Axe restoration thread

[svk]

I’ve acquired a DBA this summer. The eye is significantly larger than a cruiser but smaller than a traditional DBA eye. House Handor shows nothing near it for replacement. Any idea what’s up with this? I suppose I’ll have to shave down a standard handle to fit.

 

[rarefish383]

I think I have couple doubles that are between a cruiser and a bigger one. Soon as I get my French Bread Pizza out of the oven, I'll check.

 

[muad]

Howdy all. I was blessed by @Woodslasher with some gorgeous old axes and axe heads. I want to play with "restoring" and hanging, and am wondering where y'all get your handles?

Rural King has Links brand USA Hickory handles, which I picked up a 36" single bit handle this evening. Wasn't super impressed with the selection, and so many were warped. I was able to get one that looks pretty decent, is mostly straight, however when they cut the slot up top it's not even, which frustrated me. I'm still gonna use it as a learning peace, just have to figure out what I'm gonna hang on it.

Would love to find some Ohio/Michigan Ash handles to start with. Also, are there any guides or books y'all recommend for choosing the right type of handle or length? One of the axes he gave me I think has a 28 inch handle, I believe it is a Kelly woodslasher head at 3 or 3.5lbs? The sucker splits awesome! I have another Unmarked head he gave me that needs hung which looks smaller and lighter than the one I just mentioned. Maybe 2.5 pound? I'm gonna grab my postal scale for my dad's so I can weigh it. Seems to me it'd be perfect for a small axe to carry along to bang wedges, etc. What would be the recommended length for that?

Any help is greatly appreciated, I think I may have found myself a new hobby

 

[U&A]

Howdy all. I was blessed by @Woodslasher with some gorgeous old axes and axe heads. I want to play with "restoring" and hanging, and am wondering where y'all get your handles?

Rural King has Links brand USA Hickory handles, which I picked up a 36" single bit handle this evening. Wasn't super impressed with the selection, and so many were warped. I was able to get one that looks pretty decent, is mostly straight, however when they cut the slot up top it's not even, which frustrated me. I'm still gonna use it as a learning peace, just have to figure out what I'm gonna hang on it.

Would love to find some Ohio/Michigan Ash handles to start with. Also, are there any guides or books y'all recommend for choosing the right type of handle or length? One of the axes he gave me I think has a 28 inch handle, I believe it is a Kelly woodslasher head at 3 or 3.5lbs? The sucker splits awesome! I have another Unmarked head he gave me that needs hung which looks smaller and lighter than the one I just mentioned. Maybe 2.5 pound? I'm gonna grab my postal scale for my dad's so I can weigh it. Seems to me it'd be perfect for a small axe to carry along to bang wedges, etc. What would be the recommended length for that?

Any help is greatly appreciated, I think I may have found myself a new hobby

No ash handles in your area?

Thats all thats here. Not that they look nice. Maybe 1 out of 10 is a winner.


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

 

[muad]

No ash handles in your area?

Thats all thats here. Not that they look nice. Maybe 1 out of 10 is a winner.


Sent while firmly grasping my redline lubed RAM [emoji231]

Not that I found yet, there's an Amish/Mennonite store in town that I'm gonna check. They carry bulk flour, spices, and all kinds of stuff. Going to see if they carry any, or ask if they can get them. I love Ash, hence the reason I would love to have some handles made from it. I know it's not the prettiest, but it would just be cool to have some axes hung on Ash. Those ones I would probably flame treat them and then oil

 

[svk]

Howdy all. I was blessed by @Woodslasher with some gorgeous old axes and axe heads. I want to play with "restoring" and hanging, and am wondering where y'all get your handles?

Rural King has Links brand USA Hickory handles, which I picked up a 36" single bit handle this evening. Wasn't super impressed with the selection, and so many were warped. I was able to get one that looks pretty decent, is mostly straight, however when they cut the slot up top it's not even, which frustrated me. I'm still gonna use it as a learning peace, just have to figure out what I'm gonna hang on it.

Would love to find some Ohio/Michigan Ash handles to start with. Also, are there any guides or books y'all recommend for choosing the right type of handle or length? One of the axes he gave me I think has a 28 inch handle, I believe it is a Kelly woodslasher head at 3 or 3.5lbs? The sucker splits awesome! I have another Unmarked head he gave me that needs hung which looks smaller and lighter than the one I just mentioned. Maybe 2.5 pound? I'm gonna grab my postal scale for my dad's so I can weigh it. Seems to me it'd be perfect for a small axe to carry along to bang wedges, etc. What would be the recommended length for that?

