Is this a problem?

Hotshot10

Hotshot10

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I replaced the haft on my Husqvarna splitting axe. Following the advice of a friend, I cut the excess handle above the head flush with the top of the head. I’ve been using it normally for a few weeks, and it looks like the head has moved maybe a 1/16” (see picture). Is this a problem?

In the future, I am planning to leave some of the excess. Lesson learned.
 

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Well shoot. Any idea what I might have done wrong? Was the wedge not driven in far enough? I had a lot of trouble trying to determine if it was wedged tightly enough in there.
 
Picture from the initial installation:
 

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Drill out the center of the barrel wedge and pry it out. This can be done easiest using a tap to dig into the inside of the wedge and wiggle it gently to coax it out. Then re-seat the head by holding it upside down and rapping the butt end of the handle with a rubber mallet. Drill the hole left by the barrel wedge down to the approximate depth of the kerf, and make yourself a tapered conical dowel with an end diameter equal to the diameter of the hole. Drive it home, and it'll provide the expansion you need to tighten it the rest of the way up. Better still, if unable to drive it the full depth, leave it proud for a few days and drive it a little deeper once it's had time for the fibers to relax. Just be sure not to make the taper too abrupt, as you're just trying to give it a little extra expansion and you want to be able to sink it fairly deep if not all the way to the bottom. If that dowel wedge proves insufficient you can just drill another hole inside that one and add a second inside it!
 
As to removing the wedges, another way to skin the cat is to remove wooden wedge material on the inside and outside of the conical metal wedge deep enough to get a grip on it. After pulling the metal wedge put a wood screw or screws into the wooden wedge (leave proud for grip) and pull it out.

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Bob
 
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Hotshot10 said:
Well shoot. Any idea what I might have done wrong? Was the wedge not driven in far enough? I had a lot of trouble trying to determine if it was wedged tightly enough in there.
Click to expand...
Yah, you didn’t leave enough handle wood under the axe eye. You want the hang to be semi tight and flush with the eye before putting in the wooden wedge. You shouldn’t see any gaps around the eye pre wood wedge. In your photo you have gaps after adding both wedges, which is not good and means you have basically no compression of the wood. Based on that photo, even if you left it proud the head would have still come loose after use.
 
So I had zero idea about the hammering on the bottom with the axe upside down thing. Apparently, that is the best way to seat it fully.

I’ll try repair first, but I did order a spare haft from Husqvarna when the first one broke. I always like to have spare parts for wear items on hand.
 
Hotshot10 said:
So I had zero idea about the hammering on the bottom with the axe upside down thing. Apparently, that is the best way to seat it fully.

I’ll try repair first, but I did order a spare haft from Husqvarna when the first one broke. I always like to have spare parts for wear items on hand.
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Yah so doing it upside down lets you get that wedge farther in while lowering your chances of cracking. Another tip that goes with that method, when you go to drive the wedge, position the head a little bit above where you want it. After driving the wedge, it will situate back down in place. Id also recommend a bit thicker wedge for your next hang, more room for error. Good luck though, keep us updated!
 
Hickory n steel said:
The wedge looks a little thin.

You should have left a bit of wood sticking out the top of the head too.
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In fairness, I did buy an OEM (or whoever makes the Husqvarna stuff, since I've heard several forges mentioned as the actual manufacturers) replacement handle, so I was not really expecting the wedge to be undersized. 😬
 
Hotshot10 said:
In fairness, I did buy an OEM (or whoever makes the Husqvarna stuff, since I've heard several forges mentioned as the actual manufacturers) replacement handle, so I was not really expecting the wedge to be undersized. 😬
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You had to trim off the excess after you wedged it didn't you ?

I'm guessing it's not that the wedge was actually undersized really, but you want to trim off the excess of the handle get your kerf to 3/4 the depth of the tool eye then trim your wedge accordingly.

The key is a wedge that widens out a decent amount before it would bottom out in the kerf like 1/8 over the kerf thickness, you don't just put it in and trim off the excess off or you're only getting the thin end that's not gonna wedge very much.
You can take the handle off and just eyeball it or stick something in the kerf to measure the depth of the kerf and trim your wedge accordingly.
 
If its your first handling, its understandable that you'd have a few gaps here and there. I know I've had to remove a my first few heads and re-seat them after i got done. But i wouldn't use a rubber mallet at all, they just don't hit hard enough to really drive it down. It almost feels wrong sometimes using the heaviest hammer i have to drive in a wedge, but it does require it sometimes. I would also suggest allowing the wedge to soak in some kind of oil, bet it swel-lock, watco, linseed oil, prior to driving a steel wedge in (if you want to) but often enough, you shouldn't need a steel wedge for a fresh hang. That's for later on when the fit shrinks and you need to tighten it up.
 
try resetting head with a couple raps on butt of handle then soak the head with linseed oil. Oil will swell pores and help handle with flex.
 
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