Off Topic Rusting a cheap harbor freight hatchet to age it ( update )

Kevin Houtzager said:
Quickest way is using electrolysis, but the results are unpredictable. Most forms of pitting on axes come from the steel itself. Most modern axes won't pit that much, since its mainly homogenous steel. The older axes usually aren't that homogenous so work better with it.
Click to expand...
No big deal if it doesn't pit much, I just want it to rust up real good so I'm left with a nice patina after I take a wire wheel to it.
Btw leaving it out on the wet ground is working pretty well and the rust is coming along nicely.
 
I went and checked it ( sorry no pics ) and it was pretty rusty all over.
There was also that greenish black corrosion from the salt which I thought might make it look weird so I wire wheeled it all off so it'll be just red rust from now on.
The steel is already nice and dark and there's actually some very light fine pitting which I didn't think I would get.
The scarring I did to the head looks a little too " on purpose " so I'm going to try and let it pit up as much as it takes to kind of hide my handy work a bit.

The salt ended up getting washed off when the head ended up completely submerged ( the neighbors are really water wasteful ) so I just moved it and it seems that just water did way more than the salt water did.
 
Went from "Strange" to weird. Just like that.

There are loads of common chemicals you can use to speed up the process. Like overnight speed up.
Chlorine, Muriatic acid, Sodium hydroxide, Copper sulphate... They all leave their own unique patina.
Any one of them are turbo charged with Hydrogen Peroxide

All readily available. Google any of them, and you'll find the household names. (pool shock, drain opener, root kill, soap lye) No more than 10 bucks, and enough product to dissolve a Nissan.

Oh yeah... Maybe change the name of your thread to reflect what it is about?
 
Zombie411 said:
Went from "Strange" to weird. Just like that.

There are loads of common chemicals you can use to speed up the process. Like overnight speed up.
Chlorine, Muriatic acid, Sodium hydroxide, Copper sulphate... They all leave their own unique patina.
Any one of them are turbo charged with Hydrogen Peroxide

All readily available. Google any of them, and you'll find the household names. (pool shock, drain opener, root kill, soap lye) No more than 10 bucks, and enough product to dissolve a Nissan.

Oh yeah... Maybe change the name of your thread to reflect what it is about?
Click to expand...
Editing the title is a good idea.
 
Last edited:
Well here it is so far after a few hours of misting it with a spray bottle of water every once in a while.
 
Zombie411 said:
Liking it already sir.
The guy that sells rust remover is cringing tho...
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, the evaporust company would think I'm crazy :D
Then again we have something in common because l don't like rust, I'm after what's found underneath the rust so I'll be removing it at some point.
 
Yeah, "reverse electrolysis" will do what you want in a hurry. Just switch the anode and catode. Good idea, Kevin.

Nut you seem to do just fine, anyway. Just give it more time.
 
stevewest said:
Bury it in the pot and go out and pee on it before you go to bed every night.
Click to expand...
Copper roof installers do that, sort of. Nowadays they officially dip the sheets in a tall drum of horse pee (so I'm told) to accelerate the aging and ultimate 'greening' of an installation. I'm told this was first discovered 100s of years ago when someone noticed that flashings and roofs 'greened' much faster at valleys, blind corners and around chimneys then anywhere else. It was no real surprise to discover that roofers on high can't be bothered to climb all the way down to the ground just to have a tinkle!
 
300Six said:
Copper roof installers do that, sort of. Nowadays they officially dip the sheets in a tall drum of horse pee (so I'm told) to accelerate the aging and ultimate 'greening' of an installation. I'm told this was first discovered 100s of years ago when someone noticed that flashings and roofs 'greened' much faster at valleys, blind corners and around chimneys then anywhere else. It was no real surprise to discover that roofers on high can't be bothered to climb all the way down to the ground just to have a tinkle!
Click to expand...
Lol.;)
 
300Six said:
Copper roof installers do that, sort of. Nowadays they officially dip the sheets in a tall drum of horse pee (so I'm told) to accelerate the aging and ultimate 'greening' of an installation. I'm told this was first discovered 100s of years ago when someone noticed that flashings and roofs 'greened' much faster at valleys, blind corners and around chimneys then anywhere else. It was no real surprise to discover that roofers on high can't be bothered to climb all the way down to the ground just to have a tinkle!
Click to expand...
I used to do bronze castings and this was a great way to patina
 
Well If you can believe it, I actually lost the hatchet head.

The neighbors flood their backyard everyday which also floods an area of ours, and now it's lost in the water somewhere ( don't remember the exact spot I left it ) and I can't get over there and locate it without getting all muddy.
I guess it'll probably be good and rusty by the time I find it :D
 
Well it was dried up enough this morning that I was able to locate it, so I put a steak next to it so I know where it is.
They've been flooding their backyard so much that there were 2 large gray duck in their back yesterday, I've never seen or heard them there before so I'm assuming they just kinda showed up due to the water.
I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it myself, but there they were. Maybe I'll see them again, but I kind of doubt they'd have 2 large ducks, a Chihuahua , and a white bunny in their backyard.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top