Axe and ball peen hammer restored

[Dirty Digger Doug]

My wife and I received permission to detect a historic farm house. Although we didn't find anything of value to us, we did find an axe head and a ball peen hammer head. The ax head is probably pre 1900 and the hammer head is made of chisel steel about 1910. I offered to restore the ax head and the farmer reluctantly agreed. Before we left he asked if I could do the hammer. I agreed and this is the completed restoration. Today we are dropping them off.

 

[pa plateau hiker]

Neat. It took a lot of work to make them that shiny.

 

[Dug]

Sandblasted axe head?

 

[SusanMN]

They are beautiful. I imagine that axe was really rusted. Would love to see before pics if you have them.

 

[Dirty Digger Doug]

Axe was ground with a disc grinder, then orbital sander, finished on a buffing wheel.
As for the condition. I don't do before pictures because we all know what a rust ball these are when they come out of the ground. I use a hammer to get rid of the lumps of rust. If the back hasn't been mushroomed over badly the they are eligible for restoration. Most that we find have been used as a splitting wedge and beaten with a sledgehammer. Those are tossed in the scrap metal container.