Magnetic Axe Sheath for Single Bit Axe -- Just Finished!

I

idaho_crosscut

Joined
May 3, 2013
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So, I was never too happy with the axe sheaths that I have worked with in the past. Buckles are great, but somewhat time consuming and aggravating when you are constantly removing and putting back on the sheath. The worst is snaps-- it is only a matter of time before the leather rips out, and sometimes they are pretty damn hard to snap on and off, especially when your hands are cold. I saw a purse the other day that utilized a magnetic clasp, so I decided to try that out on an axe sheath.

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Here is the front of the sheath (4.5# collins legitimus jersey axe, ifn you were curious). I used a small 1"x1.5" neodymium magnet with two countersunk holes (link below) and I attached it to the leather with two small brass machine screws and some super glue to keep the nuts from spinning off. I took an angle grinder and ground down all of the excess bolt so it would be smooth and flush with the nut.

http://www.magnet4less.com/product_info.php?cPath=128&products_id=895

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Here you can see the cutout in the leather where the neodymium magnet contacts the metal. Because the magnets are brittle, I superglued a small piece of some old work pants to the magnet in hopes of reducing the amount of force it hits the metal with. having the magnet go through the cutout was a somewhat last minute idea, but I am glad I did it-- it really holds the top flap down and prevents the magnet from going anywhere.

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Here is the back!

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annnd another picture for shits and giggles.


So far, I am super happy with how it tightly it holds and how quickly it goes on and off. Plus, the magnet is strong enough I can just attach it to my belt buckle while I am chopping! no more looking around the woods for my damned sheath, and my family jewels have some extra protection from the huge chunks of wood this axe throws ;)
 
That's an incredibly innovative design. It looks like you thought of everything. Those neodymium magnets are amazing aren't they? I like the protection to keep them from chipping. I have a pretty good stack of those magnets, but I haven't found a good use for them yet. Nice job!
 
bbforstr said:
That's an incredibly innovative design. It looks like you thought of everything. Those neodymium magnets are amazing aren't they? I like the protection to keep them from chipping. I have a pretty good stack of those magnets, but I haven't found a good use for them yet. Nice job!
Click to expand...

have you thought about wall mounting a couple to hang up some hard drives? that would probably work well.
 
So here is the jig that i made for myself. It is just an old survey stake that i drilled a hole into one end, and then put a 3/8" bolt thru with nuts and washers on both sides. The bolt is sharpened, and pivots within a small, shallow hole i drilled in the poll of the axe to keep the file at a constant point/angle. and yes.. the file is just duct taped onto the survey stake :D. to change the bevel angle, you just raise and lower the stake on the bolt by adjusting the nuts. when you file the axe, it isn't your normal push filing method, you just move the file back and forth from the head to the heel over and over again. this is called draw filing (you probably well know this, but for whoever else might be confused :)) Draw filing around a circle, however, isn't as kind on your file, so your file will wear out in spots after a while. just move the file up or down, and keep grinding away.

Pretty damn simple, but it works!

//edit// the axe shown does not have a register mark drilled into it, it was just an axe I had handy to demonstrate on. for more detailed instructions on doing this, check out http://blueandwhitecrew.org/resources/tips/sharpeningaxes.php#makingafilingjig )

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