Rusty Old Axe Restoration - Custom Handle and Mirror Polish

This weeks project is a special one to me as this axe used to belong to my grandfather who sadly is no longer with us but i was digging digging through his old stuff in the garage and found this old axe / hatchet. Ive got no idea the history behind it but its certainly taken a beating over the years thats for sure. So lets crack on and see if we can give it another lease of life.
As usual my first job is inspecting the item to make sure it can be restored and im glad to say yes this axe head can be successfully brought back to life as there are no cracks or major chips in it.
So after inspection it was flung into the parts washer to remove all the spiderwebs and built up crud. After this the head was put into a bath of DEOX C over night to remove all the rust with George on patrol making sure nothing happened to it.
Once the rust was removed the severe pitting and chips were clear to see so i took the axe head to the belt sander and set about smoothing out the surface in preparation for the mirror polishing. This took a while and involved a few different grades of sanding belt but im very pleased with how the axe smoothed out.
I then proceeded to re-stamp the number 5 into the head with my metal letter and number punches. After this it was time to set about the polishing stage, This took a couple of hours but its time well spent in my opinion. I start with a coarse cutting compound and worked my way up to a fine jewelers rouge compound which left me with a finish i was more than happy with.
I then layed some masking tape onto the axe head to protect it from scratches while fitting the handle. Now as i stated in my last axe restoration im not a woodworker by any stretch of the imagination so i bought a preformed handle but to give it the Really Random Channel feel i set about modifying it slightly in the form of a nice inlayed leather grip.
To create the inlay i set the depth on my pillar drill and used my compound milling table to mill the recess out extremely accurately so that when i lay the leather in it should all fit first time and sit level with the rest of the handle.
Before i could lay the leather inlay i had to apply my finish of choice which is shou sugi ban which i like because it makes every piece i make unique to me. once the charring is sanded back im left with a finish thats ready for oiling but before that i spread contact adhesive onto the handle and tightly wrap the leather around it.
Then it is simply a case of hanging the handle which is pretty self explanatory from watching the video and giving the whole thing a nice coat of danish oil to bring out the beautiful colours of the handle.
I really hope youve enjoyed this video and you can find links below to the products used and my other media accounts.
Enjoy.
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A new addition to my videos from now on will be a water mark and my channel name popping up in random places throughout the video as im getting rather tired of people re-uploading my content as their own i hope you guys understand.
If you like what you see and have any ideas for the channel or would even like to donate something to restore to the channel please get in touch. :)
And as usual if you liked the video please like share and subscribe and help the channel grow.
PATREON If you would like to help support the channel you can find my patreon account here / rrcrestoration
INSTAGRAM- / rrcrestoration
More videos can be found here- / @rrcrestoration
#Restoration #Axe #Rusty
Really Random Channel
Rusty Old Axe Restoration - Custom Handle and Mirror Polish

[@RRCRestoration]

Hey Guys, As you have probably noticed already i have updated the channel name and logo. The channel is no longer Really Random Channel it is now RRC Restoration. Just incase you were wondering why the water marks in the video still say Really Random Channel. Enjoy.

[@jasonphillips3865]

Beautiful work with such poignancy and attention to detail. You sir are an artisan to your passion. 👍🏻👏🏻

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you very much, I try my best ;)

[@jonlodi4307]

You did a great job with the axe. Love the way you burnt the handle. Good job!!!

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you very much :)

[@PeteBeardsley]

Shiny! Beautiful job. I'm sure your Grandfather is smiling with pride.

[@RRCRestoration]

Nice to see you again ;) Thank you for your kind comment :)

[@glynchivers9519]

Great job, nice to see George doing his rounds 😁

[@kennethkingery2586]

Great save. Never throw away old stuff.

[@achimkohlhage1328]

Great newalike hatchet.. congrats.

[@Šone_2002_srb]

Hands up for our restoration guru

[@________________4979]

Excellent Restoration !

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you :)

[@chuckbickford120]

Awesome job nice 👍

[@yvesdesrosiers2396]

Ooooo shiny! Me like shiny! Lol nice job. Thanks for sharing.

[@RRCRestoration]

Thanks for watching :)

[@DanTyson]

Outstanding once again. The attention to detail you bring to every project is astonishing. You re stamped the 5, who does that? Your Grandad would be so proud of you, well done yet again.

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you very much for your kind comment :)

[@HunnenDoog]

Beautiful!

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you :)

[@memybikeni9931]

I love your restoration vids, nothing like seeing old tools brought back to life. Can I please ask what is the white compound you use to de rust them ?

