What’s the best way to get the rust off and sharpen this axe? I’m not looking to restore it, just clean it up, I’d like to use it to make kindling.
If you are not re-hafting it then a wire brush, hand held or powered in a drill or Dremel, is probably all you can do. Or rub it with something like Evapo-Rust. If you are going to re-haft it then you can take it off the old shaft and soak it in vinegar or use electrolysis. Some links here: How to Restore an Axe Electrolytic Rust Removal Aka Magic
I've used electrolytic rust removal with cold water rinse and a steel brush to remove the black oxides. A bit more work but just using a wire brush will work but throws alot of rusty dust into the air. I used this method to clean up an old blacksmithed hookarooon head found in a log cabin style barn.
A brass wire brush will remove the rust and leave some patina. A steel wire brush will take it down to bare metal. Either on an angle grinder makes quick work but a bit of a mess.
There are many commercial rust removers available but I have used hydrochloric or muriatic acid to remove rust from pitted metals depending on the strength of the acid it can be a dip and rinse or a soak in the solution just remember it makes the metal extremely active and it will rust quickly after rinsing you need to oil soak or gun blue the metal to keep it from rusting this methot will remove the rust but it will not surface the metal smooth so depending on the finish you want you may have to grind and polish the surface anyway JB
I second the vinegar suggestion. I don’t know that you would even have to remove it from the handle. Maybe brush some oil on the handle by the head before soaking? Or brush it with candle wax to help keep the vinegar off the wood. Either way, I don’t think the vinegar will affect the wood. They never had problems with old pickle barrels, right?
I will second jb sawman - muriatic acid will make that shiny in no time. Rinse very well, wear a respirator, you don't want that to burn your nose/throat inhaling it. I used it before and it made quick easy work of all the rust. Hardest part was dealing with the pitting after the rust was gone. It will flash rust again after 24 hours so follow up with a treatment of some kind, oil or blue it as he recommended.
Funny coca-cola always made my head pretty foggy (Maybe it was the Jack Daniels mixed in) Coca cola has many uses just think you actually drink something that will remove rust and free up stuck bolts I think cola syrup was also used to relieve upset stomach's JB
I would not recommend soaking with the handle on. The wood fibers will absorb liquid, swell, get crushed by the steel, dry and shrink. Then you'll have a loose head. Soaking in water was an old fix for loose axes but always ended with the need for a new handle.
My great grandfather used to store axe heads with handle in a bucket of sand with old motor oil in it. I guess it kept the rust off and kept the wood swollen for a while. I'm replacing some of the handle now that the axes are mine.
These kinds of tidbits are the little golden pieces of yesteryear that don't really happen today. They also make you wonder if they will work or not.
