Stripping Paint off Metal

[BushEd]

Got a cheapy axe today from my DIY store, picking up woodcarving things and spotted it nestling on a shelf. Seems pretty decent for £10.50 price label...though havent really cut anything yet.

Anyway, came with a horrible plasticy laquer and orange paint. Well all thats off the handle now, waiting for some oil, but...how do i best get the paint off the axe bit? I noticed it came off with my coarse paper, but that scarred the metal up awful...

I know there are the chemical strippers, but is there anything easier? and more importantly cheaper?

oh and most importantly, isn't gonna make my head all fume-y and falling over-y.

 

[pwb]

I've used caustic soda ,as used for clearing drains, to strip paint off various things before ,never an axe though.
Found it works better than Nitromors on some paints too, and a hell of a lot cheaper.

Make sure you have heavy rubber gloves and maybe eye protection , nasty stuff.

Pete.

 

[Asa Samuel]

I don't know much about the effect of paint strippers on metal but I'm sure some fine grade sand paper would strip the paint off then you could use some fine wire wool to polish it up.

 

[landyandy]

A heat gun works well :

 

[StigOfTheDump]

Just use your axe a lot, there is something inherently satisfying about the wearing in process for tools.

 

[Asa Samuel]

A heat gun works well :

Would this not mess with the temper?

 

[FGYT]

you can scrape it of with a sharp blade then finish with sand paper in finer grades

got my £2.99 argos axe clean

ATB

Duncan

 

[_scorpio_]

how did you manage that? the pictures are painted and ugly-ish. that looks nice! im buying one...or 20, anyway.

 

[jojo]

you can scrape it of with a sharp blade then finish with sand paper in finer grades

got my £2.99 argos axe clean

ATB

Duncan

Yikes.. You've a good job on that axe, Duncan. Very impressive

 

[Bushwhacker]

Shot blasting?

 

[Klenchblaize]

You should have purchased one manufactured by Landrover as the paint would self-striped in no time!


Cheers

 

[kevm65]

I agree with Landyandy, i would use a heat gun too, its cleaner and faster and there should be no need to sand it afterwards.

 

[sasquatch]

Got a cheapy axe today from my DIY store, picking up woodcarving things and spotted it nestling on a shelf. Seems pretty decent for £10.50 price label...though havent really cut anything yet.

Anyway, came with a horrible plasticy laquer and orange paint. Well all thats off the handle now, waiting for some oil, but...how do i best get the paint off the axe bit? I noticed it came off with my coarse paper, but that scarred the metal up awful...

I know there are the chemical strippers, but is there anything easier? and more importantly cheaper?

oh and most importantly, isn't gonna make my head all fume-y and falling over-y.

PM inbound. I've got plenty of 1000 grit, I can send you some for free if you're interested. It doesn't take long at all and will clean up what the rough grit did!

 

[BushEd]

you can scrape it of with a sharp blade then finish with sand paper in finer grades

got my £2.99 argos axe clean

ATB

Duncan

nice!!! thats what mines slowly progressing towards. With sasquatches generous offer; a tin of Linseed Oil, and a home-made axe sharpener

 

[jimbo75]

Presume you have a Bahco axe? Got one myself, very nice axe when cleaned up, and more trustworthy than the Argos offering!
Pics on here...

http://jimbobushcraft.blogspot.com/

 

[ANDYRAF]

Brake fluid works really well, well it did on the bonnet of my landy when I p*$$£d the ex girlfriend off.

Andy

 

[Mad Mike]

Giving the girlfriend some brake fluid & your axe then annoying her does not sound like a good plan okenest:

Mike

 

[BushEd]

Presume you have a Bahco axe? Got one myself, very nice axe when cleaned up, and more trustworthy than the Argos offering!
Pics on here...

http://jimbobushcraft.blogspot.com/

Nah got a Worldwide tools. Un-suprisingly (it being Yorkshire lol!) every tool store i go to in Sheffield has this brand, which it turns out is a sheffield brand. Hoping that means its good

https://www.heritage-homeandgarden.co.uk/product_info.php?language=en&products_id=6599

 

[BushEd]

Got it down to this stage now:

Needs a final polish with sasquatches paper (got here today!! ) but pretty much done.

2 last questions:

1. How you get the paint off the bottom of the bit, around the handle? (too fiddly!!)
2. Been going at it for a good while now with a put together sharpening kit...the results are minimal so how is best to sharpen an axe with wet'n'dry?! i've seen british reds tutorial, but his advice doesnt seem to be helping me :S

thanks

 

[_scorpio_]

if its completely blunt use a proper metal file to get an edge going and then use axe files of varying sizes