[@MegaTheRatman]

Disagreed with some your handle hanging and burning techniques but lovely job on the head. Surprised you didn't need to go to multiple stages of finer grit sanding. Overall, well done!

[@adamvirostko5557]

I have a question, is it ok to "leave" the axe without heat treat? I don't mean just grinding, but what about all those years just getting rusty... Thanks! Anyway I must say, you did great job

[@Gterr1971]

I love the burnt finish .i do the same to my tools. As soon as you hit it with the boiled linseed oil I breathed a sigh of relief. Looks nice. I have too many axes.

[@valmonta3647]

Great work as always mate. May i ask what kind of rust remover you using ?

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you, I use deox c

[@valmonta3647]

@@RRCRestoration thank you for the reply. Ill try to see if i can get that here.

[@jonlodi4307]

What was that white powder you put in the hot water??

[@RRCRestoration]

Deox c

[@chrissyb5447]

what solution do you use to remove the rust. i`ve watched you use it a few times and seems really effective?

[@mmeeks4812]

What did you use to soak the ax in?

[@Mistraker]

Putting a mirror finish on a tool that was never supposed to have it isn't a restoration. The dark finish of the original was to prevent rust and extend the life of the tool. The correct step would be to restore that finish, not to destroy it. You did not restore this axe; you damaged it beyond repair.

[@hiteshadhikari]

May your grandpa RIP but his axe will always remind you of him when you use it

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you very much for your kind comment :)

[@davidschwartz5127]

Yea, but it looks brand new?

[@hiteshadhikari]

@@davidschwartz5127 why should it look brand new? 😅 The love is most vital

[@davidschwartz5127]

@@hiteshadhikari I like good old looking tools that show the tool has a character and the tough times it been thru like me. I'm 73YO and worked hard all my life because I want too!

[@ЕвгенийШиряев-л8ь]

Великолепный канал, смотрю с самого начала появления, каждый ролик с нетерпением!

[@jrand2631]

Really nice job mate! When I saw the axe head and the title said "Mirror Polish" I said "No Way!" but again you proved me wrong! lol 😄 - it's a great hommage to your grandad. 👍 And I love the stop motion in the beginning. 😊

[@RRCRestoration]

Nice to see you again, Thanks for leaving a comment and im glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@oscarbrsting954]

10 likes, 0 views off course. You are the only youtuber who can do that. Keep up the good work.

[@RRCRestoration]

Haha ive never noticed that before its very flattering :)

[@cesartabaso6110]

fantastic!!! It is better than when it left the factory ... congratulations, for the excellent work ..👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you very much :)

[@adisor38]

As no one noticed that the handle was mounted incorrectly, it is the other way around, the side by the edge of the axe had to be towards the cutting side.

[@CombatFrame]

rly nice also why not tempering???

[@RESTORATIONOFSCRAPMETAL]

Great job buddy 👍Subscribed

[@chriswills9530]

Nice work. Love the Really Random Channel sticker turning up in Really Random places =:-)) One thing - for anyone using Danish Oil for the first time - It's really important to leave your used rags laid out flat after use - they can catch fire if left all scrunched up when wet with oil. But I love oil finish rather than varnish too; easy to touch up and more forgiving, generally.

[@getyourkicksagain]

@STtyrone From Wikipedia: Rags used for Danish oil, like those used for linseed oil, have some potential risk of spontaneous combustion and starting fires from exothermic oxidation, so it is best to dry rags flat before disposing of them, or else soak them in water.

[@RRCRestoration]

@Chris Wills Hi, Thanks for leaving a comment. Thanks for commenting about the fire risk of the oil and rags for those who dont know about it. My rags always go outside when they have been used with oils to prevent this as ive had a close call before where it started smoldering just a good job i was still in the workshop at the time or the outcome could have been disastrous :(

[@chriswills9530]

@@getyourkicksagain Brilliant description, mate. Thanks.

[@evaporated_toast9039]

You wrapped the handle wrong/ the ends gonna come loose now

[@Mr.Blue987]

Do you have fun find spots to sneak your sticker in? Or is it there to stop people covering up your watermark and re-uploading?

[@RRCRestoration]

The latter, I like to try and choose the most awkward spots to put my logo to make it as difficult as i can to remove or cover them up. It gets very tedious having to file copyright claims from people stealing videos constantly :(

[@AhuCJ]

Another amazing video! Can't wait for the big project!!! Notification squad from India! . . . . . Can you do some diy videos teaching us how to do these? Like what do you use to remove rust etc

[@RRCRestoration]

First episode of the big project is the next video to come out ;)

[@RestorationAustralia]

Nice job looks great

[@tonywalker8030]

I suggest a tack to keep the leather in place.

