yeah I know silly question, but I cannot get the metal thing (blade) off the broken handle.
Is there any trick to do this? I tried to hit with hammer to get it off but no luck.
My wife suggested put it into the fire... :o
thanks for any tips
I have had good luck using a 1/4" drill bit to make several holes in the eye portion of the handle, then a 1/2" punch to push out the wood in pieces. It seems to ease the friction holding the broken portion in the eye.
My son "burns" em out by throwing them in the fire- I wonder, though, if this effects the hardness of the blade. Anyone have any thoughts, or better, sound scientific evidence one way or the other?
In a related vein, anyone making their own handles for rakes and shovels? Excellent thread on making ax handles here but I have a dozen or so pretty good metal parts for hand tools that could resurface as usable tools if I could get or make reliable handles. Prices of replacement handles are more than buying a new tool, suggesting the just buying a new one is the way to go. That path just leads to more metal heads laying in my barn- handles nowadays are NOT made from good wood like hickory but seem to be from some cheaper and weaker wood like pine or poplar. Anyone know if this is true?
Thanks.
Lj
Quote from: ljmathias on January 03, 2011, 07:14:45 AM
My son "burns" em out by throwing them in the fire- I wonder, though, if this effects the hardness of the blade. Anyone have any thoughts, or better, sound scientific evidence one way or the other?
that's exactly what I am afraid of but wife said the temperature in house fireplace is too low to affect the steel.
I have an older fellow up the road that makes handles. Every once in awhile I find a real good straight piece of hickory and load it on his truck when he come after firewood. When I have a handle break I just save it, on his next trip I give it to him, in a few days he brings it back. Guess what he pays for slabs?
By he way, his handles are superior to any I have ever bought.
I've always used the hole drilling method that badpenny described.
Quote from: ljmathias on January 03, 2011, 07:14:45 AM
My son "burns" em out by throwing them in the fire- I wonder, though, if this effects the hardness of the blade. Anyone have any thoughts, or better, sound scientific evidence one way or the other?
Thanks.
Lj
Well.... YES! I have sound scientific evidence that it most certainly will affect the hardness of it!
It is this very fact that allows us to make axe heads out of steel to begin with :)
I won't even go into the hows & whys of it , but suffice to say , do not heat any piece of metal that you are concerned about affecting the temper. As soon as the metal is heated and it begins to show a temper color it has been changed.
Now , of course if you knew what you were doing it would be a real simple matter to harden an axe head again to any hardness you wanted by heating it and then cooling it , but how hot to get it and how fast to cool it is something that has to be done in a very exacting manner. I know all this because I am a blacksmith and knifemaker.
To get the handle out of the axe head this is what you do: cut it off flush with the bottom of the head, turn axe over and support it in front of and behind the eye, take a drift and drive it back out the direction it was put in. If it is difficult to do just drill some holes in the wood to loosen it up slightly.
Do not put it in the fire!!!
If you do put it in the fire, it will be much easier to sharpen. It will also mushroom very nicely when you use it to drive wedges. Seriously, drill out the old handle stub. Good quality handles will include a wooden wedge as well as one or two steel wedges. Use them both.
Good handles can be had from Sequatchie handle works, Altamont, Tn. (931) 692-3220
thanks guys, I'll drill then. I have already new handle but without the wedge so I use the old one.
One more thing after I'm done should I put the axe into the water for a while allowing handle to swell a little bit
to tighten up? I read somewhere about it.
It's been my experience that soaking an ax head and handle swells the wood, and when it dries, the handle is loose, or at least looser than when first installed.
Tighten the head by using the wedge.
Putting the axe head in water to tighten it is temporary fix until the wood dries out again. Plus the swelling can crush the wood fibers giving a much poorer fit when it dries out again.
And I drill the old wood out. Would never burn it out.
gush, I cut off the head, drilled in 10 wholes and still the wood with old wedge won't come out.
