axes

[Degsy]

Found these when sorting out my dads shed. Any advice on cleaning and sharpening would be much appreciated1099109610971098

[jus_young]

Wire brush, wet and dry paper and plenty of elbow grease! I wouldn't get too close to a grinding wheel as it would be too easy to overheat the cutting edge and lose the hardened edge. (not trying to teach you to suck eggs)

As for the broken handles, I would try chiseling them out or failing that use a hot metal rod and burn them out. You could produce a very interesting 'full tang' axe with the handled one.

[swkieran]

do they have any makers mark on them,one of them looks like one i aquired a few months ago,and im still working on it now :),like above use a wire brush,pref one you can attach to a power drill or anlge grinder,it will take the hard graft out and all the years of muck,then attack the edge with metal files to take any burrs out work with the roughest grade to the finest grade then wet and dry it,most people dont realise old english tools and metal workings are as every good as the swedes and fins :) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx good luck :)

[MartiniDave]

You might try soaking them in vinigar for a few days, a day at a time, and see how they come up - any old viegar will do, nothing special.

Dave

[J_P]

looks like and Ellwell axe head and a kent pattern hedge hog brand head good find a good ire brush off and an oil up and some new ash helves will give you 2 axes for life there buddy!!

[Kiltie]

The top one looks cast and not wrought/forged (modern cheapo-Rolson maybe, the large one looks like a pick for hewing stone, and the bottom one looks like a run of the mill 'but old 'hatchet' (for chopping kindling) as it has a largish poll, great way to clean up steel and iron is with citric acid (commomly found in bath bombs) or can be bought off evil-bay for pennies, they all have potential, personaly I'd stick with the top and bottom irons, take them to a blacksmith after cleaning and ask to have them tempered, pity you cant find a stamp on bottom two from the 2nd pic.

[JonnyP]

Those two heads look like two that Hedgehog renovated http://www.bushcraftliving.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10994
Nice find and a nice project to get them sorted..

[Degsy]

Thanks for the advice boys, might make a start on them at the weekend

[J_P]

Those two heads look like two that Hedgehog renovated http://www.bushcraftliving.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10994
Nice find and a nice project to get them sorted..

I have a Hedgehog axe petes done, its all i use its beautiful..

[JonnyP]

I have a Hedgehog axe petes done, its all i use its beautiful..

His work just keeps getting better and better. Why am I not surprised you have one of Pete's axes lol