A “Big” Project

As mentioned in the previous post, I’ve been working on a singular project over the last couple of weeks, unrelated to gaming. When I was a teenager, my father found a broken axe with a rusted-out head. He rolled his eyes when I said I wanted it and that I’d fix it up.

It has been two moves, one marriage, two degrees, and three kids later. But hey, it’s done!

The axe head after a hearty vinegar scrub (sadly, I didn’t think to get a photo of this when it was a brown-Orange rust monster).

Before emery cloth and a lot of elbow grease.

After, starting to look like steel again!

After an hour with coarse grit sandpaper (I used a power sander for this one, saved some hours).

After an hour or so with the fine grit sandpaper and a lot of oiling.

Attaching the handle. This took longer than expected, but I’ve ensured a tight fit. Lots of gentle shaving, and gentle sanding to get the wood in.

The final product in the evening sun.

A view of the logo that I was able to save: TrueTemper Flint Edge, Kelly Works.

I’m proud of it. The pitting on the head would not allow for a perfect mirror finish, but it is close enough. I enjoy the nicks and scrapes, as they remind me of its life so far. I’m currently working on a sheath for the blade. 

Hopefully this comes in handy, as we may be moving to the Midwest in a few months—barring a big promotion or a total economic collapse (inflation is at a 40 year high here!). I’ll be splitting wood for the fire with a well-earned friend, if that’s the case!