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I want to save this handle!

P

PhilipWimberly

Gold Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2023
Messages
78
I've not only hung a handle I love on the wrong hatchet head, I hung it upside down.
(Thankful I don't have to look any of you in the eyes. I blame John Jameson. Was going to send a picture for your entertainment, but couldn't figure out how.)
I really want to save this gorgeous handle for another project and have watched a LOT of YouTube to try to get ready to try. With that, I have 3 things:
1 - I bet this group has nuggets of advice that YouTubers aren't giving me. Do you? Is it just as simple as delicately drilling out the wedge?
2 - There isn't a "save the handle on an upside down hang" video. My gut says, the only difference here is a positive one since the eye is now smaller on top...so it might come out easier/cleaner? Am I thinking about this right?
3 - Worst, though (how could it be worse than an upside down hang on the wrong handle, right?)...is that the hatchet I want this handle on, if I can save it, has a slightly larger eye than the wrong one I shaved to fit. Right now, I'm just planning to try to force it to work by hanging it lower on the handle and using more wedge. Anything else to consider?
I've even been practicing whittling of spikes from a wedge to use in the gaps. This dumb move has really made me a little crazy.
 
I shouldn't tell this part on myself, but I will. It's even dumber than it sounds. The hatchet is a Legitimus carpenter's/roofing hatchet WITH A NAIL PULL. Never has a head been made where the orientation is more clear. Now I'll probably never get any advice because everyone will think I'm not even worth the screen ink.
 
Nah, no one is perfect. Not here to judge. How much material is left on the correct side. Is the mount side a teardrop or round?
 
Hm... Your question makes me think I've mislead you. The head is upside down on the proper end of the handle
 
Ahh. Ok. Don’t mind me. I was in the emergency room getting good IV meds fighting a terrible kidney stone. Remove it from the eye and move it down the haft a little if you need to. Really depends on how much larger the eye on the other hatchet is.
 
Did you glue the wedge in? If you didn’t you may be able to pry it out, otherwise you’ll have to drill or if you have a soft padded vise, secure the bit and use a small wood block and a dead blow hammer to smack the haft out that way.
 
PhilipWimberly said:
"Removing from the eye" Is there anything more to this than delicately drilling out the wedge?
Click to expand...

You can screw some screws into the wedge to help pull it out also.

I'm generally not a fan of Wranglestar, but he does have a decent video about removing an axe handle to reuse it. He used 2 screwdrivers to pry the metal wedges out.

Edit: found the video
 
Last edited:
If you didn't glue in the wood wedge, what I would do is put the head in a vise with padded jaws or wood scraps on either side.
With the head securely locked in a vise punch the handle out , but the key would be hitting the tongue of the handle on either side of the wedge.
the wedge should mostly stay in place or even start backing out, and you can punch the handle all the way out or just until you can grab the wedge to remove it first.
 
bikerector said:
You can screw some screws into the wedge to help pull it out also.

I'm generally not a fan of Wranglestar, but he does have a decent video about removing an axe handle to reuse it. He used 2 screwdrivers to pry the metal wedges out.

Edit: found the video
Click to expand...
Very useful video, thanks for sharing! I don't know anything about this Wranglestar guy, but the entire video I couldn't stop myself from wondering why he's doing this work while wearing not one but two watches? (And one's a Rolex to boot, his videos must be profitable!!). Sorry to go off topic :)
 
bikerector said:
You can screw some screws into the wedge to help pull it out also.

I'm generally not a fan of Wranglestar, but he does have a decent video about removing an axe handle to reuse it. He used 2 screwdrivers to pry the metal wedges out.

Edit: found the video
Click to expand...
Yeah, you're right. That was helpful. Thank you
 
Hickory n steel said:
If you didn't glue in the wood wedge, what I would do is put the head in a vise with padded jaws or wood scraps on either side.
With the head securely locked in a vise punch the handle out , but the key would be hitting the tongue of the handle on either side of the wedge.
the wedge should mostly stay in place or even start backing out, and you can punch the handle all the way out or just until you can grab the wedge to remove it first.
Click to expand...
Since the head is upside down (still pains me to type that) might hitting the tongue instead of the wedge be less important? I guess I'm looking for a bright side to this goat rodeo I've caused. Am I right to hope that an upside down head may be easier to remove since the wide part of the eye is now at the bottom instead of the top?
 
PhilipWimberly said:
Since the head is upside down (still pains me to type that) might hitting the tongue instead of the wedge be less important? I guess I'm looking for a bright side to this goat rodeo I've caused. Am I right to hope that an upside down head may be easier to remove since the wide part of the eye is now at the bottom instead of the top?
Click to expand...
I suppose, but it should come out a bit easier hitting the tongue.
 
bikerector said:
You can screw some screws into the wedge to help pull it out also.

I'm generally not a fan of Wranglestar, but he does have a decent video about removing an axe handle to reuse it. He used 2 screwdrivers to pry the metal wedges out.

Edit: found the video
Click to expand...
-1
 
I was just kidding, I didn't watch the video, I just can't do it. Good to hear he has actually helped someone though.
 
Carefully carve below the head as if youre making room for the head to be lowered in the handle.
tap the handle further down the head so that the handle is sticking out of the eye.
cut both halves of the protruding handle without cutting into the wedge.
stick the hatchet in a vice upside down with the wedge in the vice.
wiggle handle back and forth while pulling up.
 
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