Any help is greatly appreciated, I think I may have found myself a new hobby

I used to say House Handle but their quality has gone to the birds in the last 18 months.

 

[cookies]

I have purchased a few amish made handles off ebay with decent results, they come uncoated..linseed oil works great on them
The local stores sell "truper" brand handles made in mexico of hickory that come lacquered, None of them are ever straight and the rings are too far apart

 

[Woodslasher]

Howdy all. I was blessed by @Woodslasher with some gorgeous old axes and axe heads. I want to play with "restoring" and hanging, and am wondering where y'all get your handles?

Rural King has Links brand USA Hickory handles, which I picked up a 36" single bit handle this evening. Wasn't super impressed with the selection, and so many were warped. I was able to get one that looks pretty decent, is mostly straight, however when they cut the slot up top it's not even, which frustrated me. I'm still gonna use it as a learning peace, just have to figure out what I'm gonna hang on it.

Would love to find some Ohio/Michigan Ash handles to start with. Also, are there any guides or books y'all recommend for choosing the right type of handle or length? One of the axes he gave me I think has a 28 inch handle, I believe it is a Kelly woodslasher head at 3 or 3.5lbs? The sucker splits awesome! I have another Unmarked head he gave me that needs hung which looks smaller and lighter than the one I just mentioned. Maybe 2.5 pound? I'm gonna grab my postal scale for my dad's so I can weigh it. Seems to me it'd be perfect for a small axe to carry along to bang wedges, etc. What would be the recommended length for that?

Any help is greatly appreciated, I think I may have found myself a new hobby

Now this I can help with! Beaver Tooth Handles has done me well in the past when I got a few broad axe hafts from them. Their handle selection, quality, and pricing, including shipping, is VERY good in my book. For an axe "manual" try looking up "an axe to grind" on Youtube. There'll be a video from the forest service with everything you need to know. The smaller head is a 3 or 3.5 lb Plumb (it says Plumb VERY VERY faintly) and a 28 inch "miners axe" handle is the way to go. The one head you think is on a 28 is a 3.5lber on the original 36 inch haft, but I seated the head as low as I could so it's more like a 32 inch haft now. I was going to do the same thing on the other red head to negate the (non-structural) crack. If you need further help, go to Bladeforums.com under the axe hatchet and tomahawk section and read the posts from members Yankee Josh, Muleman77, Square_Peg, and Cityofthesouth. Those men are experts at hafting axes and are far more skilled than I. Finally, a good rule of thumb for haft lengths is 2-3lbs = 28 inch haft, 3-5lbs = 32 or 36 inch haft.

 

[muad]

Now this I can help with! Beaver Tooth Handles has done me well in the past when I got a few broad axe hafts from them. Their handle selection, quality, and pricing, including shipping, is VERY good in my book. For an axe "manual" try looking up "an axe to grind" on Youtube. There'll be a video from the forest service with everything you need to know. The smaller head is a 3 or 3.5 lb Plumb (it says Plumb VERY VERY faintly) and a 28 inch "miners axe" handle is the way to go. The one head you think is on a 28 is a 3.5lber on the original 36 inch haft, but I seated the head as low as I could so it's more like a 32 inch haft now. I was going to do the same thing on the other red head to negate the (non-structural) crack. If you need further help, go to Bladeforums.com under the axe hatchet and tomahawk section and read the posts from members Yankee Josh, Muleman77, Square_Peg, and Cityofthesouth. Those men are experts at hafting axes and are far more skilled than I. Finally, a good rule of thumb for haft lengths is 2-3lbs = 28 inch haft, 3-5lbs = 32 or 36 inch haft.

Thanks for the added info brother, and for the axes!!!

The one I was splitting with today has a half red head on it, and I was blown away at how well it did. Compared to my Fiskar's x27, it beats it hands down. I was splitting ash, sugar maple, and even some apple with ease.

I love it!

 

[LondonNeil]

Buckin'used to use Beaver tooth but now swears by Killinger handles, he's another guy on YouTube.
I can't comment as they don't ship outside US.

Handle length and shape is personal but generally bigger heads get longer handles and I finally found a believable explanation for straight Vs curved handles recently. It was a guy that makes handles for an axe coming company. Think I posted the link above, about a month ago.

