Entrenching Tool - Wood rot, new paint, etc.

[zachb]

I looked around on this forum and couldn’t quite find an answer to this so I hope I didn’t overlook the information. Here is the issue…I would like to restore this Japanese shovel, to some degree, and in particular the handle.

Problem Number One: The handle is fused into the socket by rust, paint, and I suspect glue. One can move the handle inside the socket a little but I don’t want to hammer it out or pull it too much and break the handle off. So my first question how do I safely remove the handle?

Problem Number Two: The handle has wood rot (maybe only some slight depth…if that makes sense) and someone has painted it with a modern green. How do you suggest I remove the paint and make an attempt to address the surface dry wood/ wood rot issue? Originally the handle would have had a dark stain.

I am keeping in mind the following thread:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...highlight=wood

For those unfamiliar please see post number two of this thread for a picture of how the handle is supposed to look:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ghlight=shovel

….and here also:

http://tksu1co.fc2web.com/enpi.html

Any help or advice is much appreciated. Best Regards, Zach

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[zachb]

Another picture

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[Paul R.]

The wood is suffering from a bad case of dry rot. There is nothing you can do about this. Sanding is not an option. The wood will break off in small fractured chunks. The damage to the wood has already been done. The paint could have accelorated it's demise. Stripping off the old paint will remove some of the cracking. I would advise not to repaint the handle. If the metal is rivited to the wood. You could carefull remove the rivit by carefully drilling it out. Remember you will be compormising the item making it a parts shovel. Paul

[zachb]

Thanks Paul. The handle is not riveted, its just stuck in the socket. The Japanese shovel was somewhat similar to the British entrenching tool in that the shovel and handle were carried in separate parts and then put together for use. Any suggestion on what to put in the socket (what substance, i.e., wd-40, mineral spirits, etc.) to get the handle out? Further, what would be suggested to get the paint off the handle?

Many Thanks,
Zach

[phild]

To get the handle out, I would try and tap it from the opposite end of the hole with a mallet and wooden dowel that was close to the same size as the tapered handel end. WD-40 might help...it just depends on what is really causing it to bind up.

As far as the paint removel goes, you can try a product like Kutzit along with some rags and steel wool. Let the stripper do the work and follow the directions.

With the wood clean and dry, you can help preserve it with linseed oil. This will darken the wood, especially where it is decayed. Some carefully light sanding with about a 220 grit paper will smooth the wood out and lessen the ridges from the decay...but that is your call.

[Paul R.]

I would not use WD 40. If you plan on using the wood handle on the shovel. WD 40 will stain the wood and loosen the already rotten wood. I am concerned that by possible wiggling it could snap the handle. By looking at the photos. It's hard to say how far deep is that wood rot into the handle. Paul

[blinky]

Something I tried once that seemed to work on something similar was to put it out into the direct sun for a few hours. The sun heated up the metal (faster than the wood) causing it to expand just enough so the wood handle could be tapped out of the socket. It might be worth a try if you have a nice sunny day, it shouldn't damage the shovel.

eric

[phild]

Something I tried once that seemed to work on something similar was to put it out into the direct sun for a few hours. The sun heated up the metal (faster than the wood) causing it to expand just enough so the wood handle could be tapped out of the socket. It might be worth a try if you have a nice sunny day, it shouldn't damage the shovel.

eric

I agree with you and I started to suggest the same thing.

I think that one should proceed slow and carefull. I also agree with PaulR that the handle should not be wriggled or moved too much side to side to side or for that matter be struck too hard with the mallet/dowel technique.

Like all of these things, each item is an individual case and it takes experience to evaluate what condition an item is really in...that will drive what can and can be done to it safely.

[zachb]

Problem 1 is solved

I too had thought of the dowel technique that Phil suggested, in fact I've been thinking off and on about what to do with this shovel for eight years. After careful consideration of the suggestions and the admonishments, I put the shovel in the sun for a couple of hours and then proceeded, ever so carefully, to tap the handle out with a dowel. I marked the inside top of the handle (along the rim in the socket) with chalk and the other end to mark my progress and insure I wasn't just tapping out part of it. As I tapped the handle began to move out of the socket and it became clear that the wood was coated in a layer of rust and more importantly I got a feel for the integrity of the wood (which is surprisingly good under the thin layer of dry rot). After some 10 to 15 minutes it finally came free. I'm glad of the result and all of the advice. With the handle out I can address the rust issue in the socket and prevent that from increasing. I will now contemplate what to do with the handle, so any further advice or cautions are welcome. Many Thanks, Zach

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[zachb]

Close up

Here is a close up of the top of the handle

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