A very necessary thing in the household, they can chop wood, meat, protect themselves from enemies, and also perform many construction jobs. is the oldest and most useful tool, which was once invented by a man.
Usually axes last quite a long time if they are handled with care, but one way or another, time takes its toll and the ax fails. The most common reason breakdowns - failure of the ax handle, since it is made of wood. And the ax itself begins to rust over time, it develops jagged edges, cracks, and so on.
In this instruction we will look at how to restore an old ax with your own hands. We will learn how to make an ax handle, install it on an ax, and so on. In this way, you can restore not only axes, but also wood splitting axes.
Materials and tools used
List of materials:
- old axe;
- wood board(oak, ash, maple, birch, etc.)
- epoxy glue with dye (optional);
- stain, oil (etc. for processing the ax handle).
List of tools:
-, jigsaw (or similar);
- plane;
- sandpaper of different grain sizes;
- vice;
- grinder with grinding attachments;
- ruler;
- pencil and marker.
Ax restoration process:
Step one. Choosing wood for an ax
The ax handle can be made from various types of wood, it could be maple, oak, beech, linden or even birch. Of course, the advantages remain with hard rocks; such axes serve long years and also look great. But they also have disadvantages: axes made of hard rocks are often fragile and the ax handle breaks in half if the strength is not calculated.
As for soft woods, for example, such as linden or birch, axes are also actively made from them. Although they do not last long, they are very easy to make; you can even use hand tools.
The best option is maple. This wood is strong and also has some “springiness”, which allows the ax handle not to break. Hazelnut is also perfect; breaking such an ax handle will be extremely problematic. In addition, these types of wood have excellent appearance.
Step two. Grinding an ax
Let's start by preparing the axe, that is, its metal part. Time takes its toll and shells, rust, chips and other defects may appear on the metal. Sometimes an ax can easily crack, then it can be welded with a large electrode with an increased current so that the metal melts well.
The author carefully polishes the surface using a grinder. As a result, the ax turns out almost smooth and shiny. Also, don't forget to trim and sharpen the blade. Although it is better to do a full sharpening at the very end, so as not to cut yourself with an ax while working.
Step three. Draw the profile of the ax and cut it out
A wood board or timber is suitable for making an axe. suitable thickness. The author draws the ax handle by eye; he already has a trained eye for this matter. The ax handle doesn’t have to be the same as everyone else’s, use your imagination, imagine which handle your ax would be comfortable with and draw.
The only thing the author measures when applying the profile is the length of the handle. The longer the handle, the more you can swing and hit the stump. Moreover, the farther the place of impact is from you, the safer it is.
First we draw carefully with a pencil so that we can correct it, and then we draw the outline with a marker.
Step four. Leveling the plane
If it turns out that the cut ax handle has a curvature, it needs to be straightened. For these purposes, the author works with a plane.
Step five. Forming the side that is inserted into the ax
We clamp the ax handle in a vice in a vertical position. We apply an ax to the end and outline the inside with a pencil. As a result, we get a profile that needs to be manufactured. The author forms it using a tape cutting machine, this is the simplest option. If you work the old fashioned way, then you can cope with this task using sharp knife for woodworking. The length of this part is made by the author so that it does not go into the ax all the way.
Finally, there is manual processing, here you will need a rasp. With its help we perfectly adjust the ax handle to the ax. The ax handle should fit as tightly as possible, without gaps, then the ax will not become loose and will serve for a long time.
Step six. Forming the finished profile of the ax handle
Using knives, a plane and other tools, form the desired shape of the handle, smooth out the corners so that the ax is comfortable to hold in your hands.
You also need to cut a slot in the ax handle for the wedge. This can be done using a regular hacksaw, holding the ax handle in a vice. To avoid damaging the wood with a vice, wrap a rag around the ax handle.
Step seven. Fine processing of the ax
This step is not at all necessary, it is needed if you want your ax to look perfect. Take sandpaper and thoroughly sand the ax handle until smooth. Next you will need a stain if you want to add color to the ax handle. Instead of stain, you can use special wood oil.
Apply the dye, wait until it dries, and then use a fine sandpaper Grind the ax handle again. This approach can lighten the wood a little.
Step eight. Collecting an ax
Now all you have to do is attach the ax to the ax handle. Carefully examine the hole in the axe; it is often made in the shape of a cone. This is necessary so that the ax handle holds securely after wedging. Such an ax should be installed on the ax handle with the wider part facing up.
A good ax handle should fit into the ax with minimal clearance; as a result, after wedging, it turns out very reliable fastening. The author ended up with a very large gap between the ax handle and the axe; in the end, it was decided to hammer in a couple more wedges on one side. This is a bad approach and you won’t work with such an ax for a long time; it’s only suitable for an exhibition.
If you want to secure the ax handle as securely as possible, apply PVA glue to it before installation, or better yet, epoxy glue.
After assembling the ax, the author decided to fill the place where the wedge is driven in with epoxy resin. I couldn’t understand the meaning of this action; it was more an aesthetic moment than a practical one. We dilute the epoxy glue with the hardener using a scale, and then add liquid dye of the desired color.
