My little axe find.

[Blackshuck]

Here are a few pics of the little axe head I found on Saffron Walden market a few weeks ago.

I've cleaned it up a bit and tried to maintain a nice convex profile on it, although it can do with a little more work to get the edge shaving sharp. The script was indecypherable initially but eventually I worked out it said on one cheek "SOLID CAST STEEL ENGLISH MAKE" The makers name is still unreadable on the other cheek however.
I thought I'd have a go at making a handle for it, so I rough shaped a piece of 25mm oak board with my bandsaw and then did the rest of the profiling on the belt sander.

I know oak is probably not the best handle wood but it has allowed me to learn a bit I suppose. The hardest bit was getting the fit right fot the oval eye.I then cut a long wedge again from oak and then having fitted that I hammered a ground down floor brad ( which is a tapered wedge in section) as the cross wedge.
Unfortunately it has split through a bit as you can see in the pictures, but I drilled and pegged the split to stop it running.
It will be ok until I can find a decent piece of seasoned ash or hickory
Its 12" overall about 14 ounce head with a 2.75" bit.
Its well balanced in the hand and cuts beautifully.

What do you think?

David

 

[falcon]

Nice one....always satisfying to create something for yourself

 

[mr dazzler]

Is that your first go at re handleing? If it is you did avery good job of creating smooth and fair lines on the wood. Its not easy to do. I have done a few handles by now, sometimes it all goes well and the job's done in 10 minutes, other times after 2 hours of hassle its still not there Some axe head's have weird internal flares and taper's
I start off using the spokeshave to get the eye shape, then keep test fitting (lots of times, ) shave or eventually file off a little more on the high spots, test fit again until it goes on snug. I use rust inside the eye to show the high spots on the test fitting's. The more wood that contact's the inside of the steel eye the better. I put one long oak or ash wedge (like you did) plus 2 smaller ones acrossway's. I have never needed to use an adittional metal one. I make sure the wedges are arrid dry next to the stove or something, when they are fitted they absorb moisture again and swell tight. You might well find that the oak splinters a bit and gets rough, ash is my favourite because it gets a real nice work polished patina

 

[Mirius]

Very nice indeed, that is great.

 

[Mirius]

I put one long oak or ash wedge (like you did) plus 2 smaller ones acrossway's. I have never needed to use an adittional metal one.

Could you elaborate on that a bit? I've only rehandled one axe, so I know how the first wedge works, but how do you fit further wedges crossways? Metal I can understand because you just hammer them in.

 

[Matt Weir]

Very good job that David, looks professional

Edit: Needs a nice leather mask now.

 

[weaver]

That is great!

I wish I could convince my American friends that the work is worth the effort. They would rather go to a discount store and buy a cheap China made ax than put out a little effort and have a really nice old steel that will last several life times.

And when the cheap ax breaks all they can do is throw it away and go buy another.

 

[mr dazzler]

Could you elaborate on that a bit? I've only rehandled one axe, so I know how the first wedge works, but how do you fit further wedges crossways? Metal I can understand because you just hammer them in.

My personal understanding is that the fibres at the end of the handle, the ones inside the eye, need to be flared out in all directions with more or less equal tension to get maximum firm ness. If theres just the one long wedge, theres a chance that the axe could loosen a bit in the up and down plane (even though it will be firm side to side). I shape and fit the handle by fettling as I described earlier. Then I make 3 saw cut's into the handle to make pilot slot's for the wedges, one long one for the long wedge as in the photos, then divide the length into 3 parts and make the crossways cuts at those 2 points. I cut down to just less than the depth of the axe eye (I mark the depth with a pencil when fettling is complete, if you cut too far down you could end up splitting the handle and it looks crap any way). What I normally then do is drive in the long one first (as in Dave's pictures) but not fully home. Then saw the wedge stump off leaving maybe half an inch still protruding. Then I take a slim chisle and split acroos the long wedge at the points where the 2 crossways saw cuts are. Then drive in 2 wedges into these slot's so that they go into the pilot slots AND split the long wedge as well. I drive in a bit at a time going from wedge to wedge so as to spread the pressure equally, when they are there, just trim off flush (I keep a stanley jet cut saw for this, one of the few job's its ideally suited to ) The wedges need to have a gradual taper (IE about 1:8 or 1:9 if they are too steep they arent going to naturally grip so well. And they must be good quality dry, bone dry, straight grained ash or oak so they dont break as you drive them in. I shape them initially with the axe, then a 2 inch slick (framing chisle) to ensure they are straight, also I take off a tiny bit of either corner which tends to keep the wedges centred as they are driven in.
Hope this helps, cheers Jonathan

 

[Matt Weir]

Abit like this?...

[/IMG]

 

[mentalnurse]

nice find, always on the look out for a nice axe my self.

 

[Mirius]

Thanks, yes that helps a lot, I understand how you are doing it now. I might give that a go the next time I do it. Not that I have an axe that needs doing or intend buying one... but...

 

[mr dazzler]

I'll draw a little diagram after the bairns are fed and watered and post it later pictures are easier to follow than writing

 

[mr dazzler]

Heres the pictures, I would of posted them last night only every time I tried to sign into the site I kept timing out and couldnt get on.

cheers, Jonathan

 

[Blackshuck]

Thanks for the input Mr D. This was my very first attempt at a handle. Your information on the wedges will stand me in good stead For when I do aprpper job on it with a nice piece of ash.I did round the corners on my long axis wedge but I was ignorant of the method for the cross wedge. I prefer your way of using wooden cross wedges. It looks nicer aesthetically. Regards

David

 

[mr dazzler]

If you are going to use ash, might I sudgest that you get a piece of riven ash, splt from a decent straight log 8 to 10 inch diameter or more. If you split it halves, then quarters, then 8th's by then you will have (hopefully if the riving went according to script, sometimes it does sometimesit doesnt )nice radially split handle blanks where the growth rings are in a natural lamination direction that will give you max strength and springiness (effectively quarer sawn stock). A bit of trimming with your axe, drawknife, working knife whatever, then fettle to fit the axe eye. Or if you get a real nice clean ash billet (virtually flat both side's) you should even be able to cut out the shape for the hande on the bandsaw. I've used this method sucessfully now on 15 or more axes adzes and hammers. My Dad gave me a stanley claw hammer which broke after only a few days when I used it in the pallet factory. I re did it (using a hickory store bought as I had no ash) and its perfectly sound 11 years later, having done all manner of carpentery work, fencing, decking, shed building etc.
I'd let you have some good stuff only I havent any just at the mo, I'm working with coppiced hazel pole's.

 

[Blackshuck]

Thanks for that Mr . You've been a mine of useful information.

David

 

[swanseajack]

Sorry to raise an old thread. The Snail Brand of Axes has "solid cast steel, english make" on one cheek, the usualy "Snail Brand, Guaranteed" on the other. Mine has a picture of a Snail above the text, and "No2" below. The MOD used to use the Snail brand tools.
I think they were making tools during the 40's,50's and 60's.
Mine took a great edge BTW, and held it well after some chopping.