What are your preferred methods to restore an axe head?

J

Jlemay18

Joined
Oct 16, 2016
Messages
178
It seems that everyone has their preferred methods of restoration, just curious as to what everyone's is. Some people swear against using power tools, some don't mind, some use vinegar, some don't like how it changes the color, some use electrolysis etc. Just thought I'd start a conversation about it and see if there are any methods I've yet to hear of. Personally I usually just use sandpaper and finishing pads for the lightly rusted and vinegar for the heavier. I've typically stayed away from power tools as i heard a lot that it was basically sacrilege when I was just starting out and I didn't want to ruin the temper. But now that I'm more experienced and don't want to spend ridiculous amounts of time hand sanding if I didn't have to. I bought a few cheaper heads to practice on so I don't ruin any of the nice ones I have. I've been practicing with a sand paper flap wheel on my angle grinder as well as a wire wheel attachment for my drill.
 
I've used a wire wheel on a bench grinder and the same on a die grinder with a light WD-40 spray first to remove the surface rust on a few things...doesn't seem overly aggressive at all or leave any scratches if done lightly...I was worried about the makers mark on a couple of items and all it did was enhance it to my eye.Like I say I'm just doing it lightly and not pressing hard.
 
I wire the heck out of the heads (outside) with either a cup brush on an angle grinder or on an 8" wire wheel on a bench grinder. Rust is obliterated (and air born, I recommend a respirator if you do more than a few like me) and patina is maintained. I did vinegar in the beginning, but I promise you that if you try both methods you will never return to vinegar. Flap wheels are way too aggressive if you value patina and details.
 
I start with the lightest method needed. Some axes and other tools only need a little hand work with 0000 steel wool. Most of the ones I find I use a wire wheel on a grinder. If there are stubborn patches of rust sometimes I sand with 200 grit paper by hand but never go through the patina to make it shiny. I prefer a dark patina. I dip the head in water first to lessen airborn particles. Almost never use vinegar.
 
For rust I always use a wire wheel either in my bench grinder as it came with one, or in my drill as I'm too cheap to get a wire cup for my angle grinder.

For mushrooming I always try my best to carefully force it back with a ball peen hammer before resorting to filing it off. sometimes it can be enough but others it's not, but if the stamp is right there it helps to hammer back as much as you can so you don't file into the stamp.
 
Let's stand back for a minute.

Collectively nary a one of us is capable of "restoring" an old axe. Museum curators, I'm sure, are horrified at what goes on here with regard to 'our' gathering-up and presentation of supposedly museum-quality artifacts.
Then again, the majority of old Plumb, Bluegrass, Kelly, Sager, Welland-Vale, Norlund and Craftsman etc. axes are of no interest to museums either, as of yet.
But, what "we" (forum contributors, members and closet followers/readers) are increasingly doing in an admirable and enthusiastic fashion is learning how to 'resurrect', 'rejuvenate' and 'refurbish' old tools that would otherwise languish in someone's cast-off pile, recycle bin, shed, garage or cellar.
The reward of using a golden oldie, that was lovingly cleaned up, rehung and sharpened for decoration, outdoor recreation, chores or yard work will yield much more personal satisfaction than does doling out serious cash for a 'fashion boutique jobbie' equivalent that was crafted yesterday.
 
All good responses so far.

My preferred method of rust removal is a brass wire cup brush on an angle grinder. For stubborn or heavily rusted axes I may turn to a knotted steel cup brush on an angle grinder. Never use a crimped steel brush or wheel. They throw wires something fierce! And as JBLyttle advised, eye, ear and respiratory protection is a must when using a powered wire brush or wheel.

After an axe has been cleaned I like to re-shape it close to factory. This usually means grinding or filing back the center and heel of the axe to match it up to an abused toe.

Next I thin the cheeks and re-profile the edge with files. I like using files because it doesn't risk the temper, it gives you maximum control over what precisely you're removing, and because I'm good at filing since I've done a lot of it. I've posted instructions on how to file including diagrams and videos. Practice makes better (but never perfect).

