An offer that comes with an obligation

jblyttle

jblyttle

Joined
Sep 3, 2014
Messages
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Here is a head that I just picked up with a bunch of other stuff. It's can be saved, but it's beyond my current ability. I could try to sell the thing for $5-10, but I'd rather do this. Here is the offer-

Some of you guys have metalworking/welding/blacksmith skills. Mine are very basic. Take this Mann Edge 3.5lb Connecticut axe head, straighten out the eye, maybe weld the small crack. Redo the heat treat on the bit if needed. Hang it. User or wall hanger, not important. Take up the challenge and I'll send you this head at no cost. Your only obligation is to do the work and show it off when you are done. Please don't take this to try it out. Have the skill. I don't care if you are a pro smith or not, just have what it takes to do the work.



 
jblyttle said:
Here is a head that I just picked up with a bunch of other stuff. It's can be saved, but it's beyond my current ability. I could try to sell the thing for $5-10, but I'd rather do this. Here is the offer-

Some of you guys have metalworking/welding/blacksmith skills. Mine are very basic. Take this Mann Edge 3.5lb Connecticut axe head, straighten out the eye, maybe weld the small crack. Redo the heat treat on the bit if needed. Hang it. User or wall hanger, not important. Take up the challenge and I'll send you this head at no cost. Your only obligation is to do the work and show it off when you are done. Please don't take this to try it out. Have the skill. I don't care if you are a pro smith or not, just have what it takes to do the work.



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That's a great idea and I hope someone takes you up on the offer and will be waiting to see how it turns out. ( if not you could always hang it on your wall as an example of axe abuse and negligence )
 
That's a darn shame, beautiful axe right there. Unfortunately I know this is beyond my skill level. I hope someone takes you up on the offer and makes this Mann whole again.
 
Is the person who accepted the challenge going to keep updates on this thread? or where else would I look for those.
 
Trevor51 said:
Is the person who accepted the challenge going to keep updates on this thread? or where else would I look for those.
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I don't expect the rehab to be done next week, but hopefully not next year either. I was thinking within a month, but there is no hard timetable. I would expect updates to show up here.
 
Awesom-o-4000 said:
Yeah I will post the pics here
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Great! Looking forward to your posts. I have a couple of bent axe heads that otherwise deserve handles. I'm not much of a metal guy, but hoping this may be something I could follow along with and do myself.

Bob
 
Worthy project and very generous offer from you! I already have enough door stops on hand and am personally incapable of dealing with an abused head such as this. That head is an excellent test of smithing and welding skills and I'll be quite impressed if it 'goes back on the road'.
 
rjdankert said:
Great! Looking forward to your posts. I have a couple of bent axe heads that otherwise deserve handles. I'm not much of a metal guy, but hoping this may be something I could follow along with and do myself.

Bob
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Likewise. I have a couple of nice heads that I want to save that are in great shape except for behind slightly (and symmetrically) widened at the top eye. I'm going to play with bringing them back in and redoing a heat treat if needed, but I don't have the skill to straighten out those curves, and I can't weld so any cracks are instantly beyond my ability.

BTW, I get heads like this once in a while, so if anyone else is interested let me know. If it is a semi regular thing I may ask you to cover the $6.80 postage.
 
Jblyttle,greetings.Neat thread,thank you for initiating this.

I'm not sure that any in-depth discussion would be welcome here,or we're just waiting for the empirical results from the gentleman that volunteered.

Either way would be cool,but just in case,a couple of thoughts (from a fair-to-middling experienced tool-smith):

The mechanical straightening poses only minor challenges,they may be resolved in a number of fairly simple/non-tool-intensive ways.

However,the HT,is something that frankly puzzles me.

HT of a mystery alloy(and with most,if not all,old axes this is regrettably the case)is never very certain,a risky proposition.It'd not be so bad if a destruction test of an analog was possible,to establish even the general parameters of the task.But a one-off object,of an unknown composition,is indeed a challenge.
What concerns me in particular is the grain size in the resulting product.

So,two thoughts:

1.If ever you come across an entirely ruined head of a known provenance,it'd be a serious asset,in such an undertaking(at least for the same-brand(+ time period) objects).

2.Personally,i'd go an extra mile to AVOID ruining the existing HT.On the head in question it seems rather possible:The deformation Should,likely,come out cold.
The crack is small,and can be welded with the tempered zone submerged in a liquid coolant,or a physical conductor like a massive enough amount of copper or the like.

In any case,best of luck with it all,and thanks for posting.

:.
 
i have a good friend who can do the work in a fine Blacksmith shop. if o-4000 doesn't want the hassle let me know.
 
jake pogg said:
2.Personally,i'd go an extra mile to AVOID ruining the existing HT.On the head in question it seems rather possible:The deformation Should,likely,come out cold.
The crack is small,and can be welded with the tempered zone submerged in a liquid coolant,or a physical conductor like a massive enough amount of copper or the like.
Click to expand...

There are a couple of options that might help keep the heat localized. If you have the luxury of an induction forge you could take a localized heat and finish the work before the heat ran to the bit. Or tie a wet rag around the bit and heat in a conventional forge. Keep a spray bottle handy to keep the rag wet.

7018 is a good choice for welding that crack.
 
0818160743b (1).jpggot the axe today and started with a general clean up and getting the crack welded.
image (12).jpgimage_1 (1).jpg I'm not much of a welder so I outsourced this to a buddy at work. It closed it up nicely but he ground a bit to much of the material off it seems. I will find out after I true the eye.
 
Got her in the forge today 0819160859.jpg with soft taps and a 12oz hammer and a 1" piece of round stock I went to work reforming eye. 0819160856.jpgimage_1 (4).jpg
during quench0819160917.jpgimage (16).jpg
 
Using my files It tested at 55-60 RHCimage (15).jpg
the eye after quenching image (14).jpg
I found an old handle to mount in on after I clean it up 0819160915.jpg
 
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