Hults Bruk boys axe with crack

A

andrew_m_snyder

Joined
Jun 13, 2016
Messages
9
I found this head in an antique store for $15 and figured it a worthy restore. It's been sitting collecting dust for a couple years but I finally got the motivation and then realized it has this crack. I figured I could try and weld it to beef up the strength of the eye. Worth noting I don't own a welder, though I've welded in the past, could see myself buying a hobby unit soon, and also know folks who might be able to help me. Will the weld flex and make the head loosen quicker over time? Is it a lost cause? The poll looks great and the cutting edge could be made deadly sharp so easily. It's sitting in white vinegar right now, afterwards I'll more fully inspect the crack. Really hoping I can just fill the gap with weld and then file away the excess before hanging. Knowing it might be a little crooked but figure it would cut fine as a gift axe for camp trips and breaking down pre-seasoned firewood, etc.
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andrew_m_snyder said:
I found this head in an antique store for $15 and figured it a worthy restore. It's been sitting collecting dust for a couple years but I finally got the motivation and then realized it has this crack. I figured I could try and weld it to beef up the strength of the eye. Worth noting I don't own a welder, though I've welded in the past, could see myself buying a hobby unit soon, and also know folks who might be able to help me. Will the weld flex and make the head loosen quicker over time? Is it a lost cause? The poll looks great and the cutting edge could be made deadly sharp so easily. It's sitting in white vinegar right now, afterwards I'll more fully inspect the crack. Really hoping I can just fill the gap with weld and then file away the excess before hanging. Knowing it might be a little crooked but figure it would cut fine as a gift axe for camp trips and breaking down pre-seasoned firewood, etc.
ZJ5U92g

8rFmqn0

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Click to expand...
There is nothing wrong with this axe. It is not a crack. Just haft it and use it.
This video will help you understand how the pieces were welded together.
edit
Sorry, now, I actually can see a crack! Please disregard what I wrote
Here you can find nice tutorial made by @muleman77 https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/the-cracked-eye.1583610/
 
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Seems to me even that large a crack in the untempered part of an axe head can be welded, but it's not a job for a beginner. (I would be the beginner.) An expert bead down the point of that eye will make rehafting it easier, too, it seems to me. I would also think an expert would grind a groove in the side where the crack has emerged and weld that with a deep penetration bead, too. An expert should be able to get penetration deep enough for the beads to meet and fill the whole crack, but the expertise will be in doing it fast so that the tempered blade doesn't get overheated.

I would want to neutralize the acid of the vinegar bath with a soak in a mild mix of baking soda before doing anything further. Acid in that crack will promote crevice corrosion. Then I would dry it thoroughly with enough warmth so the water doesn't sit in that crack.

Andrew--that video is great, thanks for posting it. You see fairly similar operations in films of the Hults Bruk factory from about the same period. I wonder how many inattentive workers ended up with crippled hands from getting them too close to those power hammers and shears, not to mention the burns. I bet those guys had skin on their hands like old shoe leather. I particularly liked how the guy lit his pipe with the heat from the workpiece.

Rick "the axe-head may not be worth what an expert welder might charge, unless doing it for fun" Denney
 
Rick, the groove for the weld on the outside is a great callout, thanks for that tip. I'm by no means an expert but I'm willing to try my hand at welding this head, again knowing it won't be getting too much abuse in its future life splitting store bought camp wood or processing kindling. I also like the call out of a baking soda bath to neutralize the vinegar. What sort of ratio would you recommend? Cover the head with water and then mix in a couple table spoons of BS? I've never done this method before.
 
The usual ratio is one cup of baking soda per gallon of water, and soak for 15 minutes, followed by a quick rinse with plain water. Then, dry it, even if you need to warm it to really get it dry. You can scale the ratio as necessary.

Rick "regular vinegar is a fairly strong, but quite dilute acid" Denney
 
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