Re-hanging an Axe

[ForgeCorvus]

A little while back Munchh posted a Kent pattern axe head acquired at a car-boot, this sparked a long PM conversation about how to clean it up and get it back into working order.

You can see the thread all about it Here

This is my How-To on hanging (fitting a new handle) to an axe head...... Feel free to ask questions

BTW, this is how I was taught to do it by my former boss's father, old Jack had been smithing since he was 14 and was in his late 70's/early 80's when I knew him. Other folks might do it differently, but this way works for me.

First of all, let the dog see the rabbit


Here we have three different Kent pattern axe heads, they're all around 24 oz (1 1/2 lbs)


As you can see there is some variation in shape of the eye, this is why I tend to make my own handles rather then use shop bought ones.

Heres most of the tools I'll be using

My 16oz bearded hatchet
Hultafors Heavy Duty
Pruning saw
Pencil
Farmer's rasp .....Its probably got a proper name, its double ended and one side is curved (not D shaped like a half-round file though)
Piece of broken window glass.

Heres the 'Gilpin' head that I'll be hanging, along side the 'Gem' that I still need to do (the Gem I've had for a while and now I've got it sharpened up nicely I'll be giving it a decent handle, rather then the cut-down sledge-hammer shaft it did have)



Once you've worked out which way up your axe-head should go you then need a piece of suitable timber thats larger then the eye and a few inches longer then you want the handle to end up. I was taught to measure tool handles from the point the timber meets the metal, this means that a hatchet with a 12 inch handle is around 15 inches long.
I also like to use longer handles then is standard for the weight of the tool 'Trade Axe' style, so I'm using a 30 inch long piece of ash for this job


End of Part One

[pseudonym]

Great tutorial,look forward to seeing the rest.

[ForgeCorvus]

I'm back......You miss me?

I forgot to mention that the way the grain runs is important (slightly less so with Hickory because its so dense, this is how the manufacturers can get away with seeming to ignore the way trees grow), in an ideal world the grain would run along the axis of the tool and all the way down the length of the handle flowing through the shape so there is no short grain anywhere. As we don't live in an ideal world you'll just have to select your wood to come as close to this as possible.

Because of a couple of shakes (splits from the drying/seasoning process) I had to get my 2 X4 section lump of ash cut less then optimal
Here is the piece I've decided to use for this job

As you can see the grain runs mostly less then 45 degrees to the length of the eye, I wouldn't use it for a long handle if the grain was nearer to running across the eye. For lower stress jobs like short hammers and hatchets I might.

Note Well. I like to try to dry my billets as much as possible before fitting as wood shrinks when dry and expands when wet, you need to get a tight fit on the wood when its at its smallest and then oil it really well and you're unlikely to have problems with it loosening later

Draw a line down the centre of the long axis, this gives you an idea where the centre of the eye should be while you hold it over the end to draw around the inside. I find it easier to sit and put the wood upright between my knees, leaving me to control the head with my off hand while using the pencil in my dominant hand.


Next process is to lose the corners prior to rough shaping, here is a 'before & after' shot


Now comes rough shaping, I use an axe but Jack used to use a draw-knife and his son( my former boss) liked to use a farrier's rasp. Go with what you're happiest with.

First fit, don't worry if the head is way out of line with the handle this is only the First fit after all.
Note the way the blade is canted in this shot (I'd like to say it was deliberate so I could show you how to fix it......But I'd be lying, that this is the first one I've done for a while is my only excuse)


If yours is like this, you'll need to remove wood to bring the head closer to the centre line.
Think of it like this, if you're holding it handle down with the Bit (sharp edge) facing you and the blade is running diagonal from top right to bottom left. You need to take wood off the top left and bottom right to straighten it up..... Please note, wood taken from the bottom (nearest the handle) seems to have a great effect then the same amount of wood taken from the top.

Here it is once I'd sorted it


Quick end on view, this is what you're aiming to get before you Down-cut and Wedge


My Down-cut, you need to go just over half the depth of the eye as a minimum...Don't cut any deeper then 3/4 of the depth, or you'll run the risk of splitting the handle

The black crud is graphite from the pencil, I rubbed it all over the taper when I was getting close to fit so I could see the high spots. Rasps are great for this final bit.

OK, confession time. I made a school-boy error and took far too much wood off one side, so I had to do a serious reshape before I could Wedge.
Thats why theres a big length of wood sticking out of the top of the axe-head. If this happens to you don't worry its not impossible to fix, just remember to make your Down-cut deeper

I make my wedges from beech or another dense wood, I used to make and use metal wedges but when I started making axes for re-enactors they fell foul of the Authentication Officers (the guys who make sure you're dressed in and using the correct kit for the period)....Apparently the metal wedge is relatively modern.
I might rarely use a small metal cross-wedge if the handle isn't as snug as I'd like.

If you're using a pre-made handle that pretty much it

However, read Part Three if you're going down the scratch-build path

End of Part Two

[ForgeCorvus]

I knew there was something I'd forgotten

Part Three
This is where we change from engineering to art, I've always thought that the definition of 'Craft' is the place where Science meets Art.
My old boss used to say "If it looks right, it is right".

