Rusty Old Axe / Hatchet Restoration
I picked up this little axe from a local auction about 3 months and then left it to sit unloved until I had time to give it some attention.
The head had been previously put on upside down and in my opinion the handle was too short, It didn't feel right when swinging it. So i decided a slightly thicker and longer handle would make it much better to use.
The sharpening with the file wasn't my final step, I did use a whetstone to give it a better edge, Although it is not as a razor sharp as some others in KZhead videos it works well and it will cut my kindling with no issues.
I have restored quite a few hammers in the past but this is the first axe I have done, I'm sure it could have been better, so if anybody has any tips or advice for my next one please leave them in the comments.
Thanks for watching, ED
When that angle grinder started, my headphones went mental
Ed makes stuff. Ed's gonna chop off his fingers one of these days.
Hey mate. I see you put a lot of work into this project. You should watch a video entitled 'an axe to grind'. They explain there the correct hanging of an axe by fitting the head more tightly and and not having the rapid transition from full thickness handle to thin piece of wood that goes through the eye. This should be more gradual and tapered otherwise there is a weak spot created in the handle just beneath the head and there is a very high chance of snapping your handle off under the axe head. Also be careful when splitting wood like that. You dont want to lose a finger. But i enjoyed the video composition and the passion you put into the project. Goodluck for your next axe hanging and checkout that resource i mentioned. :p
Buckin Billy also has a great video on this
You know how to make a video! You don't force us to watch a long winded monologue. You get right to the job. You cut out all the boring BS. You fast forward a lot of the job, and that's good. I wish other channels did as you do.
Thanks for the comment George, I think people lose interest when a video contains lots of talk and little action, so i opted to make the faster videos and hopefully people enjoy it. Thanks for watching, ED
In the past week I pulled an axe just like this from a pile of other neglected tools on the side of the house, as I needed a sharp axe to cut out some small bush stumps. I tried to put a blade on it with little success as I was doing it the wrong way. Then I wake up this morning, turn on the PC, and Whoa! .......here is this axe just like mine on the title picture of your video. Now I know what to do. Thanks for the great video! Good idea to avoid any narration, pictures are worth millions of words. Now a subscriber too!
Raise your hand if you went straight to the comment section once he started to fit the axe head on the handle. Scary bro.
Kenneth John *Raises hand* Why is it so thin and why did he cut right through to the handle?
please explain! Is it that it should have been longer- too much empty space and too small for the hole? Or something else about his method?
Matt Timms when cutting into the handle when you make the wedge groove to fit the head, you shouldn’t go so deep, and in-between the handle and the end of it where the head sits, you want it to be as wide on both ends, otherwise there’s gonna be ramifications when you start choppin’, all space inside the axe head should be absolved by the handle for structural integrity and impact absorption, if there’s any room left open inside the axe head, eventually it’ll rattle, or just come off clean!
@@Tyndaal604 thanks man - I see what you're sayin. The critiques are often more helpful than the vids when I'm trying to teach myself
Matt Timms No problem man! Everything else seems pretty solid. Watched a guy reheat an axe head and quench it in water for restoration the other day. Which is also a big no no! Luckily he said it was for ornamental purposes.
Just shows you don’t need proper tools if you have imagination and determination great job mr Ed you gained a new sub from me
I was sitting here trying to blow the wood chips off that axe head as you were drilling 😂
Not cracks, that is how the axe was made by folding around a mandrel. Its a seam
The before and after shots in this video are amazing. It's incredible how much can be accomplished with restoration⚒️👍
This is crazy. I have an old axe at my mothers and the handle snapped so I wanted to restore it. I start looking on the Internet and here you are with the exact same one doing a restoration of it.
so refreshing to see someone actually using a file to fix up an axe head, i tip my hat to you sir!
Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching, ED
If only he hadnt filed so much off.
Nice! The upside down head at the beginning was hilarious.
Cool video. But better than that, I really like the way you take/treat the comments....Positively. Looking forward to see your next hanging/fitting. Keep up the good work.
awesome sharing dear Ed..... lot of love from my workshop........
Great job..I just did one myself except bought a handle at the hardware store then modified and shaped it to fit...going try doing one like you did next time..amazing job
Well done! Watched the whole vid!
A man and his tools will never part, well done sir thank you 😊
Omg mate i dont know whats more dangerous, how you built it or how you used it!
Or your crappy comment...
@@hungram5170 neck a fat one
Very nicely done nice-looking Hatchet I bet it works nice!
Great to see a simple fuss free Restoration. However the final processing of wood at the end 😱frightened😱the life out of me with the placing of you left hand ... 😲😲😲 ... You got away with it but by luck nothing else ... Take Care more please
Beautiful Job Ed. I'm going to try to attempt this myself. You are very skilled
Simple and very well done
Nice. Im glad you didnt go full out turning the head into a mirror. Kept its character.
