Alright.... im tired of this wetterlings.

Yeah i was thinking about doing that. but i was planning to do that as more of a last resort
 
sisk61 said:
Yeah i was thinking about doing that. but i was planning to do that as more of a last resort
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Okay. I would personally try making the wedge as long (deep) as the kerf, so it bottoms out when you pound it in. I would also make the wedge so it has less of a sudden angle change. That way it doesn't go from thin to thick really quickly, hopefully reducing the possibility of backing out.
 
If I'm remembering the first thread regarding this topic, this was a new axe from Wetterlings, correct? If so, I wouldn't discount the possibility of returning it to Wetterlings and exchanging it for a new one.
 
I got it from SMKW when i was in Gatlinburg a month ago. they cant take anything back without the receipt, and i must have thrown away the receipt.
 
Hi again Sisk...I didn't mean the whole haft. Just buy a haft to suit then shape the eye end to fit.
Did you soak the haft and wedge with oil before fitting? If so that's the error. Do it all dry then oil a little when done.

Don't give-up mate. You'll get the job done, and when you do the end result will be very rewarding. This time next year you will be advising others how to do it.

regards...Frank
 
sisk61 said:
Frank, i didnt soak anything beforehand
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sisk61 said:
Well, I carved a new wedge, let it sit in linseed oil for three weeks, and today is the first day i got out to use it.
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when you say 'let it sit in linseed oil for three weeks', do you mean the entire head in a bucket of linseed oil, wrapped in a rag soaked in it, or just covered in a thick layer of oil? Ideally you shouldn't need more than a few thin coatings of linseed oil, just enough to create a layer of penetrated wood on the outside that helps buffer the exchange of moisture as weather conditions change. It definitely shouldn't be necessary to keep the head soaked in linseed oil for 3 weeks. The only time you should need to soak it even overnight is if your head is loose and you absolutely have to use it the next day but can't make a new wedge/haft in time. If it needs that drastic of measures you should redo the wedge or entire haft, depending on the condition of it.

if you want to salvage the wetterlins handle without going to to much extra effort, I'd suggest mimicking the wedge they have but increasing the thickness slightly. If the wedge came out as made by the factory, it's probably because the surfaces were too slick between the wedge and kerf, there was just enough room for the head to wiggle (possibly caused by dryer conditions shrinking the wood), or because the wedge was improperly formed. An example of how it might be improperly formed is if it bottoms out but the top of the wedge wasn't thick enough completely fill the top of the eye. Or the bottom portion of the haft wasn't big enough enough to fill the eye, and the bottom o the wedge wasn't thick enough to spread the kerf apart enough to fill it.

When all is said and done, the wedge shouldn't be 100% bottomed out because you need to have some room for adjustment later on if you find the head wiggling a bit. You should be able to get it in at least 3/4 of the way in, covering more than 1/2 the heigth of the head. If it's bottomed out, you have to start all over or use metal wedges. Metal wedges are fine, but they are a back up to a properly fitted eye, it shouldn't be necessary. They also make it harder to drill out/rehaft later on. Ideally the bottom of the haft that fits into the eye should be wide enough to wedge itself in without wedge being inserted, and the wedge should be thick enough to fill in the kerf and really apply pressure along it's entire length. If it's short and too thick at the top the only place that has pressure is going to be at the very top of the wedge, which will make it more likely to spit out.

if there are any gaps between the hafts wood and the eye, you can fill them with scraps of hardwood to decrease the chance of moisture entering into the eye and causing swelling/shrinkage cycles that will lead to a loose head/cracked wood. You shouldn't have to soak the head in oil, it should fit tightly all the way around and top to bottom when completely dry at first. 2 or 3 layers of oil should be enough.

Of course, I don't know that much about this and have only rehandled about 10 axes in my life. YMMV on all aspects of what I've said.

