This is kinda addicting.
Long story short, I found a double bit axe in a dumpster at the transfer station when I took my raked leaves over last weekend. Brought it home.
I cleaned the head up in a vinegar and salt soak, toothbrush and scotchbrite pad involved.
![[Hearth.com] First axe restoration WIP](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/20181002_082524-webp.230320/ "[Hearth.com] First axe restoration WIP")
Occident is a TM of the Seattle Hardware Company, who never made their own axes. On the opposite face it seems to be a Collins,
![[Hearth.com] First axe restoration WIP](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/20181001_201121-webp.230321/ "[Hearth.com] First axe restoration WIP")
I have it, preliminarily, dated 1900 to 1966, not clear if Collins ever stopped with the temper lines and went to all steel heads. Clear temper lines on this one.
As found it was ground fell/ limb, but once I had the gashes filed out of the edges it is now ground chop/ chop. I am going to have to anneal it so I can regrind it, and then re temper it, luckily the wife flew out just a few hours ago so I can play with fire.
Aftermarket handles, well, they suck. I bought one, either a Link or and Ames that warped as soon as I scraped the finish off it. Seriously, ten minutes after I scraped the poly finish off my carefully selected haft so I could oil it, it was warped.
I thought about buying one of the hand selected specimens from one of the online purveyors, instead I spent about the same dough for a hickory plank, 5/4 by 6 x 72 and got this stave out of it.
![[Hearth.com] First axe restoration WIP](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/20181004_135155-webp.230322/ "[Hearth.com] First axe restoration WIP")
The best news, the reason I am going this deep, is thing feels great on my warped ready made handle. I hadn't hung an axe head since my grandpa showed me how in the 1970s. I sold all my tiller steer outboards and tiller steer boats about three years ago when my primary and specialists were talking about how soon I would need back surgery. Running this thing for ten minutes, ground chop/ chop on a crappy warped haft, my shoulders feel better than they have felt in years.
I plan to bang out this shaving horse in the next couple weeks while my new hickory stave is acclimating.
(broken link removed to https://www.popularwoodworking.com/american-woodworker-blog/aw-extra-hybrid-shaving-horse/)
unless there are other nominations. This particular horse would be handy for a few boat parts too.
Long story short, I found a double bit axe in a dumpster at the transfer station when I took my raked leaves over last weekend. Brought it home.
I cleaned the head up in a vinegar and salt soak, toothbrush and scotchbrite pad involved.
Occident is a TM of the Seattle Hardware Company, who never made their own axes. On the opposite face it seems to be a Collins,
I have it, preliminarily, dated 1900 to 1966, not clear if Collins ever stopped with the temper lines and went to all steel heads. Clear temper lines on this one.
As found it was ground fell/ limb, but once I had the gashes filed out of the edges it is now ground chop/ chop. I am going to have to anneal it so I can regrind it, and then re temper it, luckily the wife flew out just a few hours ago so I can play with fire.
Aftermarket handles, well, they suck. I bought one, either a Link or and Ames that warped as soon as I scraped the finish off it. Seriously, ten minutes after I scraped the poly finish off my carefully selected haft so I could oil it, it was warped.
I thought about buying one of the hand selected specimens from one of the online purveyors, instead I spent about the same dough for a hickory plank, 5/4 by 6 x 72 and got this stave out of it.
The best news, the reason I am going this deep, is thing feels great on my warped ready made handle. I hadn't hung an axe head since my grandpa showed me how in the 1970s. I sold all my tiller steer outboards and tiller steer boats about three years ago when my primary and specialists were talking about how soon I would need back surgery. Running this thing for ten minutes, ground chop/ chop on a crappy warped haft, my shoulders feel better than they have felt in years.
I plan to bang out this shaving horse in the next couple weeks while my new hickory stave is acclimating.
(broken link removed to https://www.popularwoodworking.com/american-woodworker-blog/aw-extra-hybrid-shaving-horse/)
unless there are other nominations. This particular horse would be handy for a few boat parts too.
