Council tool felling axe

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dcycleman

Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
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Man, I just recieved my first axe. After a little researching bought a council tool 31/2lb felling axe. Seems pretty nice. I put a serviceable edge on it using my lansky hones in my hand. Took it out in the yard to do a little splitting, I was liking it, but after maybe 20 minutes I had a miss and nailed a rock or something and absolutely ruined the edge . Bummer. Makes me glad I didn't buy a gransfors. Hopefully I can clean it up again on a bench grinder. To ease my pain I just ordered the 21/2 lb boys axe, lol
 
many here say not to put it on the bench grinder. If it gets too hot it can pull the temper out of the steel..
 
Safest way is to fix it is with a file. You can use a grinder if you know what you're doing. One way to make ruining the temper less likely is to hold your finger on the metal right near the grinding wheel. When it gets too hot to touch comfortably then it's time to quench again. A coarse stone run at a slow speed creates the least heat.

You'll never get the proper blade shape with a bench grinder alone. You're going to have to use a file or a slack belt grinder for that. For a simple rock ding I'd just stick with the file for reshaping and then hone it with a stone.
 
Thanks, it's a pretty big ding though, it's like 3/8 ths across and a solid 1/8 in. Maybe I'll try the file thing and see if I can do it in a reasonable amount of time, but I'm going to have to take an 1/8 of an inch across the whole face.
 
"You're going to have to use a file or a slack belt grinder for that."
"I see a grinder in your future. Just watch the heat."
A Harbor Freight 1X30 with the platen removed, will do 99% of the edge without hurting it. You can finish it up using your hones or keep a convex edge with a mouse pad on a hard surface with 400 grit sand paper on top.
 
When I have had that I just put the file directly on the but edge (90 degrees) and file away to get the bit evened up. Then you can put the grinder to it(I wouldn't) if you want or I will do the belt sander. Then file file file away to get it where I want it.
 
Thanks for the tips, there's a harbour freight near me, mabe I'll purchase a belt sander, I looked up the grizzly model and it's like 500
 
dcycleman said:
Thanks for the tips, there's a harbour freight near me, mabe I'll purchase a belt sander, I looked up the grizzly model and it's like 500
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The Grizzly is quite a bit more machine. The HF 1x30 is pretty much the bottom of the barrel. I've got @ 70 hrs on my HF, but there are others that have had other experiences.
 
I took the ding out with light pressure from a grinder making quick sweeps, I know it didn't get too hot because I was holding the edge the whole time and it was only mildly warm. Used a file to put a new finished edge, followed with a bench stone. Came out ok , I think that the area behind the edge is a little thick though
 
Square_peg said:
3,600 rpm? That's fast. Watch out for heat. But what a deal!
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Pegs...
It's really nice for the price. Really quite.
I've used it a couple of times already on a couple of badly chipped axes. I went slow and it worked out fine. Nothing ever heated up very much at all.
Man, it's already saved me a ton of filing ;) and heck, for that price, you can hardly buy a couple of decent files.
I mostly bought it to help fix bad chips and such.
 
In The Complete Guide to Sharpening Leonard Lee basically warns that in his experience some people who rely on water dunks to keep steel cool while using powered sharpening methods ruin their tools. He states that people inevitably get the steel too hot and then quench in water (which is a super fast quench, of course). The steel becomes a little more brittle with every quench. He recommends that if you are going to use power tools, you should keep your bare fingers behind the edge (already mentioned in this thread), and let it air cool when it becomes uncomfortably warm on your fingers. This means you'll have to take breaks from grinding.

I once ruined a no name half hatchet with water quenches. It was chipped up so badly that I decided to put it on my belt grinder and cool it in water. The first time I used it, the thing chipped like crazy. I'll try to dig up some pictures.

ETA: It is also possible that the steel was already bad or ruined, but I took it as a lesson to slow down either way.

2012-05-31_11-46-46_938.jpg
 
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Steve Tall said:
You guys and your power tools. ;)

Hey bear, did that grinder come from China?
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I love it Steve ;)

I actually bought the thing to use only on a limited bases. I'm getting tired of filing down all those damned mushroomed polls! I've been restoring and selling stuff from time to time so I thought it would be very helpful in that regard.
Other than that... I'm power free :p now I'm thinking I sould take it back :)

and finally... yes it IS from the chicoms and I'm not happy about it, but I can't afford an American made one. If their even is such a thing :confused:
 
I really like my 1x32'' belt sander, there's a lee valley near me and they keep loads of great belts in stock. I get a lot of use out it, sharpening kitchen knives to axes.
Mine's a delta, like this one. For some reason the gf doesn't like it when I set it up in the dining room to sharpen stuff. I'll never understand women.:p
beltsander00.jpg
 
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