My latest acquisitions (vnt. GBA double bits) *project*

K

killa_concept

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May 19, 2009
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The first is a 3.5lb head, about 9.5" total and with a 5" cutting face.
The second is a 2.5lb head, about 8.25" total and with a 3.75" cutting face.

Right off the bat, I tested them with a file to see if the temper were still there... the file (a nicholson mill bastard) skidded on the edges unless decent pressure were applied. Having two GBs and a wetterlings on hand, I can say that the heat treat is definitely similar (a 56-58 hrc edge).

Without further adieu, pictures! :thumbup:

The two heads:
P1070026.jpg


GB stampings (sadly rather worn out on the 3.5):
P1070027.jpg

P1070028.jpg


Weight stampings:
P1070030.jpg

P1070029.jpg


And the profiles:
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Tested the temper on each with my trusty nicholson:
P1070038.jpg


I think I'll try to take off the rust with a vinegar soak followed by scrubbing. Thankfully the edges are in fairly good condition, so I won't be having to sharpen out large dings... the 3.5lb does have a bit of an uneven profile (you can see that the upper corner/toe on the right side is a bit more intended than it probably should be).

My original plan for handles was to just purchase a couple of replacements from Gransfors Bruks, but thanks to psp7's measurement, I now know that they probably wouldn't fit the 3.5lbs' larger eye. I'll still contact them to make sure, but right now it looks like I'll have to be ordering elsewhere. Luckily I think I've already found a place online thanks to cckw and the owner has been really helpful. Right now, I'm thinking a 28-30" handle for the 2.5lb and a 36" for the 3.5lb.

Anyways, looking forward to a couple of nice projects :thumbup: Hopefully I can still find time now that classes have started up again...
 
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Great looking axes KC and in super nice condition. I'm working on a 3 pound 8 1/4in head (not a GBA) but with a ton of work to do. The edges are both a mess, looks like they were choppng rocks. Thanks for posting the pics.

Regards

Robin
 
Yeah - I definitely lucked out on the condition of the axe heads. I'll still definitely need to do a good bit of shaping and sharpening, but at least there were no big chunks missing from the edge.

I decided to work on the 3.5lb first and started off by trying to clean it up a bit. I didn't quite have enough vinegar to totally submerge it, so I went ahead and used mustard instead. After letting the mustard do it's thing, I scrubbed the head up with dish soap and a scouring pad. Rinse and repeat with another layer of mustard.

At this point, the hamon line really popped so I decided to take a couple of shots:
P1070040.jpg

P1070044.jpg
 
Great looking heads they are cleaning up real nice....More pics when done !!!
 
killa, beautiful finds:). Any idea when they were made? Did ya get a fair deal? That should be a very rewarding project. I suppose if you wanted you could get the GB Hickory handles and trim~customize to your dimensions if of course the handles are too thick. Keep us posted.
 
psp7 said:
killa, beautiful finds:). Any idea when they were made? Did ya get a fair deal? That should be a very rewarding project. I suppose if you wanted you could get the GB Hickory handles and trim~customize to your dimensions if of course the handles are too thick. Keep us posted.
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All I know is that they're pre-1985 since they're not stamped with the maker's initials. The 3.5lb had traces of blue paint inside the eye, which was a similar color to the axe that GB's CEO start's talking about maybe 1/3rd of the way through this video. The 2.5lb seems older just from appearance and has no traces of paint. Truth be told, I don't really care about the age - I just know that they're vintage GBs, of pretty nice quality/temper and in good condition. They'll be users once they get fixed up :thumbup:

As for whether it was a fair deal, I got them through an undisclosed bidding site :jerkit: which means I was willing to pay more for them than the next person. I still think I got a great deal though, considering the cost difference between these and a new GB double bit.

And yeah - sadly, the 3.5lb's eye dimensions are larger than GB's double bit handles, so it's a no-go. I could just pick one up for the 2.5, but I figure it's all or nothing... luckily, the online dealer I contacted is going to hand-pick some handles for me (getting a 36" for the 3.5lb, a 28-32" for the 2.5lb as well as a 14" for the hatchet I'm working on for my grandfather :thumbup:)
 
Alright, so the 3.5lb head looked pretty decent in the above pictures, but the edges actually had minor depressions making for a wavy, and not very consistent, curvature. I trued up the edges by filing along them, which of course means a flattened edge that needs resharpening.