[@x84pav84x]

Отличная работа. Мой дедушка топорища делал такие, что залюбуешься.

[@Šone_2002_srb]

1:04 WHAT A MAGIC 🤙🤙🔥🔥

[@manishburade1162]

Awasome 🙏👍 work 🇮🇳🚩💯

[@davidzanitzer948]

u put the handle in the wrong way

[@freshhealthy8118]

I ❤️ George

[@RRCRestoration]

Me to :)

[@andrewgeorge6351]

If you want some coulor on handle you stain it not burn it and you don’t put leather on a handle as if was to get wet it would slip out of your hand.

[@23hublock1]

Tomahawk!

[@johnbrookbank2969]

Love the older axes , better metal and most all are built with correct chopping angles ! This one reminds me of camping with parents as a kid , looks to be about th e right size for me to chop wood for our fire ! Want not waste not ! thanks for sharing the great work !

[@gavinspencer1796]

Lovely job. But the condition of that saw 🤣🤣🤣

[@RRCRestoration]

Haha yeah you can tell by its condition i dont do a lot of woodworking haha.

[@gayle525]

Should have wrapped those ends under when winding your leather. It will be the first thing to loosen up when used.

[@drewwalters7010]

What kind of sandpaper did you use to make it shiny like that?

[@SaudiFalcon6927]

Excellent work.. Does it require hardness process??!!

[@suprasta9931]

KAMPREEET CE BONG BRO 👍🏽👌👏👏🙏🇫🇷✌️

[@alexsadated4696]

Отличная работа!!!! Лайк!!!

[@PauloMonti]

Simplesmente lindo. Nunca mais eu usaria esse machado. Ficaria em exposição como uma obra de arte! :D \o/

[@macgyver15147]

George is creeping me out. I think your shop is haunted

[@poppypuppy5372]

now you need to work on that tenon saw...

[@RRCRestoration]

I agree haha

[@MegaCAMARLENGO]

Buen trabajo, una restauración con un resultado sorprendente.

[@isakflataas]

What is the name of the powder you used on the rust?

[@mavos1211]

What an incredible finish! I would never have seen the potential in that axe seeing it in its original state.... the amount of things that have probably been thrown in the past because they think it’s beyond repair. As a single full time dad with 2 daughters and registered disabled. It would be a Dream come true to own my own workshop and complete projects. Watching your channel makes me feel closer to my dream being there each step of the way. Thank you for sharing these projects they really do mean a lot to me.

[@RRCRestoration]

Nice to see you again :) Thank you for leaving a kind comment and im so very glad my videos bring you a lot of enjoyment :)

[@terminalpsychosis8022]

Wow that thing was in bad shape. Amazing how well it cleaned up. After all that sanding, more like a 4.9 than a 5 now ay? :P Nice job as usual. Love seeing neglected tools brought back to life. Mostly better than ever too. :)

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you very much for leaving a comment. Glad you enjoyed the project :)

[@martinljubevski2956]

v

[@michaelskinner896]

Glad to see that George was on patrol, and I enjoyed the rest of the stop-motion. Beautiful work! The leather handle was a really nice touch.

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you very much, Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@user-dt5ro]

I wish you all the best it's never easy losing a loved one I lost my mum in January 💙 Great work by the way I'm waiting for my new sand blaster to be delivered

[@eetsman3683]

javier guzman when did I ask

[@habakanaba]

Great job!! Mirror finish indeed lol👌🏼👌🏼👍🏼. . . .. .the handle looks great too!

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you ,Glad you liked it :)

[@danshep69]

Great job, love the burning!

[@richardlaurent7229]

What are you putting in the bottle?

[@lightning4871]

You do excellent work and make viewing very interesting. Good camera work and the timing moves things along to people want to watch.

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you very much, Im glad you enjoy my videos :)

[@TheVwgolfmk1]

Great job on the axe, I have to admit that when I saw it for the first time I thought " I hope he is up to date with his tetanus shots." As usual another fabulous restoration, well done. Love it.

