Axe rehabs WIP

Z

Ziggy99

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Jan 24, 2016
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Seems I've been bitten by the axe bug.

This is what I'm up to - maybe the brains trust can put me right where I'm charging in where angels (or experts) might not.

The first project was to reshape the bit of my Australian-made Kelly Dandenong 4.5 pounder. That was way off Hook's ideal of 15 degrees included angle a half inch behind the edge. I roughed it out with an angle grinder (avoiding blueing) and then worked it on an upright stationary sander down to a medium grit. Next I'll improve the appearance by smoothing out the facets and making a 30 degree micro-bevel with a 2" rotary sander and ceramic discs as used by woodturners.

This has proved a lot of work. Must be pretty good steel. It's going to come in at a bit under 20 degrees in the event.

This axe still has the original handle but it's poorly shaped so I sourced a replacement from House Handles. (I've had this since new, for several decades. Looks like we're turning into antiques together. Must say it's heavy in use and the balance isn't the best.)

The second project is to rehab the head and hang a Collins Homestead double-bit. The profile is much closer to Hook's ideal than the Kelly's and it won't take long on a portable belt sander mounted in a cradle. I gather that it pays not to thin down the heel and toe too much, for strength reasons.

The belts for this sander don't run finer than #120 that I can see so maybe the rotary sander will do to polish out the scratch marks.

There's a handle for it, again from House. Shaping the top for the eye will be a first for me and is going to be interesting. I need to avoid ending up skewing it. Any tips welcome!
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Kelly on Sorby ProEdge https://www.flickr.com/photos/30283858@N07/
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Collins head on belt sander https://www.flickr.com/photos/30283858@N07/

I set the grind angle on the cradled belt sander by trial and error, checking it with the small angle setter in the pic. If anyone is interested in doing that by numbers, a one part rise in a six part run will produce a smidgen under 10 degrees on one bevel.

Project 3 will be to rehab a Kelly True Temper Flint Edge double bit. There will be a lot more grinding with that to remove a good sized nick.
 
Ziggy99 said:
Collins head on belt sander https://www.flickr.com/photos/30283858@N07/

I set the grind angle on the cradled belt sander by trial and error, checking it with the small angle setter in the pic. If anyone is interested in doing that by numbers, a one part rise in a six part run will produce a smidgen under 10 degrees on one bevel.

Project 3 will be to rehab a Kelly True Temper Flint Edge double bit. There will be a lot more grinding with that to remove a good sized nick.
Click to expand...

I've done something similar with a belt sander - holding it in a vice. But I just went freehand from there. Nice thing about a belt sander is that you can get fine grit belts - but watch out, the finer the grit the more heat builds up. A good rule is to stay away from the very edge (last 1/8") and save that part for the file.

Best for things other than axes where you want a flat or scandi grind.
 
Cool - thanks for that tip Square_peg.

How fine can you get the belts in the US? Best I can find here is #120 off the rack and #180 by mail order.
 
Living in the Antipodes has its downsides.

I used to source specialist stuff inc abrasives from the US but now the exchange rate makes it 50% dearer not counting shipping.
 
Can the brains trust provide some tips for hanging a new handle?

The handle top is both wider and longer than the eye - so that the advice to progressively fit and rasp down won't work initially.

All I can think of at the moment is to attempt to make a template of the eye entry and lay that over the handle top, scribing the dimensions onto it.

It's clearly important not to screw up the alignment as this is a double bit head.
 
When fitting heads with eyes much smaller than the handle being used I've found it works to measure the bottom of the eye. Use this to mark out the top of the handle from there use a square to mark the handle from top to the shoulder. Following your marks cut the sides of the handle where you marked them. From there you should be able to use a rasp to thin it down the rest of the way relatively easily.
 
Well, measuring the eye showed a surprise.

I was expecting something like a funnel. Instead, it tapers only 2mm (0.08") in length and in width, and that only towards the end.

Clearly that's plenty as getting the old stub out wasn't a cake walk. Despite relieving it with four drill holes there was still plenty of spring in the wood which needed slow tapping out.

As an aside, the wood wedge supplied by House isn't nearly wide enough. May be worth doing a shop-made unit. Don't have any poplar. Elm?
 
You can use basically whatever you have on hand. Softer wood can be good for filling in gaps on handles that are less than perfect fitting. I definitely recommend a roll your own if the supplied wedge is narrower than the top of the eye. I like mine to be just a hair wider than the top so that the eye shaves the extra wood away filling in the gaps completely without cause for a metal wedge.
 
What do folk do to the toe and heel after reshaping the bevels. Detune them for strength given the inevitable plowing?
 
Finished the Collins Homestead 3 lb. This would be a Western pattern?

Flat grind with micro-bevels, main bevels of 25 degrees and about 18. 30" handle from House.

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This is the Kelly rehab project finished.

The handle is a 36" replacement made by Council tools for their double bit axe - the only one I could source here in Australia. Not quite wide enough in the eye (on the long axis) and my attempt to fill the space with the wedge wasn't entirely successful. It's a ribbed eye and there was little scope for trial and error fitting, so I gave it a try and live with the error.

The haft is rather nice. Slimmer than the House Handle fitted to the Collins. I think it'll be a tool to make friends with.



[url=https://flic.kr/p/G2ijt5]
 
It's certainly an eye catcher and if memory serves double bits are uncommon in Australia.

Well done!
 
Ziggy you certainly did that one justice. I wouldn't worry about the haft unless it becomes an issue. It looks well hung, and I'm guessing the eye has ridges in it. Great work on these, makes me feel lazy when it comes to the amount of work I typically put into my own axe heads.
 
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