Hey Planky...you know the mirror finish on a cutting tool is functional and not just cosmetic, right? It allows the blade to efficiently penetrate deeper into the wood fiber whereas the pitted blade is like driving with your foot on the brake. "Character" is great if you want an historical wall hanging. In a working tool, the rust, pitting, and the coveted "patina" are just signs of neglect of a once proud and functional tool...imho.
@@cattmann1405 polished sure, but does mirror finish add that much benefit? Just curious.
@@planky11 With a small hatchet like this used occasionally for kindling...meh. That mirror finish, though means less pitting which means less friction. Have you ever tried to split firewood rounds with a rusty or even pitted axe? You get penetration but then you can't get the axe back out...and then you deal with that all day long. Same thing felling and limbing trees...having to pry a pitted axe out after every other strike will wear you out. Now try that with a properly sharpened and well maintained axe...have you ever watched the lumberjack competitions? Specifically the racing axe events?...mirrored... No resistance no binding. My neighbors found an old two-man crosscut saw...without any prep, they tried to take down an old pine tree. Unsharpened, rusty, heavily pitted...after an hour, the tree was still standing and they quit...not even the blades width into the tree.
That's the type of axe I have to refurbish. I have a 24 inch handle to put on it to give it a bit more power on the strike. Just have to get round to it now. Great video. Keep up the great work 👍👍👍
Really like this Hatchet restoration. I did an axe recently but put a Viking spin on it. Keep up the great work. Really enjoy watching these restorations.
Thanks for the comment, I watched your axe video, I like what you did to the handle. Good work Thanks for watching, ED
Restoration Rescue u do a video on it?
This is one of my favorite videos on KZhead. You did so well!!! Looks AMAZING! 😁😁😁
I just finished restoring a hatchet that we found in my late uncle's shed, it was similar to yours, just a mass of rust & a handle soaked in years of old engine oil and paint. Now I know almost nothing about restoring items like this, and I have few tools other than a drill and a belt sander, but I managed to bring it back to a beautiful finish, rubbed down and oak stained the handle, even gave the head an acid wash to darken the metal apart from the edge...And oh... The edge! I put a shaving sharp edge on it, honed and polished with varying grades of sharpening stones, so I just had to test it. I took a log from our wood pile (we have open fires in the house), and started to process it down to kindling. When it got to the point where the wood could not stand upright without support, I used the tapping technique, where you place the wood against the blade and gently tap it until it bites, then one firm tap with hands out of the way and the wood splits cleanly. Well, whilst getting the wood to bite, the axe head bounced out of the wood, and came down on my other hand, leaving me with a deep cut from index knuckle to about an inch along my finger. Cue 3 hours in casualty / ER getting it patched up. The way you were cutting that wood at the end made my blood run cold. I have a significant cut from just a gentle tap, you would have received much worse had you slipped when chopping that board. You have a decent amount of subscribers, and plenty of views on the video, but please take a little more time and exercise a lot more caution when making these videos, remember that people may consider them to be instructional and may try to replicate what you do. Hell, I did what I did by watching other restoration channels on here and that paid off, the cut was just an unfortunate accident.
I literally winced and said omg at the 13:15 mark when he starts hitting that wood with his thumb sticking out. DO NOT SPLIT WOOD LIKE THIS.
Haha, I have been splitting kindling this way for nearly 15 years and i still have all my digits. Thanks for watching, ED
@@EdMakesStuff 35 years splitting this way, still 10 fingers as well. nice work Ed.
the youtube comment police have a hard on for you @@EdMakesStuff
@@EdMakesStuff My friend's dad drove drunk for 15 years and never caused a wreck that killed anyone.. and then year 16 rolled around.
Just because you have been doing it that way for years doesn’t mean it’s right lol
Title should be renamed to how to make a handle for an axe that will make the axe head fly off soon
I have yet to see one of these famous flying axe heads people always talk about
@@Eetu.R most of the time I figure they catch it before it sails through the air. Flush and not full is most likely gonna be an issue.
Go back watch anime in your free time. :)
@@visum2517 ??
I do this for a living and this guy did ok in making restoring the head but that handle is a recipe for disaster
Great work!
Thanks for watching, ED
i like the hammer holders on the side of the bench! i will be making some. nice job on the hatchet too.
If this gets used, it won't be long until the handle snaps at the head....
Yah for sure
yeah... that fitting was really unfortunate
She is holding up so far, but i am only splitting kindling with it. I have a couple more to do, but i now know what to do differently to get a better fit, Thanks for watching, ED
why?
Nice work. Just did one myself and posted it on my channel.
