Axe restoration thread

[LondonNeil]

Thanks! Yes I'm pleased with how it turned out. If I do as well with the decent handle when it comes to it I'll be pleased. I've had a load of good swings at a tree stump and it seems very firm. Also, despite the handle being thick, it's got quite a bit of flex. It's Ash, we don't grow hickory, Ash is our tool handle wood of choice. Not t what we will do in a few years as ash die back is killing it.... Won't be any left for the borer which is also marching across Europe. I'm very pleased.
The head is a 4.5lb hultsbruk.

 

[svk]

I love the vintage bottle of BLO too.

 

[LondonNeil]

He he! I wasn't sure anyone would notice. It must be as old as me.... Dates back to dad doing DIY and adding blo to outside gloss paint or to putty.

 

[dancan]

I'd been using my favourite hatchet (thank you Dan!) To smack the wedge home, so it got some BLO too.

Note how impressive the gorilla glue is. The cut off top of handle I can't pull apart! Glue only been on for 20 mins

Glad you're that you're getting good use out of it !

 

[sean donato]

I wondered what blo was till I went back and looked at that bottle again lol. Linseed oil. Now i know

 

[LondonNeil]

Hay, yes, boiled linseed oil.

It gets lots of use Dan, it's brilliant for kindling and also around the garden, light but big enough to get through a lot. Steel is great, I've not touched the edge since I hung and sharpened it.

Btw, is your postal service working?

 

[Be Stihl]

Was just doing more searches for makers marks. Saw a cool hatchet, so I went to eBay to see if they had one. Scrolling down there was a girl holding an axe head between her boobs. Scrolled down a bit more and there she was again, different top, different axe, same boobs, three different axes, three different tops, same boobs. I wonder if their marketing plan helps?

Saw the same set of boobs, big ones at that. It sure made me look at junk I don’t need.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Multifaceted]

@Multifaceted the DB axe you did for me rides in the truck and I end up using it once or twice a month. It cuts so well, thanks again.

Glad to hear! That was a bit of a project. In its condition I might have passed it up on my own, but in the spirit of sentimentality, I just couldn't - and it ended up turning out great with lots of serviceable years remaining.

 

[svk]

Glad to hear! That was a bit of a project. In its condition I might have passed it up on my own, but in the spirit of sentimentality, I just couldn't - and it ended up turning out great with lots of serviceable years remaining.

Your efforts were very much appreciated. I’ve shown it to a lot of people.

 

[dancan]

Hay, yes, boiled linseed oil.

It gets lots of use Dan, it's brilliant for kindling and also around the garden, light but big enough to get through a lot. Steel is great, I've not touched the edge since I hung and sharpened it.

Btw, is your postal service working?

Glad you like it , them things pop up like dandelions around here Lol
No mail problems here .

 

[svk]

Found this ball peen hammer on my morning walk. It apparently went through some trauma on its way to the ground. Fell through some sort of moving machinery as the gashes are pretty deep and one appears to have severed the handle which I did not find.

 

[cat10ken]

Looks to have been hit by a lawn mower or brush hog.

 

[svk]

Looks to have been hit by a lawn mower or brush hog.

That makes a lot of sense. The guy mowing the ditches recently probably hit it, the handle blew up on impact and the head was thrown up onto the shoulder where I found it.

 

[dancan]

WoOT !!!

 

[dancan]

The wife and I were out this evening and stopped at the post box .She asks what did I order .
? , nuthin I said .

Well , 20 minutes later trying to unwrap a small well taped package I discover that I'm a happy recipient of a Brades #2 Kent pattern head

Thanks Neil !!!

 

[LondonNeil]

Yay! I'm very relieved and happy it arrived. Was worried as it took so much longer than Joe as and Clarence's. You got the Brades didn't you, like the Gilpin and the Elwell the others got, Brades was a quality English tool maker but long since disappeared. Hope it adds something to your collection and if it makes you smile as much as the head you sent me, you'll be a pretty happy fellow

 

[LondonNeil]

I'm on a roll! Oh yeah! One for Joe, I hope you feel its a fair job @rarefish383




28" ash handle, a cheap one but with decent grain alignment it seems. I decided to use this as it was a cheap handle to practice hanging a Jersey on (its my first, and i wasn't sure how easy it would be) but decent enough that hopefully it won't break for a while. As it was the hang seemed ok, so when it does break the straight 28" Smedberg hickory stick will be used.

 

[LondonNeil]

Fit is pretty good. no curl but its tight with no gaps.




and once wedged no gaps and a nice swell up top (see this photo...I forgot to add a metal wedge, it will get one)


final photo...oh yeah...happy with that! needed a lot more off one side of the handle than the other to achieve it. My axes always seem to need the same side shaved heavily!

 

[LondonNeil]

Just gave the Jersey a run out. Oh yeah I'm happy with the hang, and the haft, both it's length and it's flex. Unfortunately it's a felling axe and doesn't split tough stuff for toffee. Although TBF, tough stuff would always get a bigger axe.... I don't think it'll do much splitting, but it already makes me grin . Thanks Joe!

 

[LondonNeil]

Is it just me that struggles to get a straight handle? Cut straight I mean, I'm not complaining about warped, straight shaft not bent/ fawn foot. Ok suburban London isn't ideal for farm supply shops and quality hardware shops have long disappeared from most high streets, beaten out by the big box type which just sell cheap tools and any handle would be a struggle. Hence I'm shopping online. I can get Smedberg straight at 30" and to 32", and straight handles for replacement of various Gransfors or hultafors but as they cost £28-35, plus postage I hunted for something cheaper. I've resorted to more pick axe handles. Carter's hickory navvy pick handles, 7 quid after postage, I bought 4. 2"*3" eye.... Even with the taper that should fit many axe eyes. I know at that price some will be poor, but if 2 of 4 are decent then I'll be smiling. I do wish I could find some cheap straight axe hafts though.