 

[muad]

Buckin'used to use Beaver tooth but now swears by Killinger handles, he's another guy on YouTube.
I can't comment as they don't ship outside US.

Handle length and shape is personal but generally bigger heads get longer handles and I finally found a believable explanation for straight Vs curved handles recently. It was a guy that makes handles for an axe coming company. Think I posted the link above, about a month ago.

Buckin's videos are what inspired me to want to really start doing this. I've always wanted to, but watching him, and then of course being blessed with some really cool axes, pushed me over the edge. LOL

Thanks for the input in handle makers. I have beavertooth saved, and now I'll check out Killinger.

 

[muad]

@LondonNeil I looked for your post on straight handles and didn't see it.

Do you care to share it again. I'm trying to learn as much as possible

 

[svk]

Buckin'used to use Beaver tooth but now swears by Killinger handles, he's another guy on YouTube.
I can't comment as they don't ship outside US.

Handle length and shape is personal but generally bigger heads get longer handles and I finally found a believable explanation for straight Vs curved handles recently. It was a guy that makes handles for an axe coming company. Think I posted the link above, about a month ago.

I love Buckin and don’t want to say a bad word about him but I believe he got a really good deal buying this latest brand in bulk so that may have something to do with his change of allegiance.

 

[LondonNeil]

He does have a lot of handles knocking about! And a lot of heads

@LondonNeil I looked for your post on straight handles and didn't see it.

Do you care to share it again. I'm trying to learn as much as possible

Its there, 30 October

 

[muad]

@Woodslasher, I watched that Forest Service series last night. Wow, some amazing info there. Thanks for the recommendation. Seeing that makes me feel like I can actually do this. LOL.

Hoping to order some handles tomorrow, then get to hanging once they arrive. I also called my FIL who loves in SE Ohio (aka Amish country), and he's going to check with some of his Amish friends.

I need to get some decent files ordered also.

 

[cookies]

yea your going to need a 4 way rasp and a file card if your fitting heads to handles

 

[LondonNeil]

I use a Shinto rasp and a spoke shave

 

[muad]

Well, I ruined my first handle today. I may be able to use it for a head that has a smaller eye, but my first attempt at hanging was a failure.

I'm not totally bummed, as I learned a few things today. For one, the Link handle I got from Rural King was junk to begin with. The kerf was off center and the cut was at an angle. But, I took too much off the shoulder as I was trying to bring the head down as far as possible in order to have enough material to fill the eye. Another issue with the handle was the top of the eye wood was much smaller than towards the shoulder, so there was a huge gap at the back and front of the eye. Oh. and I split a small piece off the end when hanging, as I was using a 2.5 metal sledge. I think I'll get a nice plastic mallet instead. I could have saved it, and it would have been a good reminder.

Oh well, I've learned that I need to take the heads with me to help choose a better handle. Going to see what Ace has this evening. I'm afraid to order any online, in case the eye wood is too small...

 

[LondonNeil]

A kerf off centre and a bit angled is not something that affects the hang or strength.
It's also possible to use the wedge to fill a bit of a gap at the front of the eye. You can shape a packer for the back too. OR you can try cross wedging. If cross wedging drill a hole at the bottom of the cross-kerf, to reduce the risk of splitting down the handle.

Taking too much off the shoulder..... Bummer.

 

[muad]

A kerf off centre and a bit angled is not something that affects the hang or strength.
It's also possible to use the wedge to fill a bit of a gap at the front of the eye. You can shape a packer for the back too. OR you can try cross wedging. If cross wedging drill a hole at the bottom of the cross-kerf, to reduce the risk of splitting down the handle.

Taking too much off the shoulder..... Bummer.

Thanks for the tips. I'm almost thinking about ordering some blanks to play around with, but I need some tooling first I mean, I can do it all by hand, but a nice belt sander and bandsaw sure would make life easier.

I took both heads that I'm working on to Rural King, and I actually found a really nice handle for this 3.5LB Plumb single bit head I got form Woodslasher. It was off in a barrel where it looked like they were throwing the messed up ones that fell off the display, as it was missing it's wedge and the stupid staple they put in the foot to hang them on the display with. Wood grain is in the right direction, and it's nice and straight. It looks like I won't have to do too much to get a nice snug fit in the eye, so I'm excited to get hanging. I also picked up a Stanley "Flat File" style rasp, and of course I already have a 4-in-one unit. I forgot to grab some boiled linseed oil.

Thanks again!