Axe Handle Horror Story at True Value Hardware

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warman

Joined
Feb 16, 2005
Messages
145
So it was 1979 and I walked into this hardware store in Aurora Colo on Havana and I had this real nice felling axe that needed a handle. The owner sold me a new handle and then told me he would put it on for $5.00. Not bad. I asked if he new what he was doing he said. "Son I've been doing this for 30 years" and laughed. He took the axe back into there shop and came back out 5 minutes later and handed me a hack job!!! The head was even sitting at an angle and there were gaps all over the place. I told him this was the worst job he ever seen he said "OK I'll fix it. He then took the axe into the back room and brought it back out with with the handle cut off. I ask him what about the price of the handle I just bought? He replied <grumpy>and gave me a refund. As I was leaving I asked him How long did you say you been doing this again? he said "30 years". I said to him.......... Well, you been doing it wrong for 30 years and left...........
Anyway I got another handle and put it on right. I was 21 years old at the time.

This fella does a fair job. I usually don't get this lucky with factory handles fitting this close. Most of the time I'm using a spoke shave and file to fit it tightly to the hole.
[video=youtube;xnmhzAoKs-w]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnmhzAoKs-w&feature=player_profilepage[/video]

[video=youtube;IHmTLDG5aSg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHmTLDG5aSg&feature=player_embedded#at=68[/video]
 
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Great video. Great information. Thanks for sharing. One question I have...I noticed that while putting the wooden wedge in, the bottom of the handle was not supported (as far as I could tell). I would think that it might be possible to drive the handle back out of the axe head if the handle was not supported. Or is it in so tight by this time that supporting it is not a concern? Thanks. Mike
 
I learned to fit the head with a file and blacking. Never used any glue, but have seriously considered using Acra-glas.
 
NO glue and he said the taper of the eye of the axe was the wrong way, it is wider at the top so the wedges will fill out the gap to lock the head in place. if you watch the second vid with the cowboy, I have found a bottle of the wood expander/ swelling stuff for about 4 bucks, but this stuff will let you reset the wedges if the handle dries and shrinks you can always soak the handle of an axe with the head on it in some oil, antifreeze or even water to swell handle back up.
 
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