Which Axe

[spamel]

We have quite large felling axes in the G1098 store. The shaft comes all the way through the head and is wedged with a wooden wedge and metal thingy running across ways. Get this though, it costs more in man hours to replace a shaft, demanding it, then the delivery process, removing old shaft and fitting new, so they get binned and demand a whole new axe!! This is the same for shovels. I got a load of new shovels in and the tee piece on the handle came off of one after a day on site. I said I'd have a go at fixing it and my boss said don't bother, demand a new one!! It's just great how tax payers money is wasted by the forces!!

 

[scruff]

Madness!

You should buy 'em all up, fix 'em n sell 'em off on ebay as "Bushcraft Shovels".

Stay safe m8

 

[scruff]

Here's my (feeble) attempt at a sheath. Apologies for poop photo's

It only took twenty minutes so I'm pleased and it does the job very well. The design is adaptable if I get hold of a buckle but I probably won't bother as it seems to work well.

'tis (very) loosely based on the Roselli Axe sheath but this axe doesn't lend itself to the idea quite so well.

 

[jason01]

Here's my (feeble) attempt at a sheath. Apologies for poop photo's

It only took twenty minutes so I'm pleased and it does the job very well. The design is adaptable if I get hold of a buckle but I probably won't bother as it seems to work well.

'tis (very) loosely based on the Roselli Axe sheath but it does this axe doesn't lend itself to the idea quite so well.

Looks good mate

Have just finished wet forming mine, stiffened it up with hot water, oiled the outside and coated the inside with shellac.

From our original £10 investment I wonder how much money (in man hours) we've spent on em? I wouldnt like to try and make a living refurbishing axes Spamel, your story is not unusual in todays throw away society where man hours are so expensive, anything done by hand costs a packet and mass produced stuff gets cheaper and cheaper.

 

[British Red]

Looks great mate - I like it! Don't knock it - I had to get RB to make mine

Red

 

[scruff]

Cheers guys.

From our original £10 investment I wonder how much money (in man hours) we've spent on em?

Well I dare say you've spent more time than Red and I put together!

I'm still to make mine all shiny...it can wait till I've finished cleaning the eye out though. I had to shove the head back on for the piccies.

I'd love to see your finished sheath...is this no. 3 now?

 

[jason01]

Cheers guys.



Well I dare say you've spent more time than Red and I put together!

I'm still to make mine all shiny...it can wait till I've finished cleaning the eye out though. I had to shove the head back on for the piccies.

I'd love to see your finished sheath...is this no. 3 now?

Well it was satisfying to do and Im happy with the result in the end, but to keep it in perspective as I think Red said you certainly gain respect for the guys that make axes from scratch. You've taken on the biggest job of all in rehafting yours, Ive only buffed mine up a bit

My finished sheath (still no. 2 ) doesnt look much different from my last pic, its just a bit darker and stiffer, here it is next to the little Estwing I based it on.

It pales in comparison to the one Longstrider made for his GB, he posted a link to it in the carrying an axe thread.

 

[scruff]

That looks really great mate

Its come up/out a lovely colour.

Your right about respecting the guys who make 'em or any of the sharps and leather items for that matter.

I find alot of the work on here's a real inspiration

 

[soup_monger]

Just to let you know that I have managed to remove the haft from my £10 Wetterling and I was surprised to find that there wasn't a wedge of any description.

It took a lot of drilling, grinding and pounding to get the resin and wood out of the eye,so I reckon (as Scruff said) that it will stay pretty secure,but,it's still weird.

I think that the resin acts as a cap on top of the wood so I guess that cuts down on production cost.

To show what I mean,here is the head beyond the resin and before I drilled out the wood....

 

[SMARTY]

Its here, its tested, it passed. The Snow & Neally Hudson Bay camping axe I mean. Got it a couple of weeks ago from the US.
Took it to the woods for a test drive. I found the 24" handle better to work with than the 18" on the GB. It arrived ground but not sharp. A few minutes with the chain saw file sorted that. I will post some photos when I work out how to do it.
From a personal point of view I like it and the GB will go to my son or onto Ebay.
On the down side still cant find a UK dealer for S&N axes.



Survial Matters

 

[soup_monger]

Thanks for the update Smarty,
A couple of questions if you don't mind...
How long is the head from blade to poll? and
Where did you get yours?

 

[British Red]

Smarty,

Thanks for the update! Could you let us know how much it was including shipping when you post the piccs please?

Many Thanks - Red

 

[scruff]

Just to let you know that I have managed to remove the haft from my £10 Wetterling and I was surprised to find that there wasn't a wedge of any description.

It took a lot of drilling, grinding and pounding to get the resin and wood out of the eye,so I reckon (as Scruff said) that it will stay pretty secure,but,it's still weird.

