Vintage Rusty Carpenter's Axe | Full Restoration

I thought I'd go back to basics and try my hand at an axe restoration. This was the most rusted Axe I could find. Everyone seems to be doing them, so I thought this English Tools one I've had laying around for years could do with a second chance.

Firstly I cleaned the axe with warm soapy water to remove any dirt and grease. I then drilled out the old wedge and began the long process of removing the axehead from the handle. This was an unexpectedly laborious task. Once out I could see the state of the handle and everything looked solid enough to restore. Great news.

I chose electrolysis as my method of rust removal as I was trying to be as gentle as I could with the old axehead. After a good five hours of 8 amps, the majority of the rust had come off, leaving a rather nice blackened finish. I did toil with the idea of leaving the head like this but didn't like the rough look and feel.

I decided to lightly and very carefully remove the top layer using a palm sander and the edge of a circular pad. Never pressing too hard. I did press hard to remove the folding edges on the hammer end. Once I had cleaned the axe head up and was happy with how it looked, I placed it back into the electrolysis tank for a final removal before letting it sit in oil for 24 hours.

I then spent several hours sanding the handle by hand until I had a uniform finish all over. The handle had lots of rust and damp areas to deal with making the sandpaper gum up almost immediately.

Once I was happy with the results I then washed it down with water and applied some linseed oil. I then made a new wedge using a saw and a disc sander. After that, I attached the handle to the axehead and tapped the wedge into place. After it was firmly in, I added in two opposite facing metal wedges to expand the wood further. Finally, I soaked the head and handle in linseed oil for a week to ensure the wood had fully tightened itself inside the axehead.

The restoration was then complete. I have used the axe since and cannot get the head to come off.

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Tools & equpitment used:
Quartz Lacquer - https://goo.gl/8PTVKM
Base Coat Paint - https://goo.gl/mWhufG
Rust Remover - https://goo.gl/13gopW
Moldex Full Face Mask - https://goo.gl/NNYGrv
FGL 5 Spray gun - https://goo.gl/Acg5rd
A.N.I. R150-T Mini Spray gun - https://goo.gl/cHTJS2
Colad Washable Overalls - https://goo.gl/3Css9E
Colad Mixing Cups - https://goo.gl/8DYmE8
Colad TurboMix Sticks - https://goo.gl/cYZfks
Colad Synthetic Paint Strainers - https://goo.gl/H79ZgL
Steel wire bits - http://geni.us/keyaD
Rotary Tool - http://geni.us/HGed
Concentrate Degreaser - http://geni.us/yUn9
Mannesmann Socket Set - http://geni.us/HCDZ

Thanks for watching!

Disclaimer: I am no professional. I am completely self-taught and would appreciate any feedback, advice or constructive criticism.

I don't add music to these videos so that you can choose to listen to what you like if you would like to.

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