Step nine. Final processing
This step is also optional, but useful. As we know, wood absorbs moisture well, but it quite actively destroys it. However, many of us dipped the ax into water so that the wood would become saturated with moisture, swell, and the ax handle would be securely fixed in the axe. But if the ax handle is of high quality, then this will not be needed.
uor 07-10-2010 21:47
I present to the public the method of processing an ax handle, that is, an ax handle. This method was shown by my grandfather. The salt is in the finishing touches. After giving the desired shape To the ax handle, the striking part of the ax is mounted on the ax handle from below.
Finishing ax handling occurs as follows.
Take glass that is even for windows (not bottle glass), break it, take a shard of glass, and with this shard, at an angle of about 90 - 130 degrees (selected depending on the topography of the handle), sand the ax handle. This removes very fine chips. Of course, it may not look as beautiful as if it had been sanded, but the grip becomes very reliable. Ax handles treated in this way do not change for 5-8 years (I mean daily use in rural conditions, where you have to chop wood every day). From experience I can say that an ax handle made using this method feels like bone over time.
And what’s most amazing is that it doesn’t rot!!! Infection!
How do you think the handle of a knife made in a similar way will behave?
motiv4k 07-10-2010 22:21
M0squit0 07-10-2010 22:39
Hewn wood actually rots less than sanded or simply sawn wood, due to the fact that with such processing the pores seem to be clogged, and the wood is less susceptible to moisture. Although with frequent use, the pores will become clogged with grease and dirt.
clockmaker 07-10-2010 23:34
I saw how shovels were processed in a similar way.
rm129 08-10-2010 12:19
Glass abrasion came from the distant past and is widespread almost throughout the planet... the ancestors sanded wood with obsidian fragments... there was simply no sandpaper... the wooden handle of any tool lives as long as that tool is used... it’s worth throwing it away sanded with glass or sandpaper) cracks, rots, cracks...etc. But as for axes, that’s a separate issue... on the handles of axes there was always choice strong tree... so they live longer... IMHO (I wrote something at length... apparently I’m longing for a tool)
kU 08-10-2010 12:21
scraping is a surface treatment method used by humans since the Stone Age. “in the countryside” is popular for a simple reason: you still have to look for sandpaper (and a century ago there was none at all), but a piece of glass - here it is.
uor 08-10-2010 12:22
on the ax handle there is usually a straight layer, well, in extreme cases, the butt part of the trunk and you can actually sand it with glass to give it “smoothness.” If it doesn’t rot, then it is far-fetched, it rots and cracks like any other wood, try “sanding” a maple burl in this way or suvel and birch burl on the figured handle of a knife and you will understand why they don’t use it
I forgot to say that the handles are used: beech, oak, hornbeam, sometimes, very rarely Walnut. No matter what anyone says, the handles really do last a very long time.
amaru 08-10-2010 12:30
Cycles are still used today, and not only in the countryside, mainly by carvers and cabinetmakers.
uor 08-10-2010 12:34
And yet, how do you look at the dressing of knife handles (for example, dates) in this way?
Kuzya 08-10-2010 03:09
A knife is more durable than an ax
They often bring knives with a request to replace the handle with something more noble.
Well, no ice for people, plexiglass
Here from the same opera.
Previously, they made it out of whatever they had.
Why now...
NII I understand
PySy: Some stocks are polished with a glass rod.
AIS1947 08-10-2010 09:38
quote: scraping - for a simple reason: you still have to look for sandpaper (and a century ago there was none at all), but a piece of glass - here it is.
Absolute truth. All this comes from “poverty”. There is no “know how” here.
And the reason for the durability of the handles is the thoroughness of processing, when scuffing is minimized and the pores are “sealed.” Certainly. IMHO.
An ax is one of the tools you need to have on the farm. Of course, you can buy it in a store, but if you want to have a reliable and a convenient thing, it is better to make the tool yourself. The article will talk about how to make an ax handle at home with your own with skillful hands and install the metal blade correctly.
How to select and prepare wood
An ax handle is the handle of a working tool. Labor productivity completely depends on how easy it is to work with it. Therefore, a regular straight stick will not work in this case. A real ax handle is a curved beam with an oval cross-section and straight sections. The tail part should be widened and bent downwards. Only with this option the hand of the person performing the work will be able to reliably hold the tool without experiencing fatigue for a long time.
The following types of wood are best suited for making an ax:
- maple;
- birch;
- acacia;
- ash.
Wood should be harvested in the fall. Birch is perfect for carpentry tools, while maple is more often used for camping tools. Its impact strength is less than that of birch. Ideal option Ash is considered to be very durable and rarely changes shape. It is better to make an ax handle from a section of wood located near the root, and the workpiece should be 15 cm wider and longer than the future product.
Attention! Before the prepared beams are used to make an ax handle, they must be dried in a dry place for at least a year, dark place, for example, in the attic. This is necessary in order to finished form the handle did not dry out and did not start to dangle in the eyelet.
Fresh wood can only be used if the ax handle breaks, as a temporary option that needs to be replaced quickly.
How to make an ax handle
In order to make an ax handle you will need:
- wooden blank;
- hacksaw;
- chisel;
- pencil;
- file;
- hammer.
The manufacturing process itself takes place in the following order:
Attention! You need to make the ax handle so that the cross-section is oval. In this case, it will be possible to hold it without particularly straining your hand and make very accurate blows.
