Advice on my first "restoration" Walters

[Rapt_up]

I picked this little Walters up (about 1lbs) and I'm not sure if I should be doing anything besides grinding the mushrooming off the poll. Cheeks? Thinning? Advice?

Then I'm going to be looking to re-haft it, I was thinking about 16-18" long. I live in Belleville, Ontario Canada, is there somewhere local I can go to look at reasonable handles? TSC? Home Depot?

Thanks in advance.
20151209_201655 by rapt_up, on Flickr
20151209_201715 by rapt_up, on Flickr
20151209_201740 by rapt_up, on Flickr
20151209_201808 by rapt_up, on Flickr

 

[halfaxe]

That looks like my Walters 2nd from the right, which is on a 16" handle. Can't help you with a Canadian handle source.

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[Rapt_up]

Excellent that's a help. This is how I got the head, It looks like its been used a bit hard... and the "notch on the underside looks like it was either very roughly ground, or someone went at it with a grinder at some point as the not square to the centerline.

I was impressed with the length of the cutting edge as compared to the weight and size of the eye. This seems much more like what I want for a bush/camp hatchet than a lot of the small ones available commercially now.

I'll use the pics of your poll to guide what I try to get on this one when I clean it up. Either that or I'll round the edges a bit more.

 

[300Six]

Looks to be a Montreal pattern and, aside from the mushrooming, is in decent shape. Nevermind with an attempt at "restoration" but it is certainly suitable for "resurrection" to get 'er back on the road.The St Jacobs origin Home Hardware chain carries 2- 3 brands of handles. What you're looking for will likely not be in stock (although in good ole Belleville ya never know) but get a counter clerk to look up what's available.

Here's a bunch more Walters hatchets. The Montreal pattern shown (mid 1950s?) is original including the paint on the head.

 

[klammer]

cant help with specific locations in ontario but here is vancouver you just have to go into every hardware store you see that is NOT home depot / canadian tire / Rona. Try every smaller moms and pops type place you see around...you will find some that order from suppliers who stock house handle etc...

 

[Operator1975]

Sort of looks like these -



The hafts on these are thin, and tiny. Almost like you are holding nothing at all. They are 11.5 and 13.5 from eye to end. I thought they were more marketing than anything else due to there size, I am not sure what practical purpose they would hold. I guess some shaving or very light work.

Not sure what the options are up N for handles. Home Depot and the like are pretty suspect on handles - and to get to fit into that tiny head you will need to modify it a lot. Hope it all works out! Keep us posted!

 

[Rapt_up]

Thanks 300six... I have three Home Hardware stores in Belleville, and they do tend to carry other items. There are also some small mom and pop type places around I'll check in there too.

The eye is about 5/8" x 1-3/4". So they do look like the montreal pattern. The "restoration" was meant loosely... LOL basically just make it workable and not to more damage to it.

I'm not looking to cut big trees, but rather do light wood work that a pocket knife wouldn't be suitable for. I long ago determined a saw was better for cutting wood in the bush when it comes to effectiveness vs weight.

Will let you know how it goes and post pics.

 

[StLawrenceFowler]

Home Hardware is your likeliest source. Check out the web site; they have a 14" and a 17" V&B that would fit this head nicely. My local HH gladly orders them from the warehouse. All they need is the product number.

 

[300Six]

Sort of looks like these -

Shoot! NOS. You always manage to come up with better (how's about superior condition) stuff so what else have you got tucked away at the back of your garage? You don't by chance collect old Chevys or Fords?

 

[Rapt_up]

Operator,

any chance I could trouble you for a photo of the underside of the head in those? I'm looking to see how messed up mine is

Thanks

 

[Rapt_up]

Home Hardware is your likeliest source. Check out the web site; they have a 14" and a 17" V&B that would fit this head nicely. My local HH gladly orders them from the warehouse. All they need is the product number.

Thanks that looks like what I will do. There's all sorts online. Have a boys axe that also needs one.

 

[300Six]

Sort of looks like these -

The hafts on these are thin, and tiny. Almost like you are holding nothing at all. They are 11.5 and 13.5 from eye to end. I thought they were more marketing than anything else due to there size, I am not sure what practical purpose they would hold. I guess some shaving or very light work.

I think they were meant to be boy's first axes 2-3 generations ago, to go with that first 22 Cooey single shot rifle and a Boy Scout kit. When you see them today they tend to be at the bottom of now-become-grandpa's tool kit or tackle box.

 

[Rapt_up]

So my local Home Hardware has several 21" "boys axe" handles in stock, as well as some Collins boys axes and smaller camp axes too ...

 

[1215]

Have you looked at House Handles? Pretty sure they would ship to you. I don't think anyone commented about grinding/not grinding the mushrooming on the poll. I'd say don't grind it off. Keep it as-is, put a handle on it and use it or hang it on the wall. I'm not usually a fan of removing metal, ever. But I'm also new to Axes and have no idea what I'm talking about.

On the one hand mushrooming is part of the axe's character and on the other hand, you are removing metal if you grind therefore the head gets lighter, the poll will never be perfectly square or as it was when new. I vote leave it and don't grind. Cool axe, never seen one before your post!

 

[Rapt_up]

Actually I was thinking I might try cold working them back I have some heavy steel plate suitable to use as a anvil and a good solid cross peen hammer.

 

[300Six]

Actually I was thinking I might try cold working them back I have some heavy steel plate suitable to use as a anvil and a good solid cross peen hammer.

Square_Peg has a thread going about doing this. He heats them up (the poll and not too much) first. You'll never achieve perfection but it should make everything look a lot better and you won't haven been grinding or filing off too much metal either.

 

[Rapt_up]

Well I did some hammering. I didn't heat anything so far. The poll is clearly hardened as it has left significant marks in my steel plate. However , even with that I have tamed the worst of the mushrooming. I was a bit concerned about heating the steel as I had no idea as to the original heat treat, so that made it hard to tell how much or how little heat would be ok.

 

[300Six]

Surface rust creates a thin layer of temper to steel. In the automotive business they call this rust hardening. On axes only the lower portion of the blade will be tempered right through,. The fact that the poll mushroomed indicates that portion of the head to never having been heat treated. Good to hear that your gentle pounding is having an effect. Often the most difficult part of trying to clean up mushrooming is not to obliterate the stamp.

 

[Square_peg]

I was a bit concerned about heating the steel as I had no idea as to the original heat treat, so that made it hard to tell how much or how little heat would be ok.

A typical axe bit will have been tempered at about 500° F. depending on the type of steel and the wishes of the manufacturer. A hammer face is harder, usually tempered about 430° F, again depending on the material and the makers wishes. Any axe can be safely heated in your oven to 300° F. without damaging the temper.

 

[Square_peg]

Often the most difficult part of trying to clean up mushrooming is not to obliterate the stamp.

Exactly.

That's what got me to hammering mushroomed polls. If you can get them to flatten out enough you can file off the remaining mushrooming while retaining the stamp. That should be your goal.