Recently I aquired by trade a very nice copy of a bronze age style axe head.
This, I decided, was by way of a project and I decided I was going to haft it in two ways, first as an adze and then as an axe.
So I sharpened the blade by hammering it a bit thinner and then filing to a good convex edge.
I duely searched out bits of green wood for the handles (ash for the adze, willow for the axe - just what I could find in about the right shape and size!), shaped and dried them and got ready to practice the techniques needed on the adze.
Resin, beeswax and charcoal glue was mixed up and rawhide thonging prepared. A slot was cut into the wood and the axehead glued in then lashed as well.
The rawhide certainly shrinks as it dries as can be seen from the gaps in the dried lashing as oposed to the tight lashing when it was wet!.
The lashings were dried overnight and this morning they were bone dry and rock hard so it was time to play
I chose a piece of well seasoned riven pine to smooth out with the adze - and it had a fair few small knots in it as well!
The adze works brilliantly!
OK I am not a carpenter or joiner but the adze worked as well as any other (steel bladed, factory made) adze I have ever used and it cut well and with ease.
The blade may need sharpening a little more often than a steel blade but the head is solid in the joint and I cannot see it coming loose for a LONG time (unless it gets hot and wet, softening the rawhied and the glue...)
So here is my dilema...
Should I keep the adze as an adze and forget the axe part of the project?
Should I keep it as an adze until the head comes loose in working (that could be quite a while as I do not use an adze often)?
Should I remove the head now I have proved the adze works and get on with the axe ?
Should I try and source another axe head and have both (cost is a big issue for me here - trades?)
Anyone got a spare bronze age styly axe head?
This, I decided, was by way of a project and I decided I was going to haft it in two ways, first as an adze and then as an axe.
So I sharpened the blade by hammering it a bit thinner and then filing to a good convex edge.
I duely searched out bits of green wood for the handles (ash for the adze, willow for the axe - just what I could find in about the right shape and size!), shaped and dried them and got ready to practice the techniques needed on the adze.
Resin, beeswax and charcoal glue was mixed up and rawhide thonging prepared. A slot was cut into the wood and the axehead glued in then lashed as well.
The rawhide certainly shrinks as it dries as can be seen from the gaps in the dried lashing as oposed to the tight lashing when it was wet!.
The lashings were dried overnight and this morning they were bone dry and rock hard so it was time to play
I chose a piece of well seasoned riven pine to smooth out with the adze - and it had a fair few small knots in it as well!
The adze works brilliantly!
OK I am not a carpenter or joiner but the adze worked as well as any other (steel bladed, factory made) adze I have ever used and it cut well and with ease.
The blade may need sharpening a little more often than a steel blade but the head is solid in the joint and I cannot see it coming loose for a LONG time (unless it gets hot and wet, softening the rawhied and the glue...)
So here is my dilema...
Should I keep the adze as an adze and forget the axe part of the project?
Should I keep it as an adze until the head comes loose in working (that could be quite a while as I do not use an adze often)?
Should I remove the head now I have proved the adze works and get on with the axe ?
Should I try and source another axe head and have both (cost is a big issue for me here - trades?)
Anyone got a spare bronze age styly axe head?
.
. There is no real dilemma and you know it (because you wouldn't otherwise be asking for permission or approval 
) ~ good tools shouldn't be purposely broken 
