How to measure lengths greater than 50′ to a precision of less than 1/16″

Q. What kind of paint is best to use on a wood house: Oil, latex, something else?

A. Being taught old school by my professional painter & decorator grandfather, I should say oil based paints, but I think he might even agree that modern top-quality 100% acrylic paints are the way to go nowadays. Mind you top-quality 100% acrylic paints are not cheap.

Q. What techniques are there to give the house an aged look?

A. I think you referring to the art of "Distressed" effects. Takes some practice and skill, and will most definitely add additional time and money to the project.

Q. What other important information should I know before painting a house.

A. Preparation. Preparation & preparation is everything to achieving a high quality paint job that will last for years...

For the most professional and longest lasting paint job (but will add great cost to the project), remove all paint ie Get back to bare wood, then prepare the bare wood for painting - filling cracks, holes, sanding to a smooth finish...

To save some money on the preparation stage you can leave existing paint on (but only the paint that is still well adhered to the wood). Remove all chipped, loose paint. Fill cracks and holes. Sand to a smooth finish, including the existing painted surfaces. Paint any bare wood with wood-primer...

If you encounter any damp, rotten, etc wood during the preparation stage, I highly recommend removing it. When doing so, cut 150mm (6inch) past the last sign of damage ie Get back to good, solid wood. Preferably re-patch with the same wood species.

You'll have a couple choices when replacing the handle, you can either get a good Hickory replacement handle like this,

or a Fiberglass handle like this.

Comparing handle types is beyond the scope of this answer.

Either way the repair starts the same way, by removing the old axe head. This will likely be the most difficult part of the job, as the handle was installed to not come out. You may be able to drill out enough of the material, so the handle will easily slide out. You could also try removing the metal and wood wedges (reverse of install) to remove the head, but sometimes the wooden wedge is glued in so you may not be able to remove it. If the old handle was fiberglass, it may be easier to purchase a new axe. Removing the old epoxy can be difficult, and time consuming.

Once you have the old handle removed, the installation of the new one is slightly different depending on the handle you've chosen.

Installing a Hickory (wood) handle:

It's best to buy a replacement handle that includes everything you'll need to install it, which will likely come with a notch already cut in the top of the handle (so you won't have to cut this yourself). If you can only find a handle with a wooden wedge and no metal wedges, the metal wedges are available separately.

• Start by sliding the handle into the axe head.
• Next put the wooden wedge into the slot at the top of the handle.
• Tap the wedge in with a hammer.
• Cut, file, or sand off the excess wedge (it does not have to be perfectly flush).
• Tap the metal wedges in perpendicular to the wood wedge.
• Go chop some wood.

Installing a Fiberglass handle:

When purchasing a fiberglass handle, try to find one that includes the epoxy. If you can only find handles, the epoxy kits are available separately.

When installing a fiberglass handle, you'll have to make sure the hole in the axe head is clean. You can use sand paper, or a small round file to clean the hole before installation.

• Start by wrapping the caulking cord (that came with the epoxy) around the handle where the bottom of the head will meet it.
• Push the head onto the handle, making sure the caulking cord creates a good seal between the head and handle (or you'll get epoxy all over).
• Mix up the epoxy, and pour it into the top of the ake head.
• Store the axe vertically (top of axe up) so the epoxy does not leak out, for up to a week (follow directions on epoxy kit).
• Go chop some wood.