Impregnation of the ax handle and ax attachment
The upper part of the finished handle must be impregnated with a water-repellent composition. There are two options:
- drying oil;
- linseed oil;
- ski resin.
Lubricate the wood with the chosen product and leave it until it dries. The treatment is repeated several more times until the fat is absorbed. Ski resin can penetrate deeper layers of the workpiece, but it is difficult to find in stores. Therefore, the first two options are often used.
Advice. You can add a bright dye to the impregnation agent. This way it will be difficult to lose the finished tool.
The ax attachment to the handle is done as follows:
Watching videos and photographs will help you better understand the manufacturing technique. Making an ax handle with your own hands is more difficult than buying it ready-made. However, if you have the desire and some skills, it is quite possible to get a high-quality tool.
How to make an ax handle: video
An ax in the household of a modern city dweller, frankly speaking, is not the most necessary thing. Of course, I cannot speak for all of Odessa - there are always exceptions. However, you won’t find carpenters in the city these days during the day with fire. Heating, if we are talking about a private house, is mainly on natural gas. So all that remains is to chop wood for the barbecue a couple of times a month during the warm season, and to organize a fire on a camping trip.
But there is something attractive, masculine and primitive about them (axes). It’s not for nothing that the Internet is full of forums (including foreign ones) dedicated to axes. Hence the huge number of types of axes that are completely inapplicable in real life - battle axes, throwing axes, fashionable “taiga” axes (which the real inhabitants of the taiga never used), etc.
So I decided to plunge a little into the ax theme, and at the same time get my axes in order.
I have three axes. And they are all older than me. And as you can see in the photograph, all of them, until recently, were in a deplorable state.
The axes are the most ordinary - Soviet consumer goods without clan or tribe. But what attracts attention is the characteristic ringing sound from an ax hitting the blade - long and high. Of these, only one was in operation - the one impaled on the ax handle. I must say that despite the depressing appearance, he coped with his tasks.
In general, an ax handle is consumables and the price is cheap - buy a birch ax handle and put an ax on it, wedging it diagonally with an iron wedge. This ax will easily last for several years.
At the same time, many do it even simpler - if necessary, they simply buy a new ax assembly. Honestly, when prices for axes start at 300-400 rubles, this approach is quite justified.
But I decided not to look for easy ways and, as they say, to “give some sense” to my axes.
I bought three axes at the local poultry market.
Of course, it would be more interesting if I made them myself. Those axes that we found on the market were cut out of a solid board and then the necessary curves were given to the blanks using a milling cutter according to a template, after which the edges were rounded with a molding cutter - that’s all the axe, nothing complicated. However, when encountering this topic for the first time, it is the shape of the ax with all the bends and thickenings that raises questions. Therefore, for the first time I decided to buy ready-made.
It is best to take an ax handle made of birch, because... When struck, it does not “dry” the hand. But I like ash better. The most important thing to pay attention to when choosing an ax handle is the direction of the grain. The fibers should run uninterrupted along the entire ax handle and, when viewed from the end, be parallel to the blade of the ax (in the worst case, be at 45 degrees and in no case perpendicular to it). Judging by photographs of various broken axes from the Internet, manufacturers inexpensive models This rule is often ignored by painting over the ax head to hide imperfections.
Since I decided to refine the axes, I started by stripping off the remnants of the old paint and rust.
At the first stage I had to work with an angle grinder and a cleaning wheel.
and finally matted the surface of the head with a sander
As a result, some marks appeared on the canvas that were not visible before - c. 70 kopecks, OTK stamp and something else indistinct.
and transfer it to the end of the ax handle.
Use a chisel to adjust the shape of the ax handle.
Next, we put the ax head on until it stops, after which we remove it and use a chisel to remove some of the material in places where dents and other marks appear on the ax head from the ax head resting on the ax handle. We put the iron on again. It goes a little deeper. And again we remove the material in places where scratches and dents appear, and so on. Until the ax handle fits tightly into the eye of the ax head and sticks out about 1.5 centimeters. It sounds tedious, but in practice the procedure takes 20 minutes.
We do the same with the second ax (we simply didn’t get around to the third one that day).
The eyelet has a wedge shape and widens towards the top. In order for the ax to hold securely on the ax handle, the end of the ax handle must be wedged.
At the same time, one wedge, even one driven diagonally, is clearly not enough, because it will wedge the ax handle in one plane, but it needs to be in two. The width of the ax in the wide part can be such that the fibers will not move apart without cracks forming (more on this below). Therefore, the ax is usually placed on five wedges. One wedge is driven along the fibers and four more across.
For wedges in the ax handle, cuts are made to 2/3 of the width of the ax. To prevent cracking of the ax handle, the ends of the cuts are drilled out. To do this, do not finish cutting 5 mm from the required cutting length - then it becomes clear where you need to make the hole, and you will not miss. After drilling, make a cut to the end.
All that remains is to make the wedges. They are usually made from the same material as the ax handle.
It is often recommended to use epoxy resin when mounting an ax. I didn't like this idea. Sooner or later, the ax handle will definitely become unusable (unless your ax is a museum piece) and then picking out the remains of the epoxy resin will not bring much joy. I even read advice to throw axes into the fire so that the remaining epoxy burns out.
Therefore, when wedging the ax, I did not use any epoxy or gauze. I just dripped a little wood glue into the cuts to secure the wedges.
