tortoise Reserve decades ago and managed to spend a total of 3 months there last year when Dave’s health was failing.

I was in Cooterville (ie the Tortoise Reserve) last month for his wake and spent 33 days getting the place ready for winter and making its management and operation easier and more efficient for his wife.

When I see a timber rattler at Cooterville (and I’ve seen and caught some big ones there) they are canebreaks to me, just like yellow-rumped warblers will always be myrtles.

 

[Guest]

House Handles are what I use anymore, get a handle to suit you and if you can put it over a heater and finish drying the wood. The more the wood gets a chance to dry the better fit will be achieved. You see, you can do a really good fit but if the wood shrinks with loss of water, well the dang thing is loose again.

Well double dang it. It’s the time of year when we have the wood stove running and I’m jonesing to put a handle on this axe, but I’ll have to wait. I really should have brought the broken handle home. It was snapped off at the base of the eye and set with two serious hardwood wedges. I had to drill the wood and wedges in the eye like cheesecloth to tap them out.

I don’t think it was straight, like the House Handle double bits shown

https://www.househandle.com/products.html#double

I remember thinking that handle seemed peculiar somehow, but I honestly paid it little attention. Doubtful it would have been the original handle, but very possible it was Weatherbee’s. I need to retrieve it from NC and have a look before installing a new handle. If it is marked as a Biltmore Stick I’ll be dancing around the tool pile.

Before I return the refurbished axe I feel a call to use it. It is a tool, probably a 100 year old tool, and deserves to see its purpose fulfilled once again. That being the case I had to go and read/watch video on the Council Tools site about axe sharpening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYPzojZrza8&feature=g-upl

I have a single cut b*st*rd file, but only a small whetstone and I can’t bear the thought of using that axe dull or returning it that way. Had I known I’d have bought Council Tools sharpening kit while I was there. I’m not paying $15 for shipping, so I guess I’ll be visiting Lake Wacammaw again next trip, or buying the needed stones locally.

Oh heck, what have I done? I have several axes at home and they all need sharpening.

 

[Alan Gage]

Completely unrelated to your actual axe rebuild but something on the subject you might find interesting are a couple short stories by Norman Maclean that are packaged in the book, "A river runs through it," which is a wonderful read as well. All three stories together are probably around 200 pages. The two short stories at the end,"Logging and Pimping and 'Your Pal Jim'" and "The Ranger, the Cook, and a Hole in the Sky" recount the authors experiences working for the newly created Forest Service in Montana during his summers off from college. Some really great writing and and a fascinating glimpse into another world.

I don't know how old he was when he wrote those short stories but I believe he was in his early 70's when he penned "A River Runs Through it", which is autobiographical as well. It gives the stories of his youth much more depth as he's able to look back and recollect on them through 50 years of experience and wisdom. Much more interesting, I suspect, than had they been written when he was 30.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_River_Runs_Through_It_(novel)

http://www.amazon.com/Through-Stories-Twenty-fifth-Anniversary-Edition/dp/0226500667

Alan [h=2][/h]

 

[tump_lion]

[h=1]US Forest Service, An Axe to Grind - Complete Documentary
a whole hour of axes...[/h]

 

[tump_lion]

(and the book)

 

[Holmes375]

[h=1]US Forest Service, An Axe to Grind - Complete Documentary
a whole hour of axes...[/h]

Excellent video - thank you. Ordered the book, too.

 

[Guest]

Completely unrelated to your actual axe rebuild but something on the subject you might find interesting are a couple short stories by Norman Maclean that are packaged in the book, "A river runs through it," which is a wonderful read as well. All three stories together are probably around 200 pages. The two short stories at the end,"Logging and Pimping and 'Your Pal Jim'" and "The Ranger, the Cook, and a Hole in the Sky" recount the authors experiences working for the newly created Forest Service in Montana during his summers off from college. Some really great writing and and a fascinating glimpse into another world.

Alan, I read and enjoyed that when it first came out with a stir 20+ years ago and don’t mind a re-read. I have it in the inter-library loan que and am looking forward to it showing up at my wee county library.

Thanks.

 

[Alan Gage]

Alan, I read and enjoyed that when it first came out with a stir 20+ years ago and don’t mind a re-read. I have it in the inter-library loan que and am looking forward to it showing up at my wee county library.

Thanks.

