Council Single Bit

Alan2442

Alan2442

Joined
Jan 12, 2011
Messages
608
Just wondering if anyone knows if this is a good candidate to restore? It was going to be disposed of due to a crack in the handle. I'm have gotten the impression that some of the newer axes have weaker metal. if its just an old junk axe I don't really want to waste the new handle on it since they are so hard to find around here with the grain running the right way.







thanks for the help.
 
Council Tools does not manufacture junk! I don't see that your's ever got any use aside from being left outdoors. Unfortunate for you (is the handle really cracked that bad?) learning how to rehaft this does not mean you are "restoring" the implement; likely as not it's only 10 years old, at best.
 
Your right sorry for the mix of words. Rehaft not restore. If they don't make junk then a new handle it shal get.

Thanks
 
Alan2442 said:
Your right sorry for the mix of words. Rehaft not restore. If they don't make junk then a new handle it shal get.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Beats the pants off (ie financially) investing in a Swedish 'boutique' axe, and you'll get good mileage out of this, and you won't have to guard it with your life against thievery.
 
I know what you mean...I have had a GB axe stolen from my truck before. At this point I have more axes than any normal person needs but it keeps me busy in my off time.
 
What's the crack in the handle look like? Some folks here swear that glued joints are stronger than they were before, and we've seen some pretty insane fixes with it! From the photos a little sanding and oiling would pretty much bring it back to life.
 
weird the wrong picture posted...

so when i go to my photobucket page the thumbnail picture is correct, but when i click it to see the big picture i see the axe head upside down... not sure whats going on with that

not sure what cracked it...probably a soldier using it for something its not meant to be used for. I just snagged it as it was getting dumped.
 
My two Council axes I've refurbed have been excellent. They take a wicked edge and hold it fairly well, even through some serious splitting duties. They or course will ding and dent at the edge when hit on things like stones and sand, but so will my Plumbs and Kellys. Council axes are slowly becoming some of my favorites. I just picked up a rusty head the other day for $4, and it'll get a new handle and full sharpening and be good to go!
 
They probably slammed the swell against the floor to drive the head down and surprise! No compelling reason to keep the stick or fix it anyway. The head is GTG. You can watch Council drop forge them on youtube if there is any doubt.
 
Looks to be a clean break. That end of the handle is not subject to the same stresses as near the head so I would say get hold of some Titebond II (or similarly good wood glue) and have a go at mending it. This will buy you some time to scope around for a new handle (good ones are hard to come by these days), and the same time will allow you to find out whether an axe is of any use to you or not.
 
well she got a new handle today...

I was inspired by both my haphazard sanding job yesterday for the American Axe roofing hatchet, and a pic of an octagon handle I saw on COTS project thread, and decided to give it a try. The original handle was a monster so I figured it would give me plenty of room to work with (should probably read...give me plenty of wood to screw up in the process and still have hope that I didnt destroy a perfectly good handle).

A tired arm and several hours of elbow grease later a decent handle emerges. Its not perfectly straight, but I'm proud to call it my first octagonal handle.

Of course after I complete the handle I run into the house with it to show my wife what I had accomplished...she asked me what was so special about it? I told her its an octagonal handle. She then shakes her head and tells me its a hexagon. My response..."That's what I said love...a hexagonal handle" :cool:So smooth I am:cool: she just looked at me like I was special until I went back in the garage.

Anyway here she is...











Thanks for reading
 
I'm a fan of the octagonalized handles. I've found flats on the fore and aft to be ergonomic but sand the edges down. That is a pretty Council Alan.

Let us know how you like the hexagonal handle with corners laying front belly and spine.

Terrific grain on that one.
 
Looks good - nice score on that Link handle too. It looks like it was pretty good right off the shelf. Typically they are truly octagonal, with flats on the front and back to make 8, but I'm all for something different.
 
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