The first pancake came out a little lumpy. I was unable to drive the wedges in evenly and they went in at different depths. That's why the drawing didn't come out very well. 
As they say, it does not affect the speed))
But with the small ax there was a complete problem. We managed to drive the wedges in evenly and the pattern came out quite nice.
If it were not for the crack that appeared from the cut along the ax handle. Even drilling at the end of the cut did not help. Most likely, the failure occurred due to the fact that the wood was overdried. Or the wedges were too shallow. One way or another, the work will have to be redone.
After the ax is assembled, you need to stabilize the wood of the ax handle. This means protecting it from moisture, making it resistant to temperature fluctuations, denser and harder, not susceptible to the influence of ultraviolet rays, technical oils, and organic solvents.
Stabilization, or as they also say, conservation of wood is carried out by impregnating the wood with special chemical compounds followed by drying, during which the pores of the wood are clogged and the impregnating agent is polymerized (hardened) in the fibers and capillaries of the wood.
The choice of composition for impregnation gives complete freedom to imagination. There is a huge number of special folk and industrial products: drying oils, waxes and other shellacs. I wanted something natural and old school, so I opted for flaxseed oil.
Let's consider the materiel.
Linseed oil refers to drying oils.
The rate of drying of the oil depends on a number of factors: room temperature, degree of illumination, air humidity, etc. For example, in the dark, linseed oil practically dries out in more than 60 days, in diffused light - in 5-6 days, in the summer with intense long-term lighting and elevated temperature - for 3 days(http://slvm.ru/masla.htm).
Usually on forums the process of drying and hardening of oils is called polymerization.
In the specialized literature, the polymerization of oils refers to the heat treatment of oils at 250-300°C, which is carried out with limited access to air oxygen or its almost complete absence. But the transition of oil from a liquid to a solid state is called film formation of oils.
The forums also advise to cook the oil a little before applying. This is called oil oxidation. Oxidation is carried out with atmospheric oxygen at temperatures from 90 to 150 °C for several hours. The process is usually carried out in the presence of a drier.
Driers are oil-soluble salts of certain heavy metals(Co, Mn, Pb, Ca, Zn, Fe, V, etc.). The catalytic effect of the drier is determined by the metal ion. The salt anion promotes the dissolution of the drier in the oil.
As a result of polymerization or oxidation of vegetable oils, drying oils are obtained. There are natural and compacted drying oils. Natural drying oils are slightly oxidized or slightly polymerized oils with the addition of a drier. Compacted drying oils are solutions in organic solvents (most often in white spirit) of products of deep oxidation or polymerization, with a viscosity 30-40 times greater than that used in natural drying oils (also with the addition of a drier).
When assessing drying oils as film-forming agents, it is necessary to note the following. Drying oils require exceptionally high oil consumption for their production. At the same time, the properties of varnish films based on drying oils (even natural ones) are in many ways inferior to the properties of films based on synthetic film-forming agents, in particular alkyds. Varnish films based on drying oils have much lower hardness, lower water resistance and shorter service life.
Drying agents affect not only the drying rate of coatings, but also many properties of paint and varnish compositions: they increase their viscosity and accelerate the formation of dense pigment deposits during paint storage. They can deteriorate the color of the coating and also cause wrinkling of the films. In addition, driers also accelerate the aging process of coatings, which is essentially a further development of the oxidation process. It is difficult to take into account quantitatively the influence of the drier on the listed film characteristics. Therefore, the optimal amount of drier introduced into paint material, is usually selected experimentally.
If someone wants to know more or, perhaps, argue with the above, they can refer to the textbook: Sorokin M. F., Chemistry and technology of film-forming substances. Textbook for universities // M. F. Sorokin, L. G. Shode, 3. A. Kochnova. - M.: Chemistry, 1981 -448 pp., ill.
So, read on.
Film formation is essentially a process of oxidative polymerization. Oxidative polymerization during film formation occurs in thin layer(10-60 microns), which imposes its own characteristics on its course. The coating formation process begins with an induction period, during which almost no three-dimensional product is formed. Then the system loses fluidity and gelation occurs, which in turn is replaced by a solid glassy state. The induction period is characterized by rapid absorption of oxygen by the film. During the period of gelation in the film, a sharp increase in viscosity occurs, and already at a three-dimensional product content of 1-3%.
A sharp increase in the viscosity of the film at this stage prevents the free access of oxygen into it. Reactions occurring with the participation of oxygen move into the diffusion region. Limited access of oxygen (especially to the lower layers of the film) sharply reduces the proportion of oxidative reactions from the moment of gelation. Radical polymerization reactions initiated by various radicals present in the film are becoming increasingly important. At the same time, the structure of the three-dimensional coating formed during film formation is non-uniform in thickness, which is a consequence various conditions forming a film in different layers.
The process of film formation is inevitably accompanied by oxidative destruction, which results in the formation of highly volatile low-molecular decomposition products (aldehydes, acids). The role of these processes is especially great in the outer layers of the film, since they are formed under conditions of greater access to oxygen.
Despite what I had read, I chose the worst option for my ax - unrefined edible oil. No driers or oxidation with polymerization - only pure flaxseed.
As advised on the forums, I applied the first layer of oil and waited for it to be absorbed. Then I applied a second layer of oil and waited for it to absorb.
