Abused Axe Repair 2 Sanding and Bluing

Part 2 in the series where I repair and clean up an abused TrueTemper Flint Edge Kelly Works Connecticut Pattern Axe head.
Brownells Oxpho-Blue Parent a.co/d/0cvPFvmk

[@pwaterdu]

Turned out really nice! Yes full build plz. A candidate for a Whisky River "Heritage" if there ever was one :)

[@Nsvens89]

I definitely consider it for a min! But I only have one kicking around at the moment and it's being saved for another project. I started working on the handle last night and picked a 28" curved househandle that I plan on shaping up. It's got absolutely perfect grain so I'm hoping it comes out nice! Stay tuned and thanks for chiming in 👍

[@nickcaplanson4124]

Excellent job. Great content

[@Nsvens89]

Thanks Nick! I appreciate it.

[@darrenbowers3267]

Looks good the perfectionist in me would have to get rid of the scratches lol. Full build please. Yesterday I did a half hatchet/carpenters hatchet restoration owner said it was beautiful and looked like brand new but now it looks to good to use lol. I'm not really into those to much myself. Darren

[@Nsvens89]

I hear you Darren! I was fighting the urge to keep going... and going .... and going. But wanted to stick to what I had planned for the project. In the future I may do a fully sanded and more perfect finish but I wanted this in a different direction. Cleaned, restored, very serviceable but will he a user (hopefully) I think I will post this one on ebay when done and that's another factor in not wanting to put too too much time in finishing the head. It will probably not make a huge difference in the price it fetches at the end of the day. Thanks for watching and commenting!!!

[@brettbrown9814]

I'm liking it!

[@Nsvens89]

Worked on the handle for a little bit tonight! I'm happy with how it's coming along. Stay tuned 👍

[@Joey-L]

Full build !!

[@Nsvens89]

Haha I'd be disappointed if you said no Joey! It's in the works man👍

[@mikenormandy9250]

I finally got the rafter in the mail! It was held at the NJ port for over two weeks!!! Got a chip in the pole just like your Connie here - it was sold as unmarked Rafter but as I do the cleaning and sandpaper ordeal, I see a few letters of “Vulcan” but it doesn’t look like the TT Vulcan Kelly Works stamp were used too? Looks like it just says Vulcan where it would in a Three line BUT it’s twice as small? Any idea of originality? I also started my plumb Connie which I had no idea the garage sale axe I got from some dude on FBMP was a Connie lol. This three line is beautiful bro!

[@Nsvens89]

Nice score on a plumb Connie at a garage sale! I'm a sucker for plumbs as you know. As far as the vulcan maybe it's a Kelly Works axe prior to the TrueTemper purchasing them. I'll drop a link below that shows some of the old vulcan logos. The site in general is great for looking up old stamps and some axe history! Definitely keep me updated! www.yesteryearstools.com/Yesteryears%20Tools/Kelly%20Axe%20Mfg.%20Co.%20.html

[@TLBF]

At 10:00, what are you using to blue the axe head? Thanks for posting!

[@Nsvens89]

On this head I used Brownells OXPHO-BLUE. I just picked it up off Amazon. I have used Birchwood Casey super blue before and it seemed to work about the same. I'll put the Amazon link below and also toss it in the video description. Thanks for watching! Brownells Oxpho-Blue Parent a.co/d/0cvPFvmk

[@_BigLife_]

Any full build will be cool. This is almost the exact same process I use. If I remember correctly, 180 or 120 grit has always removed file marks for me. I also stop at 400 as I think it is a very nice finish. Great video, man. Thanks for sharing.

[@rcosg542yt]

A full build video would be great. I have the same head but its the oversized 4.5 lb one. Id like to see what direction you go. I am throwing around ideas for what handle to hang on mine. Thinking a 30c from whiskey river but might end up just making a custom one. I often get inspiration from your videos so id like to see a build here.

[@Nsvens89]

Thanks for the kind words!!! It's awesome that the videos are helping give inspiration to others and their projects! I started working on the handle last night. I picked at 28" curved househandle for it. It's got text book perfect grain. Completely vertical and no run out. I plan on shaping it how I've done the others and giving it a scroll end. It's hard to go wrong with a nice 30C also. When I'm done shaping mine they are very similar. But that extra pound might do better on that 30 in handle over the 28 I'm using. I'd you're on Instagram(I'm @nsvensen89) definitely shoot me a message! I'd love to see yours and what you do for a handle.

[@coreysheets4862]

I've been following and watching along, and I think it was a few vids back you rehung the Tas onto that WR handle. Instead of switching the handle why not laminate a nice palm swell? I'm thinking of doing it for a Craftsman i have on a thin House handle.

[@Nsvens89]

Thanks for watching! And I've done a couple of lamination on handles and enjoy them. The problem I have with it is the handle needs to have enough meat in the poll to bit direction because the lamination only makes the handle wider in width. The old handle on the tassie in had already thinned down a while back and was a bit small in both directions. Also when you laminate the pieces on you want the handle a little thicker so you can blend the transition nicely. Next time I do a lamination I'll try to grab some footage of it!!

[@_BigLife_]

Any full build will be cool. This is almost the exact same process I use. If I remember correctly, 180 or 120 grit has always removed file marks for me. I also stop at 400 as I think it is a very nice finish. Great video, man. Thanks for sharing.

[@Nsvens89]

Full build is underway man! I appreciate it. I wanted to keep the scratch pattern deeper on this one to help hide some of the other marks so I didn't go too fine. If it was smoother overall I'd have probably gone up to 400. I think this rougher finish took the bluing nice though.

[@_BigLife_]

@@Nsvens89 It definitely turned out nice

[@coreysheets4862]

And Id rather get it as smooth or finished as I can with files. Sanding sucks

[@Nsvens89]

The sanding does definitely suck. That big Nickelson is pretty aggressive and bit deep. The deeper scratches showed up more after sanding and I didn't want to start over. If I was looking to remove all of the pitting I would have gone that route. It's hard to decide how far to take a project at times haha. I'd love to get a 2x72 sander in the future but that's a ways out.

[@lancemillward2462]

ive been restoring a tuatahi racing axe that the previous owner welded a galv pipe in the eye as a handle. some people shouldnt be allowed to own tools

[@Nsvens89]

Haha I've thought this many times looking at poorly abused heads. A pipe in a race axe is next level though!!!! I hope you are able to get it out and back in service! That's a hell of a story if you can haha.

[@brettbrown9814]

I saw a similar axe to the one you described on Trade me here in New Zealand.

[@elvispusley3515]

Full build please

[@Nsvens89]

You're in luck! I've already done a full build on this head. I will toss a link to the Playlist for it below. Enjoy! Abused Axe Repair Project: kzbin.info/aero/PL6ujiHEU8q7Lt7nYDUkGetbijBLbOcU-R