Axe head restoration

[neodetectorist]

Any hope for the axe head to be restored through electrolysis?
I am thinking of making a homemade electrolysis set up with the bucket, arm and hammer wash soda, anode, and a 15V-5A power supply.

I figured I would use a heavy copper wire ring for the anode connected to the positive terminal of the supply.
Fill the bucket with water and soda wash, putting the ring into the bottom of the bucket into the solution.
The negative lead to the axe, and placing the axe into the copper wire ring in the solution.

Is this the correct method?
Is this axe to far gone?
Any other suggestions?

 

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[Oddjob]

Really depends on how much you like hatchet heads I guess. Me I have collected them for years, mainly Winchester, Blue Grass and Keen Kutter; that said there was one from Kutter I searched for a very long time for before all this ebay and so. It was a Camp Hatchet with a nail puller. Looking at that rust hanging down it could be that.

If it where mine, I would half submerge it on one side in water, through it into the freezer and then let it thaw out a couple days later, then repeat the process on the other side. Just to carefully break up the stuff. Then I would soak it in an oil bath for about 4 weeks, just to see how far that gets you, and last resort I would go with electrolysis

But that is just me, this is my level of comfort. Look on the youtube and some folks can work one of those home made electro things in a short time like its nothing.

Nice find by the way, post your end results if you do not mind. Be cool if that was a claw.

 

[nwpa]

Nice find, I would use the old rust belt cure, soak it in used motor oil to help break up the scale.
What part of NE OH you from?

 

[neodetectorist]

Nice find, I would use the old rust belt cure, soak it in used motor oil to help break up the scale.
What part of NE OH you from?

Thanks, I may try that.
Summit county

 

[neodetectorist]

Nice find, I would use the old rust belt cure, soak it in used motor oil to help break up the scale.
What part of NE OH you from?

I have a few quarts of used motor oil laying around.
What would be the best method of soaking the axe.
How long do I soak it?
Do I wire brush between soaks?
Will the rust easily flake off?
Any advice here would be appreciated.

 

[neodetectorist]

I used the oil soak method.
Came out pretty good.
Great suggestion! Thank You

 

[Army]

I have used electrolysis with items recovered from sal water and I connected one end to the object and the other end to a piece of stainless steel. After I used a steel brush to remove any graphite was hat formed. It worked very well .

 

[jones6780]

I have used electrolysis with items recovered from sal water and I connected one end to the object and the other end to a piece of stainless steel. After I used a steel brush to remove any graphite was hat formed. It worked very well .

I have heard SS is a big NO-NO, there is a risk of producing Hex-Chrome, what was that movie, Erin Brockovich?

 

[A2coins]

That looks a lot better good job

 

[Icewing]

I've done electrolysis on loads of old pieces like that.
Chip off the heavy stuff with a hammer the get a small tub or bucket if that's all you have.
Mix a tablespoon or so of baking soda into a gallon of warm water do it dissolves easy.
I use a big stainless steel bolt on the + side (still alive and well)
Keep your battery chargers clamp out of the water, which means you shouldn't fully submerge either piece.
If you get bubbles it's working.

*You can do the same with crusty unidentifiable coins using an old cell phone charger.
**Don't trap the gas and huff it, don't drink the water, and wash your hands like a normal person when you are done and you'll be ok.



[Edit: correction to polarity]

 

[pa plateau hiker]

Neat finds Icewing. It goes to show how many interesting relics people are missing when they block out iron.

 

[Icewing]

Neat finds Icewing. It goes to show how many interesting relics people are missing when they block out iron.

Except I don't dig iron on purpose usually. If you will notice a common them that pretty much every piece has a hole in some form or fasion, thus throwing off that conical signal that tricks most detectors.

 

[Worm-Slicer]

Stainless steel for the anodes is the worst thing you could do, it will even absorb through the pores in your skin when you put them into the water even if you don't breath the fumes. It will ultimately cause cancer. I use rebar, which works just as good and zero health concerns and also much less expensive and you can find it at any building supply store. Read this here:

stainless steel as electrodes - don't use them