2 years ago

Vlogs Antique Rusty Cleaver - Restoration butchers tool antique tools vintage tools remove rust on steel mirror polish steel bench grinder belt sander wood working metal working

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I found the cleaver that I am restoring in this video in the cellar of a friend's construction site.
A 400-year-old house is being renovated on the construction site and I was able to discover some treasures from former days in the cellar. My friend is happy when they will be given a second life and all this stuff won't end up on the junk.
The shape of the cleaver is very swingy and the many dents on the upper edge indicate that a butcher once worked a lot with the cleaver. A hammer was certainly also used to drive the cleaver through more solid structures with more force. The dents and dings in the upper area suggest this.
The handle is past its prime, the wood is rotten and broken and is only held together by duct tape. I have to make a new handle here. For the new handle I have a nice piece of 400 year old oak that once acted as a beam in the old house we are renovating. The beam had to be replaced in the house, but I was able to save some pieces of the wood.

I started to remove the rust from the cleaver with electrolysis. Together with washing soda and a power supply the rust can be transferred to a sacrificial anode. Then I was able to contour the edge of the cleaver and finish it nicely with a power file. I sanded in different grits up to 220 grit. Then I grinded the blade by hand. First 240 grit then 400 grit, 600 grit and then 1000 grit and 1500 grit.
I brushed off the upper part with an electric steel brush and then cold blued it to protect it from rust.
Finally I sanded with 2000 grit sandpaper and polished everything to a high shine with the polishing stand and white and blue polishing paste on a felt wheel.
Now I could make the handle out of the beautiful piece of oak. I made an inlay from a piece of plywood that gives the handle a dynamic look. I polished up and reused the brass and probably copper applications that framed the old handle. A piece of brass that decorates the new handle lengthwise connects the applications and makes the wood look narrower.
I finished the wood by hand with 240, 400, 600 and even 1000 grit sandpaper, which made it very smooth. The ergonomic shape of the handle and the fine surface make it very comfortable to grip.
I treated the handle with linseed oil at the end to preserve it.
Of course there is a beer tasting again.
I hope you have as much fun with the video as I had making it - I really like the result 😊

00:00 - Intro
00:43 - Disassembly
01:21 - Rust removal with electrolysis
01:56 - Woodwork
03:02 - Metalwork
04:26 - Cutting Threads
04:48 - Sanding 1
05:18 - Blueing steel
05:48 - Sanding 2
06:32 - Polishing the cleaver
06:54 - Making an oak handle
09:28 - Linseed oil protection
09:59 - Polishing brass and copper
11:07 - Beer tasting
12:05 - Sharpening a knife
12:19 - Assembly
12:44 - Result
13:46 - Testing