First car boot sale of the year for me today, and my goal was a bigger axe than the various hatchets that I currently have.
£5 got me this: An Elwell 3lb axe. I'm very pleased.
The handle is a lovely shape, but a bit battered, and the head was loose due to rotten wood in the eye. I couldn't resist an exploratory swing at an old and rotten horse chestnut log in my garden though....
It works!
So far I have removed the handle, punched the old wood out of the eye, and had an initial scrub to remove the surface rust from the head. The head is solid, the edge is good and nick free, and the poll looks like it has suffered minimal abuse. I will keep the old handle as a template for the new one that I will make. I need to source a suitable piece of ash.
I will post pics of my progress as it is made. First job is to get the head cleaned up. I'll probably just be using elbow grease, and maybe some vinegar.
£5 got me this: An Elwell 3lb axe. I'm very pleased.
The handle is a lovely shape, but a bit battered, and the head was loose due to rotten wood in the eye. I couldn't resist an exploratory swing at an old and rotten horse chestnut log in my garden though....
It works!
So far I have removed the handle, punched the old wood out of the eye, and had an initial scrub to remove the surface rust from the head. The head is solid, the edge is good and nick free, and the poll looks like it has suffered minimal abuse. I will keep the old handle as a template for the new one that I will make. I need to source a suitable piece of ash.
I will post pics of my progress as it is made. First job is to get the head cleaned up. I'll probably just be using elbow grease, and maybe some vinegar.
