Handle with short tongue

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FLINT77

Joined
Apr 8, 2013
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Hi all. does anyone have any experience with having the top of the tongue of the axe handle below flush with the eye of the axe head? I have a handle that I like that has a very short tongue. I've been looking for heads to fit and I found one that is close but might not be able to get totally fush with the top of the eye. I could keep looking, but am wondering how essential it is to get totally flush. thanks
 
Usually you can just drop the head lower on the shoulder of the handle and cut your kerf appropriately deeper once seated. Most axe handles have a VERY low shoulder to them, giving you plenty of room for that sort of operation.
 
I don't believe anything is to be gained having the haft protrude above the eye. I do it because I don't want to ruin a saw cutting the haft flush.

All of the old Plumb epoxied hafts I have pulled were short. Those have been some really long lasting hafts stored in very adverse conditions. I believe it has been because the epoxy has kept moisture out more than anything else, amazing survival rate.
 
In the case of Plumb epoxied hafts, they may be short but the remaining space was still occupied by the epoxy, which is a bit of a different situation than using a short tongue in a wedged setup.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Usually you can just drop the head lower on the shoulder of the handle and cut your kerf appropriately deeper once seated. Most axe handles have a VERY low shoulder to them, giving you plenty of room for that sort of operation.
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no, I always seat my heads all the way down to the bottom of the shoulder. and I thin all the wood on the sides and shoulder down so there is no protruding wood forming a shelf at the bottom of the head. When the head is seated way high on the tongue it makes the swing super awkward. I had previously put a head with a really short eye/poll on the handle but then moved the head to another handle but didn't want to toss the handle.

I did end up getting the new head on. barely. actually the last tap popped off the little remaining shoulder that was on the handle, but It's on there tight as can be so it isn't going anywhere. I can't change my mind again with this handle though, so this is it.
 
FLINT77 said:
no, I always seat my heads all the way down to the bottom of the shoulder. and I thin all the wood on the sides and shoulder down so there is no protruding wood forming a shelf at the bottom of the head. When the head is seated way high on the tongue it makes the swing super awkward. I had previously put a head with a really short eye/poll on the handle but then moved the head to another handle but didn't want to toss the handle.

I did end up getting the new head on. barely. actually the last tap popped off the little remaining shoulder that was on the handle, but It's on there tight as can be so it isn't going anywhere. I can't change my mind again with this handle though, so this is it.
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Ah in the case of a repurposed handle then yeah that wouldn't be viable. That hadn't been stated. In this case you be most likely to have success in finding something like a Hudson Bay to throw it on if you ever salvage it a second time.
 
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