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I have to stop going to the flea market... just brought home another hatchet.

S

smith357

Joined
Feb 19, 2005
Messages
586
There were a lot of good tools to be had at the flea market today, I brought home a Craftsman 16 oz ball peen $3 , a no name 4 lb sledge $3 , a stack of Simmons files $2, and a Plumb Hatchet $8. I spent $16 in less than one hour. I passed on a bunch of axes and I really did not need another hatchet. I was getting ready to leave and could not get this hatchet out of my head, I kept thinking I don't have a hatchet with a hammer head so I went back laid down my $8 and brought it home.

Overall it was in good shape with the original handle and no real damage to the head. The only problem area is the wedge. I think a few more screws and nails jammed in there might just fix it. :) When I got the screws and the nails out the wood wedge disintegrated and the head came off easily. I cleaned up the surface rust with some Ed's Red and a bronze brush.

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I made a new wedge and used Gorilla Glue. The head not going anywhere anytime soon. I profiled, sharpened and polished the edge, then sealed it all up with bee's wax and she's good to go.

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"I don't have a hatchet with a hammer head"

Some version of this exact train of thought runs through my head as well while in the junk stores. In fact, I bough the exact same Plumb hatchet using the exact same rationalization. I has proved very handy though and has earned a place on the pegboard next to the framing hammer.
 
Sounds like a nice haul. You know when you are in trouble when you have convince yourself NOT to buy an axe ;)

Bill
 
Great score for $8! I didn't know how useful a hatchet with a hammer was until I picked one up.

Yours has solid markings and you did a fine job of re-handling (as far as I can tell lol) Very nice!

I wonder if we have the same hatchet? Mine is so roughed up there are no markings:



The only difference is the relief around the nail-puller and the bevels on the top seem more pronounced on yours.
 
Agent_H said:
Great score for $8! I didn't know how useful a hatchet with a hammer was until I picked one up.

Yours has solid markings and you did a fine job of re-handling (as far as I can tell lol) Very nice!

I wonder if we have the same hatchet? Mine is so roughed up there are no markings:

The only difference is the relief around the nail-puller and the bevels on the top seem more pronounced on yours.
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Your's is not 'all roughed up'. Faithfully use and/but take care of something for 50-70 years and it'll look much like that. Had this been issued to an unappreciative a^&hole who abused it and always left it in the rain there never would have been the opportunity for you to take it home. I don't think 'no-name' goods were uncommon; the big boys made them in bulk for chain and prominent hardware stores along with specific instructions to leave their stamp off. Just try to imagine "Bugtussle Dry Goods" of Armpit Saskatchewan carrying their very own in-house brand of axe with a lovely paper label that specifically says so. You and I know it wasn't hammered into shape out back nor did Clem the local blacksmith put it all together.
 
"Bugtussle Dry Goods" - if we had a place called that, I would drive out of my way.
 
I have the exact same Plumb hatchet/hammer. Like you, I wanted one to finish out my tools. Mine rides in the toolbox of my truck.
 
Agent_H said:
"Bugtussle Dry Goods" - if we had a place called that, I would drive out of my way.
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Across the street from 'Whet Your Whistle' the beer parlour. I suspect that the city of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan is the originator of 'stubble jumper' phrases such as this.
 
I have one that's very similar as well, but mine is post-permabond. They take a super edge, and are quite handy...I just got mine re-profiled a few weeks ago, and with fall coming it should get some use!
 
Nice work, how did you do the handle repair on the wood. I just bought a plumb and it's loose and has a screw in the top. Wanted to know how you did such a nice job with yours.
 
Krav said:
Nice work, how did you do the handle repair on the wood. I just bought a plumb and it's loose and has a screw in the top. Wanted to know how you did such a nice job with yours.
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When I pulled out the screws and nails the wedge just fell apart, the handle itself was in good shape so I made a new wedge from some walnut I have laying around. If your wedge is still in decent shape there is a technique I have used in the past to remove a wedge without damaging the handle. I use a small drill bit that is the same diameter as some finishing nails, then drill two holes in the wedge angled toward the center. Insert the nails into the holes and bend them till the ends meet over the center of the wedge. Clamp the nails in a vise and tap the head gently with a rubber mallet pulling the wedge out.

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SC T100 said:
I have one that's very similar as well, but mine is post-permabond. They take a super edge, and are quite handy...I just got mine re-profiled a few weeks ago, and with fall coming it should get some use!
Click to expand...

I noticed while filing the profile that the steel was very hard, noticeably harder than any of my other axes, and it stayed razor sharp after some test hacking on some knots in an old Hawthorn log. Another thing I noticed was when trying to stick it in the log for some pictures I could not get it to stick, it kept popping out of the wood no matter how deep I drove it in.
 
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smith357 said:
I use a small drill bit that is the same diameter as some finishing nails, then drill two holes in the wedge angled toward the center. Insert the nails into the holes and bend them till the ends meet over the center of the wedge. Clamp the nails in a vise and tap the head gently with a rubber mallet pulling the wedge out.
Click to expand...
Neat idea for removing old wedges. All we gotta do now is convince folks not to go nuts with glue when putting in a new one!
 
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