What my Friend Did to my Damaged Hatchet Head

[Tengu]

 

[Everything Mac]

not bad - how about a pic of the right hand side.

atb
Andy

 

[robin wood]

Personally I would not be very happy with that. The wedge in this pic really does not look very sound and there is clear gaps front and back of the eye.

It should look more like this

Is there any movement? If you sink it well into a chopping block and lever up and down on the handle there should be no movement at all.

 

[ged]

Personally I would not be very happy with that. ...

Agreed. It's an accident waiting to happen.

 

[Everything Mac]

I just want to see the right hand side.

It doesn't exactly look safe - but I can't honestly say I'm surprised.

 

[Hugo]

I thought there was going to be a before and after picture, it looks like no after picture.

 

[Tengu]

Oh dont worry, short of breaking the haft, that heads going nowhere.

Its ugly and I dont like it, but it is now usable.

 

[MSkiba]

Had to read it a few times I thought it said "What my Friend Did to Damage my Hatchet Head"

Robin wood has a great tutorial up give it a go I bet you can do better your self and great practice rather than experimenting on a GB

 

[Everything Mac]

Oh dont worry, short of breaking the haft, that heads going nowhere.

Its ugly and I dont like it, but it is now usable.

really? I wouldn't.

 

[Cyclingrelf]

Afraid it doesn't look safe to me either.

 

[flexo]

haft shape looks good to me, but wedge just sucks!
perhaps you should drill that broken pine wedge out,and before anything carve one out of a hornbeam piece; roughly carve with that hatchet,and refined with a knife...
surely made a bit wider to fill the gap,piece of wood driven with some wood glue or even better a wood product, and if you find usefull an iron wedge to secure the whole thing!
cheecks seem misaligned,an wood grain is the wrong way, or is it sawing process?
any cure to this? iron misaligned ? (any big hammer hit on the eye or is it to harsh?)

 

[flexo]

you might also put the head a bit lower on that same haft,seems to have enough wood to do so!

 

[Tengu]

The eye is deformed. Its just a head I found and gave to a friend who evidently had a spare haft. (I expected a hammer haft)

 

[flexo]

you might do what i told you to improve it, just drive the haft out and make a new wedge ,carve the haft with a knife to put haft a bit lower to make the gap desappear!!!
a pity you're so far, should be 20 minute of work for me...

 

[Everything Mac]

Why bother though?

 

[Leonidas]

Oh dont worry, short of breaking the haft, that heads going nowhere.

Its ugly and I dont like it, but it is now usable.

As per other comments, might be worthwhile replacing the wedge as it does indeed look suspect.
Put it this way, you may unintentionally hurt yourself or worse....someone else, when the head comes off.

Just a thought!

Tom

 

[Xunil]

I'd either re-shape the eye to repair the head in my forge (if it was a really good quality head) which would also require re-heat treating the head. You might be able to cold-forge it back to a more reasonable and workable shape, if it is differentially heat treated (a gentle etch will identify whether or not there is a visible temper line). Failing that, I'd dismantle the thing and throw it out so that I never run the risk of taking someone's head off at a particularly inopportune moment...

Axes are about the most dangerous outdoors tool there is at the best of times - no sense in taking a punt that it will hold together under heavy use. I'd be worried about the head loosening and deflecting suddenly on impact, sending your stroke off at an angle, or the head simply flying randomly off to do what it will, or...

Makes me shudder

 

[Everything Mac]

I'd either re-shape the eye to repair the head in my forge (if it was a really good quality head) which would also require re-heat treating the head. You might be able to cold-forge it back to a more reasonable and workable shape, if it is differentially heat treated (a gentle etch will identify whether or not there is a visible temper line). Failing that, I'd dismantle the thing and throw it out so that I never run the risk of taking someone's head off at a particularly inopportune moment...

Axes are about the most dangerous outdoors tool there is at the best of times - no sense in taking a punt that it will hold together under heavy use. I'd be worried about the head loosening and deflecting suddenly on impact, sending your stroke off at an angle, or the head simply flying randomly off to do what it will, or...

Makes me shudder

that option was presented to Tengu in his original thread. - http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62812&highlight=damaged+hatchet
as was pointed out at the time, it is an awful lot of work for an axe which is nothing special. - I remember working out that I'd charge at least £50 to do it.

Having looked at the original pictures and the new ones I reckon the metal worker friend has just welded up the cracks and maybe ground off a bit of the cr*p.

As I said he was robbed for 50p and it should be binned. As Xunil rightly points out - the consequences are unthinkable.

Andy