Best way to fix this chip/roll in the edge?

D

d.weglarz13

Joined
Jun 4, 2008
Messages
1,944
Hey guys. Quick story. Enjoyed a good barbecue and campfire last night with the close friends. So, after chopping some 12-14 inch diameter seasoned rounds last night with my Council Boys Axe, I was again amazed and reminded just how much I love this little axe. The chopping was easier with my larger GB AMA but it was a night of firewood and using axes, so I brought out the boys axe. I was using the AMA for the heavier stuff and limbing a felled tree that I took down in the yard right before the sun dropped and was having a great time. Used her to split some rounds too, but I almost felt that the boys axe was doing as great a job in splitting the rounds too, maybe due to the profiles?


For the most part I was using my AMA, and allowed a good buddy to use the boys axe for a few rounds since he was looking at me chop wood like a sad puppy, and he is the buddy i always end up getting hooked onto my hobbies in one form or another, so I figured it was time to get him into axes.
Well, anyway, after a few minutes he asked me why the axe kept sparking. :confused: Well I said it was probably due to the fact that the rounds he was cutting have been sitting in dirt for a long time, and it was probably rocks sunken in somewhere into the wood. Well, he then asked if it could be the metal staple in the haft that holds the wedge, and I honestly had to think about it for a minute, and I wasn't sure so I said possibly.
Now, I didn't stop to check since the boys axe handle was cracked from last camping trip when I over swung, and I knew he was being careful with the handle and the instructions I gave him on how to swing the axe safely. And, the boys axe is my "do it all" axe for camping, so it gets quite dinged up all the time but I don't care about it the way I care about the GB, so my buddy didn't use that one. But, I still love that boys axe very much.
Well, anyways, fast forward to today. I go to check the axes since I was working on one anyways as you might have read in another thread, and I realized when I looked at the Boys axe, that the sparking was something way worse than I imagined. I will get some pics in a couple minutes, but it was maybe a nail or something hard and steel I guess, because this is a large roll in the edge now, with a bit of chipping.

I sharpened the axe a while ago and it has held its edge really well. In fact it didn't even need a sharpening last night when I checked, so I used it as is. Well now I have a large chip/roll in the edge, and I'm hoping there is some way to get the rolling out before sharpening, since as I feared I need a good bit of force to unbend the roll, if that makes any sense.

SO, how and what is my best plan of action? I hate to just grind the steel away from the whole bevel, but its pretty deep. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks guys for all the help...


dave
 
Here are some pics.....Sorry for the crappy phone pics


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Oh, One more thing about this axe. Since this thing needs a new handle, would you guys recommend a straight or curved handle for the boys axe. I never had a straight handled axe before, so I am very curious. Thanks guys.

dave
 
File it on the sides so you remove the rolled over portion. The chip will come out with repeated sharpenings. As to the handle, I use both but don't seem to prefer either one over the other. I don't think I've ever seen a straight boys axe handle that was factory made tho.
 
Understood. I thought HH had octagon straight handles but I will have to check I could be wrong..

After taking a file lightly to it, the chip just, well, chipped right off. So, I guess I'm taking some steel off now.
 
Before you file, tap as much of it as you can back in place with a small ball peen hammer.
 
smith357 said:
Before you file, tap as much of it as you can back in place with a small ball peen hammer.
Click to expand...

Yes, this sometimes helps minimize material lost. I would not try to file out the entire edge back to remove the ding, as it is almost entirely cosmetic on a user, and you would lose lot of steel, but I would dress the ding with a round file to minimize abrupt edge transitions that might lead to stress cracks.

PS I like straight handles. My favorite boys axe is a generic import with a thick almost straight handle. Looks like ugly on a stick but is a pleasure to use, at least with my no nonsense "style" and arthritic grip :)...
 
d.weglarz13 said:
Understood. I thought HH had octagon straight handles but I will have to check I could be wrong..
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I'm sure HH will run one (or more) of their straight handles octagonalized for you upon request. Having seen other members with octagonalized boy's axe and full-size handles from them, I am thinking your best bet is to choose AA grade + octagonalized. Having ordered from them several times opting for AA, No lacquer, octagonalized mine came looking great except maybe a hair thin at the crook before the swell.

None I've seen here ended up that thin there so I am thinking that if you have a standard lacquered handle, they run it through the machine to remove the lacquer and then again to octagonalize it, maybe that is where the bulk goes.

