Cleaning an axe head with a wire wheel

M

Muaddib1116

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Dec 26, 2010
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I decided to try to clean one of my slightly rusty, heavily patina'd axe heads with a new wire wheel on my 8 inch bench grinder, and I think I ended up making the axe worse. I cleaned off the cheeks on both sides of the axe, and when I took a look afterwards, there's all these small gauges in the metal. I didn't think the wire wheel would be able to do that, but now I'm sort of bummed. I've read about some people here using a wire wheel to clean off some rust with success. Where did I go wrong?it

And does anyone have any ideas of how to fix it?
 
I can degrade the surface finish on metal if I really bear down on a wire wheel. It may be better to start with a lighter touch. It is always easier to take away material, than to replace it.
Pictures might help if you got them.
 
Yeah, I think I made a couple mistakes, since I'm a novice at using a wire wheel. From doing some post-mistake research, I bought a fairly coarse steel wire wheel and I did bear down on it quite a bit. I probably should have gotten a fine steel wheel or a brass wheel and been more patient. I think I will probably "fix" it by sanding the cheeks and giving it a satin-polished finish and leave patina on the rest of the head. Lesson learned, I guess.
 
Also a new wheel is sharp on the wire ends & will scrape alot more agressive than an older used wheel.
 
Rather than a wire wheel on a bench grinder try a wire cup brush on a 4-1/2" angle grinder. For a heavily pitted axe use a knotted steel wire brush. For nicer axes use a brass wire cup brush. Never use a crimped steel wire brush as they tend to throw wires most easily.

With any wire wheel or cup take your time. Don't bear down hard on the wheel or cup. Let the wires do their work.

AND BE SURE TO WEAR EYE, EAR AND RESPIRATORY PROTECTION whenever you're using a wire wheel or cup brush.
 
I'd go one further and say wear good hand protection and make sure to cover all exposed skin with something thicker than light cotton. I've had lose wires go through coveralls and poke clean through the jeans underneath. Wire wheels can also buck like nobodies business if you catch an edge wrong.
 
Canadian Mojo said:
I'd go one further and say wear good hand protection and make sure to cover all exposed skin with something thicker than light cotton. I've had lose wires go through coveralls and poke clean through the jeans underneath. Wire wheels can also buck like nobodies business if you catch an edge wrong.
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A shop teacher once said "No loose 'danglies' allowed" = an angle grinder with eat up a sweatshirt cord or loose T-shirt faster than you can release the trigger.

I know the last one first hand.
 
I think it would be very educational for every one to post pictures of what they use so that there is nothing lost in translation for those just starting out. Just my thoughts I'll post a pic tomorrow.
Rick
 
Agent_H said:
A shop teacher once said "No loose 'danglies' allowed" = an angle grinder with eat up a sweatshirt cord or loose T-shirt faster than you can release the trigger.

I know the last one first hand.
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+1
My first time using a cup brush it bucked off the edge and wrapped my tshirt in a ball before I could release the trigger.
 
2 years ago my dad brought home a bag full of lighters they were throwing away at work , I was working on something in the garage at the time so I set them on the work bench. Well I forgot they were there and when I turned on my bench grinder the wire wheel caught the bag sending them flying and every single one of those lighters exploded. It really scared the crap out of me, and I learned a good lesson that day.
Not only do you have to watch what your wearing, you also want to make sure your wire wheel won't be catching anything on your work bench.
 
You can also get wire wheels in a softer less aggressive brass....probably great for surface rust.

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You got to respect a wire wheel on a bench grinder. The worst beating I ever took was from one. I was buffing the paint of an old chainsaw recoil starter that I was restoring. I wasn't thinking when I let the wheel grab the rubber starter handle the starter rope was tied to. It pulled the rope out and jerked it out of my hands and the metal recoil starter was whipped around at the end of two feet of rope. It beat me up bad before I could get away. The rope finally broke and thank God it didn't hit me when it let go. It would have probably killed me if it hit me in the head. I had bruised ribs, a gash on my forehead and my belly was black and blue for a week and a dislocated index finger. Even buffing an axe or hatchet head Be Careful Using Them. They Will Bite You!!! Never did finish that restore job.
 
Canadian Mojo said:
I'd go one further and say wear good hand protection and make sure to cover all exposed skin with something thicker than light cotton. I've had lose wires go through coveralls and poke clean through the jeans underneath. Wire wheels can also buck like nobodies business if you catch an edge wrong.
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Good advise. However, if you use the proper cup brush, either brass or knotted steel and never crimped steel and you use proper technique you will almost never experience a wire striking you. I haven't been hit by a wire for several years.

About proper technique, this starts with always using the auxilliary handle on your angle grinder - two hands all the time! NEVER BEAR DOWN HARD ON THE CUP! Then you should engage the part of the cup that lies at 9:00 to 10:00 (assuming you are at 6:00 and 12:00 is straight away from you) against the area to be cleaned. Let the cup run off the far edge of the surface or run on the top of the surface but never allow the cup to contact the near edge as this will kick the tool back at you. Also, allowing the 3:00 side of the cup to contact the work surface will throw the tool back at you.

Angle grinders run clockwise. The 9:00 side is moving away from you and the debris goes that direction. If you can work outside and position that direction downwind so much the better. A great portable cleaning/sharpening station can be made with an old Black & Decker Work Mate and a 4" bench vise. I have station like this and have assembled two other such stations for friends.
 
Canadian Mojo said:
I'd go one further and say wear good hand protection and make sure to cover all exposed skin with something thicker than light cotton. I've had lose wires go through coveralls and poke clean through the jeans underneath.
Click to expand...

I may still have some scars to prove this is sound advice.
 
Moonw said:
I may still have some scars to prove this is sound advice.
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If you'd been wearing gloves you would probably be missing digits.

What I learned in the first shop I worked for is no gloves near wire wheels. If you bump your finger into a running wheel you pull back without even thinking. If there is a glove in the way it takes a conscious action and your hand is wrapped into that wheel before you can think about it.

I've no direct experience with this - I've always followed what seemed to be sound advice.
 
Square_peg said:
A great portable cleaning/sharpening station can be made with an old Black & Decker Work Mate and a 4" bench vise. I have station like this and have assembled two other such stations for friends.
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Here's those work stations. Mine is up front and you can see part of another I put together on the far right. These old steel Workmates are pretty handy. Even older ones has cast aluminum frames. I've since upgraded to one of those.

WorkMate%20Vise%20Stations.jpg


Very handy when you have a lot of tools to clean and sharpen.

3.jpg
 
Holy crap that is sweet ! ^ I can see how you would get tired of that. I remember you sayin about the Pulaski's once.
 
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