How NOT to Fix an Axe...

[DWalt]

There used to be a nearby store called the Texas Tool Trader. That guy had at least a dozen used tools of any type, hand or power, you can think of, even some machine tools. Thousands of them. And his prices were pretty good also, much less than new. I bought quite a few items from him. It was always an adventure to go inside. It shut down six or seven years ago. I have wondered where all that inventory went.

 

[Eric300]

If you ever need it sharpened just let me know. I'm pretty good at it.....

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Way back when, I bought a Pickup Camper from a guy in Elizabeth, CO.
On my way back to I-25 in some small town I can't recover I see a used item store.
I stop and buy a shovel and an Ax.
I really wanted a Single Bit, but he's out, but he has some double Bits.
He apologized for them having some wear and tear.
I told him that the just the thought of wearing out a Double Bit Ax was more than I could handle!
We had that Ax for many years, it disappeared during a move.
I still have the Shovel.

 

[CALREB]

Well I have a bunch of axes, hoes, and mauls that look like that . Of course, I at least use camo Duc-tape on them and metal wedges, but they end up looking about the same. Not like they are the sword Excaliber or anything. Cant see spending more time prettying them up than I do using them. I gave the wife(30 yrs) a brand new manure cart from Northern Tool last Christmas with a fancy Trump sticker on it. She loved it. Backed it up with a new Kawa UTV in case the joke didn't go over so good. She didnt say so, But I think it went over better.

 

[marinevet]

The simplest and easiest way to tighten an axe/hammer/splitting mall etc. . Is to soak the head and handle in bucket water for several days. The wood will absorb and swell. Tightening it right up.

I soak them in a can/bucket of old oil........

 

[Shrek Of The Arctic]

Granted, not pics of the hang, but...I hope this may add something nicer than a pile of nails in an otherwise nice axe....

A couple were literally dug out of a garbage pile. Others were yard sale door stops, etc. Now...happily rehabilitated...

 

[s&wchad]

When I was first married and not 2 nickels to rub together, I got my wife the best wheelbarrow made for our first anniversary. Fifty-one years later she still has it and is on her 4th tire.

51 years... Wow, congratulations!
Christmas is just around the corner...

The simplest and easiest way to tighten an axe/hammer/splitting mall etc. . Is to soak the head and handle in bucket water for several days. The wood will absorb and swell. Tightening it right up.

That's a temporary fix and weakens the wood over time. I've had good luck with Chair Loc, but driving the wedge deeper or replacing it is a better option.

 

[Shrek Of The Arctic]

Boiled linseed oil is the best soak, in my humble opinion but I would agree, driving the primary wedge deeper is preferred. I've known folks to leave them 1/2" or so proud for that purpose. Real goofy looking, but....

I also prefer a nice barrel wedge when I can. Step wedges are good too, but...I just like the barrels.

When setting the head I've learned to push the handle up 1/4" or so to swell around the top of the head and help secure it. My earlier hangs that I set flush continue to function okay, but I wish I head learned to leave a bit of handle through the top earlier.

 

[clang444]

Sometimes you just have to MacGyver things.

 

[s&wchad]

When setting the head I've learned to push the handle up 1/4" or so to swell around the top of the head and help secure it. My earlier hangs that I set flush continue to function okay, but I wish I head learned to leave a bit of handle through the top earlier.

Smart!
I'd fit the handle proud of the head, installed the wedge and then trim it back flush in the past. I too have learned to leave it a little bit proud. Proper hafting isn't all that hard, but there is a learning curve and like most skills, you improve with experience.

You can see the grooves in the tip of the handle made by the eye ridges of the Tru-Test head. Kelly Axe & Tool is known for that feature and almost certainly made it under contract.

I hate it when people stick the head in a log when splitting and then pound it with a sledge hammer. That's what wedges are for! You can see on the Plumb Victory where I ground down the peening and blued it. I won't use cold blue on a gun, but I will on an axe head. Some guys like to polish the heads. It does look nice, but I prefer to leave as much original finish/patina as possible.

 

[s&wchad]

Sometimes you just have to MacGyver things.

That's OK if it's a throw-away made in China, India or Mexico, but nice old American axes deserve a little respect.

