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

So, I meant to post yesterday but I was pretty busy but I did contact House Handle about the boys axe handles for those interested.
They said when you order the boys axe handle, there is nowhere on the form to select different options, so you must tell them what you want in the comment box.
They only charge your card when the order ships, so the price will go up a couple dollars for better options and you will be charged accordingly when the handle is ready, for hand picked or AA or anything else it may take a day extra but usually will ship within a day or two from ordering.
That's nice, I never ordered from them before but sure seems like a great company. Anyway, in the comment box you may ask for either white or red hickory (or ash I think), also you can ask for "hand picked," and you can ask for octogonal handle if you want too!
As long as you ask for any of those options in the comment box you are good to go. I think the woman said for a hand picked option where they actually inspect everything on it as opposed to just throwing one in a box off the rack, it would add like $1.50. Really pretty cool.

I think I'm gonna order a couple octogonal ones tomorrow for down the road, but I did find a link handle at my local store so that should get me back chopping firewood for the next few days. The shoulders on the handle aren't really existent, but it was there last one and I was dying to practice hanging my first axe so I picked it up.

House Handle also said they don't do any straight handles for the boys axe but I'm sure I may pick up a straight single bit axe handle and shave it down for kicks. Just thought I would share.


Dave
 
d.weglarz13 said:
House Handle also said they don't do any straight handles for the boys axe but I'm sure I may pick up a straight single bit axe handle and shave it down for kicks. Just thought I would share.


Dave
Click to expand...

The 28" single bit? Was thinking of the same. Question are; 1) What are you going to use tool-wise?, 2) When you fit, take from the front or the back of the tongue?, and 3) How will you reduce the spine to match?

I was putting together an order and was thinking of the 28" straight handle to try with a 2 and 1/2lb. head after you mentioned it above. That weight and heavier heads get applied to shorter handles such as the "House Axe" - why not try out a straight handle and see how it fairs?

Straight handles can have shape: just not "curves"
 
Yes, I'm gonna order a straight 28 to play around with. The haft I got at my local shop is not great. The widest part that the head rests or gets seated on, is not even there. The shape is uniform after the belly, just goes straight up on the front and back sides and both "spine" sides of the handle. This one is really for practice before the HH ones come.
As to your question, I don't have a draw knife which would be nice, but I will be using a rasp to shave down anything on the handle, and of course my files and angle grinder with flap disk for any work on the head.
I'm not sure what you mean by "tongue." What I'm planning to do is this. I will look at the handle first, and decide what wood needs to be removed. If we are talking the wood section that goes in the eye of the head, then I will most likely take wood from the poll side, as it seems that the poll side of the handle is the easiest to shave down in order to keep the straight line in the front edge side of the handle. On the handle I have, I don't think I can take any wood off the edge or front side, since there's not much there to work with as it is. I hope that makes sense, for you it may be different and I'm hoping the handles I get from HH are better also. Like I said it was the last one in the store by me, other than one with a lot of heartwood and bad grain orientation. On what I have seen, the shoulder of the handle is important, so I would be careful not to take too much wood off the handle at first until you know how the head will sit on it, then you can always shave some down and continue the shaving down to "match the spine." I am not sure if that helps but if it's not clear let me know. I will put up some pics today if I can.

You know, after looking back at the HH site I do see the 28" straight handles, but originally I was looking at the boys axe handles and I called them because I didn't see straight handles. The woman on the phone said single bit, so I assumed she meant a full size straight handle. I was thinking about that, and would probably draw with a pencil, the rough shape of a boys axe size profile on the huge handle that needs to be taken down. This would give me plenty of room to work out the exact shape as I go. But, honestly I would probably whip out the saw or something to remove that much wood, I don't know if I would take inches away with a rasp but I don't have patience. Now that I see what you mean, the 28" single bit straight, I'm pretty sure you won't have to knock back the handle tongue or spine much at all, since the eye part of the handle doesn't seem too much larger than a boys axe handle.
I hope some of that makes sense.