Finally, I hone my edges with increasingly higher grit (or apparent grit ;) - see other recent thread) stones. I'll usually finish my edge on either a buffer, a non-woven wheel, a sharpening steel or sometimes just across the thigh of my Carharts (dirty is best).

That's the short version.
 
@hickorynsteel I haven't heard much of people trying to hammer the mushrooming back but you do make a good point about if the makers mark is in that area it may help to salvage more of it. I just picked up a really nice Craftsman ball peen with a large head at the flea market so I'll give that a shot, I normally just file it down if it's bad.

But I guess I'll have to look into a wire cup as that seems to be popular, only problem is my angle grinder is a weird size as I picked it up cheap at a used tool store. It really only fits up to 4", anything more hits the guard and most attachments are usually 4 1/2"+ although I have found a few things that fit. I think it's a makita from the shape and coloring but there's no marks on it so it could just be a crappy no name brand I really should grab a new decent one once I sell a couple axes. But I'm also looking into buying a wire wheel and a buffing wheel to toss on my bench grinder. I bought the bench grinder pretty cheap at the used tool store with the intention of replacing both wheels as I already have a 10" wetstone grinding wheel that's powered by a small motor so i use that for sharpening as it spins slow enough to not ruin the temper like a bench grinder, and the casing for the wheel is made to hold water as well so it works well. So the plan is to find a 6" wire wheel and buffing wheel attachment for the bench grinder and I guess also a wire cup for my angle grinder. I have a flap wheel and wire wheel for my cordless drill but they just don't work nearly as well so I do most by hand. I usually try and save the patina but unfortunately a lot of the time there's at least a few spots of rust that are too deep and I don't like how it looks when there's spots without patina so if that's the case I remove it all. I don't go full polish with it as it's just unnecessary and time consuming, usually go up to 220 or 400 grit and use a finishing pad in between each grit. Sometimes the finishing pad is all it needs to clean it up and that will usually save the patina unless I go really hard with it and take a lot off. But the finishing pad evens out any scratching from the sandpaper and then some BLO leaves it looking nice but I'm also looking into other things to treat the head with when I'm done just to see what's best.
 
Much the same as everyone else, I use a knotted wire wheel on an angle grinder. I find that once you've done it a few times, the amount of pressure you apply can determine how dark the patina will be. Also the number of times you pass over the same area. i use the flap wheels for mushrooming and reprofiling edges. Again, once you get a feel for it you can work down an edge without ruining the temper. Has to be done slowly though.

Continuing in the same vein: when reprofiling, what are your opinions on axes with over sharpened or heavily worn toes? Do you just accept the wear and sharpen as is or do you work the rest of the bit down first?
 
For most cleaning I'll applY WD-40 and take it to a wire wheel on the bench grinder, for major reprofiling I use a 4x36 bench mounted belt grinder and stones. Where I'm at university now most of my restoration is limited to wd-40 and a hand wire brush with files to reprofile but I don't mind. For final sharpening/honing I resort to medium and fine grit stones, followed by a 1000 grit ceramic and stropping.

If I want to reestablish a patina I've grown fond of gun blue.
 
Lunchbucket said:
Continuing in the same vein: when reprofiling, what are your opinions on axes with over sharpened or heavily worn toes? Do you just accept the wear and sharpen as is or do you work the rest of the bit down first?
Click to expand...

I will take the shape of the bit back to factory if there's enough hardened steel left to allow this. In general I like the heel to be slightly shorter than the toe and the bit to be gently rounded. Of course this is different for specialty axes like a broad hatchet.
 
300Six said:
Let's stand back for a minute.

