Happy New Year Fellas! I wanted to let you all know that my recent trip to Dallas to visit my folks for the holidays was very productive. I asked my Dad if he had any old axe heads laying around. He said he did, but didn't know where they were. After looking around I found the following:
1) True Temper, Kelly Works, Flint Edge, single bit, without phantom bevels, ~ 4 lbs., but I don't have a scale to weigh it. No haft. Some rust and a bit of mushrooming. I wire brushed it (on the grinder), filed down the mushrooming, sanded with 100, 120, & 320 grit sandpaper and then polished on a buffing wheel. I didn't remove all imperfections b/c I didn't want to remove too much material. I sharpened out 5 small chips and it looks to be a dandy. My 4 year-old little girl helped me with this one. I discovered that cute little 4 year old girls are not particularly effective at filing or sanding, but they sure do try! She did; however, find various things around the shop to glue together.
2) True Temper, Kelly Works, Perfect single bit, with phantom bevels, ~3 lbs. No haft. Found in a grease gun plastic bin covered in grease. After cleaning, I discovered it was in a bit worse shape than #1 (above) but still in very good shape. Some mushrooming, minor pitting. Gave it the same treatment as above and it also looks great. Looked like someone took a hammer to the top of the eye to pound it down on a haft. Damage wasn't too bad but the eye was a bit curled in, which I remedied with a rat-tail file.
3) True Temper, Kelly Works, Perfect, 3.2, double bit, with phantom bevels. Coated in a thick coat of black paint. Had a straight single bit haft that was in bad shape, which I removed. Suffered some pretty good rusting at some point, but the pitting is not too bad. Just cleaned it on the wire wheel & removed all the paint. I didn't do anything else b/c I am deciding if I should use a series of coarse-to-fine flap discs on my grinder to smooth it out and remove most of the pitting. Should I go this route, I am afraid of removing the maker stamp. Suggestions? (NOTE: I was working fast with tennis shoes on. Bad idea. When I was drifting the wood out the eye, I slipped and the head fell on my foot. No cut, it hit center-mass (of the head) but my foot is badly bruised. Always wear heavy boots when working with such tools!) Granted, it was my own stupid mistake and I knew better.
4) No name Jersey Pattern w/out phantom bevels in good condition. Looks like a Plumb due to the red (original?) straight haft and red permabond. Not sure of weight, but probably about 4-4.5 lbs.
5) Collins Boy's axe. Rusted, but no pitting. Needs new haft. probably 2 lbs., but might be 1 3/4 lbs. It looks to be an '80's model.
6) No name Michigan (possibly a Dayton - I don't remember) in good condition. Probably about 4 lbs.
7 & 8) 2 roofing hatchets (I don't remember the brands)
9) No name double bit. probably about 3.4 lbs.
10) 9 lb. maul
11) "automatic" maul with idiotic spring levers
12) one more, which I can't remember at the moment.
Of course, there were the myriad collection of hand sledges, files, claw and ball-pien hammers, one can find in a workshop and two garages with 40 + years of accumulated crap. I know there is at least one more double bit somewhere, but I could't find it. I brought the first 3 in the list back with me and stored the others at my folks house for later retrieval. Then there's the attic, which is also full of treasure. I need about a month to go through everything. My folks are getting old and every time I visit, I try to organize and get rid of stuff.
Anyway, I will try to post some photos of the first 3 in the list. I would like to get some feedback on my work - particularly my sharpening. I simply used a file to get the bits shaving-sharp, but I did not creat a "fan-shape" as I've seen others do on this forum and as recommended in An Axe to Grind.
I hope everyone has a great New Years!
http://i.imgur.com/vJtEsMb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QTtksrF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/0Afoo8l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/d6yRfSW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/zh0htqu.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/EfoEuez.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/RwXnnJP.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/yRp8XXi.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/phTWE4U.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/WnUfY8J.jpg
1) True Temper, Kelly Works, Flint Edge, single bit, without phantom bevels, ~ 4 lbs., but I don't have a scale to weigh it. No haft. Some rust and a bit of mushrooming. I wire brushed it (on the grinder), filed down the mushrooming, sanded with 100, 120, & 320 grit sandpaper and then polished on a buffing wheel. I didn't remove all imperfections b/c I didn't want to remove too much material. I sharpened out 5 small chips and it looks to be a dandy. My 4 year-old little girl helped me with this one. I discovered that cute little 4 year old girls are not particularly effective at filing or sanding, but they sure do try! She did; however, find various things around the shop to glue together.
2) True Temper, Kelly Works, Perfect single bit, with phantom bevels, ~3 lbs. No haft. Found in a grease gun plastic bin covered in grease. After cleaning, I discovered it was in a bit worse shape than #1 (above) but still in very good shape. Some mushrooming, minor pitting. Gave it the same treatment as above and it also looks great. Looked like someone took a hammer to the top of the eye to pound it down on a haft. Damage wasn't too bad but the eye was a bit curled in, which I remedied with a rat-tail file.
3) True Temper, Kelly Works, Perfect, 3.2, double bit, with phantom bevels. Coated in a thick coat of black paint. Had a straight single bit haft that was in bad shape, which I removed. Suffered some pretty good rusting at some point, but the pitting is not too bad. Just cleaned it on the wire wheel & removed all the paint. I didn't do anything else b/c I am deciding if I should use a series of coarse-to-fine flap discs on my grinder to smooth it out and remove most of the pitting. Should I go this route, I am afraid of removing the maker stamp. Suggestions? (NOTE: I was working fast with tennis shoes on. Bad idea. When I was drifting the wood out the eye, I slipped and the head fell on my foot. No cut, it hit center-mass (of the head) but my foot is badly bruised. Always wear heavy boots when working with such tools!) Granted, it was my own stupid mistake and I knew better.
4) No name Jersey Pattern w/out phantom bevels in good condition. Looks like a Plumb due to the red (original?) straight haft and red permabond. Not sure of weight, but probably about 4-4.5 lbs.
5) Collins Boy's axe. Rusted, but no pitting. Needs new haft. probably 2 lbs., but might be 1 3/4 lbs. It looks to be an '80's model.
6) No name Michigan (possibly a Dayton - I don't remember) in good condition. Probably about 4 lbs.
7 & 8) 2 roofing hatchets (I don't remember the brands)
9) No name double bit. probably about 3.4 lbs.
10) 9 lb. maul
11) "automatic" maul with idiotic spring levers
12) one more, which I can't remember at the moment.
Of course, there were the myriad collection of hand sledges, files, claw and ball-pien hammers, one can find in a workshop and two garages with 40 + years of accumulated crap. I know there is at least one more double bit somewhere, but I could't find it. I brought the first 3 in the list back with me and stored the others at my folks house for later retrieval. Then there's the attic, which is also full of treasure. I need about a month to go through everything. My folks are getting old and every time I visit, I try to organize and get rid of stuff.
Anyway, I will try to post some photos of the first 3 in the list. I would like to get some feedback on my work - particularly my sharpening. I simply used a file to get the bits shaving-sharp, but I did not creat a "fan-shape" as I've seen others do on this forum and as recommended in An Axe to Grind.
I hope everyone has a great New Years!
http://i.imgur.com/vJtEsMb.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QTtksrF.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/0Afoo8l.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/d6yRfSW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/zh0htqu.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/EfoEuez.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/RwXnnJP.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/yRp8XXi.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/phTWE4U.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/WnUfY8J.jpg
Last edited:
