Forest hatchet/plumb how to fix this

[Krav]

I just bought this, I was at a military surplus and seemed ok for $19. I have to sharpen it up, but it has a little wobble and I'm not sure what to use to fix the wood. Any direction would be greatly appreciated.

 

[triggahappy]

soak the eye in boiled linseed oil or replace the wedge

 

[Steve Tall]

Nice hatchet. Looks like it has a "Plumb Take-Up Wedge", as described in this 1922 magazine:

If it is one of those wedge screws, it might be bottomed out by now. Soaking in linseed oil as suggested would help tighten it somewhat. You could also take out the screw and see if the wood wedge can be made to sink a little further. (Then put some wood splinters in the hole and re-install the screw wedge?)

Some folks would add a metal wedge (at 45 degrees) to tighten it up, but this could damage the handle and prevent reuse. As a last resort, you could take the head off the handle and put it back on with a new wedge (maybe after sawing the kerf a little deeper.)

One way to take the handle off and re-use it (if necessary):
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/875111-Remove-an-axe-head-and-reuse-the-handle

 

[Krav]

Not safe, did a little chopping and the handle is slipping out. If anyone can do the work on this guy feel free to p.m. Me.

 

[Krav]

I tightened the screw and it's much better but not sure how safe it is.

 

[Bo T]

You might try backing the screw out a turn or two, set the head al low as it will go, then soaking it in linseed oil for a few days. After you soak it tighten the screw again and then try it.

 

[CedarEater]

That does it. Next chance I get I am stopping at an army surplus store to do a little axe/hatchet hunting. Oh and BTW thats a nice looking hatchet.

 

[Krav]

You might try backing the screw out a turn or two, set the head al low as it will go, then soaking it in linseed oil for a few days. After you soak it tighten the screw again and then try it.

I was reading a lot last night and this is what I'm going to do.
Thanks

 

[Double Ott]

I would try removing the screw, then the handle. Cut a kerf in the handle and set it back on the head. Then drive a wood wedge in the kerf. Done.
Tom

 

[cityofthesouth]

No, do what Double Ott said. It sounds like you could easily get the handle out if it just wobbles around. Pull it, clear out the old wedge if there is one, split a new one out of whatever you have lying around and just rehang it. Should be cake and it will be safe. Soak it in boiled linseed oil when you're done - couple days even. I like to hack a gallon milk jug in half the long way, set the axe in it head down, pour some linseed oil down the handle so it sets in a little puddle of it.

 

[Square_peg]

That's an oldie and it deserves to be restored right. You don't want to lose that old haft. It's irreplaceable.

Pull the screw and try to dig out as much of the wedge as you can. Then punch the haft off the head with a hardwood punch whittled to fit the eye.

Normally I recommend dropping the head on the haft a little to make wedge removal easier. But I wouldn't do that with this one. You don't have any haft to spare.

When you re-wedge it use a little Swel-Lock. That will tighten things up. Then you can use BLO to preserve it but BLO won't do much to swell wood or tighten a handle.

 

[Twoinch]

i have used raw linseed oil to soak the wedge end of an old ax before, and it can help. like Square Peg mentions, BLO wont do much for swelling a wedged joint.

nowadays, i dont waste my time trying to tighten them with liquids. they get pulled and usually rehung on a new stick. rarely do i reuse the old haft. i do have a number of them that i "saved", where i pulled the wedge and left the handle intact instead of cutting it off and pounding out the eye. i only save the very old ones, that could be reused at some point.