Like guns, people in the past didn't realize or care that they might be collectible someday. They'll last multiple lifetimes when used as intended and properly maintained. I have several American made hatchets that were produced in the 1800's and are still serviceable today.

This head is pretty darn old and it's still solid as a rock!

 

[steelslaver]

How do you make kindling for a fire? Or don't you build camp and brush fires anymore?

I have a small about 3 gallon bucket that I fill with wood shavings. I buy the shavings in a big bag for my chicken coop. You can also using chain saw cuttings. Anyway fill the bucket and then pour a couple quarts of used motor oil on top of them and snap on the lid. Mixing the oil with some diesel works even better. A scoop of that will start a camp or stove fire and get even 6-8" logs burning. Besides I could also gather a lot of lowered twigs off trees in pine or juniper country and in cottonwood areas peeling off dead bark will give you lots of fine strands of wood fiber to start the bark to start the wood. Also in my truck and side by side I carry several cans of chaffing fuel which I can warm the cabs with if stranded or use to start a fire. Both also have hatchets, but mostly they just take up space. Chopping kindling takes time and is a labor of last resort and lots of people have chopped their hands as well as their kindling.

Buy the way when I set up my camp I will go out and cut down some trees, chain then to my rid and drag the back to camp whole and then cut them up

My camp

stove with water heater. Notice gun rack

 

[Pisgah]

Can't imagine being far from home in the sticks and all I have is junk tools. My backwoods kits consist of the highest quality tools. To each his own, however for those that have junk tools or no tools there is a common name for these folks. VICTIMS.

Well, aren't you special....

 

[Hawg Rider]

Smart!
I'd fit the handle proud of the head, installed the wedge and then trim it back flush in the past. I too have learned to leave it a little bit proud. Proper hafting isn't all that hard, but there is a learning curve and like most skills, you improve with experience.

You can see the grooves in the tip of the handle made by the eye ridges of the Tru-Test head. Kelly Axe & Tool is known for that feature and almost certainly made it under contract.

I hate it when people stick the head in a log when splitting and then pound it with a sledge hammer. That's what wedges are for! You can see on the Plumb Victory where I ground down the peening and blued it. I won't use cold blue on a gun, but I will on an axe head. Some guys like to polish the heads. It does look nice, but I prefer to leave as much original finish/patina as possible.

I guess that I'm just too OCD to leave a broken axe lying around in the garage...well, I am now anyway! I have a Collins double-bit Cruiser axe that I bought back in the 70's. I broke the wooden handle about 20 years ago, removed the head, put it in the bottom of my roll-around toolbox, and forgot about it. A couple of years ago I was restoring some old tools, and re-discovered the axe head (still in its leather sheath)- so it was my duty to restore it. Unfortunately, no one seems to make the shorter and slimmer wooden handles required for a Cruiser axe. I did find a vintage one on eBay for $20 that was in really nice condition, so I put that on the Collins Cruiser. Now it's an easy to carry all-purpose lightweight axe...glad I restored it.

 

[Heinz]

Well, aren't you special....

Good to see some South Carolina spoken. But good tools, especially vintage American, English, German, or French tools, really are special.

 

[LostintheOzone]

I have a small about 3 gallon bucket that I fill with wood shavings. I buy the shavings in a big bag for my chicken coop. You can also using chain saw cuttings. Anyway fill the bucket and then pour a couple quarts of used motor oil on top of them and snap on the lid. Mixing the oil with some diesel works even better. A scoop of that will start a camp or stove fire and get even 6-8" logs burning. Besides I could also gather a lot of lowered twigs off trees in pine or juniper country and in cottonwood areas peeling off dead bark will give you lots of fine strands of wood fiber to start the bark to start the wood. Also in my truck and side by side I carry several cans of chaffing fuel which I can warm the cabs with if stranded or use to start a fire. Both also have hatchets, but mostly they just take up space. Chopping kindling takes time and is a labor of last resort and lots of people have chopped their hands as well as their kindling.