Collectively nary a one of us is capable of "restoring" an old axe. Museum curators, I'm sure, are horrified at what goes on here with regard to 'our' gathering-up and presentation of supposedly museum-quality artifacts.
Then again, the majority of old Plumb, Bluegrass, Kelly, Sager, Welland-Vale, Norlund and Craftsman etc. axes are of no interest to museums either, as of yet.
But, what "we" (forum contributors, members and closet followers/readers) are increasingly doing in an admirable and enthusiastic fashion is learning how to 'resurrect', 'rejuvenate' and 'refurbish' old tools that would otherwise languish in someone's cast-off pile, recycle bin, shed, garage or cellar.
The reward of using a golden oldie, that was lovingly cleaned up, rehung and sharpened for decoration, outdoor recreation, chores or yard work will yield much more personal satisfaction than does doling out serious cash for a 'fashion boutique jobbie' equivalent that was crafted yesterday.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure that I understand the distinction that you are making. It's just a word, everyone knows what is meant by it. If a rusty old thing is cleaned, sharpened, put on a nice hickory handle and able go back to work while looking great, I have no problem with using the word.
 
jblyttle said:
I'm not sure that I understand the distinction that you are making. It's just a word, everyone knows what is meant by it. If a rusty old thing is cleaned, sharpened, put on a nice hickory handle and able go back to work while looking great, I have no problem with using the word.
Click to expand...

Me neither, but I'd call it a functional restoration.
 
@darthtaco123 what is gun blue? I've heard of it a few times and seen "Super Blue" liquid gun blue in a picture but it didn't say what exactly it was on the part of the bottle shown. I'm not very experienced with different things that are used to treat metal and axes specifically. I've heard people to green and other color solutions used when buffing but that doesn't help me research it at all.
 
Jlemay18 said:
@darthtaco123 what is gun blue? I've heard of it a few times and seen "Super Blue" liquid gun blue in a picture but it didn't say what exactly it was on the part of the bottle shown. I'm not very experienced with different things that are used to treat metal and axes specifically. I've heard people to green and other color solutions used when buffing but that doesn't help me research it at all.
Click to expand...

It's a chemical used to turn a gun barrel dark, it's not how it's done when they're made, but works just fine for someone who found they're grandpa's old .22...ect that just needs a little TLC .
If you've polished up an axe you can blue it which is basically a black patina.
 
Carabnr said:
Thanks for this thread!
Click to expand...

Yes, this has been an interesting discussion. Thanks to all.

In regards to restoration vs "refurbishment" I agree with the distinction although it's a personal decision what you do with your own property. You may want to cut short and drill/tap the barrel to mount a scope on grandpas old springfield rifle and make a nice hunting rifle out of it. It's your property and your right, but you should realize you turned a $2k or more historical piece into a $400 user.
 
Hickory n steel said:
It's a chemical used to turn a gun barrel dark, it's not how it's done when they're made, but works just fine for someone who found they're grandpa's old .22...ect that just needs a little TLC .
If you've polished up an axe you can blue it which is basically a black patina.
Click to expand...

Ahhh okay thanks for the reply, that's what I was assuming but just wanted to ask as the "blue" made me a little wary, didn't want to assume I knew what it meant and go use it on a nice axe or my grandpas 30-30 and have it turn fucking bright blue lol
 
Jlemay18 said:
Ahhh okay thanks for the reply, that's what I was assuming but just wanted to ask as the "blue" made me a little wary, didn't want to assume I knew what it meant and go use it on a nice axe or my grandpas 30-30 and have it turn fucking bright blue lol
Click to expand...

Nope for bright blue you just go cut some hot chicken 😁 ( not kidding chicken gives a bright blue patina )
 
Jlemay18 said:
Ahhh okay thanks for the reply, that's what I was assuming but just wanted to ask as the "blue" made me a little wary, didn't want to assume I knew what it meant and go use it on a nice axe or my grandpas 30-30 and have it turn fucking bright blue lol
Click to expand...

The best I've found is Brownell's Cold Blue, it's called Oxpho Blue. You can also use a browning solution if you want a brownish color instead of dark blue/black color. I have used Birchwood Casey's Plum Brown. You have to heat the metal up before applying, but it won't be near enough to screw up the heat treat. I like plain a plain old silver finish so I just use oil to protect the metal. Fortunately I live in a dry climate so rust isn't as big of an issue as other places.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top