Another Boy's Axe Idean

M

mako20ft

Joined
Mar 23, 2014
Messages
279
Good morning,

I stumbled on another Vintage Plumb Boy's Axe at 2lb - 2.15oz. Since I have 2 of these restored and ready for work already... Anybody have experience with putting a much shorter handle on one? By that I mean taking a nice straight piece of factory Hickory from House Handle at 19" OAL and putting the old head on it. The eye is easily close enough that with a little rasping I'd have a solid fit.

On paper it would seem to be a nice marriage but I'd like to hear any actual field experience. I have a Schrade Axe at 16" (composite handle...great worker but no soul) with a 1-3/4lb head (regular factory offering) but the handle has seemed a bit short to have a powerful full swing. Certainly not comfortable for 2 hands unless in a real pinch. It's a kick butt hatchet considering the price tag under $50 but the Plumb has me thinking of fun possibilities.

Thoughts or recommendations?

Dutch S.
 
My closest experience to that combo was a custom camp axe I did for a customer. The head was a 3.5 plumb Dayton and I removed about a pound of metal reprofiling it to have a beard and lugs as well as a generous regrind. Custom handle, overall length was 21" so just a bit longer than you're talking about. It was a real blast to use before I passed it on, but I didn't get to use it enough to know if that length would get annoying after a while. Seemed to be a great size for camping though.
 
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If I do the math then percentage wise your example is considerably more weight forward than what I am proposing...that is good IMHO.

BIG question that doesn't get answered very often. Can you describe how to grind off the axe head without ruining the temper? I have any tool here at my work shop I could reasonably think of so if you mention belt sander, 5" grinder, band saw, etc... It's available. What's lacking is my knowledge of how to keep the steel reasonably cool.

Is it a matter of just cutting, quench, grinding, quench, etc, etc...? I don't mind the time invested and I can be careful as the day is long provided that's the best method. Are there any cheaters Cliff Notes I should consider?
 
Edited my previous post to say "regrind." Typing from a tablet autocorrects everything...

The tool you would choose depends a lot on how much material you want to remove, but the importance of keeping the steel cool throughout the process applies regardless. When I cut the beard out of that head I mentioned, I started with a plasma cutter and cut well outside my lines, then I was a slave at the belt sander for quite a while. You don't want to get the steel hotter than about 300F, so at the belt sander that just means having a big bucket of water nearby to dunk the head in whenever you feel it getting hot. With an axe you want to do this sooner than with a knife, for example, because the mass of the head once very hot, will take longer to cool down in the water bucket. More, colder water helps too, as well as quality belts at low grit.

Most axe heads I want to refresh will get a reshaping/squaring up of all faces with the belt sander. Any work on the bit of the axe is done with hand files, though. It's too easy to mess up with power tools.
 
If I do the math then percentage wise your example is considerably more weight forward than what I am proposing...that is good IMHO.

BIG question that doesn't get answered very often. Can you describe how to grind off the axe head without ruining the temper? I have any tool here at my work shop I could reasonably think of so if you mention belt sander, 5" grinder, band saw, etc... It's available. What's lacking is my knowledge of how to keep the steel reasonably cool.

Is it a matter of just cutting, quench, grinding, quench, etc, etc...? I don't mind the time invested and I can be careful as the day is long provided that's the best method. Are there any cheaters Cliff Notes I should consider?
 
These double posts are starting to get out of control...


Anyway, grateful for the advice. I was thinking much the same however I don't have a Plasma Cutter (you taking retail orders? ;) ) I'll use the 5" Grinder with a metal cut-off wheel combined with a 5 gallon bucket of ice water at the ready...that and simply go slowly. I don't think I'll have any issue with the portion of the head that is not HT but it might be a hell of a challenge once I get to the beard portion that is tempered. We regularly have to cut 1/2" to 1-1/4" Rebar with the same set-up so plenty of experience there. I'll "leave the line" when I make the cut, quench for a couple of hours and then use a series of files to finish the head to the shape desired.

It's disappointing and I may very well just not be seeing it however, following the vinegar bath I see no tempering line around the Moll. It's plain as day on the bit but nothing on the ass end.
 
It's not necessary to quench for any amount of time, just keep the head cool enough to hold with bare hands and the temper should be fine. If you blue a section accidentally, that's ok, you can grind/sand past it.
 
I hadn't thought of this before but now I'm wondering. My tile shop has several 10" machines we haul to job sites. Right now the blades are all Diamond Coat for ceramic, porcelain, etc tile cutting. Since this kind of set up automatically uses a water bath I have to wonder if I could swap for an appropriate metal cutting blade and carefully have it. In addition to the water cooling I would also get the advantage of a sliding table with jigs....might give me the straightest possible cut(s).

I've never used any of them for cutting metal but I can't see why it wouldn't work???
 
A wet tile saw should do the job nicely. Diamond circular blades are used all the time to cut concrete with rebar inside it. Should cut an axe head too. But you might want to use an old blade as it might cause excessive wear.

We have a 10" industrial grinder at work with a water jet that sprays on the wheel. Great for removing a lot of metal while keeping things cool.

A 2 pound axe on a 19" handle is what we typically call a house axe. A house axe has the same size eye as boys axe. House Handle will carry handles. I've also found good house axe handles at my local Do-It-Center.
 
NO, don't do it. Atleast untill you have hung that axe on a 18" handle. It's not over weight in my opinion. Just try it first. House handle sells a haft for a house axe but it is a full size eye. Just find you a handle that is generouse and a boys axe that runs a little tight in the eye. A match made in heaven for hatchet users.

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This is the first one I did, I made a post about it because the steel is by far the hardest I have ever worked with. Rather than take some advice offerd here and retemper(sound advice expecially if it was a full size axe) it I tested it out on seasoned Mountain Mahogany(as hard as I could swing). Severall times. It lived through that, I am good to go. The head was just under 2 1/2 pounds, 18" haft. It can do some work in a small package.
Try it out!
 
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