RUST in your eye...

B

Brian Rust

Joined
Nov 14, 2017
Messages
762
I have wondered this for a while... I went from not reconditioning my axe heads to using vinegar to using an angle grinder with wire wheel to finally finding my favorite, using a variable speed bench grinder with a brass wire brush. I can make my ax heads look pretty damn good!! But unless you use vinegar you cannot get ALL the rust out of the eye (unless you want to use files/ hand brushes). Is there a real reason to get it all out other than piece of mind? PROs... CONs... ? I have taken heads off original handles before and found rust in the eye... it would just stay in there. This is just something I just been thinking about, thanks for the input in advance!!
 
Leave the rust in the eye so long as you're not leaving any debris. The rust will 'chalk' your haft during fitting - show you exactly where you need to rasp.
 
I have to agree with Square-peg about free chalk. Oxidization (ie rust) of rebar and structural steel in concrete-based buildings, overpasses and bridges has caused huge expense in colder climates due to premature concrete failure. Infused salt in concrete (salt attracts water) causes the embedded steel to rust and the surface layer of rusting steel forcefully expands to destroy (spall away) the concrete surrounding it. These days rebar used for new concrete in salted areas (roads, sidewalks etc) has moisture resistant epoxy coatings. Newly developing surface rust in axe eyes ought to be able to exert enough pressure to compress wood but this would be in the extreme. I generally apply a light misting of WD-40 into an eye just as it's about to meet a new handle. Making sure to soak the head end of the axe in BLO or what-have-you-oil every once in awhile won't hurt either.
 
That the same way I look at it. I was wondering if there would be any experience with issue from this but doesn’t look like it so far!
 
Brian Rust said:
That the same way I look at it. I was wondering if there would be any experience with issue from this but doesn’t look like it so far!
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Clean out the eye as best you can (file, cold chisel, dental pick, coarse sandpaper, wire brush etc) and more important file or grind off all the burrs at either end of the eye that are the result of previous "keeners" beating 'on', 'in' or 'out' previous re-hangs using ordinary hammers. The extent of previous internal deformation and mushrooming, because of intense pounding, is oftentimes deceiving and can really frustrate any attempt to get a 'honeymoon fit' with a new handle.
 
300Six said:
nd more important file or grind off all the burrs at either end of the eye that are the result of previous "keeners" beating 'on', 'in' or 'out' previous re-hangs using ordinary hammers....
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Can't repeat that enough. Half-round files are great for cleaning burrs off the eyes. On a pulaski eye you might even enlist a chainsaw file for the end. Use an old one, the rust dulls files.
 
Square_peg said:
Leave the rust in the eye so long as you're not leaving any debris. The rust will 'chalk' your haft during fitting - show you exactly where you need to rasp.
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i mean thats all i do. poke at the big bits with a screw driver and leave the dust in there
 
SC T100 said:
I have a few cheap round wire brushes I use...like big pipe cleaners. I even clipped the handle off on so I can throw it in a drill. Works well to clean most of the loose red rust out of an eye.
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This is a good idea for heavily rusted eyes. It leaves plenty to mark progress during hanging. The round wire brushes made for cleaning out holes in concrete for epoxying in rebar are perfect for this.
https://www.strongtie.com/miscadhesiveaccessories_adhesiveanchoringaccessories/etb_brush/p/etb
 
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