I guess I have to drilled all of it :( with the old wedge, BTW it looks like it's plastic or rubbery
because I can drill through it, I thought is was metal at first.
The old handle was possible epoxied in. A small amount of heat may be required to cause the epoxy soften. Just continually brush it with your torch and it will loosen. A hot hair drier, etc. should also work.
Position the axe head over two blocks in such a way that there is nothing against the remainder of the handle.
Use a punch, bolt, etc. that will just clear the sides of the hole in the axe head and drive the pieces out.
It helps to have someone help you by holding the axe head so it won't tip over. Wear gloves.
As said, heating it in a fire is a bad idea. If you must heat up some epoxy to remove it, keep the heat off the cutting edge and use just enough, it won't take a lot.
I would also advise you sand off all the varnish if it is a production handle, and treat the entire thing with linseed oil after it is mounted. I use several coats all over and around around the head area, and it helps a lot with keeping it tight. This is partly because water won't readily soak in and crush the fibers, as BeenThere was describing. Handles are much more pleasant to use with a linseed finish that has been steel wooled. No blisters.
Make sure you rasp down the handle to fit the eye well, forcing it will yield bad results, as the slot for your wooden wedge will be to close to get it deep enough. The head should go on the handle all the way with a few taps, and just fit snug. The wooden wedge will not go all the way in anyway, but 1/2 or 2/3 is good. trim it off with a handsaw, then add the steel ones,perpendicular to the wooden one. It is worth taking a little time to do right.
I also like to put a 1/8 brass drift pin in all the handles I use a lot, axe and hammer both. That makes it a little more trouble to get off if the handle breaks, but I find they last much longer this way, and are safer.
Quote from: Magicman on January 03, 2011, 01:02:13 PM
The old handle was possible epoxied in. A small amount of heat may be required to cause the epoxy soften. Just continually brush it with your torch and it will loosen. A hot hair drier, etc. should also work.
yeah, it was it, epoxy - i heated the eye part a little bit and finally it came off.
If I knew it took so long I'd buy a new axe ;D it was only 4x more expensive then
the wooden handle... ::) Now I have to buy a wedge too what makes even less
economical.
Quote from: motif on January 03, 2011, 02:52:49 PM
[..............If I knew it took so long I'd buy a new axe ;D it was only 4x more expensive then
the wooden handle... ::) .......
motif
That is so you will be so much more careful with the new handle. :) ;D
We like pics :)
My rule of thumb when working with any tempered edge tool, especially when sharpening, is to never let it get hotter than you can touch. For me, that's maybe 120°. :D I, too, sand the varnish off, it'll tear your hands up quickly.
Dont buy a wedge. Use a round metal washer and spank it in there
no one mentioned that northwoods said it right
tools with wedged handles, when broken, should have the handles cut off as close as possible to the bottem of the head, then be driven out from the bottem to the top
reuse the wedge that was there
do not put ina fire, usually no need to drill
I've re-handled probably 40 - 50 axes and hatchets over the years. What everybody says - saw off the old handle close to the head, punch it out, drill it out if necessary (as many holes as it takes), put in the new handle, wedge it. A new handle should come with either a wooden or metal wedge or both. I agree with not soaking it. Worst thing to do with an ax handle. I'd do that only for an emergency fix to get it through a necessary work period before putting in a new handle. A weekend camping trip for example. A loose handle can and should be permanently repaired with a new wedge, not water soaking.
The flat portion on the end of a quality ax handle is for driving the head up onto the handle upside down by inertia. Don't pound on the top of the head trying to force it down onto the handle. Start the head onto the new handle, then turn the ax upside down and hit the flat spot on the end of the handle with a heavy hammer. The head will slide right up on it. If a handle doesn't have this flat spot (cheap ones usually don't), I saw off half of the tip to make one.