Enough wittering

I could go off into a long winded explaination and discussion of force lines and power arcs (whatever those are), but I don't understand the physics so how can I explain them?

The short answer is: Axe handles have curves because blades cut on either a draw or a push stroke, the curve of the handle makes it easier to do this

I once lent a guy an axe (I had one just for lending to people, you'll see why in a minute) and he took over ten minutes pounding away to cut a pallet board in half. He was swinging it like it was a hammer and striking dead on square and a right angles to the grain, he then told me my axe was "Blunt and not very good" and asked to use my good one!! (what is it they say? "Its rude to ask to borrow a man's axe, and unforgivable not to").
I then proceeded to use that same axe (blunted as it was due to the mistreatment) to cut all the rest of the boards in the same time as he'd used on one, I pretty sure he learnt something that day.... I know I did, how an axe blade cuts or rather how to stop an axe from cutting.

So, now we come to drawing out our handle.... This is a rough outline to give me an idea where I'm going because its very easy to loose where you are as you'll be moving it around a lot to be able to cut and carve your shape.
Pay attention to the flow of the grain and modify accordingly



As you can see, my handle is straighter then a shop-bought one would be especially at the end (the Deer's Foot)

Each curve serves a different purpose and each one is roughly where the three main grips are located.

The first one (nearest to the head) is a Back Curve, this is where you'll grip it when you Choke Up on the axe for precise carving.
It needs to still be the largest cross-section so you end up with a full belly out the front, when you hold it the blade seems to curve up and away from your knuckles (the natural cut is a slicing action)
The second curve (the Waist) is where you Half-Grip, this gives you a high degree of control over a fair amount of power. The way your hand and the edge are relative to each other (blade slightly forward) gives a chopping cut but not excessively powerful, this is where you'll grip for limbing and the heavier cutting jobs (light splitting, rough carving etc)
Lastly theres the Deer's foot, this is your Full-Grip. Its the grip that developes the most power but the least control, this is the one you use for the heavy stuff like splitting and felling (one-handed for small stuff or two handed on the really big stuff ). Its your full on Chopping cut with the blade edge well in advance of the hand(s).

Thats the Why, now we talk about the How.
OK, I've drawn the rough outline and now I need to shape it. For this I'm mostly using my 16oz hatchet (thats its total weight), you can use whatever tool you're most comfortable with.
Because I'm axing this I need to start by putting in my stop-cuts, these prevent the inward curves from running away from me and splitting into the wood I want to keep. They can be sawn (as you would do if you were cutting a tenon with wood chisels) or as I've done here with my hatchet. If you're using a draw-knife or any other open blade (chisel, knife WHY)you'll need to do this as well, a spoke-shave can't cut too deep and a rasp works differently so neither of these need the same precaution.


Now I shape it but I still keep it a square section (as if it was band-sawn), shown here beside my 16oz hatchet


Next I round it off, well oval it off anyway
After zipping off the corners with the hatchet (more stop-cuts) I used my Hultafors heavy duty and craftsman for this. The HD can be gripped by the handle and the back of the blade by the point to use it as a drawknife, the craftsman is a little too narrow to do this without the chance of cutting yourself and I'd rather pay attention to my carving.


Now she gets a couple of coats of oil (Raw Linseed) and a finish off around the top of the eye, not one of my best ones... I might have to re-do this one in the next couple of years
BTW I paint the linseed on the metal as well as the wood


Here she's shown in her natural habitat...... Murdering Leylandii

I've since chopped away both the trunk shes stuck in and the larger one to the left of the picture, she done great ....... The larger trunk was cut level with the roof of the shed (about my eye-level ) and was about 8 or 9 inches thick at that point. I'll try and post some pics of that

When brushing and limbing I was happily cutting wrist thick branches with one stroke (one handed Full-Grip)

[poppypiesdad]

Thanks for taking the time to show us your work , top job , just out of interest , how much would you charge to do this if i came upon an old axe head ?

Jamie

[ForgeCorvus]

Always nice to hear what folks think.

I'd probably have to charge more then a decent axe handle would cost you to buy, plus what it'll cost to send it to me and for me to send it back.

I'm wondering if it would be viable to start dealing in old tools (for working rather then collecting), you know get them in clean, sharpen, rehang and oil them


What sort of thing are you looking for ?

[pseudonym]

Thanks for the update.

A great tutorial and a good skill to have tucked away.

Thanks for sharing.

[munchh]

Hey Mr.forge, bit slow on the uptake on this one, nice to see how you do it, you may be slightly dismayed to know my kent is still sitting here unhung, but I will do it, I actualy found another small axe which I got some use out of during the summer, I need to sort it out.

[Oldarborman]

What a lovely post thank you, and what beautiful axe's, I have done this myself in the woods as a matter of necessary maintenance but the axe heads you have there are magnificent great stuff

[Quercus-robur]

Nice work on re-hanging the axe. I also really like your 16oz bearded axe. Please can you tell me where I can get one from?

Qr