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how to change wooden handle in axe?

Started by motif, January 03, 2011, 05:42:42 AM

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Dave Shepard

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.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

northwoods1

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 :)

Phorester

"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.

ErikC

 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. :)
Peterson 8" with 33' tracks, JCB 1550 4x4 loader backhoe, several stihl chainsaws

Magicman

Maybe a man's true worth is gauged by how much broken stuff he collects  ???   ::)

I'm a happy rich Magicman.   ;D
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

lumberjack48

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.
Third generation logger, owner operator, 30 yrs felling experience with pole skidder. I got my neck broke back in 89, left me a quad. The wife kept the job going up to 96.

captain_crunch

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 ::) ::)
M-14 Belsaw circle mill,HD-11 Log Loader,TD-14 Crawler,TD-9 Crawler and Ford 2910 Loader Tractor

Magicman

Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

captain_crunch

Thanks Magicman knew it was something like that :-[ :-[
M-14 Belsaw circle mill,HD-11 Log Loader,TD-14 Crawler,TD-9 Crawler and Ford 2910 Loader Tractor

Ernie

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
A very wise man once told me . Grand children are great, we should have had them first

Mr Mom

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 

lumberjack48

 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 ]
Third generation logger, owner operator, 30 yrs felling experience with pole skidder. I got my neck broke back in 89, left me a quad. The wife kept the job going up to 96.

clww

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.
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beenthere

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.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Dave Shepard

I agree. A friend of mine was told by an orthopaedic surgeon that you never want to use anything other than wood.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

mad murdock

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.
Turbosawmill M6 (now M8) Warrior Ultra liteweight, Granberg Alaskan III, lots of saws-gas powered and human powered :D

SwampDonkey

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.
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

motif

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

SwampDonkey

 :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
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

Glenn

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.

Phorester


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.

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