Then I got tired of it. This method requires too much attention to the ax and the process may take a long time. There is another option - to speed up the impregnation of the wood, it is recommended to place it in a container with almost boiling oil. And there is also vacuum method. But this method is applicable to knife handles; it is also difficult to apply to an ax, although it is possible.
I decided to place my ax in a baking sleeve with 300 grams of linseed oil poured into it. Next, I put the resulting bag under the table for a week so as not to get in the way, only occasionally turning it and mucking around in the bag (from the word mucking around).
While I was soaking the ax handle in linseed oil, several questions arose that I could not find answers to on the Internet. For example, to what depth does oil penetrate wood? Does wood swell when it absorbs oil like it does when it absorbs water? Do the properties of the wood glue that secures the wedges in the ax handle change due to exposure to linseed oil?
To find out the truth, I soaked another test block of ash in linseed oil. First I applied a stain of wood glue to the block and dried it.
After a week, or rather after 6 days, there was significantly less oil in the bag. It no longer splashed around in the bag, but was evenly distributed over the ax and the inner surface of the bag. It's time to dry.
Because I didn’t add any driers, polymerize or oxidize, so the drying could take longer. Usually on forums they suggest putting wood to dry on the windowsill, because... there is ultraviolet light.
What does ultraviolet have to do with it? If we omit words like triglyceride dimers, hydroperoxides, homolytic cleavage, Diels-Alder diene synthesis, conjugated bonds and isomerization, then, simply put, ultraviolet radiation helps break down some bonds to form other, stronger ones. That's why ultra-violet rays They have no less effect on accelerating the drying of oils than driers.
However, as they write on the same forums, often soaked wood lying on a windowsill does not dry out for two months or more. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the February-March sky in our latitudes is not very rich in ultraviolet radiation.
Therefore, to speed up the curing process of linseed oil, I decided to use ultraviolet lamp Camelion LH26 FS/BLB/E27. The solution seems dubious at first glance. Can this lamp replace the sun? Many questions arise.
Question one - what is ultraviolet radiation?
There is an international standard ISO 21348 Definitions of Solar Irradiance Spectral Categories (http://www.spacewx.com/pdf/SET_21348_2004.pdf). It defines that ultraviolet radiation is considered to be electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength from 10 to 400 nanometers. In the domestic literature, a range from 10 to 380 nm is distinguished. At the same time, the ultraviolet range is further divided into sub-ranges, but this is not important now. Let us only remember that light with a wavelength of less than 290 nm does not reach the Earth’s surface, since the earth’s atmosphere, thanks to oxygen and ozone, acts as an effective natural light filter (http://www.nkj.ru/archive/articles/3619/).
Question two: does ultraviolet light reach the windowsill? After all, it is generally accepted that glass does not transmit ultraviolet radiation. There are many opposing opinions, but most of them are from the “grandmother said at the market” area.
We will find the answer to this question in the book: Boriskina I.V. Designing modern window systems civil buildings: Tutorial// I.V. Boriskina, A.A. Plotnikov, A.V. Zakharov. - M.: ASV Publishing House, 2003 - 320 p. (http://lightonline.ru/files/docs/books/designing_windows_system.pdf) On page 133 we see such a graph.
From the graph it follows that the usual window glass transmits ultraviolet radiation with wavelengths from 300 to 400 nm, i.e. only long-wave soft ultraviolet. It blocks medium and short wavelengths from 10 to 300 nm completely. This means that glass still transmits ultraviolet light! Although not all of it. Using the same graph, we can get a rough estimate of glass's UV transmittance. To do this, we determine the difference in areas under the transmission graph ordinary glass and a level of 100% in the range from 290 (the minimum passing through the atmosphere) to 400 nm (the limit of the UV range). I got about 0.6. If you have a double-glazed window, then the degree of transmittance will be 0.6x0.6=0.36. And if it’s triple, like mine, then 0.36x0.6=0.22.
Conclusion: Strictly speaking, ordinary window glass transmits ultraviolet light, but only a very small part of its range, and it is greatly attenuated.
But if windows transmit 36% of ultraviolet radiation (not so little), then how can we explain the fact that you can’t sunbathe through a window, even if it’s three times slower?
The answer is given by the following illustration:
The biological effect of ultraviolet increases with decreasing wavelength from 315 nm and below. This effect increases up to 290 nm, which is still able to pass through the atmosphere. At the same time, window glass reliably blocks the most biologically active range, leaving a narrow band of 315-300 nm, where the biological effect is minimal. It turns out that due to this narrow range of transmission, you can tan through the glass, but the effect will be completely insignificant.
So be it. Then there arises next question- and 36% - from how much? Maybe it will still be oh-ho-ho, what a big value that no ultraviolet light bulb can compare? And even passing through a cloudy sky and a double-glazed window, the sun's rays will bring more ultraviolet radiation than some Camelion LH26 FS/BLB/E27? Let's figure it out further.
The amount of solar ultraviolet radiation at the earth's surface depends on many factors: the total ozone content in the atmosphere, cloud cover, the underlying surface, the height of the Sun above the horizon and the transparency of the atmosphere. Therefore, we will focus on experimental values. For example, in summer in Belarus on cloudless days the intensity of ultraviolet radiation can reach 0.15-0.18 W/m2 (http://pogoda.by/glossary/?nd=18&id=193). This value will be taken as the starting point.
