Picked up my first Flea Market find! Advice for Restoring it?

R

Repliqwtl

Joined
Nov 29, 2012
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I started reading this forum quite recently, but it really re-ignited my passion for Axes. I used plenty growing up, camping and splitting wood at the cottage, but I'm finally ready to start owning my own. I am most likely going to be picking up a Gransfors Bruks for canoe camping and backpacking, likely a Small Forest Axe, but this forum has really gotten me interested in the lost axe traditions of North America. So, I began checking out the only Flea Market I know about in my area to see what they had.

Over all, not the best selection around, but one stall had a small selection of old axes in pretty rough condition. None of the heads were stamped, but I decided to pick this one up anyway, mostly due to the absolutely gorgeous handle. It is in remarkably good condition, and just feels amazing to hold!

The handle is right around 28", and the overall weight is about 3lbs 6oz.
OXrSw.jpg


Considering that the eye looks like This, the head is actually quite firmly held in place. No wiggle at all.
IKtdc.jpg


Overall, I think the head looks pretty good. A bit of mushrooming around the poll, but the bit looks pretty good, and the shape is nice:
lUmX3.jpg

jI9OA.jpg

iWMsI.jpg


Even though I am uncertain of the axe head's quality, I really wanted the handle anyway. I also thought that, given that I've never restored an axe, it wouldn't be too bad to start off on one that I won't cry over if I mess it up.

I was hoping that the extremely knowledgeable residents on this forum could give me some tips on how best to go about restoring it. I don't have much access to power tools, but I could probably get my hands on a drill if I need to. Do you think I should remove the head to clean it up? Is the handle salvageable for this head? (If not, I'll probably trim it down for a lighter head) Overall impressions of the axe and next steps to take?

Thank you very much for any help you can offer!
 
i like to clean up the metal using a wirewheel on the bench grinder, a 4-1/2" grinder with a wire-cup will work too. leaves the patina intact under the surface rust..
oil the handle with Linseed oil

go for it.

buzz
 
Thanks for the advice! I was thinking that a wirewheel would be the best option, but I've never used one and have a distinct lack of power tools. I'm sure I could rent what I need though. Are there any good videos online demonstrating how to go about using them though?

One of my biggest concerns is the eye and the haft's connection to the head. Like I said, it feels quite solid, but looks very decrepit. I'm not sure whether the head should be removed, or if I can simply add some wedge material in (and possibly give it a good soak in oil). Any thoughts?

I also wanted to sand down the handle to clean up some crap on it before oiling it. What would be a good grit sandpaper to start at and what progression should I use before oiling it?
 
Remove the handle by taking out the wedge (if there are steel wedges and the wooden one is not glued) and sink the axe into some rust remover.
If the handle is in a good condition (which you can judge after removing the axe head) i'd simply attach the axe like an inch below. It won't look that fancy but it'll work just fine.
Clean the handle with some 120 grit sandpaper. And then put a layer or two of linseed oil on it.
 
If you have a drill, you can get a wire cup that will work in the chuck. YOu can use that to go after that surface rust. And who knows what brand you might find under that surface rust and dirt! I've found some pleasant surprises after I've cleaned up some heads.
 
Repliqwtl said:
The handle is right around 28", and the overall weight is about 3lbs 6oz.
OXrSw.jpg


Considering that the eye looks like This, the head is actually quite firmly held in place. No wiggle at all.
IKtdc.jpg
Click to expand...

You have a boys axe there. And you're right that it's in fairly decent shape. It has good geometry, a square shape and convexed cheeks. It'll be a great user. It's likely a better axe than you or most here know.

Repliqwtl said:
One of my biggest concerns is the eye and the haft's connection to the head. Like I said, it feels quite solid, but looks very decrepit. I'm not sure whether the head should be removed, or if I can simply add some wedge material in (and possibly give it a good soak in oil). Any thoughts?

I also wanted to sand down the handle to clean up some crap on it before oiling it. What would be a good grit sandpaper to start at and what progression should I use before oiling it?
Click to expand...


That handle is definitely salvageable but you need to re-hang it. First thing you need to do is extract the wedge. For this you need a utility knife, a fine tooth saw and a pair of pliers. Shave away a little bit of the handle below the axe head so that the head can be lowered about 3/8 of an inch. You've got about 3/4" left before the head gets down to the shoulder anyway. Then with the handle protruding out the top of the axe carefully cut away the sides of the handle while leaving the wedge intact. Then you can pull out the wedge with the pliers and remove the handle from the head.