Finally, someone with the proper tools. Glad you don’t use your grinder to shape wood.
0:14 Upside down axe head?! You got one job! Nice restoration. Lol
Awesome informational educational video experience Y'alls
Thanks for watching, ED
You did a great job, Ed, these people with their little crappy comments don`t seem to have any videos to back up their critiques. Keep up the good work. Thanks for posting.
Negative comments don't bother me at all. People that have done these things before and know what they are doing will offer tips and advice. People that haven't tried to do something like this before and don't have a clue what they doing will insult you and tell you that you did it wrong. I know which people I will listen to. Thanks for the comment, ED
This is brilliant. My dad recently found an old axe head and this has motivated me to at least attempt to restore it. Fitting the handle however will be another challenge, one that I intend to research more thoroughly
Good job and good video. Thank you
Great video sir and nice craftsmanship
My tip is get some kind of saw to rough out the handle. Coping saw jig saw band saw. any thing but a rasp for 3 hard hours.
Great work! 👍🏻
Very elegant handle.
Good job!
Thanks for the comment Fred.
I expect your handle to eventually snap off, but overall you did a decent job. Btw those " cracks " are actually from when the eye was created or " drifted ".
I don*t think they are cracks but rather just the end of the folding weld.
Its holding out so far, although I am only splitting kindling with it. More practice is needed for the next one. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching, ED
Friggin awesome 👍
Good stuff 👍
Thanks for the comment, ED
Watched a boy scout leader lop off the end of his thumb by splitting kindling that way.
Did you cut a corner off his totin chip?
Adam C i shredded the top of my finger off with a belt sander
6:44 perfect fire material
That's one way to make some lasting memories
I guess he didnt get his toten chip then. Shame
Gott sei Dank, ohne nerviges Hintergrundgedudel!! 👍👍
Nice Restoration
Nice job!!👌
Well done
I like that you didnt go all the way polished on the head. The pitting left looks really nice
Cool job 👍
Its funny, im doing the same thing right now. Up until the angle grinder, we had the same method. I even used the drill and the red vice. Funny! Now I'm watching, and hoping to learn
Руки бы оторвать этому "мастеру"!
Good stuff Ed.
Very nice. Good to see a spokeshave being used. So many people just use a band saw and grinder or sander these days. Far more satisfying to use a spokeshave to shape the handle. I'm guessing that the cracks in the head weren't serious. I've got a couple of these ghat used to belong tk my father. I want to make them over and I'm worried they may be cracked. Need to check them properly.
I prefer using the hand tools sometimes, makes it more rewarding when you are done. and I don't have a bandsaw so I don't have that luxury anyway:( The cracks aren't that much of a worry to me as it is only a kindling axe so it is not going to do any hard work. Have a go with the ones you have. In the worst case you can have a couple of wall ornaments. Thanks for watching, ED
great job
First thing I noticed was it was upside down. I have a pile of axes in the shop. Couple nights ago I hung one upside down. Awesome handle. I managed to pick the wedge out good enough to flip it. Still don't feel good from the incident.
Thanks for showing how you got the rust out of the inner part of the axe. I know that it's likely a tedious thing, just filing the crap out of it, but so many restoration videos leave it out, and I've always been curious just how it's done. Turns out, pretty much how you'd expect, but still, thanks.
Nice camera work.
Ten chlap je komediant!!!
Cute little Hatchet, I really love the handle in the beginning I would have just kept like it is was and flipped the head around, other than that great restoration
ed makes a mess ed loses his pinkie ✋ 😂
Qreat job love the finish on handle and head, what type of wood did you use?
Расклин до конца не зашел, смысл было делать такой пропил... И я думаю он улетит в неизвестном направлении от такой рукоятки
Совершенно согласен.
Hey Ed...a couple things. If you're going to put your finished hatchet on the wall as a display only piece then it's no big deal however, if you're going to put it back into service, why not fix the cracks or scrap it and find a different candidate? It may have been the camera angle, but it appears you took way too much material from the haft inside the eye. The transition from eye to shoulder needs to have a smoother taper so the handle is less apt to split when striking. Great vid, thanks for sharing!
Those cracks werent cracks those are the end of the weld of the eye thst shows up that it is a forged hatchet
@@velazquezarmouries What does that say about the integrity of the weld? Whether it was forge welded or drifted, you're still left with a separation in the metal.
@@cattmann1405 i prefer bended hatchets myself but there isnt any difference exepting that a forge welded hatchet will be more stable
@@velazquezarmouries My issue isn't with the process. My concern is with the hairline fracture being considered acceptable. If that hatchet head came across your QC desk, would you green light it as is?
@@cattmann1405 indeed even more if it is an actually old hatchet that actually suffered stress
super excellent
I learned a lot!