Make sure the blade edge is perfectly in line with the length of the handle. Otherwise it will make it miserable if not impossible to cut straight with it. Look down on the top of a replacement handle. Cheap handles might have the split off to one side, crooked, etc. Make sure the rest of the handle is straight and it doesn't have knots bigger than 3/8" diameter, and none on the edges. I'd rather pay $15 - $20 for a good quality handle that $6 for a cheap one that's not tooled straight. (A brand new quality ax costs $25 - $30 locally) You might have to saw a narrow strip downward off one side of the new handle where it goes into the head, wood rasp it, etc., to get it to go into the head nice and straight. Might have to shave down the sides of the new handle to even go into the head. Take the 30 - 60 minutes if necessary to carefully make the new handle a smooth snug fit. If the edges start splitting out as you drive the head up onto it, take it out and shave some more until it goes into the head without any splitting.
Also, if it needs more than a light sharpening, it's easier to sharpen on a bench grinder before putting in the new handle. If necessary, grind off any mushrooming from misuse on the back of the head. If the blade edge is chipped, you will need to grind a new edge into it by pressing the edge vertically against the grinding wheel and rotating it the full length of the edge until the chipped out portion disappears. You'll then have a nice smooth, curved chip-less blade with a 1/16" - 1/8" thick edge. :o Then resharpen it the correct way on the grinder. Keep the head moving at all times or spots where you stop will be heated so hot the temper is lost and it will chip or crack right there when you use it.
Reminds me - with a real rusty head I clean the rust off first with a wire brush wheel on the grinder or chucked in a drill, to check the condition. if the head is cracked to begin with, I'd throw it away unless you can weld it and grind the weld down to match the blade contours yourself. Too expensive to pay to get it welded. Paint the head if you want to. Lightly oiling a bare metal head every so often works too. Get a good quality sheath for your "new" ax or make one.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10014/1370/261.JPG)
This is the lower one in the next photo
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10014/1370/343.JPG)
4 new'uns
I think isawlogs has a nice tutorial on making your own axe handle. A long time ago anybody that used an axe regularly had their own axe handle pattern, and kept a few extra handle blanks ready to go. I made my own broad axe handle. Out of a piece of elm firewood. :D Ugly, but it works well.
Most all the axe handles you find these days in the stores are way to thick and bulky. If you ever find an old axe that was from pre-chainsaw days you will find they were much more slender and light. Much more comfortable on the hands.
Dave mentioned a real good rule of thumb about heating any kind of hardened tool, like when your sharpening it on a grinder, if it gets to hot to hold on to then you are in danger of ruining the temper.
One real good trick I found for saving an axe handle from getting damaged right below the head, like when splitting, it to wrap some soft ductile wire around it. Stick the end of the wire right up in to a space between handle and axe head and then wrap it tightly around it for 3" - 4" down the handle, then just drive a very small nail in to the handle almost all the way wrap wire once around cut off and drive nail in flush to handle. This will extend the life of the handle by 10 times.
Good points NORTHWOODS1. Although they sometimes make an ax awkward to use for experienced users, the commercial hard rubber "bumpers" that slide up the handle to the bottom of the head work well to protect the handle with inexperienced users, like Boy Scouts (or their leaders) ;D
I forgot to mention the slenderness in my last post. I was taught to greatly reduce the handles on my scoring and joinery axes to about 1 1/8"x 5/8". This will save the handle and your joints. Fiberglass handles are terrible for transferring shock into your body, and should be avoided.
Quote from: Phorester on January 03, 2011, 10:45:43 PM
Good points NORTHWOODS1. Although they sometimes make an ax awkward to use for experienced users, the commercial hard rubber "bumpers" that slide up the handle to the bottom of the head work well to protect the handle with inexperienced users, like Boy Scouts (or their leaders) ;D
If you look at an axe that is used for splitting , and view it from the top of the head looking down toward the user end , and if you can see the handle at all particularly the fat part you get on these new handles just below the head , there is no way you can avoid damaging the handle because the axe will not open up the cut far enough for the handle to pass undamaged. You might be surprised how often an axe is handled exactly that way and then the handle is damaged right away. The handle has to be narrower than the axe head that is one of the 1st things.
