Army Pick Axe Restored.

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Again a WW2 item.
But it was painted green. something that was never done in WW2.
Why?
The paint can flake and may cause injury. I know seams petty but that was what it was.

The old paint was removed with a cabinet scraper, made from a old saw blade.

After the scraper with wool was used to clean the wood up.

The metal was loose, so it was made to fit by reforming the indents.

Just the hole to clean up.

The metal was finished in hot linseed and bee's wax.
The handle was given a good coat of wax.

With her sister.

 

[paulrbarnard]

Will you paint the handle green?

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Hmmmmmmmm.
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[paulrbarnard]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Hmmmmmmmm.
NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not a full restoration the . I was just teasing.

 

[SammyQ]

Yalla Arddy? An awful lot of kit in the Harmy was coloured green. As Quartermaster to a C.C.F. contingent, we had shovels, pickaxes, folding shovels, masts, tripods, jerry cans, you name it, green. As to why? That pale pickaxe handle (what you lovingly shaded it to) would stand out easily for a roving patrol to pick up and home in on. Similarly, shiny things were routinely 'dulled down'. I saw candle flames used on buckles (picked up and used by the producers of "Band of Brothers") and old, matt finish, lecky tape used on rifle barrels and the like. I think it was a procedure picked up from experience after W.W.2. Certainly, regulars from the late eighties onward, when I was participating, were adamant that not one pale thing, nor any shiney thing, made it out of the barrack room. That extended to ears, eyelids and palms on "Sneaky beakies" to locate 'the enemy'.
Sam

P.S. It became 'de rigour' to pack "Wet wipes" to clean yourself up at the end of a weekend or camp. Cammo paint resisted water - it had to, if you were rained on, you did NOT want to end up 'paleface' and be seen - so only the surfactant (or whatever) in the propriety bum wipes could restore you to normal pigmentation.

 

[Stigmorgan]

Yalla Arddy? An awful lot of kit in the Harmy was coloured green. As Quartermaster to a C.C.F. contingent, we had shovels, pickaxes, folding shovels, masts, tripods, jerry cans, you name it, green. As to why? That pale pickaxe handle (what you lovingly shaded it to) would stand out easily for a roving patrol to pick up and home in on. Similarly, shiny things were routinely 'dulled down'. I saw candle flames used on buckles (picked up and used by the producers of "Band of Brothers") and old, matt finish, lecky tape used on rifle barrels and the like. I think it was a procedure picked up from experience after W.W.2. Certainly, regulars from the late eighties onward, when I was participating, were adamant that not one pale thing, nor any shiney thing, made it out of the barrack room. That extended to ears, eyelids and palms on "Sneaky beakies" to locate 'the enemy'.
Sam

P.S. It became 'de rigour' to pack "Wet wipes" to clean yourself up at the end of a weekend or camp. Cammo paint resisted water - it had to, if you were rained on, you did NOT want to end up 'paleface' and be seen - so only the surfactant (or whatever) in the propriety bum wipes could restore you to normal pigmentation.

Clean up after a weekends manoeuvres always felt worse than the manoeuvres themselves

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Yalla Arddy? An awful lot of kit in the Harmy was coloured green. As Quartermaster to a C.C.F. contingent, we had shovels, pickaxes, folding shovels, masts, tripods, jerry cans, you name it, green. As to why? That pale pickaxe handle (what you lovingly shaded it to) would stand out easily for a roving patrol to pick up and home in on. Similarly, shiny things were routinely 'dulled down'. I saw candle flames used on buckles (picked up and used by the producers of "Band of Brothers") and old, matt finish, lecky tape used on rifle barrels and the like. I think it was a procedure picked up from experience after W.W.2. Certainly, regulars from the late eighties onward, when I was participating, were adamant that not one pale thing, nor any shiney thing, made it out of the barrack room. That extended to ears, eyelids and palms on "Sneaky beakies" to locate 'the enemy'.
Sam

P.S. It became 'de rigour' to pack "Wet wipes" to clean yourself up at the end of a weekend or camp. Cammo paint resisted water - it had to, if you were rained on, you did NOT want to end up 'paleface' and be seen - so only the surfactant (or whatever) in the propriety bum wipes could restore you to normal pigmentation.

I know how Pongo stores work.
Been there done that.

In WW2, a lot was not painted, as it was deemed not important enough.
After WW2 a lot was painted.

At Men In Shed, I got a lot of funding and advice from Bovington Tank Museum, Warmister of Infantry, Larkhill and best of all.
A few WW2 vets, who come to the RBL Shed.

I know pongos and Boot Necks like things green and hard to see.


One Pick Axe will stay with me. One will go to a Bovington as a thanks for all the help and items we get to restore.

Next in line is 10 Tilley medical lamps, Tilley heaters, 4x No 12 stoves. Plus a few DDR field stoves.

 

[SammyQ]

Seems reasonable.

I was merely addressing your apparent puzzlement in the first post re use of paint.