Buy the way when I set up my camp I will go out and cut down some trees, chain then to my rid and drag the back to camp whole and then cut them up

My camp

stove with water heater. Notice gun rack

I must be a minimalist. I keep a few alder rounds handy to split for smoking fish. Most people use an electric smoker and buy chips. I have an old Brinkman Cimarron smoker from last century.

That reminds me. The Coho just showed up at the market in the last few days. I need to buy about 12 lbs. this weekend.

 

[Bald1]

The front of eye appears to be splitting. Now you really need duct tape. Or maybe Gorilla tape

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

For 30 years we heated with a wood stove. When the youngest was 17 he did concrete tear out in the summer and wanted to stay in shape for the next year. He never broke a sledge or maul handle! But his buddies on the other hand would keep me busy! the record for 2 hammers and 4 mauls was 9 handles in a 3-day weekend!

I just gave a "Pole Ax" (about 3/4 size) by Estwing to my best friend for his new camper. So I'm down to two more of those, a replaced handle on a Plumb topping ax and a double bit with a fiberglass handle. When I was clearing out the woodshed at the farm one last time, I gave away 15 mauls and axes. We have some Chinese hatchets (8 or 9) the kids used as teens to throw. I put California Framer handles then sanded to a straight tapper, not as good as a real Hawk, but the kids got rabbit deadly at 75' with them. I also kept my good Tomahawk from 55 years ago.

The first summer we were married (1978), we camped out every other weekend. I bought a double bit ax at a True-Value hardware in the small town near our camp. It was very old stock and cost $6.59 and was stamped True-Temper on one side and Plumb on the other. I would still have that one, but it walked away from a State Park Campsite years ago!

We also had a 10' fire ring at the farm. Our rule was the kids could play with fire all they wanted but it must stay in the ring! We had large trees over 100 years old surrounding the house and a dozen fruit trees, yet we never had limbs or twigs laying around the yard! Fires were just a part of growing up in our household. But my daughter takes the cake! During College, she got a summer job at a youth camp in the Catskills. She was the Nature Director, because she could make fire, and use an ax and use a small chain saw. That landed her the stud that was the camp's paramedic. Now has a nice family in the Pine Barrens, all from playing with fire and axes as a little girl.

Ivan

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

51 years... Wow, congratulations!
Christmas is just around the corner...

That's a temporary fix and weakens the wood over time. I've had good luck with Chair Loc, but driving the wedge deeper or replacing it is a better option.

Never had one go bad........Most glues will bust loose from impact.

 

[Shrek Of The Arctic]

Smart!
I'd fit the handle proud of the head, installed the wedge and then trim it back flush in the past. I too have learned to leave it a little bit proud. Proper hafting isn't all that hard, but there is a learning curve and like most skills, you improve with experience.

You can see the grooves in the tip of the handle made by the eye ridges of the Tru-Test head. Kelly Axe & Tool is known for that feature and almost certainly made it under contract.

I hate it when people stick the head in a log when splitting and then pound it with a sledge hammer. That's what wedges are for! You can see on the Plumb Victory where I ground down the peening and blued it. I won't use cold blue on a gun, but I will on an axe head. Some guys like to polish the heads. It does look nice, but I prefer to leave as much original finish/patina as possible.

Very nice looking work! I have many pics of beautifully finished hangs that are unfortunately entirely flush. I've rarely had issue, but in all candor, I often wonder if it's because all them axes I sell only come out to split kindling or keep the kids busy while dad deals with foul plugs or a dull chain on the chainsaw.

But...on the other hand, kid proofing an axe ain't no easy task. I had a guy bring one back for a new handle recently. It was his kid's favorite "rock breaking axe" it was clearly his favorite over strike axe too, though dad swore otherwise...lol

I HATE peening! Drives me a minute from madness! I will bust the rust off an axe and leave plenty of old pitting and a quick satin finish, but I will remove all the peening possible. I don't wanna disappear it's history, just give it a fresh start for the next 100 years...

Those are the times I often have to step back and remind myself that to most of these folks it was simply a work a day tool. They would have be been quite amused by a glimpse into the future of us giggling in delight and pumping our fist in the air in front of Ebay because we just won an opportunity to pay many times over what they did new for that axe out in the wood lot rusting in a rainstorm.

