Restoring a DDR (GDR) multitool axe (purple heart handle) I Dr. Hut of Handcraft HD

#restoration #hutofhandcraft #multitool #axe #hatchet ►"Scharfer Schnitt": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8WKqevPVq8GLAQDlIVuXaA ►Link to his video of the sharpening process: https://youtu.be/319xOnvaucg Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DrHutofHandcraft Instagram: https://instagram.com/hutofhandcraft Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HutOfHandcraft Restoring a DDR multitool axe (purple heart handle) I Dr. Hut of Handcraft #multitool #axe #hutofhandcraft #restoration #toolrestoration Hey guys, in this Video I restored a little camping axe multitool which was started building in the 1950’s in the DDR. So my little friend here was built somewhere between 1950 and 1990. The old handle was broken on both sides and the whole tool was covered in bad rust. After removing the old handles I started brushing the rust away to prepare the tool for electrolysis. Electrolysis is a pretty cool way to remove rust. For those who are interested I will shortly explain how and why it is possible to remove rust by electrolysis: Electrolysis is a electro chemical process which forces a redox reaction. At the anode (our victim) it causes oxidation. At the cathode (workpiece) a reduction is happening (losing electrons). The electricity conducts through our electrolyte. The voltage source causes an excess of electrons in the cathode (-pole) and lack of electrons at the anode (+pole). The cations and neutral particles gain electrons -► reduction. The anions give up electrons to the anode -► oxidation. The reaction scheme of water electrolysis is: 2 H2O (l) —► 2 H2 (g) + O2 (g) To remove rust we first need to add an electrolyte to the water (best would be warm water, since chemical reactions work better in “presence of heat”). I always use sodium carbonate. Using table salt is pretty dangerous, since it produces Chlorine, which is highly toxic: 2 NaCl (s) + 2 H2O (l) —► 2 NaOH (l) + Cl2 (g) + H2 (g) Sodium carbonate dissolves into sodium and carbonate ions. Carbonate ions react basic and build hydroxide ions, which will oxidate, which means that they lose electrons. These electrons will take place in the reduction. Reaction at the anode: OH- loses electons: 4 OH - + 4 e- —► 2 H2O + O2 —► corrosion: anode has contact with pure oxygen in presence of water. This is why the “victim” gets rusty. At the cathode: Hydrogen ions react with rust (for simplification I’ll write Fe3O4 as representative of rust) and forms ferrous oxide, which forms a blackish layer on our workpiece. We can easily wash/brush that away. 2 Fe3O4 + 6H+ + 6e- —► 6 FeO + 2 H2O + H2 After the electrolysis I started filing and removed all the casting marks, but i kept the pitting. While filing i recognized that the hammer part had a crack, which needed welding. Since the Multitool is made out of cast iron, I was afraid to break it, because normally you need as cast electrode for welding. But I tried anyways. I did some research, which said, that it is possible to weld cast iron with MIG, w