Axe restoration thread

[rarefish383]

I'll ride by Friday after noon, most everything should be at the sale by then. I'm kind of looking for a Kubota BX series front end loader. Last spring two sold in my price range. One had loader and backhoe, sold for $5250, the other had loader and 60" mower, Sold for $5000. Both looked really nice. Probably never see one go that cheap again.

 

[rarefish383]

Here's a couple from the sale tomorrow. There's a problem though, they have 4 auctioneers going all at once, and I can't be everywhere, and there are two big chainsaws that take priority over the axes. There are half a dozen axes I'd like to get, the Plumb Jersey, the boys ax, the tiny one in the palm of my friends hand. I think the big long maul is cool, but it hurts my back in the picture. There is a nice Collins double I didn't get a pic of, and a no name cruiser. The cruiser is probably in as nice of shape as the one Clarence hung for me, with no nicks in the blade.

I really like that tiny one.

 

[LondonNeil]

Nice looking Plumb there Rarefish

Praise be the Holy Earth Mother and grower of all good sticks hickory! T'interweb can deliver the very very finest handes to your door, all for errr...think it was £18.60 after postage, for this 19 3/4 inch handle. Saw postie coming down the drive in the snow, met him at the door, unwrapped excitedly and...wow!
It comes dipped in hot LO, and then waxed. the wax isn't thick at all (I wouldn't know about it if i hadn't read the description) so it will take more BLO I'm sure.



Beat that, go on, I dare you.....And runout? errr

No! none at all.

It is probably slightly fat....I probably out to thin it out a bit....but I'm not sure i can bring myself too! I'm going to be pooing my pants trying to get a good hang, especially given the constricting, expanding eye in he head....more filing of that eye I think before we feck this handle up!

 

[rarefish383]

Thanks Neil, but it's not mine yet. The auction starts at 9 this morning. They have an MS 660 and a Homelite Super 1050 100CC's that are top on my list. The Plumb is in one of the fields where they put all the junk and is the last to go. I should be able to bid on it. All of the other axes are in barns that sell earlier so I might not be able to get to them. This sale is big enough that you need a couple guys to cover the whole thing, and I'm by myself today.

That is a pretty handle, 18-19 inches is what I like for a throwing hatchet or small ax.

Oh, sorry guys, if I get the Plumb I'll have to keep it, I have a soft spot for Plumbs and I don't have one like it. Yet.

 

[rarefish383]

Check out the scrounging thread for the results of the auction, the only ax I got was the Plumb Jersey. I have to keep this one for my collection, I'll find more for the guys that want them. They seem to be rather common around here. I hurt my back yesterday, don't know how, but I can hardly stand up and it hurts my lower back to pick my left foot up off the ground. I carried three saws out to my truck, then headed for the barn with the axes. I got about half way there and almost fell down, couldn't pick my foot up with out bad pain. So, I sat on a stack of tires for about half an hour. When I got to the barn I missed a pile of about 8 axes, two big doubles, one cruiser(no name), the big long funky mall. I asked a guy standing there if he noticed what they went for and he said they kept adding an ax or two at a time till they got a dollar bid. Oh well.

 

[p61 western]

Check out the scrounging thread for the results of the auction, the only ax I got was the Plumb Jersey. I have to keep this one for my collection, I'll find more for the guys that want them. They seem to be rather common around here. I hurt my back yesterday, don't know how, but I can hardly stand up and it hurts my lower back to pick my left foot up off the ground. I carried three saws out to my truck, then headed for the barn with the axes. I got about half way there and almost fell down, couldn't pick my foot up with out bad pain. So, I sat on a stack of tires for about half an hour. When I got to the barn I missed a pile of about 8 axes, two big doubles, one cruiser(no name), the big long funky mall. I asked a guy standing there if he noticed what they went for and he said they kept adding an ax or two at a time till they got a dollar bid. Oh well.

Hope you get to feeling better. Back pain is no fun at all. Glad to hear you got the Jersey you were after, and a few saws. Thank you for keeping a eye out for the Jerseys as well.

 

[LondonNeil]

Yes Hope its nothing serious on the back and you feel better soon. Shame about the axes but seems you did ok on saws.

 

[rarefish383]

No problem, I'll find some. Just wish I knew what I did to stress it. It's been cold and windy enough I've been wearing these flannel lined pants I got for Christmas. They are super comfortable, but they have no belt loops and pretty tight stretchy stuff. I think the stretchy stuff was putting pressure on an old injury. I've switched back to sweat shorts and loaded up on the Alieve, hopefully I'll be good to go by Church tomorrow morning.

