Hatchet tang repair

B

Bjoergenachten

Joined
May 5, 2012
Messages
4
Hey, new here. So I was out hiking and I took out my hatchet for the first time and started cutting up a log. It's a pretty good hatchet for as cheap as it is. But anyway the tang snapped at one of the holes as I was chopping.
IMG_0005.jpg

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I am just wondering if there was any way I could fix this. I was thinking I could somehow drill a couple holes into what's left of the tang and attach a new handle or something that way. Is there any hope for this thing?
 
Bjoergenachten said:
Hey, new here. So I was out hiking and I took out my hatchet for the first time and started cutting up a log. It's a pretty good hatchet for as cheap as it is. But anyway the tang snapped at one of the holes as I was chopping.
IMG_0005.jpg

IMG_0006.jpg

I am just wondering if there was any way I could fix this. I was thinking I could somehow drill a couple holes into what's left of the tang and attach a new handle or something that way. Is there any hope for this thing?
Click to expand...

While I suppose you could rig a fix my advise is to just get a new (better) hatchet. Your toes or head may thank you later!
 
I'd take it back to the retailer and ask for a replacement. You can see that the temper line is beyond the hole that broke. There's no reason for it to be hardened at that point. It was doomed to crack. It's positively a defect in workmanship.

But supposing you wanted to repair it I would start by tempering the rest of the tang right up to the head and maybe even into that a little ways. It will be difficult to drill in it's current condition without tempering.

If you polish the tang with some sand paper then you'll be able to see the temper colors run as you heat it with a blow torch or other heat source. As you heat it you'll first see a straw-yellow color appear. Then it will turn to bronze, then purple, then blue. You want to go to at least purple. At the locations you want to drill it wouldn't hurt to go just barely into blue.

Then you could cut a slot the width of tang in a quality hickory handle. Get some post screws from the hardware store and attach the handle in at least 3 places.

If it were me I'd take it back or else just buy something else.
 
So if I were to temper the tang how would I go about not ruining the blade? Would I pour cold water over it while I'm tempering?
 
Don't put the blowtorch on the blade (bit). You're only going to heat the tang. You'll be able to see the heat spread across the metal as you're watching the temper colors run. Let the colors run up the tang to the head. Don't let them run to the bit. Heck, just hold it by the bit. As long as you can hold it in your hand you're not heating the bit up anywhere near hot enough to effect the temper.

Look at this website.
http://www.technologystudent.com/equip1/heat1.htm

You're starting at stage three.
 
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