Removing an Axe Head

[HHazeldean]

Hi All

I have just picked up an old Kent Pattern axe in an antiques market in Lewes and I am needing to it up.

I want to remove the head so that I can make a new handle and yet I am unsure as to how to do this.

I am grateful for any help you guys can give me.

Cheers

 

[santaman2000]

Easy enogh if there are no metal wedges in the handle. Just saw the old one off short then drill several holes through it lengthwise through the eye. When you've done that you can just place the head in a vise and drive the old handle bits out easily with a punch or chisel.

If there is a metal wedge in the old handle the procedure is the same; you just have to be careful the drill round the wedge instead of through it.

 

[Mesquite]

Remove the head by cutting the handle as close to the head as you can then drilling out as much of the wood and knock the rest out

 

[HHazeldean]

Thanks for the help guys, will get to work.

 

[2trapper]

I did this "hard" work just some weeks ago on several heads. I used a chisel after cutting the handle just under the eye. I agree with the hints you received

 

[HHazeldean]

I was drilling it and ended up snapping the drill bit in half. Harder than it looks, especially with me being a short **** and having a vice quite high!

 

[dancan]

I was drilling it and ended up snapping the drill bit in half. Harder than it looks, especially with me being a short **** and having a vice quite high!

Did you cut the handle flush with head ?
Drill from the bottom till you hit the wedge and then punch it out .

 

[HHazeldean]

Did you cut the handle flush with head ?
Drill from the bottom till you hit the wedge and then punch it out .

I had cut the handle off flush with the head and then I was carefully drilling around the wedge. Should I be drilling up the wedge?

 

[santaman2000]

I had cut the handle off flush with the head and then I was carefully drilling around the wedge. Should I be drilling up the wedge?

If the wedge is wood then you can drill straight through it as well. You only need to drill aroud it if it's metal. Use as large a diameter drill bit as possible; both for strength and to remove as much wood as possible.

 

[Biker]

I read the title to this thread and expected the rest of it to follow ".... from Southey's head after Emma put it there"

One of the tricks I found to use was taking a large diameter bolt, like an M8 or M10 and useing that as a cold chisel to drive the wood out of the axe eye. Using something that digs into the wood like an old screwdriver just expands the wood and you get nowhere fast. A flat surface area pushes onto the wood. Obviously you need to go against the direction the wood was fitted into the axe head sometimes there's a slight tapering in the eye.

Anyway, hope you got the job done OK.

 

[HHazeldean]

I have managed to do it, I drilled down to the wedge and then just hammered it out with a chisel. Probably wrecked that as well as the wedge is metal. Fortunately I managed to get the whole head of in one piece.

It is now sitting on the windowsill in a nice bath of vinegar to clean it up. Will be taking it down to a mate of mines to reshape it and put a new edge on to be followed with a shiny new handle.

Thanks for all the help guys, much appreciated.

 

[dancan]

Don't forget to post some pics !

 

[asemery]

My grandfather had an axe once owned by Abraham Lincoln. The head had been replaced twice and the handle had been changed five times. Tony