It turns out that the intensity of ultraviolet radiation on the windowsill under direct sun rays in summer on cloudless days it is 0.18x36%=0.065 W/m2.
To compare this data with the characteristics of the lamps, you need to know these characteristics. However, the manufacturer does not list them either on the website or on the packaging. But I was lucky. In one of scientific journals on ecology and environmental management, I found an article that describes the installation of ultraviolet radiation for pre-sowing seed preparation. It uses a Camelion LH26 FS/BLB/E27 lamp, the characteristics of which the authors measured in a testing laboratory (http://journals.volgatech.net/index.php/forest/article/download/44/22).
The measurement results are shown in the table
However, the data from the table cannot be used in pure form. Since the illumination value in it is given when the lamp is removed from the photodetector at a distance of 35 mm to 105 mm. In the case of an axe, these distances are not convenient. Therefore, the schedule needs to be extended. To predict the next value of a function based on the previous ones, there is a special mathematical method - extrapolation. Such methods are built into many computer-aided design systems, for example MathCad, MathLab and others. They are also built into regular Excel. True, there it is not called extrapolating a function, but constructing a trend line.
As a result of the program, we obtain the trend shown in the following figure.
The horizontal axis is the distance in millimeters, the vertical axis is the intensity of ultraviolet radiation in watts per square meter. The blue solid line shows the values from the table, the dotted line shows extrapolated values. Well, one might say, it seems to be true.
The most convenient distance range in the case of an ax will be from 30 cm to 1 meter. Let's zoom in on the corresponding part of the graph
It can be seen that the amount of ultraviolet radiation at a distance of up to a meter from the lamp is many times greater than the amount of ultraviolet radiation on a sunny day on the windowsill (at a distance of 40 cm from the lamp - approximately 13 times). Let's now estimate at what distance from the lamp the amount of ultraviolet radiation will coincide with the readings on the windowsill and under open air. Let's zoom in on the corresponding parts of the graph:
Conclusion: at a distance of 2 meters 35 centimeters from the Camelion LH26 FS/BLB/E27 lamp we will receive the same amount of ultraviolet radiation as on a windowsill with double glazing on a cloudless day. And at a distance of 1 meter 15 centimeters - as if under direct sunlight in the open air.
Despite our assumptions and rounding, the result looks quite plausible. It should be noted that the range in the open air at the same illumination will be wider towards the more effective short-wave ultraviolet. Therefore, you still won’t be able to tan under a lamp of similar power, but it’s quite possible to damage your eyes.
But, as they say, theory without practice is dead, and practice without theory is blind.
It's time to test the theory with practice.
I took the children to their grandmothers in advance to stay for the weekend and began experiments in the vacated room. To do this, I placed the ax between two Camelion LH26 FS/BLB/E27 lamps at a distance of approximately 40 cm from each room temperature. To increase the intensity of ultraviolet irradiation, I installed umbrellas with a reflective inner surface (I don’t know how effective this is, though). At the same time, he did not intentionally wipe the ax, but installed it as it was from the bag with all the oil stains. To protect eyes during inspection and maintenance of the installation, I used Sunglasses with polarization and UV filter.
The ax stood in this position for exactly two days - from Friday evening until Sunday evening, when the children returned from visiting and they had to vacate the room.
So what happened? And it turned out pretty good. The oil on the metal has completely turned into a solid glassy state! And this in two days! In some places hardened smudges and drops are visible.
An examination of the ax showed that the surface became dry and rough to the touch. When viewed in reflected light there is a slight oily sheen. If you run your finger over it, a barely noticeable greasy mark remains on your finger. At the same time, the ax handle smells pleasantly fresh, and the greasy mark on the finger smells like fish oil.
This means that two days under ultraviolet light is not enough to harden the oil in the ax handle due to the thicker layer.
The ax had to be removed from the nursery and remained in this condition until the next weekend. At the same time, the oil hardening process practically stopped. Even after five days, the ax still left a greasy mark.
Exactly five days later, I again took the children to their grandmothers and reassembled my irradiation installation.
And after the second two days under ultraviolet light, the film formation process was completely completed. The surface of the ax became dry, slightly rough, does not smell and does not leave greasy marks. Most likely it just dried out upper layer, under which the oil is still liquid and the drying process will continue. However, this is already enough to get the job done.
Let's now look at the test block. It should clear up a lot of questions.
Firstly, the dimensions of the bar have not changed. This means that you can’t count on the fact that the ax handle will swell due to oil absorption and the ax head will become tighter.
Secondly, after sawing the test block, oil began to appear over the entire area of the cut. Within ten minutes, the entire surface of the block, including the cuts, became uniformly greasy. This means that the block is soaked through with oil, and not just the outer layers of wood.
Thirdly, picking the glue on the surface of the test block with a chisel showed that it had not changed its mechanical properties from exposure to oil - it did not peel off or soften.
At this point, the stabilization of the ax handle can be considered complete.
But that's not all. Unfortunately, I'm not very skilled with an axe. When chopping wood, sometimes I miss and hit the log with the ax instead of the ax head. Because of this, the ax handle splits at the impact points. It would be nice to protect this place.
