Axe surface finish - just for fun recomendations

[michiganbuck]

A highly polished one will be easily spotted by a reflection of the sun, and your enemy may see you coming and shoot you before you can swing the Axe.

 

[pcm81]

Sand blasted, then ran on soft-ish de-burring wheel, then quickly cleaned with emry on seciel wheel. Might need to use rust remover or caustic soda or some other chemical means to clean out the pits.
Haven't settled on final finish yet. Handle is not mounted, just inserted for show. Considering zinc nickel plate or manganese phosphate.

 

[Bill D]

EDTA AKA evaporust will get rid of the rust and not attack organic stuff like wood. Safe enough to eat.
Bill D

 

[D Nelson]

I made this one from a-2 for the head and maple for the handle. Hunting hatchet
Don


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[CITIZEN F16]

I was 9, he was 6'2, 250 lbs and had a leather belt with indian head nickels every 3 inches, he was not shy about using it.

I stacked the rocks

Sounds like fun. I was about the same age, last day of school I came home to find two huge piles of rocks in the driveway. I got to spread them all over the backyard, the lawn in back was replaced by a swimming pool and dad wanted the rest covered with rocks. I can't believe how many kids these days never have chores, I had them when I turned 5.

 

[mhajicek]

A highly polished one will be easily spotted by a reflection of the sun, and your enemy may see you coming and shoot you before you can swing the Axe.

In the woods, however, a polished one will reflect the trees and create natural camo.

 

[pcm81]

EDTA AKA evaporust will get rid of the rust and not attack organic stuff like wood. Safe enough to eat.
Bill D

2% EDTA is exactly what i have the other axe heads soaking in now.

 

[pcm81]

I made this one from a-2 for the head and maple for the handle. Hunting hatchet
Don


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NICE one! Well done.

 

[jerholz]

I've never polished an ax head, but every few years I put a mirror finish on the faces of my bucking bars. Aluminum rivets just about buck themselves and if you're working at a weird angle, you can see the rivet in the polished face.

I use scotch bright belts on my belt grinder followed by a buffing wheel and polishing compound mounted on an arbor in my Bridgeport. It's actually kind of fun



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[rons]

Nice and shinny is pretty to look at. But not practical if the axe is used.
Abrade the surface on both sides with lines running from edge to back. Then plate it.

 

[pcm81]

After zinc nickel electro plating. I know looks grey like fresh iron, but won't rust...

 

[rons]

Sandblasted will rust faster.

Interesting. I might have noticed that too with bead blasting. Why?

 

[pcm81]

Interesting. I might have noticed that too with bead blasting. Why?

it exposes unprotected surface and has large surface area due to scratches, increasing the area where oxidation reaction can occur.
Bead blasting has the same effect, but to a smaller extent since it leaves depressions rather than scratches. Water can easier accumulate and stay inside a deep narrow scratch.

 

[john.k]

Never need to worry...the eucalyptus sap turns the axe a sort of blue black that never rusts.......anyhoo,I cant chop down trees any more,hurts the arthritis in my elbows and shoulders.

 

[Kevin T]

I made this one from a-2 for the head and maple for the handle. Hunting hatchet
Don


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When are you gonna sharpen it?


PS Beautiful BTW.

 

[D Nelson]

It is sharp
Don


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[D Nelson]

It is sharp
Don


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The tool path had the cutting edge modeled in it
Don


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[WizardOfBoz]

In an essay on religion, Ben Franklin had this amusing secular story about axes and polishing them:

"Like the Man who in buying an Ax of a Smith my neighbor, desired to have the whole of its Surface as bright as the Edge; the Smith consented to grind it bright for him if he would turn the Wheel. He turn’d while the Smith press’d the broad Face of the Ax hard & heavily on the Stone, which made the Turning of it very fatiguing. The Man came every now & then from the Wheel to see how the Work went on; and at length would take his Ax as it was without farther Grinding. No, says the Smith, Turn on, turn on; we shall have it bright by and by; as yet ’tis only speckled. Yes, says the Man; but—I think I like a speckled Ax best."

 

[pcm81]

In an essay on religion, Ben Franklin had this amusing secular story about axes and polishing them:

"[FONT=&]Like the Man who in buying an Ax of a Smith my neighbor, desired to have the whole of its Surface as bright as the Edge; the Smith consented to grind it bright for him if he would turn the Wheel. He turn’d while the Smith press’d the broad Face of the Ax hard & heavily on the Stone, which made the Turning of it very fatiguing. The Man came every now & then from the Wheel to see how the Work went on; and at length would take his Ax as it was without farther Grinding. No, says the Smith, Turn on, turn on; we shall have it bright by and by; as yet ’tis only speckled. Yes, says the Man; but—I think I like a speckled Ax best."[/FONT]

Let there be light... and electric buffers...

 

[partsproduction]

It would only take minutes to polish an axe head to a mirror finish. Then send it off to be nitrided.
Nitrided surfaces are very low friction, and wear seemingly forever. If you wanted it really gaudy you could have it titanium nitrided for a gold finish!
My first thought was PTFE like they bake onto commercial food dies, but they won't withstand scratches long, whereas nitride will.