Can you help me bring an old hatchet back to life

[trax]

I've been following this thread, contributing nothing, just waited for everyone to come around and agree with Dad. After all, he should know how old stuff likes to be treated.

Sounds like a nice piece of equipment to own anyway, ADEPT. One of the things that always broke my heart was the number of antique tools that disappeared when my first Dad passed away. He had carpentry tools that belonged to his Grandfather and still used them. A few of his "friends" managed to help themselves to some really cool stuff that should have been inherited by me and my brothers.

[klkak]

That hatchet didn't have a "mammy made" hand carved handle on it when it was new. Why put one on it now. Any good hardware store will have hatchet handles. That style of hatchet would have had a straight handle on it.

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[Reiver]

+1 on ol' coot's solution. I think it would not have had a mirror finish originally, so keep it as is. Just put an edge and a period handle on it. Nice find mate, what a classic! <thumbs up>.

[Nomad]

I use a product called navel jelly. it will remove all the rust and leave you with clean metal which you can coat with oil and preserve it. Good on toast too...

[klkak]

I use a product called navel jelly. it will remove all the rust and leave you with clean metal which you can coat with oil and preserve it. Good on toast too...

Good on toast? I hope one of our less mature members doesn't try it on their toast!

[crashdive123]

Warning to our younger members - or older ones that may not know..... Naval jelly is a mild acid (organophosphoric acid) and should not be put on toast. Naval lint on the other hand.......

[AVENGED]

I Agree With Old Soldier. And With The Heat It'll Kina Leave You A Blank Canvas. You Can Either Polish It Up, Or There Even Tricks To Get It To Gain Some Surface Rust And Look Aged.

[old soldier]

I use a product called navel jelly. it will remove all the rust and leave you with clean metal which you can coat with oil and preserve it. Good on toast too...

I use Navel jell on old rusted truck frames after i've knocked off all the loose rust and before sand blasting,but before painting it's supposed to keep it from rusting anymore also. I think there is still a case of the peptoe bismoe looking stuf in the shop,

[old soldier]

an interesting site that i ran across while looking up some info on an old hatchet that i have..
http://www.yesteryearstools.com/Yest...s,%20etc..html

[ADEPT]

an interesting site that i ran across while looking up some info on an old hatchet that i have..
http://www.yesteryearstools.com/Yest...s,%20etc..html

hey thanks, great link, very interesting stuff.

[ADEPT]

I Agree With Old Soldier. And With The Heat It'll Kina Leave You A Blank Canvas. You Can Either Polish It Up, Or There Even Tricks To Get It To Gain Some Surface Rust And Look Aged.

I'm going with Coot's idea and leaving it with a more rustic/aged look.

[ADEPT]

I've been following this thread, contributing nothing, just waited for everyone to come around and agree with Dad. After all, he should know how old stuff likes to be treated.

Sounds like a nice piece of equipment to own anyway, ADEPT. One of the things that always broke my heart was the number of antique tools that disappeared when my first Dad passed away. He had carpentry tools that belonged to his Grandfather and still used them. A few of his "friends" managed to help themselves to some really cool stuff that should have been inherited by me and my brothers.

sorry to here that, but may karma or the laws of treating people right catch up with those people. I'm in a situation sort of like that now, but that's a whole other story.

[crashdive123]

ADEPT - remember....it's not an aged look....it's an experienced look.

[ADEPT]

That hatchet didn't have a "mammy made" hand carved handle on it when it was new. Why put one on it now. Any good hardware store will have hatchet handles. That style of hatchet would have had a straight handle on it.

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I'm having trouble finding one that I think does the head justice. Most just aren't sturdy enough for my liking. What type of wood do you think would be the most true to the period and hold up to heavy use? I'm not planning on using it but I want a tool that I could use and would hold up if I needed it.

[ADEPT]

ADEPT - remember....it's not an aged look....it's an experienced look.

haha true. all old folks jokes aside

[FVR]

Don't like the new stuff look. I like the used look.

Had a choice once, three bp pistols. 2 were new, one was dirt old. Yeh, I picked the old one.

Old things have stories somewhere. Some think that they may have medicine, while others just don't like to look like a new greenhorn.

Every piece of my gear has a story, if it doesn't, I get rid of it.

[trax]

Every piece of my gear has a story, if it doesn't, I get rid of it.

I always like your thinking Frank, any of my gear that didn't have a 'story' when I got it sure got one soon after.