1st Axe Hafting=Failure---Help


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skorpyd

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I had a generous member give me a nice old Norlund boys axe head. I had a thread awhile back asking about how to secure the hardwood wedge. I read instructions from a US Forest Service publication calling for a product called Swel-Lok to expand the fibers in the wood after the wedge is pounded in. I couldn't find it locally so I followed the recommendations of a few people here and used some tite bond and then rubbed in some BLO.

I took it for a test run this morning and it didn't last too long trying to notch a dead ash tree on my place.

Before
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After
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Any suggestions? I did not use a small metal wedge crossing the hardwood wedge. I did try to soak quite a bit of BLO into the wedge and handle top after the tite bond glue set for 24 hours. I'm wondering if there was too much lubrication allowing it to loosen easier.
 
It kind of looks to me like you might have hung the head upside down. Typically, the top eye is larger than the bottom, which makes the top of the handle spread when you drive the wedge in.
 
Use metal wedges on large axes. You're swings will be too hard to not use them. I like using two small metal wedges in large axes or one in a medium size axe. Also make sure the head is seated down as far as it will go by batoning the bottom handle of the axe with a wood or rubber mallet.
 
Dah!! Treeline nailed it. Rookie mistake, for some reason I had in my mind that the larger part of the eye was supposed to go down and I put it on that way. Thanks
 
There ya go. The handle is still good too, just drive it back out and switch the handle back around. You can just make another wedge if you need to as well, out of most any wood around.
 
Yep, already have it turned around, I lost about an inch of length but that's ok.
 
OutdoorEnvy said:
You'll have to post a finished pic for us axe junkies out here :)
Click to expand...

I glued the wedge again as several people said they had success with that, so I will have to let it dry, do a little finish sanding around the shoulder, give it some BLO, then I'll take the camera out and see if I can finish off that ash tree.

Thanks for the help everyone, though I do feel kind of dumb.
 
skorpyd said:
I glued the wedge again as several people said they had success with that, so I will have to let it dry, do a little finish sanding around the shoulder, give it some BLO, then I'll take the camera out and see if I can finish off that ash tree.

Thanks for the help everyone, though I do feel kind of dumb.
Click to expand...

That's how we learn bro. Nothing to be ashamed of there.
 
skorpyd said:
Dah!! Treeline nailed it. Rookie mistake, for some reason I had in my mind that the larger part of the eye was supposed to go down and I put it on that way. Thanks
Click to expand...

You are not 100% mistaken as there is some axe models (ie. traditional finnish models) where the bigger eye is toward user, but in these the smallest part is usually middle of the eye tube. :20:
 
You might want to leave about 1/8" to 1/4" of the handle sticking out above the eye rather than cutting it flush. (The way Gransfors Bruks and other fancy axe makers do it.) It mushrooms a bit to help hold the head on.
 
Update:
I went out today and finished off that dead ash tree. I also brought out some of my Chopper knives that I had been inclined to use in the past. The Norlund worked great and was much more efficient than my large chopper blades. I think that I may have to sell off some of my so called chopper knives. Thanks joedirtofkc!
 
Nice. Would love to see a pic of the final product.
 
I now do all my helves that way even up to 3/8 inch , I have not had problems before but like that much better, a good way to tell which end id up is to see which way the new helve will slide the furthest in, then turn it over, there is often very little difference but even a little makes a more secure head.


Just my opinion, I could be wrong!!



Larry

Bliss Hill Man said:
You might want to leave about 1/8" to 1/4" of the handle sticking out above the eye rather than cutting it flush. (The way Gransfors Bruks and other fancy axe makers do it.) It mushrooms a bit to help hold the head on.
Click to expand...
 
bjp said:
where'd you get that handle? I like that shape.


-ben
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The handle was actually a 36" larger axe handle. Proper size is the 28" boys axe, but I couldn't find a good looking one.

I ended up sanding down the eye area quite a bit to get it to fit. Then I cut it off about 8" and put a little fawns foot cut. Cutting off that length took a lot of the curve out of the handle. After switching around the axe head I lost about another 1 1/2" so now it is 24 1/2"oal.

I did a little chop off the other day with a new Baryonyx prototype machete that I bought. I also brought out my little craftsman folding saw to see how it compared.
The contenders:
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I took 30 whacks with the machete one handed, middle notch, 30 whacks with machete 2 handed, left notch, and 30 whacks with the Norlund, right notch. Also did 30 strokes with the saw.
This was a very hard dry dead Ash tree.
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The Norlund was the clear winner, it went deeper wider and felt better doing it. The saw actually cut a little bit deeper than the machete at about 1 1/2" with less effort.

So I think I'm starting to get over my thing with big knives.
 
36" handle mod....

skorpyd said:
The handle was actually a 36" larger axe handle. Proper size is the 28" boys axe, but I couldn't find a good looking one.

I ended up sanding down the eye area quite a bit to get it to fit. Then I cut it off about 8" and put a little fawns foot cut. Cutting off that length took a lot of the curve out of the handle. After switching around the axe head I lost about another 1 1/2" so now it is 24 1/2"oal......
Click to expand...

Thanks for the idea. I have a SB 36" handle that I took off a Kelly Flint Edge that I got for a song. The handle was really buggered up and not useable again for a larger 3/4 lb. head. I do have a 2.5 Norlund head in need of a handle. THANKS... I'm going to steal your idea. I like the way yours turned out.

Regards, Tom
 
I have never seen a side by side (by side) comparison between an axe, a saw and a machete or large chopper. Thanks for doing it, it kinds of adds some hard information to the chopper vs axe vs saw debate. I would like to see a similar comparison using a hatchet or hawk and a popular chopper such as a BK9. I can't do it myself, I haven't convinced myself to spring for a large chopper.

I'm glad you were able to get things figured out with your axe handle. It's embarrassing to make mistakes in front of the group, but at the same time it allows you to draw on everyone's experience to find the right solution. I applaud you for having the humility to accept your mistake gracefully. The most coomon mistake I make is mounting the head so the cutting edge is not in line with the handle. I haven't figured out yet how to do that right consistently, it's kind of a crapshoot every time!

Looker
 
Thanks for the kind words Looker. I learned a long time ago that I don't know everything and the best way to learn what you don't is to ask. Also you get the best results when you ask the right people. There are a lot of the right people here.

I like the idea of the big knife vs hatchet shoot out also. I have a couple big Busse's but still have not got around to doing the mods on that vaughan carpenters hatchet you tipped me off to.

The next day after I did the axe/machete/folding saw test I brought out my Trailblazer take down buck saw.
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To my surprise 30 stokes with the Trailblazer was no better than my Craftsman folder on that Hard ash log.

But when I went to some older slightly wet and punky elm the Trailblazer cut much faster. So I would imagine the trailblazer would do better on green wood as well.
 
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