Help- Trying to Restore!

Joined
Dec 10, 2015
Messages
37
Hey all,
I am a young teenager but i have been trying to get into more restoring and metal work. I just finished my first knife from an old scythe blade and deer antler. IM still working on getting the stuff together to build my forge but right now i have been working on a project that i need some answers to. i got a very very old axe that i found in a corner of a barn nobody had been in for a really long time. I got it for free and immediately started to work on it. The original owner for some reason decided to use just flat metal chunks instead of actual wedges so they rusted into the insides of the eye. i had to use a jigsaw, a hacksaw, and an awl to get it out. took forever. then i gave it a vinegar bath for a while and now its all cleaned up. Now im wondering how to sharpen it. Should both sides be the same or should one side be blunt and the other very sharp for more refined work? Is there a special way to hang it? I cleaned it up as much as i could and i found out that it is an old Plumb 3 lb and 8 oz i think.
Thank you
 
If it's an ordinary axe the blade should be symmetrical. Broad axes, and the like, will be bevelled only one side but you'll also notice the entire axe head is mostly flat on the other. Look at as many already-hung axes as you can to try to get a feel for how you want to do yours. Sites such as House Handle and Tennessee Hickory Products make and sell handles. The size of the eye (length & width) will help you to determine what handles are most suitable. Plumbs that say 3 2 on them tend to be 3 1/2 lb and will want a handle somewhere in the 28 to 32" range.

Type in 'sharpening an axe' into the search feature on this forum and perhaps in Google as well. Working with a set of hand files is your best bet since power grinders are fast and take off enough stock to make a real mess if you've never done this before.
 
I am sorry, but i forgot to mention that it is a double bit. My bad. i saw a video by wranglerstar and he sharpened the bits different. One thick for heavy cutting and one very sharp. However, i havent seen this other places. On another note, i have heard that railroad spikes are bad for knives and the like. is this true?
 
The reason for the blunt bit is for knots and cutting close to dirt. If you are doing only chopping in clean wood you could sharpen both sides equal.
 
Ok thanks. I want it a versatile as possible so i will probably go with that. Is there a particular oil that can be sued for maintenance?
 
I use three in one oil (can be purchased right at Walmart) and have had great success. Some axe heads I also wax, if I know they won't be used for food prep etc. Usually turtle wax.
 
I use three in one oil (can be purchased right at Walmart) and have had great success. Some axe heads I also wax, if I know they won't be used for food prep etc. Usually turtle wax.

Whoo! We're talking effort here. Misting shovels/rakes/axes/saws with WD-40 (via spray bottle or aerosol can) is pretty darn quick and does exactly what it's supposed to; keep away rust while those tools are hibernating (overwintering) in an unheated basement, garage or shed.
 
I use three in one oil (can be purchased right at Walmart) and have had great success. Some axe heads I also wax, if I know they won't be used for food prep etc. Usually turtle wax.

Ha! I use axes for food prep too. They are particularly Handy at hog killin's..
 
Plain BLO will do fine. A mix of beeswax, BLO and turps will do better. And for fast and easy great protection there's Boeshield.
 
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