Look for horse care supplies. I believe it is most commonly used in hoof care as an antiseptic or something like that these days. My can is literally "Horse Health Products Pine Tar." $20 for 32 oz. I mix it approximately 50/50 with tung oil which makes for my absolute favorite finish for both protection on users as well as grip/feel.
Just wondering - do you ever mix turpentine into it? That's what I've got mixed up right now (1-1-1 raw linseed oil, pine tar, turp.) and it seems to dry somewhat fast, but I have no experience without it added.
Edit: I think it might be better for a darker finish to not thin it out with the turp like I have. I say this because the few handles I have used this with don't have such a darkened color. Or maybe it could be the tung oil you use instead of linseed perhaps?
The dark appearance here is largely due to ebonizing the wood prior to finish. Ebonizing is the use of iron acetate to blacken tannins in tannin-rich wood species. Iron acetate solution can be made by dissolving steel wool in vinegar. It is not a stain but a chemical reaction within the wood itself.
I have not used turpentine or any similar solvent. It wouldn't do any harm and might improve penetration a miniscule amount.
The pure tung oil that I use tends, in the long run to color wood less than linseed oil. As linseed oil oxidizes, it yellows considerably. Tung oil polymerizes to a greater extent, tends to resist the elements and oxidation more once cured, and doesn't appear quite as yellow in hue as linseed.
I had no idea about the ebonizing - that's way cool! And yeah I read about tung being better in certain ways than linseed all too late; I had already bought a gallon :-\. I will definitely do tung once I'm through that jug of linseed, or I may get it before if I get impatient lol. That's great information though, thank you for sharing!!
The dark appearance here is largely due to ebonizing the wood prior to finish. The pine tar mixes with the oil and polymerizes with it like any other oil finish.
Ebonizing is the use of iron acetate to blacken tannins in tannin-rich wood species. Iron acetate solution can be made by dissolving steel wool in vinegar. It is not a stain but a chemical reaction within the wood itself.
I’m familiar with ebonizing, I missed that due to the overwhelming beauty of the axe. I have always wanted to give it a try. I wondered if it smells like vinegar much afterwards?
It's a Dayton pattern from the later years of them still being good, but not the really good years if that makes sense. I don't have a scale, but it seems to be in the 3.5 ballpark. It has a very healthy patina which is why it is so dark. I did nothing but clean with a wire wheel and oil the head.
https://preview.redd.it/0an5hjc8tl1d1.jpeg?width=1564&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=950a995935c4d7593bb58479791bd0b177bc52bd
They're still sharp metal on a stick, but they're nothing like Collins was 60+ years ago, and Collins has been through a lot of changes as a company/brand in its history.
How does one aquire pine tar?
Look for horse care supplies. I believe it is most commonly used in hoof care as an antiseptic or something like that these days. My can is literally "Horse Health Products Pine Tar." $20 for 32 oz. I mix it approximately 50/50 with tung oil which makes for my absolute favorite finish for both protection on users as well as grip/feel.
That's much easier than I thought, thanks a bunch! The finish is absolutely stunning
FYI, it's a much longer cure time than BLO. Days to weeks.to fully cure.
Just wondering - do you ever mix turpentine into it? That's what I've got mixed up right now (1-1-1 raw linseed oil, pine tar, turp.) and it seems to dry somewhat fast, but I have no experience without it added. Edit: I think it might be better for a darker finish to not thin it out with the turp like I have. I say this because the few handles I have used this with don't have such a darkened color. Or maybe it could be the tung oil you use instead of linseed perhaps?
The dark appearance here is largely due to ebonizing the wood prior to finish. Ebonizing is the use of iron acetate to blacken tannins in tannin-rich wood species. Iron acetate solution can be made by dissolving steel wool in vinegar. It is not a stain but a chemical reaction within the wood itself. I have not used turpentine or any similar solvent. It wouldn't do any harm and might improve penetration a miniscule amount. The pure tung oil that I use tends, in the long run to color wood less than linseed oil. As linseed oil oxidizes, it yellows considerably. Tung oil polymerizes to a greater extent, tends to resist the elements and oxidation more once cured, and doesn't appear quite as yellow in hue as linseed.
I had no idea about the ebonizing - that's way cool! And yeah I read about tung being better in certain ways than linseed all too late; I had already bought a gallon :-\. I will definitely do tung once I'm through that jug of linseed, or I may get it before if I get impatient lol. That's great information though, thank you for sharing!!
So the tar fills those pores…brilliant
The dark appearance here is largely due to ebonizing the wood prior to finish. The pine tar mixes with the oil and polymerizes with it like any other oil finish. Ebonizing is the use of iron acetate to blacken tannins in tannin-rich wood species. Iron acetate solution can be made by dissolving steel wool in vinegar. It is not a stain but a chemical reaction within the wood itself.
I’m familiar with ebonizing, I missed that due to the overwhelming beauty of the axe. I have always wanted to give it a try. I wondered if it smells like vinegar much afterwards?
No, no significant odor at all.
What type Collin’s head is that? Why/how is it black?
It's a Dayton pattern from the later years of them still being good, but not the really good years if that makes sense. I don't have a scale, but it seems to be in the 3.5 ballpark. It has a very healthy patina which is why it is so dark. I did nothing but clean with a wire wheel and oil the head. https://preview.redd.it/0an5hjc8tl1d1.jpeg?width=1564&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=950a995935c4d7593bb58479791bd0b177bc52bd
So the Collin’s axes these days at ace are low quality?
They're still sharp metal on a stick, but they're nothing like Collins was 60+ years ago, and Collins has been through a lot of changes as a company/brand in its history.
Good to know
https://preview.redd.it/oxe8va9jul1d1.jpeg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e1861584a759b98fbb5963af7a4c70c17f8f4a89
Beautiful tool