Axe Restoration

[a1993h]

Hey everyone,
I was looking at axes for a few hours today because I'm really interested in getting one. But I forgot that the thing I was using to chop wood was also an axe.

Anyways, my dad got this axe and a hatchet from an auction for five pound ages ago so I don't know much about it but its been used and abused for years so it must be some good stuff. Here it is:

http://s1120.photobucket.com/albums/l484/a1993h/?action=view&current=Image0035.jpg
http://s1120.photobucket.com/albums...484/a1993h/?action=view&current=Image0031.jpg

Its 90cm from top to bottom and weighs just over 2 kilos. The head is an inch thick at the blunt end.

The grind on it is pretty banjaxed:
http://s1120.photobucket.com/albums...484/a1993h/?action=view&current=Image0034.jpg

So I've a few questions:
-What kind of axe is it and what tasks is it designed to cope with?
-How do restore the grind to a good edge?

All help is appreciated.
Cheers, Andy.

 

[Samon]

Looks like a small hand axe head on an old felling axe hadle mate. Get a file and work the edge untill it's looking cleaner and easier to sharpen with a stone!

 

[a1993h]

Looks like a small hand axe head on an old felling axe hadle mate. Get a file and work the edge untill it's looking cleaner and easier to sharpen with a stone!

Oh right. Do you think I should cut down the handle to make it more efficient? Also, what degree angle should the grind be?

Thanks Samon

 

[Samon]

You could cut the handle down if you didn't want to buy a new hand axe handle, if you fancy giving the axe some modifications and love it would be a fun project. I'd start with a new or cut down and polished handle, wire brush to remove any flakey surface rust then give it a good rub down and a oiling to keep it from any more rust. Then work on it's edge with a few metal working files, easiest way to learn what angle to do it at is to put the head in a vice and try to bring back the original edge while checking to make sure you're getting the right file to blage contact. Usually small hand axes are for splitting camp site wood but if you file it alot and keep an eye on it's symetry you can make it a good cutter too. Depends what job it'll be doing though but I'd say for an all rounder keep the handle as long as your arm and make the grind/edge on the axe nice and fine for clean cutting. After the fileing use a wet/honing stone to polish the edge so it stays sharp. If you get stuck with sharpening angles YouTube has lots of easy to follow tutorials! Good luck mate

 

[a1993h]

Cheers Samon, that helps a lot. I'll bring her back to her former glory tomorrow

 

[Samon]

Have fun mate! Make sure to take lots of pictures of your progress and show everyone how you got on with each aspect of restoration and modification, it'll make good Reading and help other people clean up an old axe. Take it easy mate

 

[firebear]

Looks like a challenge for sure, I agree, I feel you should get a new handle, somewhat shorter and make it a large hatchet. From the view of the edge it almost looks like someone used it to break rock.

 

[HHazeldean]

I reckon that you shouldn't buy a handle as it is far more fun to gave a bash at making your own. They aren't that difficult to do and it makes the axe far more personal to you. You can also make it exactly how you want it to be.

 

[Everything Mac]

It does indeed look like a hatchet head fitted to a long handle. - Either that or it has had a lot or material removed.

Is the handle solid? Does it wobble in the head?

Have you used it at all? If so what for? If you have been using it to split wood with no issues then don't change it too much.


As for cleaning up the head - a good going over with a wire brush will get you going.

As for the edge - grind out all of the dings - then put a convex edge on it.

Andy

 

[a1993h]

I dont know how it got in such bad shape to be honest, it just wasnt looked after at all. Started putting a convex on it this morning.

Theres plenty of beech, birch, hawthorn, some sycamore around my are, any of these good for handle material?

I really like the look of the straight tomohawk handles like this:
http://www.google.ie/imgres?imgurl=...1t:429,r:13,s:17&tx=63&ty=99&biw=1024&bih=677

Any disadvantages/benefits of having a handle like this rather than the s-shaped ones?

Thanks for the help

 

[Everything Mac]

You won't be able to fit a handle quite like that to it as those axes have a rounded eye which enables such a handle.

Beech could work. Not sure though. Fruit woods like cherry, plum and apple work quite well. I've got a straight plum handle on one of my axes.

Only trouble is that you would have to wait some time before the wood is dry enough to use.

Let us know how you get on.

Andy