first post, and a qurstion.

E

evildeadedd

Joined
Mar 31, 2015
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Evening folks, I have lurked on these forums quite a bit over the past several months, and decided tonight to sign up. I am interested in getting started in bushcraft/survival. I live on an 1100 acre hunting association, so it seems silly not to enjoy all the nature that surrounds me. Anyhow to my question. I was over to my parents today and I rescued my grandfather's double bit axe from a stump my dad has left it stuck in for God knows how long. it is badly rusted and the handle almost falls apart if you touch it. My question Is, how do I tell if the axe is too far gone to restore to usefulness? I plan to at least lightly clean it , sand/oil the handle, and hang it in my shop, but I thing pap would rather I use it as a tool than a display if possible. So I defer to your collective knowledge, any advice you offer would be much obliged.
 
Post pictures first! Any idea on how old the axe is? It'll probably be fine with some TLC depending on how it looks.
 
well that didn't work....alright I would post a photo of I knew how, apparently posting photos to forums is a skill I have never acquired
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Makers mark of belknap bluegrass. No idea on age, older than me. If I had to guess maybe from the 70's but the name goes way back so could be older.
 
Couldn't get a good shot of it, but there a 7 inch split below the head in the handle, it's like a sliver 7 inches long and about 2 thick, not sure how deep into the handle it goes but doesn't seem Like it would take shock well. You can actually kinda see it a bit in the second pic, looks like dark line in the handle.
 
Looks like it'll clean up with wd40 or an oil like substance wicked east. Doesn't look like the nasty red rust.
 
I can't tell if this just a scratch in the metal or a crack it runs from the top the to bottom although it only showed a little in pic
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I would wedge the split in the handle open and rinse it out with acetone, lacquer thinner or what ever kind of solvent you have handy. Let it dry and then fill with a good water proof wood glue and clamp it well. Sounds like the split is long enough to provide a good glue surface.
 
the handle crack runs from the middle of one side, down , and around to the middle of the other side. V shaped with the point of the V being almost dead center of the edge of the handle that is on the cutting edge of the axe.
 
evildeadedd said:
the handle crack runs from the middle of one side, down , and around to the middle of the other side. V shaped with the point of the V being almost dead center of the edge of the handle that is on the cutting edge of the axe.
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The crack runs off the handle?
Like this?
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I repaired this one with one clamp and a strip of old inner tube. Start clamping at the solid end and work toward where it runs off the handle. Be sure you have all surfaces well buttered. I just put my old tire tube under the clamp to start, wrap tight going towards the where it runs off the handle. When I get to the end I just go back the other direction so that I can tie it off with out it coming loose.

If the two surfaces still mate up well and the break is long enough its a surprisingly easy fix.
 
That crack looks worse than the on on mine . I am shocked that handle it still serviceable. Thanks for the tip.
 
While the crack in the handle can be repaired (As garry3 explained), if you have doubts about it rehandle it.
If you decide to go with that, you then can give the head an apple cider vinegar soak. That will show any flaws/cracks in the steel, remove the rust and leave a nice patina on it.
 
I salvaged a DB that was left by the wood pile in a similar fashion at my in law's house. By comparison the head on yours is in pristine condition. So that said yes I think it's worth the effort to bring it back to working condition. That said in my case when I pulled the handle the wood inside the eye was starting to rot from exposure to moisture. I opted to replace the handle and my only regret is not opting for one that was a bit shorter. Something to keep in mind for your axe. I recommend pulling the handle before you commit one way or the other.

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Hacked said:
I salvaged a DB that was left by the wood pile in a similar fashion at my in law's house. By comparison the head on yours is in pristine condition. So that said yes I think it's worth the effort to bring it back to working condition. That said in my case when I pulled the handle the wood inside the eye was starting to rot from exposure to moisture. I opted to replace the handle and my only regret is not opting for one that was a bit shorter. Something to keep in mind for your axe. I recommend pulling the handle before you commit one way or the other.

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Pulling that handle is pretty good advice since its been left out in the weather. Rotted wood inside the eye is a safety concern. It can just give up suddenly and know telling which direction its libel to fly.:thumbup:
 
Yeah the wood in the eye is in bad shape, the wedge in the handle is in 4 different pieces and I can gouge the wood with my fingernail. Not too many safe directions for a double bit to fly.
 
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