Trued up:
P1070050.jpg

But a very flat, dulled edge:
P1070051.jpg


And since there's going to be a lot of metal that's going to need removing, I'm opting for a method that I tend to use in lieu of a grinder/belt sander: my dremel + a grinding wheel (after which I use a file then a mousepad + various grits of sandpaper to create a keen edge). I know everyone is going to berate me for potentially ruining the temper and grinding along the edge instead of towards it, but the head is constantly cool: I only do one quick pass with very light pressure before adding water so the metal never has no chance to heat up. The tools that I've re-profiled in this way have never had temper problems so I've decided that it's perfectly fine method of re-profiling / doing massive initial sharpening.
P1070049.jpg
 
I'm fine with your method, although would prefer to see a flapper sandpaper wheel instead of a stone. You're clearly more then capable of doing a good job with the stone though. It will be all good in the end.
 
way cool axeheads!

i too have a 2&1/2'er very very similar to yours. I found it in the local woods here, all rusty with almost no handle left. The logo was not visible until i slowly celaned the rust off, even then its hard to see. Sent GB the pictures and they dated it early 20's.

gonna make a belt axe out of it, 14" handle.
 
Bushman5 said:
way cool axeheads!

i too have a 2&1/2'er very very similar to yours. I found it in the local woods here, all rusty with almost no handle left. The logo was not visible until i slowly celaned the rust off, even then its hard to see. Sent GB the pictures and they dated it early 20's.

gonna make a belt axe out of it, 14" handle.
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Wow - nice. So wait, are you saying it turned out to be a GB? Now that's lucky... perhaps I should contact them as well as I'm a tad curious about the age on these.
Also, a 14" handle for a 2.5lb head? I'd think that would be a tad weighty for that length, no? I figured a 28-30" was about the max I wanted for the 2.5lb, but I might cut it down further, but certainly no less than 22"

rg598 said:
I hate you; you lucky sob! :)

They look great.
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Goodness - I feel like I should put down a disclaimer just for you then: Ross, you should totally not scroll down further :p

.

.

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Alright, so now that Ross is gone, here's the fruits of my labours. I put off food and sleep on a couple of occasions and my forearms feel like jelly, but I'm quite pleased with the results. Oh, and I also only used the dremel for the more obtuse edge - the re-profiling of the more acute edge was done entirely by filing as that side was started around midnight and the other residents of this household might not have appreciated the noise :o

Final product. After the re-profiling with the dremel and file, I sharpened the edges with 100 then 220 grit sandpaper on a piece of mousepad. After that, it was given a forced patina with more mustard then scrubbed and sharpened further (400, 800, 1000, 1500, and 2000 then stropping on .3micron chrom oxide loaded leather). Necessary? Heck no. Pretty? You be the judge:
P1070067.jpg


Obtuse edge:
P1070054.jpg

P1070061.jpg


Acute edge:
P1070057.jpg

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My lady friend is pretty cool with my affinity for sharp things, but not so much with my looking like I have mange, so shaving a small patch of hair every time I sharpen something has become a no-no. Instead, here's maths!
P1070064.jpg

P1070066.jpg
 
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Dusty One said:
That head is looking mighty fine.....Nice work !
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Thanks mate!

Yeah - I think the 3.5lb is done for now - not too sure what else I can do with it until I have a handle on the thing.

My concern right now is that I'm not 100% sure I got my edge geometries right... but I guess I can't really test that until I get it out for some chopping. I based the profile mostly around my GB Scandi as I know how that thing chops with its given geometry. I made the obtuse edge a wee bit steeper than the Scandi, but not by much (I want it to be tougher for working with harder wood, limbing and maybe working near the ground, but I'm not planning on deliberately smashing it into knots or grubbing with it). As for the more acute edge, I made it a decent bit keener than the Scandi and really narrowed the cheek out so it should bite very deep - wondering if it will have sticking issues though.

Whatcha guys think about the geometries? I'll probably start on the 2.5lb head in couple days, but I thought I'd get some opinions on this first before moving on...
 
Wow! If they ever start producing the smaller ones I'm first in line!
Great work on those edges. :)
 
Iboschi said:
Where did you get those vintage GB heads at?
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As to not violate the rules, I'll just say an undisclosed bidding site ;)

Liam Ryan said:
Wow! If they ever start producing the smaller ones I'm first in line!
Great work on those edges. :)
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Thanks and yeah - though I'll probably still get the current double bit GB axe at some point down the line, I definitely prefer the shape on these to the more bearded / Norse shape of the current models.
 
These are sweet! I am surprised how nicely that cleaned up. Looks great. It'll (almost) be a shame to go out and get it all dirtied up with pitch and wood resin....
 
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