If you order a handle + octagonalization then maybe you end up with a little more to work with than adding No Lacquer as well? Meaning, processing it twice might reduce its overall bulk?

Besides, octagonalizing seems like it would remove the lacquer in and of itself. Don't know this for sure but I am going to place another order soon and I might just call and ask.

Also, I don't remember seeing a straight handle offered in the boy's axe size. If you are reasonably handy with a rasp or spokeshave you could try ordering a 28" full-size axe handle with lacquer removed (or just octagonalized) and shape it down to a boy's axe eye.

Mileage may vary but now I am interested in a straight boy's axe size handle.

More coffee is necessary.
 
Ouch! Keep on using it. Small divot isn't going to affect anything unless you're a wood carver, and routine file touchups of the blade over a period of time will slowly catch up to the chip. While you're at it back off on the acuteness of the blade angle if it's durability you're looking for. It's an axe and not a knife.
 
Ok great guys thanks. I did try tapping the roll with a small brass hammer I had around, and the chip just flew off. So, I will fix the edge up a bit with the file but I won't try to remove the whole chip. That makes me feel a bit better, since I was worried taking that much steel off the edge. Yup, this ones gets used quite a bit, so hopefully the edge will even out over some time. I appreciate the help.

And I will give HH a call today and see what they say.
Dave
 
I will call in the morning as it got late on me today, but on the HH site, I see under 'grades', that you can choose from All white hickory, or all red hickory. What would the difference be? Does the all red hickory mean its more of the heartwood of the hickory that I hear to stay away from? As opposed to the lighter whiter wood that should be picked if possible? Or does this simply mean there are two kinds of hickory?

I must admit I do tend to love the look of a bit darker handles as opposed to very light hickory, but I only have really had lighter ones so far so if I have the choice to get a darker shade while still being just as tough, and without any heartwood, that would sure be ideal.....

Thoughts?

thanks

dave
 
They may just be calling the heart wood Red Hickory... I could be wrong.

Here is an order from a while back:


You can see two are all heartwood.
 
Heartwood is 'dead' wood and the transport cells in it will have plugged with debris and become discoloured. Strength-wise you nor I would ever notice any difference between live or dead wood. As you get closer to the center of the tree the chances of finding small knots within the slabs increases as does the circular nature of the end grain. If all things are the same (ie price) then I'd go with sapwood every time. Can of stain allows you to choose the wood colour anyway!
 
300Six said:
Heartwood is 'dead' wood and the transport cells in it will have plugged with debris and become discoloured. Strength-wise you nor I would ever notice any difference between live or dead wood. As you get closer to the center of the tree the chances of finding small knots within the slabs increases as does the circular nature of the end grain. If all things are the same (ie price) then I'd go with sapwood every time. Can of stain allows you to choose the wood colour anyway!
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:thumbup:
 
Great. Do you guys dye the wood? That was my next question, as I do love seeing nice axes with darker hafts. Is this common to stain it?
 
d.weglarz13 said:
Great. Do you guys dye the wood? That was my next question, as I do love seeing nice axes with darker hafts. Is this common to stain it?
Click to expand...

The darker hafts that you see from the Sweden axes are heart wood hickory. I suspect that they may be an American hickory that is grown in Europe. Are better hickory does not seem to have that much heart wood and there hickory seems to be wider ringed. I don't know this for sure, its just speculation on my part. Based mainly on the fact that the wood characteristics are so different.

Ash handles are for sure more attractive. House handle Co have ash also. It makes a good handle but not as good as hickory.

Many here stain there hafts. I am to much of a purist to do it though. Its all good either way.

I have been using a Pine tar, kerosene, boiled oil mixture. The pine tar will darken the wood some. After a few coats of this and the haft doesn't want to absorb any more I have been hitting it with a heat gun to bring out the grain a little and then a final coat of BLO and bees wax paste. It goes with out saying that you need to use heat with caution after the Pine tar mixture is applied.:eek:

This handle was stark white to start with. Its a thinned down boys axe handle from House Handle Co.

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Okay great, it must be ash that I've seen them because I've seen it on many American axes also. Thanks. I'm gonna call HH today and inquire about straight or octagon boys axe handles.
 
You can buy pint cans of oil-based stains at your local hardware store. Usually they are accompanied by a display sample board of the colours as applied to pine and oak. Look these over and then take your pick.
 
Saw somebody (can't remember if it was here or on bushcraft USA) that dyed their GB SFA handle a deep walnut with a tru oil finish. Looked nice with the head.
 
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