Hatchet Restoration???

G

Glock17JHP

Joined
Aug 23, 2007
Messages
621
OK, would some of you folks give me advice as to the best way to restore an old, used hatchet? The hatchet would be 100% intact, the head is tight... it just has minor surface rusting...

I would like as many opinons as possible, including sharing of your experiences at this sort of undertaking...

Thanks!!!
 
What kind of project is this?

Just looking to clean up an old hatchet for a daily worker, or are you trying to restore your grandfather's one-off blacksmith-made hatchet?

I've done both, and I proceed somewhat differently in each situation.
 
Well, I guess it would fit more into the daily worker scenario...

Would you mind explaining both ways? I might find one more friendly for me to do...

I have 4 hatchets, pictures can be seen on a different post here about '7 new tools'...

One viewer here wondered if one was a Collins, and after a closer look, it is...
 
I might be able to expand on this later, but for starters...

For a daily worker, nothing special hatchet, I generally clean off surface rust with an orbital sander, 60 grit discs. If the bit is dinged up much, I use a flat file, and running it flat against the cutting bit, I bring the edge back behind the dings. (I know it will feel weird to intentionally dull your hatchet the first time. You will get over it, one you experience the results.) Then I bring down the cheeks (optional, obviously, if the axe has a nice profile, but I always seem to need to bring them down) and put a first edge on with the flat file. Final sharpening is done with a DMT red diamond stone.

Clean up on an heirloom axe is slower, usually involving lots of WD-40 and steel wool. Depending on the head, after edging with the red diamond stone, I might put a shaving sharp edge on it with a barber hone and possibly buff the faces with jewlers rouge or similer.
 
thechuck...

Very interesting... thank you for going into more detail, I appreciate it.
I am definitely a 'newbie' to cleaning-up a hatchet...
 
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