$2 project hatchet

[smith357]

I found this poor old hatchet at the flea market a few weeks ago, she's in pretty rough shape, with a really poor grind and a hacked up handle, but for 2 bucks I figured even it it was not savable I could cut it into a war spike or pickaroon. I finally got my work bench cleared of other projects and sent a few hours on it with the file. I'm leaving the handle on it for now so I can clamp it up in the bench vise.

This Boy Scout logo is the only marking I could find on it, but from the looks of how much metal I have to file away it may not survive.

This is after almost two hours of filing just one side, trying to keep the angle of the file as low as possible. I'm still a ways off from the center line on the bottom third of the edge.

I will post more pics as the work continues.

 

[Bo T]

The hatchet does not look in that bad of shape. Well worth the $2.

 

[joejeweler]

I would put an edge on her and leave the rest alone besides a new handle. That would allow the Boy Scout stamp to remain also, or work AROUND the stamp and fade to S M O O T H!

So what if the Boy Scout stamp remains a millimeter or so higher with some rough edges. It will help to identify her, as well as showing a well used hatchet with some "character" still obvious.

cheers,
Joe T

 

[Alocksly]

I've a couple of old scout hatchets and I'm guessing that one is probably a Plumb and well worth the two dollars despite the work it needs.

 

[SC T100]

Yup, great find for $2, even with the elbow grease tax. I second working around the stamp, that might look pretty great actually (unless it would create a huge hump on that side). Either way its a quality hatchet and a good bargain...looking forward to more pics!

 

[smith357]

I spent a few more hours tinkering with my hatchet, I finished the one side and proceeded to tackle the other side. It took about the same amount of time. I did manage to keep most of the logo.

I then removed the handle it was harder than I though it would be as there is a distinct line halfway up where the eye gets about 1/8th inch bigger all the way around. I also peened down the burr in the nail puller and filed the rough edges, squared off the face of the poll and beveled the corners removing all traces of mushrooming. All the factory grind marks on the top and bottom of the head were filed off.

I then hit the whole thing with an emery board and cold blued it. Just a couple of passes over a soft Arkansas stone and it will shave the hair on my arm, I don't think it's sharp enough for the face but it should do. Now I just need to find a decent handle and rehang it. I have a hunk of Osage Orange I was planning on making a bow from but it's been sitting in the corner for over ten years, I may try my hand at carving my own haft, but I'm not sure how well Osage Orange would work, I can get plenty of hickory, maple, or walnut down at the cabin. which is were this little guy is destined to reside.

I used 2 single cut bastard files and a double cut fine file for all of the shaping and a 1x2 with emery cloth stapled to it for finishing. The only power tool used was the wire wheel on the grinder to remove the rust before I started.

 

[SC T100]

Well that turned out great, and I think it's great you were able to keep the stamp even if it wasn't totally necessary. Should be a great chopper! I'm no expert on handles, but I would think most decent woods would work as long as the grain is correct, since hatchet handles don't take a ton of abuse. I could be wrong, though.