Here in Alaska, I stumble into more Kellys than anything, and I'm always happy to see them lines! Usually double bits. Those are a blessing and a curse. No peening, easy and pleasurable to clean up, but hard to move after I've had my fun with them.

Quick pic of my latest I just put the final sharpening on. It's an old Warren that has definitely worked for a living. I'm real happy I went with the shortened Miner's axe style handle. I think it'll fit nicely in my little buggy.

It's nice to chat a bit axes! A bit of a rare opportunity!

 

[s&wchad]

The front of eye appears to be splitting. Now you really need duct tape. Or maybe Gorilla tape

Yup, there's a crack running down the inside of the eye. I'll have a friend weld it before I put on a new handle.

 

[SweetMK]

some of my manual "chain saws",,,

Yes, the one on the right actually is able to split wood better than a splitting maul,,

The two to the left must be razor sharp to be successful at cutting briars,,

 

[SweetMK]

These are my fireplace mantle decorations,,

When installing these handles, I tried Gorilla Glue

That stuff is AMAZING!!

You apply the glue to one part, water to the other.

The Gorilla Glue expands then hardens when in contact with water.

It is almost like the handle is welded to the axe head.

Having the wood wedge expand after driving it into the handle is the perfect method to attach a handle to the axe head.

 

[Bald1]

Smart!
I'd fit the handle proud of the head, installed the wedge and then trim it back flush in the past. I too have learned to leave it a little bit proud. Proper hafting isn't all that hard, but there is a learning curve and like most skills, you improve with experience.

You can see the grooves in the tip of the handle made by the eye ridges of the Tru-Test head. Kelly Axe & Tool is known for that feature and almost certainly made it under contract.

I hate it when people stick the head in a log when splitting and then pound it with a sledge hammer. That's what wedges are for! You can see on the Plumb Victory where I ground down the peening and blued it. I won't use cold blue on a gun, but I will on an axe head. Some guys like to polish the heads. It does look nice, but I prefer to leave as much original finish/patina as possible.

Marbles does something similar with grooves in their heads. I don't know if the original American made ones did. And I agree. Use a wedge not your axe. Although I do have an old rusty no name hatchet I sometimes use as a wedge. But it has zero value or history

 

[Bald1]

SweetMK, those Plumbs are beautiful. Anyone would be proud to display those. And I can personally attest to the splitting abilities of the CHOPPER 1.

 

[SweetMK]

I found a handle at a surplus shop for a couple dollars,,
but, I did not know what it was for,,

My neighbor showed me his CANT hook,,
I borrowed his, and did my best to copy it,,,

His is the lower one,,

A little heating, a little welding,, and POOF!! I had a CANT hook.





My wife is ALWAYS amazed anytime I do a project involving wood.
I typically avoid wood like the plague,, give me a piece of steel,, please!!

I think this was the first time I used the orbital sander someone gave me,,
It did a wonderful job,,

All of my handles are finished with linseed oil.
That is VERY friendly stuff,, especially for us unknowledgeable in
woodworking!!

 

[Bald1]

I helped my uncle one summer as a teenager build a log cabin on his property outside Covington Va. I became well aquatinted with the "hook". Every log came off his property. …… that's a great view you have there MK

 

[30-30remchester]

Oh, the list of atrocities I have inflicted on my wife of 51 years. Besides the wheelbarrow for our first anniversary, I have also given her a new snow shovel for Christmas (and I don't care how careful you wrap it, it still looked like a snow shovel), a socket set, snow blower, shovel, meat grinder, and many other practical well thought out gifts from the heart, as well as this year's anniversary present a new DeWalt 20 volt weed eater. I assume she liked them as she is using them a lot. The shovel she has used so often it no longer has a pointed blade but instead an inverted point from all the rocks she has dug with it.

 

[tmd17]

... I got my wife the best wheelbarrow made for our first anniversary. ....

How long where you in the hospital?

 

[clang444]

That's OK if it's a throw-away made in China, India or Mexico, but nice old American axes deserve a little respect.

MacGyver didn't care where things were from, he used what he had on hand to get the job done when it needed to be done. BTW - that doesn't look like a recent hack job, that could have been done before the influx of cheap Chinese tools.