Barn find boys axe


flycruiser

flycruiser

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Mar 17, 2011
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Longhunter country
I went rabbit hunting with a friend on his family farm earlier this week. The day was so cold and windy that nothing was moving except for us so we headed for one of the long unused barns to do some "picking". We found all kinds of cool stuff. Old plows, harnesses, garden tools, an old level, a hatchet and this 2.25lb boys axe. My friend wound up with all kinds of goodies and he let me keep the boys axe and an old watering can. He estimates the barn was last used in the early 70's so the axe is at least 40 years old.

It's a no name 2.25lb head that's 6.25 inches long and 3.75 inches wide at the cutting edge. It was fairly rusty so I soaked it over night in CLR then did a little scrubbing. I selected a nicely grained 28 inch handle and sanded off most of the lacquer and got it hung. It lines up just fine and is very well balanced. In the morning I'll sand it a little more then put a good coat of linseed oil on it. Then I'll do some more work on the head and remove the very last of the rust and sharpen it.

Before:
axebefore2.jpg


After CLR:
axebefore1.jpg


Now:
axe011.jpg


axe015.jpg


axe014.jpg


It'll get a good work out next weekend. I'll be using it at the farm where I found it helping to clean a fence row and limb some trees to make some brush piles for rabbit habitat on an unused part of the farm. I can't wait to put it to use!
 
That first pic looked like it had some blue paint on it , if so it is probably a collins, regaurdless it is in great shape and well over a inch of hardened bit there .
You can pass that on to the next generation.

Nice handle job too.


Larry
 
flycruiser said:
And gaga wins the award for guessing my college identity! I was nicknamed Quagmire back then because I look like him minus the butt cut hair and hawaiian shirts.
Click to expand...

I think im psychic :54:
Also: whats the reason for making Bunny habitat?
 
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gaga said:
I think im psychic :54:
Also: whats the reason for making Bunny habitat?
Click to expand...

The rabbit habitat is mainly because we are rabbit hunters. This area has seen a huge increase in the coyote population in the past few years. With that increase we have noticed a huge decrease in the rabbit population. Another factor is the increase in old farms becoming neighborhoods overnight and what farms are left have virtually no fence rows or suitable cover for rabbits.

Where we'll be working is an 800+ acre farm, but there is a spot that's about 60 or so acres that is riddled with sinkholes so is left unused. We'll take the trees we clear from a few fence rows (thinning, not complete removal) and basically make coyote/hawk resistant brush piles to see if it makes an difference in the rabbit population on the farm.

The axe will get a good workout during this experiment. I can't wait to use it. I will actually put it to use tomorrow after I sharpen it and before I oil the handle. I have a few trees here that need some work after a nasty windstorm a few weeks ago. Lets hope it works as good as it looks.
 
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gaga said:
the axe needs some more edge work...and good luck on the project-TAKE PICS couse that's BUSH-CRAFTY:dblthumb:
Click to expand...

It does. From the looks of it my friends grandfather used the poll for pounding more than he used the edge for cutting/chopping. Though it doesn't look like he did either very much. It doesn't look as if it has ever been resharpened. I hope I'll have time to get it right tomorrow so I can use it tomorrow afternoon.
 
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