Scott Farris
Well-known member
New off-season project - Axe refurbishment with custom Masks. I've always loved edged tools and have ended up with 10 or 12 axes over the years. A mixture of axes, hand axes, hatchets and loose heads. Unfortunately condition wise, there is plenty of rust, mostly surface, and most need to be rehung or at least lowered and tightened on their existing handles. The axes are mostly inherited, and I'd like to see them handed down to my sons-in-law, with a few given away as a "thank-you" for things like allowing me to hunt their property. My purpose in sharing at the start of this project is to hopefully get some feedback/input on the different activities I'm new at. Tips of what to do, what not to do and even suggested equipment and suppliers would be helpful. Are there any leather workers out there?
The first issue I ran into and it seems pretty normal, as that the local replacement axe handles in both the hardware stores and big box stores are low quality with little if any effort taken to get the growth rings oriented with the axe head - front to back. I was lucky enough to find one double bit straight handle and a single bit handle after digging through a bunch of handles at several stores. Needing more I got online and found that most of the handle sites have sold out their quality handles - Is this a seasonal thing? I did settle on ordering four handles from Hoffman Blacksmithing, one for the carving head, that is specifically shaped for carving, one 18" hand axe handle and two 28" camp axe handles. They arrived and look super! All sap wood and dead on grain structure. Not an indication of a knot or other blemish on any of the handles. Once I get a shop set up with dad's wood working tools available again, I'd like to try carving my own handles.
While on the carving heads, I have a second one, but someone ground in a second bevel to turn it into a hatchet. I'm debating cutting the bit back to remove the second bevel, but I'm concerned that I could be taking too much of the hardened steel off and I'll end up with a soft steel edge. Then again, I could play Forged In Fire and re-quench it, if the edge doesn't hold up. The easiest is to simply rehang with a hatchet handle and treat it as an off-camber hatchet. This is a picture of the offset carving head.
View attachment CarvingClose.JPG
Since March is still chilly and dark in the evenings, I've started with making masks for the axe heads, following methods and tips found on YouTube. I've kept it simple to date. I purchased some 6 to 8 oz leather online, used contact cement and stitching on the seams and used handset snaps, some left over from my sneak boat dodger project/ some bought off Carl a few years back (thanks Carl). They've turned out well with a few stitches falling out of the cut groove on the back side. I found out that getting blood on the leather affects its ability to absorb dye. (Yes, I stabbed myself while doing the duel needle saddle stitching with sharp needles - Note there is a reason blunt needles are normally used for this!)
For cleaning up the axe heads, I plan on setting up an electrolysis tank once it's nice enough to leave it running outside for a day or two at a time. I have the tank, rebar electrodes and grounding wire all set aside ready to assemble. Meanwhile a quick hit with a wire cup brush on an angle grinder, then a Brillo pad, gets them clean enough to allow me to fit them with a mask without making a mess. And frankly I'm getting impatient enough I going to try Evapo-Rust on a few. After cleaning and touching up the heads, I'm planning on browning or bluing them (which ever looks best after the electrolysis rust conversion), while leaving their bevels bright. Handles will all be finished with boiled linseed oil - who has patience for Tung oil? 1 coat a week?
On the "photos or it didn't happen", here are a couple photos of my first very basic masks.
View attachment First3Masks.JPG
View attachment First3MasksOn.JPG
The first issue I ran into and it seems pretty normal, as that the local replacement axe handles in both the hardware stores and big box stores are low quality with little if any effort taken to get the growth rings oriented with the axe head - front to back. I was lucky enough to find one double bit straight handle and a single bit handle after digging through a bunch of handles at several stores. Needing more I got online and found that most of the handle sites have sold out their quality handles - Is this a seasonal thing? I did settle on ordering four handles from Hoffman Blacksmithing, one for the carving head, that is specifically shaped for carving, one 18" hand axe handle and two 28" camp axe handles. They arrived and look super! All sap wood and dead on grain structure. Not an indication of a knot or other blemish on any of the handles. Once I get a shop set up with dad's wood working tools available again, I'd like to try carving my own handles.
While on the carving heads, I have a second one, but someone ground in a second bevel to turn it into a hatchet. I'm debating cutting the bit back to remove the second bevel, but I'm concerned that I could be taking too much of the hardened steel off and I'll end up with a soft steel edge. Then again, I could play Forged In Fire and re-quench it, if the edge doesn't hold up. The easiest is to simply rehang with a hatchet handle and treat it as an off-camber hatchet. This is a picture of the offset carving head.
View attachment CarvingClose.JPG
Since March is still chilly and dark in the evenings, I've started with making masks for the axe heads, following methods and tips found on YouTube. I've kept it simple to date. I purchased some 6 to 8 oz leather online, used contact cement and stitching on the seams and used handset snaps, some left over from my sneak boat dodger project/ some bought off Carl a few years back (thanks Carl). They've turned out well with a few stitches falling out of the cut groove on the back side. I found out that getting blood on the leather affects its ability to absorb dye. (Yes, I stabbed myself while doing the duel needle saddle stitching with sharp needles - Note there is a reason blunt needles are normally used for this!)
For cleaning up the axe heads, I plan on setting up an electrolysis tank once it's nice enough to leave it running outside for a day or two at a time. I have the tank, rebar electrodes and grounding wire all set aside ready to assemble. Meanwhile a quick hit with a wire cup brush on an angle grinder, then a Brillo pad, gets them clean enough to allow me to fit them with a mask without making a mess. And frankly I'm getting impatient enough I going to try Evapo-Rust on a few. After cleaning and touching up the heads, I'm planning on browning or bluing them (which ever looks best after the electrolysis rust conversion), while leaving their bevels bright. Handles will all be finished with boiled linseed oil - who has patience for Tung oil? 1 coat a week?
On the "photos or it didn't happen", here are a couple photos of my first very basic masks.
View attachment First3Masks.JPG
View attachment First3MasksOn.JPG
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Also, I think vinegar is much cheaper than evapo-rust. It might be slower but I usually toss things in and forget about them for a few days.