Sand the handle down to 100 grit. Give it multiple coats of BLO - those old handles really drink it up. The first coats can be heavy coats applied with a brush. Successive coats can be applied with a rag or paper towel.

You'll need a file to clean up that poll. Use file and stone to sharpen the edge. It needs sharpening but the edge doesn't look abused.

Overall it's great find. Have fun with it.
 
Square_peg said:
Shave away a little bit of the handle below the axe head so that the head can be lowered about 3/8 of an inch. You've got about 3/4" left before the head gets down to the shoulder anyway. Then with the handle protruding out the top of the axe carefully cut away the sides of the handle while leaving the wedge intact. Then you can pull out the wedge with the pliers and remove the handle from the head.
Click to expand...
That's a neat trick for wedge-pulling. I'll add it to my repertoire.
 
wish I could find a Boys Axe. Glad you commented, Peg. With the overall weight he gave us, I was thinking that perhaps it might be, but don't have the knowledge or experience to make the call.

I think here in the south, we don't have the wide variety of quality axes that are found farther north. I guess that's the reason I can't locate a boys axe down here, I think.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone! Square_Peg, I'll definitely take your advice and get the head off. I was pretty happy when I found it, and it is really good to hear that I wasn't wrong to pick it up. I'll be working on it this week, so once I have some results I will make sure to post them up!

As a final question, at this point: I'm still wondering whether I should clean the rust off with a wire-wheel or with a vinegar bath. I'm leaning towards the wheel, since it seems as though people favour it on this forum, but my only question with that is how I would clean the rust out of the eye in that case? Any advice on that point?
 
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I've not tried the technique that makes the head look all shiny and new (wire wheel, from what I'm told). I've used vinegar, which removed the rust but left a distinctive patina. I've used a brass wire cup on a drill head that had cleaned the rust off but left the brown patina behind. I'm looking forward to using the wire wheel to bring back the ultra shiny look on a head.
 
IT depends on the thickness of the wires in the wheel. If they're thick and hard they'll scrape everything to the pure steel.
But if u want to have a mirror finish ... id recommend using different grit of scotch-brite abrasive wheels after the wire brush.
And just for the end some polishing/buffing wheel with abrasive paste.
 
I am definitely going to be trying a wire cup brush on a drill. It's my first experiment with it, so I will definitely let you all know how it goes. One of my friends is generously lending me a drill this weekend, but I still have to work on getting the head off the haft.

I am just wondering what I should do about rust inside the eye of the head. Is it important that I remove it, and how should I go about it? I can't well imagine getting the drill's brush head inside there...
 
OSe a small wire brush or a pipe brush (a brush used to clean the inside of pipes, im not sure bout the name in english).
 
M3mphis said:
Looks like you might be able to jam a flat head screwdriver in the kerf and pry that wedge out.
Click to expand...

I gave that a shot, but it is really stuck in there, I think due to the amount of rusting. I did manage to drop the head about that 3/4 of an inch though, and I'll try to saw the wood from around it and pry it out with some pliers. I'm working on it! :)

I'm curious what people think would be a good saw to use to cut the wood flush with the head? I was thinking that a hacksaw might be best, since it has such a thin blade, but I am undecided.
 
Thought I'd update with my efforts today. I managed to drop the axe head, as I said, and I sawed off the wood to expose the metal wedge, but it is in there really Really tight! To the point where it is hard to tell where the edge starts and the wood ends along most of it.

Here are some photos of the exposed wedge:
u8uUB.jpg

0aTzh.jpg

yEDWT.jpg


I have tried to pry it out with some heavy pliers, but it is Really set into its place.

The upshot is that dropping the head actually removed the miniscule quantity of wiggle that it had had before. Given how difficult it is to extract the wedge, I'm thinking of simply driving it further in, possibly adding some wedging material in front of it to push the wood there further out into the eye, and just leaving the head on there as is. I'm honestly not sure if that is wise, but I am really very impressed by how firmly attached everything is right now. It's as if the wood and wedge were welded together...

Otherwise, I feel like I would have to either carve it out, drill a bunch of wood out from the handle (meaning that I might not be able to recover it), or drop the head lower and lower until I expose enough of the wedge to get it out (which seems to share a similar problem).

Am I crazy to want to just leave it in there?
 
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