I read it when I was a teenager, about 20 years ago, and picked it up again last winter. Much more powerful for me the second read. For me the test of a good book is how much I enjoy it the second time through. I didn't remember the short stories in the end at all, perhaps they weren't included in the first copy I read. Both were good but the second one, "The Ranger, the Cook, and a Hole in the Sky," was, I thought, something pretty special.

As a pure fluke I went to a local lecture this summer at a nearby field research station/summer school for ecology students given by one of their instructors, who is now in his early 70's, about fire ecology. He's written some well thought of books analyzing forest fires that have gotten out of control and he kept mentioning in father and some books he'd written. Turns out his father was Normal McClean who wrote not only A River Runs Through it but also Young Men and Fire, an analysis of the Mann Gulch Fire.

At the end of the lecture he talked a bit about his father and A River Runs Through it. Seems he had quite a go around with Robert Redford when he sold the movie rights. Robert missed an appointment without notice and showed up at the apartment the following day only to have the door shut in his face. Finally they got back together but couldn't agree on how the movie should be portrayed. Apparently Norman had retained full creative rights and was unwilling to compromise. Robert Redford gave up and waited for Norman to die. Within a year of that happening the movie was made.

Also interesting, and wandering off topic a bit more, is that when Norman started Young Men and Fire he was in his early 70's and the book consumed him the rest of his life. In his son's opinion part of it was trying to attain perfection but also the knowledge that this was perhaps the last thing he'd ever do and he was reluctant to let it end. He died before the book was completely finished so his son pushed it through the publishing process. He said that now he's about the same age his father was when he started that book. He's ready for retirement and to relax but he feels himself being drawn, partly against his will, to investigate and write about the Yarnell Hill fire from Arizona a couple years ago when 19 smoke jumpers were killed. He said the similarities between that and the Mann Gulch blaze that his father wrote about are striking and he talked a little about the investigation and how frustrating it is. Lots of conflicting information and everyone is very tight lipped. It was easy to see from hearing him talk that it would be hard to let it go. To not keep asking more questions and doing more research on the ground. Very interesting fellow to listen to and it will probably get to me to pick up a couple books I never would have given a second thought to reading.

Alan

 

[ppine]

Thanks to Seuss and Tump Lion.

 

[oldie moldy]

I did a Google search for "Builtmore Stick", turns out there are several places where you could get one and maybe could wood-burn the info on to the axe handle.
But not knowing anything about timber cruising or measurements, I have to wonder if someone would carry a double bitted axe while doing that. You're not chopping, just measuring.
It seems like as if I was to take the shotgun to check for mice in the cupboard. But then, what do I know.

Mike, while you're waiting for your axe handle to slowly dry out, looks like you've got some good reading to pass the time. That one story "the Ranger the Cook and A Hole in the Sky" was make into a movie. Sam Elliott cast as the ranger. I expect he's just about my favorite actor, never saw an actor sit a horse better.

Best Wishes, Rob

 

[ppine]

"Men and Fire" is a great book. I have a friend that was a smoke jumper out of Redmond, OR and later a slurry bomber pilot. Every forester wants to go to one fire. "The Ranger, Sky" movie is really interesting. It shows a snapshot in time when there were lots of "Forest Rangers" and young men working in the field every summer. I have seen it many times. Sam Eliott's character is very believable and a man to be admired. That is what got me into forestry, guys like him.

Timber cruisers traditionally always carried an axe. There are several still around in single and double bits, called cruiser axes. They are downsized versions of full size axes made to be carried. Cruisers used to blaze trails by making a blaze on a tree, removing the bark in a small area as a pathfinding method. Standing trees can be tapped with an axe to check for soundness. If they had to spend the night somewhere they had a tool for making a fire. Axes have always been the focus of bushcraft.

As for sitting horses, the bit part players in old western were mostly ranch people. Richard Farnsworth was a stunt man that became an actor. So were people like William S Hart and Tom Mix. Watch the way people ride in a posse in a western from the 40s or 50s. Very impressive. Since the 60s things changed. Now the horses are tight reined by novices and do a lot head throwing. Tom Selleck is not bad, especially in Monte Walsh. Steve McQueen in "Tom Horn" did some good riding with a hackamore. They are the exceptions. Robert Duvall is a good rider, and so is Tommy Lee Jones. Even Matt Damon worked hard for his horse picture "All the Pretty Horses." John Wayne rode pretty good, but soured horses with rough handling. So did James Arness.

Biltmore as in the family name.