People come up with different ways protection - a thick layer of electrical tape, plastic bottles with heat gun, metal plates, strips of car tires And so on. I liked the option of winding paracord coil by coil.
It turns out that the ax handle wrapped near the head speaks not of the owner’s sophistication, but of his low skill in wielding an ax? Maybe. But I'm not ashamed to admit it.
However, paracord is too delicate to be used as an impact resistant sheath.
What then should you use?
We can find the answer to this on Wikipedia:
In the Middle Ages (and in some countries, for example, in Russia, until the 18th century), hemp, due to its strength, was used as cheap armor (hemp rope was sewn onto outer clothing). Such “armor”, with a successful combination of circumstances, could easily withstand a saber strike and a bullet hit at the end. The last known case of the active use of hemp as “armor” refers to the defense of Sevastopol during Crimean War: hemp ropes covered the embrasures of Russian fortifications. They stopped enemy bullets. (ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp)
Bullets! Charles! They stopped the bullets!
I decided to use d5 mm rope. Of course, they cannot stop a bullet, but it is much more reliable than thin paracord. At the same time, I did not use any epoxy or PVA impregnations. For the same reasons as when mounting an ax - the protection of the ax handle will sooner or later still require replacement and epoxy resin will be very annoying. At the same time, replacing the winding without impregnation takes only a couple of minutes, which more than compensates for the greater durability of the impregnated winding. Another argument is that I like the winding without impregnation better in appearance and feel more pleasant to the touch.
So, we make a loop on the ax handle in the place and size that the winding should be.
And we begin to wrap the ax handle turn to turn. In this case, you need to pull the rope very tightly so that it cracks. Be sure to carry out this procedure with gloves.
Having made the final turn, we put the end of the rope into a loop
And by pulling the free end we tighten it. I had to pull with all my might with both hands, resting the ax against my stomach. It turned out reliable.
And only I impregnate the ends of the rope with wood glue to prevent them from unraveling and additionally fix them.
The ax is ready for use. The last thing left to do is a case for the ax to show off in front of your friends.
There are many options for making it - leather with rivets, an “Evenki” case, from a rubber hose and others. I liked the molded leather option. To make it, I cut out a mold from 10 mm plywood.
The gap should be equal to the thickness of the leather used plus 1 mm.
The leather seems to be called "Cognac". Although I could use any other one. If only the thickness was at least 4 mm - for an ax it’s “just right”.
First, soak the skin in warm water.
At the same time, many bubbles come out of the skin. The process will complete in approximately 10 minutes.
We place the blanks on an ax wrapped in a bag and clamp the pieces of soaked leather into a press. Next begins the most dreary stage - molding. We take a spoon for babies (they are usually made without burrs that can damage the skin) and move it with pressure over all the bulges and irregularities that we want to show. After some time (after about forty minutes to an hour) you will see that the skin becomes like hard plasticine that holds its shape well. Within certain limits, of course. To speed up the process, you can use a regular hairdryer. I spent the whole evening on the whole procedure.
By the evening next day the workpiece is completely dry. Do not remove the blanks from the press until the leather is completely dry. Otherwise, there is a risk that wet skin will begin to take its previous shape.
Trim off the excess a little and glue the halves together.
When gluing the ax case, you can use the same press.
Next you need to sew the glued halves together. To do this, I visited several shoe repair shops in the hope of stitching a cover on my car. But only one of them decided to try, others didn’t even try, citing the thickness of the skin. But even those who took it upon themselves could not help. Indeed, the shoe machine could not sew 8 mm of leather. I had to do it the old fashioned way. Marked the locations of future holes
and used a drill to drill holes through one. I used a 3 mm drill - this is clearly too much. It is better to use a 2 mm drill.
We sew the cover with waxed thread
An important step is to sand the ends with sandpaper. Thus, you need to remove all the jambs and irregularities that remained after the previous stages. We bend everything and slightly round the ends. In general, the appearance of the product largely depends on this stage.
And one more important stage - finishing coat, which should hide flaws, highlight advantages and protect the case from external influences.
I couldn't find a special leather polish. Therefore, I again had to study the issue on the Internet. On the forum of decoupage artists I found information that they successfully use water-dispersion acrylic lacquer Varnish for decoupage on leather. Moreover, it was experimentally established that different manufacturers the properties of the coating are slightly different and the specified varnish is best suited for leather, although it was originally created for other materials. They even cover leather passport covers at the folds.
I'm pleased with the result. It turned out strong and nice.
I hope it was interesting and useful. Read also my other articles:
Alexanderishenko 20-07-2014 18:57
Everyone Good evening!
Made it for myself taiga ax. Naturally, the original coating was removed during processing. Became brilliant. But at the same time, it immediately rusts in a humid environment.
I saw axes forged from carbon with some kind of dark gray coating. How can this be achieved at home (garage)? How can you protect an ax from corrosion? And even after just lying in the garage, after a while it becomes covered with a fine red coating
Vova_N 20-07-2014 19:01
Etch in ferric chloride, iron sulfate, or some acid.
Alexanderishenko 20-07-2014 19:02
quote: Originally posted by Vova_N:
Etch in ferric chloride, iron sulfate, or some acid.
Covered with ferric chloride. At first it seemed to work out. But a day later I came to the garage and saw that the whole ax had turned red)) maybe I did something wrong? How to do this correctly?
