axe handle finish

I made a huge mistake trying to use tung oil to put a finish on a new surplus unfinished axe handle. I sanded it down lightly with 220 grit sandpaper and brushed on a light coat of tung oil. I hung it up to dry over a dehumidifier and 24 hours later it had not dried not even a bit. I just wiped it off with some clean mineral spirits and hung it back over the dehumidifier. hopefully it will dry and maybe I can coat it with shellac, lacquer or varnish.
what would you use to put a finish on an axe handle that won't take forever and a day to dry?

Many lite coats of raw linseed oil.

Peace/Heddwch

I use linseed oil. I sand off ALL the commercial finish and rub the oil in. It's tacky for a few days. Usually treat any handles several times. Rub oil in then remove the excess with a cloth, then do it again a day later.

I am guessing maybe you didn't get all the original finish off when you sanded. Or, just used too much tung oil and didn't wipe it down afterwards.

Tung oil sucks because it literally takes a week or longer to dry... it is good stuff however.

'Drying' oils do not dry; the oil molecules chemically crosslink.  Oxygen and time are needed.
The humidifier moves air but I do not think humidity, per se, is an issue.
Thin rubbed on coats allow oxygen access to the oil.
I love raw linseed oil but it will mildew if left damp.
Happy handles, Doug

Me, I would use spent old olive oil cause I am cheap ...

Yes, get all factory finish off.
Nothing wrong with tung oil whatsoever. Mix a bit of turpentine with the linseed or tung oil, like 2:1 oil/turp.  You might wipe off your un-hardened tung with turp, and reapply a thinned oil mix.
For fresh work, couple coats, wipe down lightly un-absorbed excess between. Helps penetration, speeds drying. Supposedly will actually strengthen the wood fibers. You'll like the results.
I use linseed, because my grandfather/father did. Even on steel tools. My anti-rust mix has about 30?% paraffin wax heated with the oil/turp mix. Thin enough to make a workable paste. Great semi-permanent finish that dries in a couple days in the sun.
When I was but a tiny wee carpenter, one of the old timers suggested I sand the finish off of my framing hammer. He told me the oils from my sweaty hands would penetrate the handle and mitigate some of the necessary, but often excessive callouses. I'm sure he was right.
They used to sell something like 'Surfer's Sex Wax' for framing hammer handles. Nice if you like to hold the handle with three fingers, pinky below for a bit of extra flip on the swing.
FWIW- my opinion. Wood handles only.
I had switched from wood to steel or fiberglass on long straight claw framing hammers coming up first ten years. Paid for it with burning night pain, numbness in my hands, and arthritis in my neck from the shock of the handle. Switched to wood 30yrs ago, never went back. Dalluge or Vaughn straight handle Cali Framer. My current framer is a Stiletto titanium, with a custom 20in handle I made from a broken axe. Little light for one shot nail driving, but a joy to swing. Extra reach is great for pickup work.
The current crop of trendy steel whatevers are for the framers using Hitachi nail guns. When we were hand driving bags of nails everyday, nobody had a steel hammer, not fast enough.

By the way I am not stuck on linseed oil, it's just what I first learned to use years ago. I have heard that tung oil actually makes a stronger bond with the wood so is 'better' in some ways.

Anne Miller wrote:Me, I would use spent old olive oil cause I am cheap ...

Olive is not a 'drying oil' because its content of polyunsaturated fatty acids is too low to have oxidative cross linking into a hard film. So the tool handle would stay greasy until the oil rubbed off.
Fine for a cutting board, poor for a tool handle.
biochemically  yours, Doug

Well, dear hubbies tool care lack something so I still vote old spent olive oil.

His tools are so far gone anything is an improvement.

Hey, follow your heart.

Linseed oil with a touch of pine tar if you want it a little grippier.

I like to lightly char it or heat it in a southern window before the first coat.

I'm in a very dry climate, so handle coatings aren't much of a concern. Just keep the tools out of the weather in stable storage -- it's the humidity shift that causes damage, including literal shrinkage of the wood handles.

When it comes to adding grip, I am a big fan of the Good Old Canadian Hockey Tape in strategic locations. But that's just me.