  We investigate Bartnik's static metric extension conjecture under the
additional assumption of axisymmetry of both the given Bartnik data and the
desired static extensions. To do so, we suggest a geometric flow approach,
coupled to the Weyl-Papapetrou formalism for axisymmetric static solutions to
the Einstein vacuum equations. The elliptic Weyl-Papapetrou system becomes a
free boundary value problem in our approach. We study this new flow and the
coupled flow--free boundary value problem numerically and find axisymmetric
static extensions for axisymmetric Bartnik data in many situations, including
near round spheres in spatial Schwarzschild of positive mass.
