Wet Weekend D.I.Y.

[rickety-root]

My wife bought me a Wetterlings Scout Axe for christmas, a very handy little tool, as it turns out. It wasn't razor sharp when it arrived in the post from Attleborough, but it didn't take a lot of work with an oil stone to get it how I wanted it. Not the the most versatile of axes, due to its rather diminuative size, but handy for stowing away and more than adequate for tinder, and managed quite nicely on some very thick tap-roots that I'd struggled to lift with a mini JCB when landscaping my back garden (I've kept a length of tap root which is drying out in my garage for a whitling project). The tap root did blunt it fairly quickly but it was like chopping through a concrete slab, so I'm not really surprised. Any way, it came with a fairly flimsy suede mask which did the job, alright, except, due to some pretty stunning design blunder, had a rivet pressed fairly forcebly against the cutting edge which, if it had not been blunt in the first place, would probably have dinked it. Hence, my hand made job with a leather welt to protect the blade. Local cobbler man put the press studs on for me.

Please note the rather fetching golf tassels that I've added to the lanyard making mine the most handsome axe in Bushcraft-dom - who says bushcraft can't be practical and stylish?!

I also got this stainless steel kitchen canister for £2 from T K Max which, with the addition of a wire coat hanger handle, serves very well as a billy can. I made a little stand so it could sit over my Pepsi can stove and it worked well enough to make me and my kids hot drinks on the kitchen table since it was raining too hard to go out (their Mum said so!)

All in all, a productive day and it passed some otherwise water-logged hours.

 

[bent-stick]

Good stuff.

It's great that it isn't all about getting out into the middle of nowhere isn't it.

 

[JonnyP]

Yeah, nice work...

 

[scanker]

I like the wire handle and stand. Doesn't the insulating tape melt/burn when the stove's going?

 

[British Red]

Some nice work there!

I like the little Wtterlings. Sure you have to put some work in, but you learn a lot about your axe. Nice axe mask (seems like a familiar design ) and a lovely billy can there!

Red

 

[jon r]

That billy can looks amazing for £2!!! You have inspired me! Are they the tins that you put sugar, tea and coffie in?

Im going to be on the look out in TK max now!!

 

[Zammo]

Damn and to think I spent today and part of yesterday trying to hang and wire up a chandileer light . I kow which I'd rather have been doing!

 

[rickety-root]

That billy can looks amazing for £2!!! You have inspired me! Are they the tins that you put sugar, tea and coffie in?

Im going to be on the look out in TK max now!!

yes, they usually come in a number of sizes, too - solid, good quality - can't go wrong.

 

[rickety-root]

Some nice work there!

I like the little Wtterlings. Sure you have to put some work in, but you learn a lot about your axe. Nice axe mask (seems like a familiar design ) and a lovely billy can there!

Red

Yes, of course Red. I guess I should state here and now, for the record, that anything I make in the fututre will be as a result of inspiration from all you sage and clever people on the forum.