Breathing life back into this poor axe

[Dynikus]

I picked up this axe from a Restore for $5 with the intention of restoring it just for fun. It's an old alltrade that someone mounted upside down on a boys axe handle using 5 different size nails, a fencing staple, and 2 wedges (and it was still loose). The poll was mushroomed, the eye was warped, and it had some pretty good rust.

Before working on it, it weighed in at 3 pounds 9.6 ounces.
4 days in vinegar and some steel wool took care of the rust. Heating it to around 600 degrees and banging on it a little on my very sophisticated set up took care of the warped eye pretty well and part of the mushrooming.

A grinder, file, and a bit of elbow grease took care of the rest of the mushroomed poll.

After getting it back to shape, it weighed right at 3 pounds 8.4 ounces, nice weight. I tempered it again, then hung it on a proper handle. I still need to put a bit better of an edge on it, but overall I'm happy with how it turned out.

 

[phantomknives]

is the temper still good though

 

[300Six]

Looks to be a modest Collins 'Homestead' of recent (relatively-speaking) vintage but I'm really impressed that you took the time and effort (and knew what you were doing!) in preparation for resurrecting an otherwise 'become doorstop/paperweight'. Kudos, well done and thank you for posting this.

 

[Dynikus]

I tempered it after heating it up. I don't really have any good hardness tester though aside from feeling how my file skates on the edge, so I don't really know how good of a job I did on it. It works fine though so far, and it's better off than it was before either way.

 

[phantomknives]

as long as its tempered and hardened i dont care, its your axe. the harder, the better edge retention but its more brittle im sure you know