I found the remains of an old axe in a hedge and, being a don't-throw-it-away-if-it-can-be-fixed kind of chap (especially where really good quality old tools are concerned) I decided to see if I could breathe a bit of life into the old girl.
This is what she looked like when I brought her in and dried her off:
As you can see, the pitting was pretty severe and there were no visible identifying marks (although these show up in the photograph above, oddly enough!). I did a bit of hunting around on the internet and decided that it may be an Elwell but I couldn't be sure.
A few methods of restoration suggested themselves after a bit of YouTubing; a lot of these involved grinders and flap wheels, but I discounted these on the basis that there'd be no material left if I removed all of the pitting and went for a highly-polished finish. A vague memory about treacle prompted some more research and eventually I learned about chelation, the process of replacing metal by using acid and sugars to chemically liberate oxygen from iron oxides; I decided on that way, and forwent the idea of an extreme polish. I mixed up some water, vinegar and black treacle and chucked the axe head in it. I left it in there for three weeks, and then scrubbed it clean under the tap.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well it came back to life - the pitting had been halted and stabilised and I could see some identifying marks:
Turns out not only was it an Elwell, it's a seven pound monster!
Paraffin wax was used to stop any oxidisation of the head over the course of the process. Next job was to decide what finish I wanted. I decided on polishing as much as I could of the bevel and the area of the bit immediately behind it. There would be enough work to do there, and this might be fun, not to mention help when it comes to sharpening the axe later on. To start with I used acetone to clean off the wax and started with 120 grit wet and dry and progressed to 240, 320, 400 and 600 grits, wet first and dry afterwards, wiping down with a damp rag between each stage.
Following this it went to the lathe for buffing on a 5" wheel with two compounds, and then I gave it several passes with Autosol polish.
I'm quite pleased with the results:
The next step is to find a haft for it; a big one, maybe the whole 36". Anyway, it's come out pretty well and I'm going to oil the head for storage before I get the haft sorted. Once it's hung I'll sharpen it and get it into use.
Cheers,
JR
This is what she looked like when I brought her in and dried her off:
As you can see, the pitting was pretty severe and there were no visible identifying marks (although these show up in the photograph above, oddly enough!). I did a bit of hunting around on the internet and decided that it may be an Elwell but I couldn't be sure.
A few methods of restoration suggested themselves after a bit of YouTubing; a lot of these involved grinders and flap wheels, but I discounted these on the basis that there'd be no material left if I removed all of the pitting and went for a highly-polished finish. A vague memory about treacle prompted some more research and eventually I learned about chelation, the process of replacing metal by using acid and sugars to chemically liberate oxygen from iron oxides; I decided on that way, and forwent the idea of an extreme polish. I mixed up some water, vinegar and black treacle and chucked the axe head in it. I left it in there for three weeks, and then scrubbed it clean under the tap.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well it came back to life - the pitting had been halted and stabilised and I could see some identifying marks:
Turns out not only was it an Elwell, it's a seven pound monster!
Paraffin wax was used to stop any oxidisation of the head over the course of the process. Next job was to decide what finish I wanted. I decided on polishing as much as I could of the bevel and the area of the bit immediately behind it. There would be enough work to do there, and this might be fun, not to mention help when it comes to sharpening the axe later on. To start with I used acetone to clean off the wax and started with 120 grit wet and dry and progressed to 240, 320, 400 and 600 grits, wet first and dry afterwards, wiping down with a damp rag between each stage.
Following this it went to the lathe for buffing on a 5" wheel with two compounds, and then I gave it several passes with Autosol polish.
I'm quite pleased with the results:
The next step is to find a haft for it; a big one, maybe the whole 36". Anyway, it's come out pretty well and I'm going to oil the head for storage before I get the haft sorted. Once it's hung I'll sharpen it and get it into use.
Cheers,
JR
