Help Me With My First Axe Restoration!

S

Squashfan

Joined
Jun 6, 2012
Messages
1,670
I found this old axe in a friends basement. I asked if I could try my hand at restoring it, and his mom said yes.

There was no wedge. The head was held on by screws!!! I have gone ahead and removed the screws, as well as the head. There are no markings that I can discern.
One of my neighbors said I might be able to save the old handle, but after removing the head I am not sure about it. The part of the haft that was in the eye looks to be badly rotted but the rest of the handle is still in good shape. (Sorry no pics of the full handle) The pictures do exaggerate the color of rust on the handle.

Right Side
oldaxeheadandhaft010.jpg


Left Side
oldaxeheadandhaft011.jpg


The Screwy Wedge
oldaxeheadandhaft009.jpg


Head (again I cannot discern anything on the head)
oldaxeheadandhaft004.jpg


Other side of head
oldaxeheadandhaft003.jpg


Eye shot
oldaxeheadandhaft007.jpg


Another Eye shot
oldaxeheadandhaft006.jpg


Third eye shot
oldaxeheadandhaft005.jpg


The poll
oldaxeheadandhaft008.jpg



The plan for cleaning the head a bath of warm soap water, followed by a scrubbing with 0000 steel wool. Anything else I should do?

Thanks for looking,
Squashfan
 
nice Jersey!
I'd skip the soap & water and go straight for the steel wool scrubbing.
You may need to go coarser than 0000. Scrub it 'til you're happy. You may want to try a wire brush or a wire wheel on an electric drill. Wear a mask, rust dust is lousy on the lungs. You might find some markings when you get the crud off.
 
I would start with a vinegar bath for a day or two then A wire brush or steel wool and the haft looks pretty bad maybe time for a new one ax looks like it would be a good faller if you have lots of soft wood to cut
 
That handle looks good, the discoloration is most likely rust.
Maybe other more experienced guys will have a better idea, but I would re use it, I have used worse myself.
 
1. Promptly throw away the haft.
2. Then try using an angle grinder with a wire wheel.
3. After that clean up the edges of the poll just a little bit with a belt grinder and re - haft.
4. Chop wood and enjoy.
 
Another vote for the wire wheel. They do the best job, IMO. They get the rust while leaving the natural patina. Makes for a good look.

I think that handle could be re-used. Give it a couple coats of boiled linseed oil. Then set the head down as far onto the shoulders of the haft as you can. Looks like you can get about a 1/2-inch lower on the haft. Splooge up both the eye of the axe and the haft with construction adhesive just before assembly. Then wedge it good with a wood wedge. The construction adhesive will fill any voids and squeeze out in numerous places. Let ti cure over night and you're good to go.
 
I disagree that you should throw the handle away. I think Pegs has it right, seat the head down further on the axe. It's worth a try.

Wire wheel makes for a great look. I'm one of the converted.

My best guess is that this is a 1970s Kelly Woodslasher jersey axe.
 
+1 for the wire wheel

+1 for keeping the handle. I've used worse and not regretted it.
 
Square_peg said:
I think that handle could be re-used.
Click to expand...

I'll expand on that a little. If the existing handle is in otherwise sound condition and you like the shape then I would try to re-use it. Often I find that vintage handles have slimmed profiles and bigger better-shaped swells than many new handles. I hate to lose such a handle if it can be avoided.

On the other hand if I don't like the shape of an existing handle then I won't make the effort to save it.
 
Hard to say on that handle without getting my hands on it - here is what I would attempt -

I would get that head cleaned up - lots of different ways to go about it - none really wrong - check the forums as we said.

Now that handle - concerns for me are the cracks running down the haft in the eye section - this could potentially break clean off - not likely, but could.

So, is this going to be a working axe, or a display piece? If it is a working piece and you are going to use that handle, I would make sure you have a good fitting wedge, as in deep and will push the full expansion in the head. Linseed oil can and will help with this - not only with the wedge but also with the handle if needed. That handle could probably be used, but please take a look at those cracks and if they seem like they pose a problem dont use it. Get a new one.
 
Get you a wire brush wheel and put it on a drill or angle grinder and take that rust off, with just the wire brush it will leave a nice patina on it and it will look really pretty, I'd say there is a good chance that you will be able to make out markings on it after a wire brush

The vinegar bath will remove the rust, that is what I use the first time, but I like the finish the wire brush leaves better (patina).

Good luck with the restore

Oh, that might be a Kelly axe with those ribs in the eyes.
 
Ok! Thanks for all the great info!

I am in the middle of holiday craziness, so I won't be getting any work done for a week or two. But I thought if I start learning now it would help when I have the time to work. I don't think that the handle is very old. I may try to get a picture of it after the holiday craziness dies down.

Squashfan
 
cooperhill said:
I disagree that you should throw the handle away. I think Pegs has it right, seat the head down further on the axe. It's worth a try.

Wire wheel makes for a great look. I'm one of the converted.

My best guess is that this is a 1970s Kelly Woodslasher jersey axe.
Click to expand...

Cooperhill, the 70s Kellys had the ridges in the eye? I thought I had seen Collins with them but I might be confused(getting old):o. Are the ridges Kelly's ownly? Other manufactures?
 
Kelly did have ridges in the eye, commonly seen in the woodslasher line as Coop said. Other lines mentioned to have these ridges as well were Vaughan, and the others I can't remember. I have an old early 1900s James H Mann that has ridges in the eye as well.....
 
Very good to know. I have learned alot from you guys in the short time I have been here.
Thank you for shareing your knowlege.
 
Operator1975 said:
Kelly did have ridges in the eye, commonly seen in the woodslasher line as Coop said. Other lines mentioned to have these ridges as well were Vaughan, and the others I can't remember. I have an old early 1900s James H Mann that has ridges in the eye as well.....
Click to expand...

I've got a True Temper tommy axe, 2.25lb TT Flint edge, and TT felling axe, all with ridges. I had hoped ridges were so uncommon that they might help identify no name axes but that doesn't seem to be the case.
 
cooperhill said:
My best guess is that this is a 1970s Kelly Woodslasher jersey axe.
Click to expand...

I second this, due to the red paint remnants on the underside of the head near the lugs. It maybe a paper label Woodslasher. Anyone know when they switched from stampings to paper labels? Hell, you might just find the Woodslasher mark under all that rust once you begin cleaning it up.

I've got a jersey 'slasher myself, one of my favorites.
 
Seems like most of those woodslashers had really thin profiles, right? Or am I thinking of something else..
 
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