Axe care questions

[Tye Possum]

Ok so I'll probably be ordering my first decent quality axe (or hatchet I guess) this friday and I've never sharpened an axe before. It will be a gransfors wildlife hatchet if that matters to anyone. I've read this article on how to sharpen an axe but I'm slightly confused by a couple things.

First, do you have to go through the whole process or just one step or something every so often.

Second, if you only have to do part of that process, when exactly do you do the full thing and when do you just do a couple steps?

and third, if I nick the axe, I read that you have to flatten out the bit and then resharpen it to the correct angle, how would I go about doing that?

I can practise on the hatchet I have now before I try the gransfors hatchet if you guys (and girls) think that would be best.

I'd also like to know how to clean the axe. It may sound like something pretty obvious but I don't want to do something stupid here and ruin my axe. The last thing I'd like to know is if I have to apply oil to the handle or haft or whatever, if so when and how would I do this. I'm not sure if I can get ahold of boiled linseed oil around here though, I'll take a thorough look around but if I can't, are there any other oils that would be good to use?

Oh and in that article, there are two sets that he uses, the gransfors system and the assembled system. I'm getting the gransfors axe file and axe stone but I got a set of three diamond files (this set) instead of the gransfors one so I just wanted to make sure that I could kind of mix the sets without it getting messed up or something. Also would those files be the right kind? I probably should have asked that before I bought them... Anyways thanks in advance.

 

[British Red]

Don't listen to him. He knows naff all

Four routine sharpening, just use the 600 grit file onwards. If its seriously blunt use the coarsest diamond file. If you have taken a big ding out of the blade, the axe file

Don't take off more metal than you need to is the golden rule. The process for sharpening out a ding is exactly that illustrated - just start with the mill (axe) file. And put a good film on the TV!

As for caring for the axe, My tip for caring for the head is to remove all the sap and gunk (scotchbrite pad is sometimes needed with sticky sap) then give a wipe with oil. Since I invariably have a tub of vaseline and cotton woiol with me, I use that. Mineral oil is fine too.

As for the helve, wipe with linseed oil - but be sure to clean off any excess - you don't want a slippery axe!


Red

 

[forestwalker]

First, do you have to go through the whole process or just one step or something every so often.

Second, if you only have to do part of that process, when exactly do you do the full thing and when do you just do a couple steps?

You really need to have a stone out every time you sharpen a tool. The reason is that what happens is that you loose steel as the edge wears, and in order to maintain the proper edge profile you need to grind away metal. Depending on how far things have gone this can be as quick as a 20-30 seconds or much lenghtier.

This applies to knives, planes, chisels as well as axes, btw.

and third, if I nick the axe, I read that you have to flatten out the bit and then resharpen it to the correct angle, how would I go about doing that?

Grind down the edge (as in hold the file perpendicular to the edge) until it looks right. The establish the edge profile again. Tedious.

I'd also like to know how to clean the axe. It may sound like something pretty obvious but I don't want to do something stupid here and ruin my axe. The last thing I'd like to know is if I have to apply oil to the handle or haft or whatever, if so when and how would I do this. I'm not sure if I can get ahold of boiled linseed oil around here though, I'll take a thorough look around but if I can't, are there any other oils that would be good to use?

If you use your axe it will keep in shape fine with no effort, but I suppose you can oil it if you want to. Never done it myself... Keep the blade dry, and perhaps oiled/waxed as needed.

 

[Tye Possum]

Four routine sharpening, just use the 600 grit file onwards. If its seriously blunt use the coarsest diamond file. If you have taken a big ding out of the blade, the axe file

So use the 600 grit then the 1200 grit and then move to the coarse side of the stone and then the fine side right?

As for the helve, wipe with linseed oil - but be sure to clean off any excess - you don't want a slippery axe!

So wipe it with a cloth soaked in it? I've never oiled anything in my life so...

If you use your axe it will keep in shape fine with no effort, but I suppose you can oil it if you want to. Never done it myself... Keep the blade dry, and perhaps oiled/waxed as needed.

Well I think I'm going to oil it because I want it to last as long as possible because I think I'd have a heck of a time trying to carve a new helve or haft or whatever.