If you do decide to get a new handle you might consider shaving it down if it's too thick. heres a rough guide to a nice thinnish handle for comfortable chopping:
P1140515.jpg


A side benefit of shaving down new handles, or completely making new ones is that you get a lot of nice fire starting shavings:

(purple heart, ash, hickory heart wood and sap wood)
zP1140851.jpg
 
Wipe all the excess oil off and let it dry for a few days - maybe even a week. When the the linseed oil is dry and hard then insert a new wedge. And try spreading some construction adhesive in the eye, on the haft and even on the wedge. Then let it cure at least over night.
 
Yeah i put the whole head in a bucket of linseed oil. I thought i read that off of somewhere else, but i may have misunderstood it. I will make or buy a new wedge and use some sort of epoxy this time.
 
That kerf looks overly wide to me and it seems tapered such that a wedge wouldn't hold in it. Plus with the style of head you're using..... It's going to be difficult. Soaking or gluing should not be necessary at all. You can do it if you want and I don't know that it would hurt, but what works best is a straight narrow kerf and 2 hardware store wedges--wood and metal. If you have to go beyond that to make it work, there is a problem.
 
sisk61 said:
M3mphis- Whats wrong with a little challenge?
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"Nothing great ever came easy." What I meant is that I'd re-hang it for you, but I might have trouble sending it back to you! ;)

I hope that you don't scrap that handle. From what I can see, there's nothing wrong with it or the kerf cut into it. The issue lies with the wedge.
 
Rough up the interior of the kurf with sandpaper since it is already oiled up to get rid of that oily surface. Start over with a new wedge. Taper it to be about 1/4" short of the bottom of the handle kerf when fully driven. Trim your wedge from end to end to fit the length of the eye but getting wider as it goes goes in so the wood curls at each end of the eye when it is being driven in. When ready to assemble, I would put gorilla glue in the kerf and assemble. The glue acts as a lubricant so the wedge drives in easily and gets very tight. Wait a day till the glue sets tight, then drive in one metal cross-wedge. If you don't wait a day to drive the cross-wedge it will push that section of the wood wedge in deeper splitting it from the rest of the wedge. If you really want a grip, spread a very thin layer of gorilla glue on the outside of the ears also so there is a bond to the eye as well. You can seal the end grain at the top of the eye with clear finger nail polish to prevent moisture from leaving the wood. If you do this everything should stay in place for many years.
 
fantastic. im going to get on that today. Ill head to lowes and get a wedge and some sort of epoxy. Gorilla glue i suppose. Now if this dont work... M3mphis.... i might need some help! :)
 
Great advice all

Yeah go buy a wedge kit, use a little epoxy(especially since you have a crack in the haft) then use the metal wedge as well. I've never had one come lose doing it this way.
 
alright. i put a new wedge in that i got from lowes. i put some gorilla glue on the wedge too. it is now drying.

I have a question... When i was hammering the wedge, it split.. is that a bad thing?? i didnt notice until i was done so now i cant really take it out unless it falls out next time i test it.

Also, should i put a metal wedge in too or not?
 
sisk61 said:
alright. i put a new wedge in that i got from lowes. i put some gorilla glue on the wedge too. it is now drying.

I have a question... When i was hammering the wedge, it split.. is that a bad thing?? i didnt notice until i was done so now i cant really take it out unless it falls out next time i test it.

Also, should i put a metal wedge in too or not?
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Nope. I have used 3 or 4 individual wood wedges before in an axe with an overly egg shaped eye in order to get the right fit. Do you still have the round wedge it came with (if it did)? Those can get them pretty tight. Don't get too down, I had to hang probably a dozen or more axes before I could get them consistently right (just like how I had to make 8 or 10 handles before I started getting good ones).
 
I would use a metal wedge. I'm not saying it's right or wrong one way or the other but I have always used them on an axe I intend to use a lot and I've never had one come lose after using glue and a metal wedge.
 
Thanks. im gonna put it in. The metal wedge that came with it was insanely short. compared to the metal wedge that came with this wedge, it is a considerable change in size. Im going to put the wedge in real quick. its raining, but im sure ill find something to chop on.. :D
 
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