Project Hatchet - need help

[MBTull]

I picked up 14" Collins camp axe (hatchet) at our local hardware store today. The hatchet head is painted black. I want to remove the black paint and give it a mustard patina.

What is the best way to remove this back paint?

Thanks!

 

[Mentor]

A decent paint stripper should work, but in the past I have used sandpaper and elbow grease, with great results. Start at 80-100 grit and work your way up. No need to get things too smooth if you are going to use a patina.

Best of luck with it.

- Mike

 

[MBTull]

I will try the sandpaper route. I would like to avoid the chemicals in the paint stripper. I am going for a classic look, so I think I will leave it rough looking.

 

[MBTull]

I went to the Gentleman's Club like Mentor suggested. There were some pretty decent strippers there but none talented enough to take the paint off my hatchet. Maybe I need to go to Toronto?

Anyway, I ended up with an orbital sander and some coarse sandpaper. It did the trick.

My wife is a ceramic artist and knows how to apply various metal based glazes to metal with a propane torch. I will post some photos if you guys promise not to tell her about the stripper.

 

[DWK2]

What stripper? We know nothing of any purported stripper----nothing!

But seriously, it would be cool to see the end result of your wife's work on the axe (and a description of how she glazes it).

DancesWithKnives