Phorester those are nice looing axes. Out in my garage I literally have several bushel baskets of axe heads. All these good old ones lots of them embossed. Lots of double bits "kelly hand made" and one whole bushel basket of single bits that I have found with the metal detector. I found most of them in lumber camps. They are all awaiting handles. In the blacksmith shop I have so many hammers and handled tools, putting handles on is something I am always way behind on. I alwasy thought when I get time and began to slow down I would tie into those bushel baskets of old ones and take each one and pretty it up and make a nice handle for each. To me that would be relaxing work :)
"If you look at an axe that is used for splitting , and view it from the top of the head looking down toward the user end , and if you can see the handle at all particularly the fat part you get on these new handles just below the head , there is no way you can avoid damaging the handle because the axe will not open up the cut far enough for the handle to pass undamaged."
Another good point. Looking at the photo of the 4 axes, you can see that the 2nd one from the bottom is thinner than the first one and I chose a thinner replacement handle for it for that reason.
I thoroughly enjoy taking an old beat up rusted broken tool, cleaning it up and repairing it. I'll spend much more time doing that than it costs to buy a new replacement. I donate the axes I restore to local Scout troops. I also teach Scouts how to do it, hopefully giving them a philosophy that they will use someday when they realize that in this day of instant results and teenage lack of patience, not everything that's broken needs to be thrown away. Old tools always seem to have better metal or wood than new ones and are usually better made. It's satisfying to me to turn a piece of junk into a nice looking, working tool, a way of "recycling" instead of throwing something away, and I think shows respect to the maker and former users of a well-made axe, saw, knife, whatever.
I restored an old 2-man crosscut saw a couple years ago. Pictures in my photo gallery. My father-in-law gave it to me years ago. Rusted, pitted, handle cracked. Wife said "throw it away". Wish I'd cleaned it up while he was still alive so he could have seen the results. I proudly showed it to my wife after restoring it, amazed myself at how good it looked, she said "throw it away" ;D I hung it up in my workshop.
I have don't have as many old heads as Northwoods, but I do have a couple of milk crates worth. Mostly single bits, a few double,a couple of broadaxes, even a Pulaski or two. I have a few broken blacksmith hammers too, but they are not the ones I regularly use. I also enjoy getting an old rusty one back to new. To me whether it is economical or not matters little, since there isn't a tool available now for a reasonable price that is half as nice to use as an old one with a good new handle. :)
Maybe a man's true worth is gauged by how much broken stuff he collects ??? ::)
I'm a happy rich Magicman. ;D
When i first started strip cutting a pick axe was your #1 tool next to a chainsaw and a double bit axe for liming. No body touched a another mans axe, sounds funny i know but it was a rule i was taught. This is the way i got a broken handle out, placed the axe head between to standing blocks of wood, then take a 1/2 " bolt about 3"s long, and a hammer, and drive the old handle out.
Later on i used a double bit axe for splitting firewood and cutting cable, one side for wood and the other side for a cable cutter.
Magicman your right, everybody would say why are keeping that, will there were a number of times they were over digging , saying boy I'm sure glad you kept it. Like used mainline and broken chokers work good when pouring cement, makes good rebarb.
Seems like a while back someone mentioned a place called The House of Handles. Can't remember for sure if name is correct but they had good prices. I paid 46 dollars for a PeeVee handle then had to cut 18 in off it to clear beam in mill above deck >:( >:( >:( ::)
Also lots of the old axes around here had a nickle in place of steel wedge so I asume from knowing my ansesters wedges had to cost more than a nickle ::) ::)
This is probably the site that you were referring to:
http://www.househandle.com/
Thanks Magicman knew it was something like that :-[ :-[
Quote from: Magicman on January 04, 2011, 01:15:42 PM
Maybe a man's true worth is gauged by how much broken stuff he collects ??? ::)
I'm a happy rich Magicman. ;D
I'm truly poverty stricken. A few years ago, while I was in the hospital getting a few stents stuck into the ol ticker, Jan very kindly cleaned out the shed and threw away all the broken stuff :( :( It was ALL useful stuff that I knew that I would find a need for one day. Since the "clean up" I have found uses for about half of the treasures that I no longer possess.