Dave
 
Last edited:
Well, things got interesting today. I tried my first hang with the ace hardware handle. After shaving a bit off the cheeks of the handle, I realized the handle was too small for the eye. So, I was so determined to get chopping again, I hung it anyway. The handle was too thick also, so I used a 4 in hand to shave it down, and boy did that take a while. I gotta get me a draw knife and a bigger rasp. So, after hanging it and seeing everything lined up nice and straight, the decent size gap at the front and back of the eye even with the wedge in, bothered me so much I sawed the darn thing off and took the head back to the store to get a different handle.
Here is where things started to get weird. I went to the store, and they didn't have any more 28 inch handles. So, I looked up all the ace hardware stores within a 30 mile radius, and there were more than I thought. I think it was 8 stores. After getting frustrated with the salesman on the phone with a few of them, I realized this was something only to be done myself in person, not on the phone. I mean I had guys telling me they weren't going to check what size they had, just that I should come in and don't worry because they had "handles." So, that gave me a laugh and since I was set on getting this new haft today, I set out to hit each and every store here on long island.
Guess what I found? Not one darn handle worth getting. Some stores didn't have any, most had one or two. Every single one was either completely perpendicular grain with run out, rotten pieces on the head area that were covered or hidden by the wedge being taped on, cracks in the top head section, one was even so warped it was a complete curve down the whole thing. I was out all day, and only after about 6 stores did I realize, "hey, this darn CT boy's axe eye is too big for all the handles I looked at so far." So, somehow my CT has an eye that is perfect for the 36" full size handles, but was originally the size of the boy's axe handles I was seeing. They were all Link handles btw.
So, now I'm perplexed. Its either the Link handles are made far too small for the CT axe eye, or I must buy a full size handle and take it down to a reasonable shape, which is kind of impossible if I did want to keep a curved handle on the boy's axe, as the full size can't be cut down to have the right curves in the right places if you know what I mean. So, I can buy the full size straight handle, and shave it down to a boy's axe size with a straight handle. But, even the full size handles were all the same. Some were okay, but almost all heartwood. I know I won't probably find a perfect one, but these by me today were all just horrible.
So yea, didn't go as planned, and now I'm dying for monday so I can order some handles for HH, but now again, what the heck do I order?
I want a straight handle for the boy's axe to try out, but I need a curved handle anyway since I'm pretty sure that is best now that I am used to it. But, if HH runs their handles the same way, how the heck can I get a curved handle that has shorter belly and curves for the smaller axe, all while keeping the full size axe eye size that I have with the CT head?
Its kinda sad, the hang came out great, especially for a first try, but I couldn't look at it with the gaps in the eye, as I don't want to get moisture inside, and since I plan on using it for years, I'm not gonna pour epoxy inside to fill the rather large gaps or something crazy. So I don't know what to do. I will have to call HH again Monday and see what they say, I really want to get back to chopping......


thanks for all the help

dave
 
Dave - sounds super frustrating. I have done the "drive every where in town" for a handle.

You are convinced that the Link boy's axe handles are too small to properly fit your axe head? You may be right. If the 36" full-size fits the head then maybe your head is actually designed for a full-sized handle?

I have two boy's axe handles sitting on my workbench - one a Link with no shoulders and one HH. There is a noticeable difference in mass for sure. I'll try to get a picture this morning.

You can order a boy's axe handle and a 28" full-size handle for comparison - which ever you don't use for this hang, you can use it for another project.
 
Here is an example of a Link handle compared to HH – both are “boy’s axe” size.

.

.

.

.
They are both 28”, one looks longer than the other in one picture as I had them propped up on the foot of my vice for the picture.
My wife also likes to put things out on the workbench to send me a message. She text me she bought me an axe and put it on the workbench. She supports my endeavors…
 
Thanks for the pics. Yea my link handle looked just like that. The HH one is on top right? Hopefully that will work, as I only needed a bit more meat in the eye for it to be a good fit. I think I will do that, order a boys axe handle and a full SB handle.
This is getting addicting like I knew it would. I'm trying to find older axes now and wondering if I should get a whole bunch of handles for future hangs lol.
I really want to get my hands on some Kelly perfects or some other nice vintage heads. I always loved restoring things like old tools, but the old axe thing is just on the next level of cool. I had so much fun hanging the boys axe until I realized the handle was too small, but I really need more now. Thanks for all the help!

Dave
 
d.weglarz13 said:
This is getting addicting like I knew it would. I'm trying to find older axes now and wondering if I should get a whole bunch of handles for future hangs lol.

Dave
Click to expand...

Ordering more than a couple is a good idea if you plan to keep at it. Their prices are fair and options offered are straight forward. You do have to pay shipping on an irregular sized package being shipped so it makes sense to get several at one time.

Glad the picture helped out. The HH handle is the top one like you noticed - that one was with no varnish so you might end up with a touch more meat to work with if you don't ask for that and remove the varnish yourself.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top