 

[NCPT]

I have been so busy with work and getting stuff done around the house that I decided to take a break and do something fun when I got home early yesterday.....first ever axe restoration.

I found a small fiberglass handle axe in a construction dumpster years ago and decided to do something with it since the axe I currently have is a useless design for chopping wood. The axe i found had a broken handle and the head was mushroomed.....looked like someone used it for pounding wedges or used it as a wedge itself. Forgot before pics but here is the handle after I cut it off and the head cleaned up.



Now keep in mind this was my first attempt and I did zero research on this. I basically went on what my cousin had told me since he has done a few from finding old axe heads while metal detecting....he has found some really cool axe heads. I put a shoulder on the handle for the head to rest against, rasped to fit the hang and it's not a great fit lol. I then pounded in the wooden wedge then two metal wedges after I soaked the head with fitted handle in hot water. Then I placed head in vise and straightened the handle to the head while it was bendable. The bend actually set and the axe is now perfectly in line with the handle. I let it cool then added 5min epoxy to the hang to fill the voids.



Like I say, this was my first attempt and now I wish I would have done some research on fitting the hang. The epoxy is rock hard and I've hit it pretty hard on some logs and it is holding. If it lets loose, I'll take the head off and try again....this has been really fun so far. Headed to the shop now to smooth everything up. I'll post more pics later and thanks for looking.

 

[NCPT]

Got the handle sanded and cleaned up the head.

 

[NCPT]

The axe head is 2.5lbs I think. Here's a pic of the label for the handle. So far, so good! Split a couple pieces of oak and it's holding tight.

 

[svk]

Looks great

 

[rarefish383]

Went to another auction today. Old farm sale, 10 out buildings. First 30 minutes and there were two nice Jersey's with nice handles, I bid to $18 and the next guy got them for $20. Went into another barn and there was a big tin with about a dozen ax, hatchet, and ball peen hammer heads. I bid that to $38 and the same guy got it for $40. Then outside another building there were two more jersey's and he got them too. There were two axes I really wanted, I have never seen anything like them, and somebody out bid me on them. I saw the guy that bought all of the other axes and asked about the two long skinny ones I wanted. He said he didn't see them, or he would have bought them. But, he said, by the description they were mortising axes. Then out side the last building with tools there was a brand new, in the box, no oil in it yet, Biggs and Stratton 675 series engine, the exact model on my wood splitter. I got it for $25. I did buy another carpenters hatchet because it had a leather sheath on it that fits my little Plumb. All in all had a good day, Joe.

 

[p61 western]

Went to another auction today. Old farm sale, 10 out buildings. First 30 minutes and there were two nice Jersey's with nice handles, I bid to $18 and the next guy got them for $20. Went into another barn and there was a big tin with about a dozen ax, hatchet, and ball peen hammer heads. I bid that to $38 and the same guy got it for $40. Then outside another building there were two more jersey's and he got them too. There were two axes I really wanted, I have never seen anything like them, and somebody out bid me on them. I saw the guy that bought all of the other axes and asked about the two long skinny ones I wanted. He said he didn't see them, or he would have bought them. But, he said, by the description they were mortising axes. Then out side the last building with tools there was a brand new, in the box, no oil in it yet, Biggs and Stratton 675 series engine, the exact model on my wood splitter. I got it for $25. I did buy another carpenters hatchet because it had a leather sheath on it that fits my little Plumb. All in all had a good day, Joe.

Wow that auction sounded almost like evilbay lol. At least you didn't come home empty handed though.

 

[rarefish383]

Wow that auction sounded almost like evilbay lol. At least you didn't come home empty handed though.

Pretty much. You have to set your price and stick to it. They were all no name, but one was nice. Should have asked the auctioneer to sell that one separate, the other guy might have backed off on just one. But didn't think of that in time.

 

[lead farmer]

Well I finally found one

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[p61 western]

Well I finally found one

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Nice score buddy.

 

[fulladirt]

Well I finally found one

There it is, looks nice! Glad you found yourself one, mind if I ask where you found it?

 

[lead farmer]

There it is, looks nice! Glad you found yourself one, mind if I ask where you found it?

One of my buddys knew I was into axes an picked it up for 20 bucks. I was happy

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[NCPT]

Had to test it out....holding tight and what an awesome chopper. Swing it fast with two hands or choke up and use it like a hatchet. Took some damage on my inaccuracy but I smoothed it up and gave the handle a touch more curve.
There's my hatchet restore.....gonna show it when it's done.