any idea how the alloy shaft and steel head of my 70's MSR ice axe are bonded, and if they would be affected by paint dipping or heat stripping?
as i mentioned in the 'whats your oldest' thread, i have recently acquired a 1970's MRS axe. unfortunately it has had a hard life and although it seems completely sound, it looks awful. it has had a big chunk the orange wrap removed, a lot of it is painted in black enamel and it has some ancient tennis handle wrap at the bottom of the shaft. just because i like old stuff i would quite like to restore this. first i need to get rid of the remaining orange, which is not really paint but as if it has been dipped in a thin solution of Orange lino (for want of a better description)
i want to strip this using either heat or industrial chemicals, does anyone know how the head is bonded to the shaft and how these methods would affect this bonding?
The most common means of attaching head and spike to the metal shaft of an axe is with rivets. Usually two for the head. You should be able to spot these quite easily. If you can confirm that the bonding is mechanical (e.g. rivets or bolts), then you're free to use chemical strippers; within reason, paint strippers will not affect metals.
The 'orange lino' can probably be cut off with a craft knife, depending on how well it is bonded to the shaft. From your description, it sounds like a vinyl dip, which shouldn't bond too well to the shaft.
Adhesive bonding is a relatively modern development in manufacturing (driven by development of the adhesives), so I'd be surprised if it has been used in a 70's ice axe.
I'd be wary of using heat to strip any coating or paint, since the shaft may be heat treated for strength reasons, and heating it may change these properties.
Of course, since it's protective equipment, you'll have to decide for yourself whether the resulting axe is safe to use.
it has had a hard life and although it seems completely sound, it looks awful.
Me, I'd think about retiring that one. Sounds like you've got your money's worth; not much sense finding out the hard way if it sustained any damage to important bits, surely?
Looking at my old Stubai steel and hickory ice axe... 1975 vintage... I have no idea what's keeping the head stuck to the shaft. It's either magic or divine intervention!
I don't need to look at what's holding my TiCa Ice Tool together (titanium and carbon fibre) because the website says it's done with two-part high-strength epoxy.
