First re-handle!

[Arachnotron]

I re-handled my Wörder & Pandel hatchet today. It's not perfect but I don't think it's too bad for my first try. I used a 19" "house axe" handle from House Handle.
One question, If I add a metal wedge perpendicular to the wood wedge will it fill in the slight gap at the front? I did see the thread about adding a second perpendicular kerf, but not sure if it is really necessary in this case.

I'm waiting on two more handles to arrive for my Carl Helsper and Council Tool axes.

 

[K1CKtheCHICKEN]

I don't know much about axes, i'm just getting interest in them. It looks good to me, nice work.

 

[KuRUpTD]

Looks good !

 

[DJG097]

Looks good. A metal wedge would fix that I had two bigger gaps on my half hatchet after re handleing and a metal wedge fixed it.

Ps. I REALLY want that hatchet.

 

[stalbot]

where would one find metal wedges?

 

[Square_peg]

House Handle sells wedges individually. Your local hardware store might also.

http://www.househandle.com/products-3.html#wedgepacks

 

[markv]

i would not pound a metal wedge into the wood,
instead use some small pieces of wood (shims) to drive in the gaps.

buzz

 

[garry3]

Here is a quote from Practical Blacksmithing. An old book first published in 1889.
"Metal wedges are not so good as wooden ones because they have less elasticity and do not so readily conform to the shape of the saw slot for which reason they are more apt to come loose. The taper of the wedge should be regulated to suit the amount of taper in the eye, while the thickness of the wedge should be sufficiently in excess of the width of the saw cut added to the taper of the eye to avoid all danger of the end of the wedge meeting the end of the saw slot.

By this method, the tool handle is locked to the tool eye by being spread at each end of the same. If the top end of the eye were rounded out both ways of the oval, two wedges would be required to spread the handle end to fit the eye, one wedge standing at a right angle to the other. in this case one wedge must be of wood and one of METAL, the one standing across the width of the oval usually being the metal one. The thin edge of the metal wedge is by some twisted which causes the wedge to become somewhat locked when driven in.



I think one must be of metal because wood will shrink in one direction and it may lead to a loose head.

 

[Square_peg]

You don't need metal wedges. Cross-wedging as described in Practical Blacksmithing can be and is done with wooden wedges. Throughly dry wedges won't shrink.