Pavel Bykov 74 20-07-2014 19:13
Try phosphoric acid...
Alexanderishenko 20-07-2014 20:10
quote: Originally posted by Pavel Bykov 74:
Try phosphoric acid...
What will it give and how to use it correctly? What about ferric chloride? How does it actually work?
Mr Draibalit 20-07-2014 20:24
There is sufficient phosphoric acid in Coca-Cola. That is, degrease it, put it in cola overnight and you will be happy))) and it’s not difficult to renew.
Nosych 20-07-2014 21:08
I’ve already asked this question here, I’ll ask again since the topic came up: I etched a kitchen knife from a quick cutter in orthophosphoric acid, at first it was uniformly gray, but within six months it turned black (but did not rust). How to stop this process?
Mr Draibalit 20-07-2014 21:22
If I’m not mistaken, phosphate coatings have a finely porous structure (phosphating is one of the options for preparing metals before painting), try soaking a fresh coating vegetable oil This will probably keep the color even.
Lesnoi 94 20-07-2014 23:56
I made myself a taiga ax.
and show?
Svyatoy 21-07-2014 12:41
After treatment in acid, do not forget to lower it into a soda solution. as an option, use the “clover” bluing solution (if I’m not mistaken)
bodygard 21-07-2014 07:58
quote: "clover" (if I'm not mistaken)
clover, if my memory serves me correctly, is not good for health, so you can’t chop meat and other food products with such an ax...
russian-hunter- 21-07-2014 08:24
quote: Originally posted by Lesnoi 94:
and show?
serge-vv 21-07-2014 09:25
after the cold, you don’t need soda, but ammonia. It is best to use a 10% nitrogen solution, then rinse thoroughly (or in a soda solution), and spread with oil. Personally, I did this.
author-1 21-07-2014 11:38
Question on topic. And if you just paint it (I see Swedish army axes are all painted green).... But with what? The first thing that comes to mind is Kuzbasslak, but it seems to be for short-term (up to 6 months) storage http://www.kraska-sale.ru/lak_bt-577.html
Nosych 21-07-2014 15:37
quote: Originally posted by MrDraibalit:
... try saturating the fresh coating with vegetable oil, this may help maintain an even color.
What does “impregnate with oil” mean? How long does it take to saturate a thin oxide film? Apply and wipe or leave overnight? Or in the sun to polarize the vegetable oil? I’m asking seriously because I’m interested not only in “what to do,” but in the operating principle of the chosen method. Why vegetable oil?
Alexanderishenko 21-07-2014 21:01
quote: Originally posted by russian-hunter-:And after the cold treatment, be sure to rinse with soda. And after thoroughly drying, lubricate with oil.
Svyatoy 21-07-2014 22:02
quote: Originally posted by Nosych:
operating principle of the chosen method
I'll tell you my guesses. oil to squeeze out the water. vegetable or food. I'm sure lard will work too)
quote: Originally posted by Alexanderishenko:
How to properly process cold?
dip into solution
quote: Originally posted by bodigard:
clover, if my memory serves me correctly, is not good for health
baking soda neutralizes acid residues on the surface. wipe after the whole process after drying
Alexanderishenko 22-07-2014 07:39
quote: Originally posted by Svyatoy:
I don’t know, I saw how the famous Damascus people are poisoning them.
baking soda neutralizes acid residues on the surface. wipe after the whole process after drying
What concentration should it be? ferric chloride? How long should an ax remain in the solution? Is it possible to simply wipe it with a dampened swab to achieve results?
bodygard 22-07-2014 08:22
quote: I don’t know, I saw how the famous Damascus people are poisoning them.
Well, I also bought it for what I sold it for. Here a few years ago there was a discussion about what to poison, and they agreed that after clover some kind of blight is formed, which upon contact with food products“not very useful” for the body, therefore, if the knife is on the shelf, then why not, but if it’s not worth it...
and for the axe, I would etch it with what I have at hand, be it HJ, or orthophosphorus, or just in sprite-cocacola until smooth dark gray, then rinsed thoroughly in soda solution, then just in water to remove the soda, then heated it up to about 140-160 so that all the water evaporated, and right on the hot side generously with linseed oil, and left it in the sun for another week
not a panacea, of course, but it should stop frankly rusting in the air after this
sorry for the many bugs
bodygard 22-07-2014 08:39
quote: I’m asking seriously because I’m interested not only in “what to do,” but in the operating principle of the chosen method. Why vegetable oil?
after etching, a “loose sponge” is formed on the surface of the metal; after washing with passion in a soda solution, the “looseness” is washed off and just a sponge remains, and we saturate this relatively strong “sponge” with oil
something like this
Nosych 22-07-2014 10:17
We saturate this relatively durable “sponge” with oil.
And how long does the oil stay there? How often do you renew the impregnation?
bodygard 22-07-2014 10:30
quote: And how long does the oil stay there? How often do you renew the impregnation?
and this depends on the oil, if the oil polymerizes, like flaxseed, for example, then it will come off along with the “sponge” ...
Nosych 22-07-2014 15:58
quote: Originally posted by bodigard:
and this depends on the oil, if the oil polymerizes, like flaxseed, for example, then it will come off along with the “sponge” ...
Thanks for the science!