I'm sad
i can never get a new handle to work right.
What i do is drill a hole in the head and pin it in. I do fill the gap of the handle before i
i put the pin in.
Thanks Alot Mr Mom
Ernie people do things, Jan was only thinking of you and what she could do to make you happy when you came home. All that old broken stuff, it was just stuff, start hitting all the action sales and garage sales, and you'll find all that stuff again, and more stuff. Give her a big kiss and say thank you for cleaning the shed, now i have a reason to buy more stuff. [ We all want you to be happy ]
Drill them out with a 3/8 or 1/2 bit. Put the axe in a vice and don't try to hold it in between your knees (been there-not gonna fool me twice!). I'd recommend those newer fiberglass/composite handles in the future.
If you don't want to beat up your body and arms, put a wood handle in. A fiberglass might take more abuse, but so will the bod.
I agree. A friend of mine was told by an orthopaedic surgeon that you never want to use anything other than wood.
I find that more often than not, I have to carve the end of the new handle to fit the head I am putting it into for a better fit. Like was said earlier, it is hard to find a good handle in the hardware stores these days. Thanks Magicman, I will have to check out the handle house site.
I've always made my own handles for old axes around the farm, and I don't use an axe a lot. But, I never broke any of my own. :D All I've ever used to make one is another axe to whittle it out of a hard maple. Best is hornbeam from the local woods, we don't have hickory up here or I would use it also. Had one fellow that made handles out of red oak, they were pretty to look at but had no strength. The hard maple handles I've made seem to be tough. I do have to replace a couple handles if I ever get around to it. One is loose and another is getting a little rough looking. The rough one is a hickory handle, I find they seem to get splits in the handle, maple don't.
Quote from: SwampDonkey on January 09, 2011, 05:07:30 AM
I've always made my own handles for old axes around the farm, and I don't use an axe a lot. But, I never broke any of my own. :D
It's interesting I broke my handle in 2 months splitting firewood every other night or so.. ::)
I just read where was made this axe and all is clear now - MADE IN CHINA :-[
I use heavier axes around 4 LB and missed few times hitting with handle but still it should not break so easily right?
So far I couldn't get handle shaped exactly like the eye in my old blade so probably I'll do handle
by myself too. As I read what you guys wrote here maple is the best for this purpose I guess.
BTW, those axes with fiber glass handle are very tempting I must say...
I
:D :D
My grandfather was down in Rhode Island visiting a cousin a few years back and bought an axe. Made in Canada stamped on the blade. Brought it home for my uncle who split a lot of kitchen stove firewood. He splits the wood in late winter up by the barn. Anyway, about 5 cracks with that axe and the steel crumbled on the blade edge. Worthless junk. :D :D :D
If you hang your axe well the head will be tight but if you leave it indoors, behind the stove or whereever it can get loose because the wood drys out. So when tha happens tap the handle on a block to tighten the head back on and then soak it in some antifreeze. It will close up the pores and keep it tight for a long time. Try it, it works.
I once saw a fellow use a piece of broken glass to shave down an ax handle. Used it like you'd use one of those thin metal woodworking scrapers. He worked on it off and on all day, but that handle fit perfectly in the ax eye. The replacement handles in stores these days fit the newer axes pretty well, but I've found that old axes have slightly odd-shaped eyes and you do have to do some carving, wood-rasping, sometimes sawing off slivers, to get a replacement handle to fit. Worth it, though. Just one of those things where you need patience to do the job right.
Went camping with my Scout troop this weekend. We were working our way down through the firewood stack left by previous campers, lo and behold we found a nice hatchet somebody had stacked in the pile along with the wood.