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you so much for your kind comment :)

[@MadMathMike]

1) Why did you remove the rust chemically before removing most of the material with sanding? 2) Most wooden-handled tool restorations I've seen on KZbin use wood good on the wedge that goes into the top of the handle, but you only used Danish Oil. Why is that? 3) I love the leather wrapping on the handle. It is simple, but it looks great, I bet it is more comfortable, and it really sets the handle apart from most axe restorations I've seen. Well done! Thanks for uploading! :-)

[@jabbawok944]

MadMathMike 1) metal oxides are very hard, much easier to remove it chemically first then sand the relatively soft metal.

[@MadMathMike]

@@jabbawok944 Oh, that's interesting! I never thought about the hardness of the oxides vs the metals. Thanks! :-D

[@ahmadali2254]

I didn’t like the way u sharpen it

[@somyRed]

Very nice! I really like the handle.

[@johnkingston7244]

Very much enjoy your attention to detail - and the animations! Watching your Ducati resto with interest...

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you :)

[@КошмарКошмар-й2б]

Hi bro 👋👋👋 good to see you 🤝🤝🤝 there are no words, the work on the restoration of the axe at the highest level 👍👍👍

[@RRCRestoration]

Nice to see you again, Thank you for the kind comment and im glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@wetdedstuocm]

Nicely done, like the leather wrapped handle. All she needs now is a leather sheath.. Good to see George on patrol.. Peace

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you ,Glad you enjoyed it :) Yeah im on the hunt for a nice sheath for it to keep it looking good.

[@wadewells808]

Your Grandfather would be proud. You honored him well. Very nice job!

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you for your kind comment :)

[@tomwolmuth3165]

What is the Name or how is it called, whith which you have removed the rust?

[@Bwaname]

Tom Wolmuth Bilt Hamber Deox 80

[@milanfanas]

I personally don't like burnt finish, but awesome job!

[@RRCRestoration]

Yeah its a finish that doesn't sit will with most people but i love the way burnt wood looks :)

[@aliqasim1909]

Oh!! My God .contnyou

[@gayle525]

Beautiful job.

[@Kai77884]

Hello a great work 👍👍👍from Germany 🇩🇪 👋👋👋Kai

[@RRCRestoration]

Nice to see you again, Glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@azreltsukahara9432]

Really love the finishing touch of that handle..danish oil really makes it a lot better..bring out those beautiful wood grains..nicely done..👍👍👍👌👌👌

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you very much, Im glad you liked it :)

[@azreltsukahara9432]

@@RRCRestoration welcome bud..

[@koshtie]

Hi RRC Sir WOW you made a cracking job of that, leather binding the handle made it a bit special, you would get good money for that from a bush crafter, nice to see crack head George make an appearance, he loves that powder ha ha, ATB Wayne.

[@koshtie]

Sorry about your Grandad should have read title first, W.

[@RRCRestoration]

Nice to see you again sir ;), Im glad you enjoyed the project, Im extremely pleased the way this one turned out :)

[@koshtie]

That should take pride of place, I have my Grandads box of old tools, I should go through them and do something similar ! by the way what's that powder you use for rust removal, it's unreal? W.

[@neilcole3406]

That will probably out live us all!

[@jamestruong994]

George made and appearance

[@cameronlewington3005]

Overkill!!

[@jameslatham3521]

Slick!

[@beatsomgaragem2185]

Wow! 👏👏👏👏👏

[@sbains560]

Absolutely amazing work Well done sir

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you :)

[@bojidarvasilev8854]

My favourite restoration channel 👍👍👍

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you so much :)

[@maycogaming5180]

Qué buen trabajo

[@bondar429]

mega cool work. definitely like!

[@RRCRestoration]

Glad you like it :)

[@RoomiesGarage]

Nice job on the ax ...

[@RRCRestoration]

Thanks :)

[@yeagerxp]

Well done 👍👍👍. Thanks for sharing

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you for watching :)

[@01sapphireGTS]

Bravo ~

[@MS-xq4ze]

Hi i need that axe how much you want

[@RRCRestoration]

Sorry its not for sale

[@sonyhk3824]

It's awesome restoration. Thanks

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you for watching :)

[@misticrider4785]

What can I say another great Job

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you very much :)

[@theravedaddy]

40 people unimpressed with you polishing your chopper? Some people need to enjoy life a bit more!

[@daddyjohn2131950]

AWESOME! SHOW US MORE!

[@RRCRestoration]

More coming soon ;)

[@djevo3441]

Awesome job

[@RRCRestoration]

Thank you :)

[@x84pav84x]

Ну кто же так точит топор?

[@rus5310]

Топор с али экспресс заказывал видать 🤣пришлось переделать....

[@hardrock1501]

Лезвие топора не должно резать бумагу, оно должно рубить дерево !!!