WIP - hatchet restoration

[Noggsy]

Now, I've wanted a decent hatchet (I'm not sure exactly of the definition of hatchet, but a small trimming axe for removing waste quickly) for ages and when I saw Chrispy's offering for only two quid, I thought 'I'll have a bit of that' and so it began...

It arrived quickly (thanks Chrispy) and looked like this;


Not overly promising, but you have to look for the gold beneath the grime. I've read that Brades is a decent British make and so I was pleased and began to remove what was left of the handle;



Which required both drill;



And chisel;



There were four (count 'em) screws, as well a wedge which were well, er, wedged in and took a bit of removal. Leaving;



Next, clean up with sandpaper on a wooden disc and then a felt wheel;



Looking better;



Then, on to the handle;



Bandsaw, then draw knife;



And now sander;



Nearly done, just got to finish fitting the head, make a wooden wedge, finish the sanding and the oil. It's already got a great feel and I can see me using it a lot in the workshop.

Thanks for reading, I hope it wasn't boring (my first WIP).

 

[Spindle]

Hi

Nice restoration in progress =D>

Can't help thinking that electrolysis would have been a better option for the ironmongery though.

Regards Mick

 

[Noggsy]

Mick, thanks and I'm sure it would, but I have no idea how to do it.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

I have to agree with spindle - I prefer a black finish with a shiny bevel on my axes. I would have just ground the bevels, ground away any mushrooming where the poll has been struck, brushed of any loose rust then oiled with linseed. Still, each to their own preference - do let us see it finished and might just change my mind ...

 

[AndyT]

According to the rather fine 1941 catalogue on the ever useful Toolemera site here http://toolemera.com/Trade Catalogs/tradecatalogs194.html that's a Scout Hatchet with a 1lb head and should cost 22 shillings a dozen!

 

[Noggsy]

Cheers Andy, can't work out if that's more or less than I paid

 

[AndyT]

Cheers Andy, can't work out if that's more or less than I paid

It's approximately 9 pence each, but you still got a bargain!

 

[Chrispy]

Glad to see its getting a new lease of life. Thanks for the wip.

 

[bugbear]

I'm a little late, but the handle on this is nicely comfortable, and might have served as a pattern.

BugBear

 

[Spindle]

Mick, thanks and I'm sure it would, but I have no idea how to do it.

Hi Noggsy

Plenty of info on here re electrolysis - check it out before your next restoration

BB - very nice proportions =D>

Regards Mick

 

[Noggsy]

Thanks Mick.

BB - that looks great.

 

[Billy Flitch]

Noggsy I hope you don't mind me saying this but that helve looks to long for the head. JMHO but I think it might prove to be a little ungainly in use. Most Joiners used a 1 1/2 LB axe head with a ash helve around 12" long from the under side of the head.

 

[Noggsy]

Billy, I don't mind you saying at all and I think you might be right. This whole thing is a learning curve for me.

And here is the end result;



And this is where it will live;

 

[swb58]

Have a look at this hatchet that appeared on ebay lately, the handle is described as Orgonomic by the seller. Say no more . . . . . . Item number 321438135741

 

[Noggsy]

Hmmm, aren't the finger grips on the wrong side on the handle? Maybe that's orgonomics for you. At least it's decease-resistant.

 

[swb58]

I wonder if the user is decease resistant when he picks it up without looking and sinks it into his head :?

 

[bugbear]

If people need patterns for handles, I note that most of the high end manufacturers have beatifully illustrated catalogues and web sites

BugBear

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

Nice work there Noggsy. I really enjoy the resurrecting of rusted lumps of metal threads. Something entirely satisfying in witnessing the rebirth of an old faithful like that. I've fettled Dad's old plane collection but never restored anything that was truly knackered like that. It fascinates me and I will definitely have a go one day. But you've turned out a fine looking tool there and thanks for posting the WIP

 

[Sheffield Tony]

I hope nobody minds me posting links to another forum, but there is a pretty good Howto on replacing an axe handle by Robin Wood here:

https://www.bodgers.org.uk/BB/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=825
https://www.bodgers.org.uk/BB/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=830

This photo is from this years Bodgers ball. A neat way of holding an axe handle for shaping, which owes a lot to the pole lathe in its desiign:

 

[Billy Flitch]

Tony those are two very good links, Noggsy that axe looks like it always hung there.

It may seem strange to use a axe the reverse way round but the poll is meant to be used as a hammer. The main use a Joiner had for a axe was to make wall plugs, after he had cut them to shape he would use the poll of the axe to drive them into the wall, I never head of any one cutting them self in half.

I`ve seen German carpenters use the poll end of a double handed axe as a maul, to drive 12" spikes through roof rafters into the purlins,and American Carpenters use a riggers axe where the poll is a fully formed hammer head.They where originally used to build wooden oil rigs that's where the name riggers axe comes from.

As for terminology and I may be wrong here, but hatch is the french word for axe so by putting et on the end of the word you are turning it into the diminutive form so a hatchet is a small axe.

I still call mine axe, hatchet reminds me to much of when I was a kid and had to chop fire wood.