Apply some oil (linseed) when the wege is hammered to place. And leave some of the handle on top of the axe (2-3mm) that way it can swell and the axe will have some shoulders on top and bottom. Did this on a axe handle repair many years ago, and to this day its tight like an eal...
And also when cutting the slot for the wege go down 2/3
What disc did you use on the grinder and also what kind of squared file was that? Great video!
Thanks great job 🇨🇦👍
That wood was in a really good shape
I agree, but he said in the description he wanted a longer handle. And that probably wasn't the original handle since the head was upside down.
Sound of expensive dentist visit…🦷 👑
To others watching for instructions: do not do this. No part of this handle fit up is done correctly. There is a real danger of the head flying off very soon after use, possibility of the handle breaking right at the head and 100% chance of blisters from handling. With a bit of research you could've taken this re-handling from a 0/10 to 7/10. Add a few more hours of work to a 10/10 EASY. Please upload your redo, I would love to see you try to do better.
Yeah it looks like the smallest hit could make it snap
I agree
first thing I thought of is the Handle is way to thick, epoxy in the handle? something that will have to be ground out when you have to replace the handle
Relax. It a hatchet, not an axe. If you're taking full swings that would put that much centrifugal force on the head to send it flying, you're doing it all wrong anyways.
Yeah the handle didnt fit the head perfect. But he went to alot of trouble to make his video. And he did a pretty good job. And the hatchet im sure is gonna be just fine. Its real easy to sit back criticize someone on there hard work. Smh
The "tiny crack on both sides" is just where the blade has been forge welded.
Damn right off the bat looks like mine
I'm guessing Ed don't like his fingers...also, that hatchet turns out very nice, for show on a wall!
Great result
Thanks for watching, ED
Perfect😊👍👏👏
Maestro hola buenas noches ha hecho un buen trabajo iba a preguntar para que no se vuelva a oxidar que le echa cuando puedas me contestas por favor
Grasa
Linseed Oil when hanging the head.
Tite bond anyday
great👍👍👍👍
Awwwwe!! Dat wuz ruSty!
Cool 👍
Could barely get past the ‘using a screwdriver as a chisel’ bit at the start. Right tool for the job, bro. It is a well put together video, though, so there’s that.
Well done Sir. Fine work.
Hey great job, tell me if you think its better than my axe restoration video!?
I would like to know the name of the tool you used to model the wood, to make the cable. And which wood is this? Great video !!!
The tool he used to shape the handle is a spokeshave. It's a really nice tool for it since you can do stock removal and detailed work with it. And you can round things off
@@FireOfJagz thank you very much !!!
Proper way
U did an amazing job on the head and filing it so perfectly I really wish u put that same effort into hanging it on the hande it should fit very very snug before the wedge is put it and the eye of the head is slightly tapered so there's a big and a smaller side to the hole so its put it on take it off sand a bit repeat till its firmly seated then add ur wedge I'd love to see you re hang that hatchet head also for splitting kindling watch a video or two there are much safer ways
The reason the poll is mushroomed is because it is mild steel. The poll on an old axe is not intended as a hammer, it is to balance the weight of the blade on the front so that the axe swings straight. People think it is a hammer and use it to pound stuff and thats why it mushrooms. The axe is made by folding mild steel (or wrought iron) over and welding a bit of tool steel in the front that will hold an edge. The small cracks you point out are the evidence of that weld. Its a nice and old American pattern axe.
What type of grinder disc are you using?
Gracias.
Was that just a flap disc you use to grind down the metal edges?
Yep
i found three old axe heads ivebeen wanting to restore them what is the best wood to use for a handle
Hickory or ash
I find these videos very entertaining and love to see them. I am certainly no expert at all on this kind of thing but love to watch them and personally thought this was a great job. I just cant understand why so many armchair craftsmen that say how it should be done never put up a vid to show how it should be done? Just saying.
I'm no expert either but if you don't try you never know. I like the comments from people that know what they are doing because they offer tips and advice, but the negative armchair craftsmen that have never crafted anything just like to insult you so I don't pay attention to them. Thanks for the comment and thanks for watching, ED
those small cracks that you seen tells you that it was haand forged did you see a makers mark on it , that will tell you alot about the quality the last one i did found out that i had a holtsford grant , the oldest axe makers in the world and it was over a hundred years old ....... always look for it before you might destroy a gem it like that you didnt over do the metal work the patina gives it its charatcher
It doesn't have a makers mark on it unfortunately. I was going to keep going to get it to a mirror finish but that would have ruined it. Thanks for watching, ED
No it doesnt the cracks does not mean it was hand forgef
That old axe handle looks cool. Too bad you couldnt save it