I think that the resin acts as a cap on top of the wood so I guess that cuts down on production cost.

To show what I mean,here is the head beyond the resin and before I drilled out the wood....

Isn't it such fun removing the head (NOT!)

How far down did you go before you got to the haft? I got 28mm or 1" 2/20.

There was no wedge for me either (mines a Wetterlings too).

Do you have any piccies of the reshaped head?


Smarty - Its good that you've found an axe, a break from the norm and one which suits you. I never went with the GB, I just couldn't get on with the shape of the haft. Only got this axe cos it was cheap. Hope it gives you many years of service.

 

[soup_monger]

I had to go about the same depth as you Scruff and I'll be picking bits of that Resin up for years to come,it wen't everywhere.
You can just make out the wood in the pics I posted,
I'll post some photos up of the head later as I'm off to try and find a replacement handle
It's turning out nice though.

 

[SMARTY]

Sorry for the delay, been out playing. Answers are:

blade length, face to poll = 17 cm
Supplier- Forestry suppliers Inc, (www.forestry-suppliers.com)
cost $43.50
shipping (air mail from US) $33.75
Total Cost $77.25 (thats about £44)


Worth it for a "top tool"

 

[leon-1]

Well it was satisfying to do and Im happy with the result in the end, but to keep it in perspective as I think Red said you certainly gain respect for the guys that make axes from scratch. You've taken on the biggest job of all in rehafting yours, Ive only buffed mine up a bit

My finished sheath (still no. 2 ) doesnt look much different from my last pic, its just a bit darker and stiffer, here it is next to the little Estwing I based it on.

It pales in comparison to the one Longstrider made for his GB, he posted a link to it in the carrying an axe thread.

That's ironic, I had just been asked to do a new axe sheath for this

It has had a little work done on it now and is nearly ready for the off.

It was quite hard work, but I thought that the axe might benefit from a little clean up as well.

Quite hard work on the fingers working on this thickness of leather though.

Ultimately though I think it was worth it, I just hope that the guy I have done it for will like the end result (there are still a couple of layers of Varnish for the handle to do and I have to apply a metal laquer for the head.

 

[British Red]

Ultimately though I think it was worth it, I just hope that the guy I have done it for will like the end result (there are still a couple of layers of Varnish for the handle to do and I have to apply a metal laquer for the head.

Leon mate, if he doesn't like it, there will be a disorderly queue of those who do - headed by me ! I was going to post an article this afternoon on re-dressing a hatchet, but I'm embarassed to post it now given the beauty of that job.

Fantatstic work mate!

Red

 

[soup_monger]

Seconded,
Thats a great restoration job Leon.
When you say "a little work" do you mean ,hours of wet n dry or attacking it with the buffing wheel....or both..

 

[jason01]

Great job Leon I still dont really rate those Estwings as users though! But theyre tough and they do look pretty

 

[leon-1]

Guys, the hatchet had been bought a long time ago and was second hand then, it had been abused a bit and had pitting in the poll and across the top of the blade.

The bit had been kept immaculately by the current owner (there has been little change in it since I can recall and it's a user, very sharp), it had a slight dink which I know he had been trying to remove so the restoration started with me thinking "well I can always remove that for him".

The top of the blade and the poll as I said was heavily pitted, I used diamond stones (from lidl's) to remove the damage and then went onto wet 'n' dry. I have a polishing wheel that is attached to one of my drills and I used that to get it where it is now.

The sheath is just over 15mm thick (maybe a little more) where all three layers meet and the thread is 1.2mm having been placed through a drilled hole of 0.75mm. It left me with ground down teeth and very sore fingers as it was hand stitched (saddle stitch).

The leather for the sheath is 5mm> veg tanned, it has had 7 layers of british tan dye per side, 2 coats of resolene and 3 coats of ox blood polish, and has a norwegian leather grease on the inside. It was my first attempt at a sheath for an Estwing but the second for an axe (my first was just a little too short by about 5mm, as moduser and the guys that have seen it could tell you ).

I was going to post an article this afternoon on re-dressing a hatchet

British Red, I think that we can all do this, but I also think that an article for redressing a hatchet would be a very good idea and I for one would like to see it. It allows points of view and tips to come out that people may not get otherwise and it's good to share.

Jason I like the sheath that you did and the only reason that I posted was seeing the Estwing in your picture (I had taken the pictures before just to show what it looked like and I could justify having done it because of them to it's owner).

I know the owner pretty well so I am pretty sure that he will be happy. I daresay I will find out when I finish doing the rest of the bits that I said I would do for him.

I have a different tutorial to finish so this didn't pop into my mind as a possibility, sorry