Metal axe handle

[Paul Robinson]

Hey I’m working on a project and I need to make and fix a metal handle to a 2lb 1045 steel axe head. Any advice on how to go about this.

 

[jake pogg]

Frankly,needing metal handle on an axe sounds odd...
But if you must,then i'd recommend investing some effort into making it secure/yet not permanent,i.e.keep the options open for later,and not ruin the head with welding.
I'd go about it by measuring the circumference of the eye.
Tin soldering wire works good,as it flexible and after taking the measure of the eye you can then reshape it to find,say,a sch.20-40-whatever pipe closest to it,and creatively smash it to fit the eye.
If solid steel is req'd solder will give you the necessary section,like if you straighten the length and measure it and multiply by 3.14 that'd be the dia. of round stock that you'd need,et c.
Then i suppose you'd forge and/or grind the eye shape out of that correct volume of steel.

Strange undertaking,but good luck with it.Be careful,a steel handle will jar all sorts of anatomy in your hand/arm...

 

[Paul Robinson]

Frankly,needing metal handle on an axe sounds odd...
But if you must,then i'd recommend investing some effort into making it secure/yet not permanent,i.e.keep the options open for later,and not ruin the head with welding.
I'd go about it by measuring the circumference of the eye.
Tin soldering wire works good,as it flexible and after taking the measure of the eye you can then reshape it to find,say,a sch.20-40-whatever pipe closest to it,and creatively smash it to fit the eye.
If solid steel is req'd solder will give you the necessary section,like if you straighten the length and measure it and multiply by 3.14 that'd be the dia. of round stock that you'd need,et c.
Then i suppose you'd forge and/or grind the eye shape out of that correct volume of steel.

Strange undertaking,but good luck with it.Be careful,a steel handle will jar all sorts of anatomy in your hand/arm...

Thank you and it is an odd project

 

[Fonedork]

Could you shim the hell out of it with lots of pieces of wood, or pieces of old tires or something like that?

 

[Paul Robinson]

Could you shim the hell out of it with lots of pieces of wood, or pieces of old tires or something like that?

This could work but I am not sure it would make the handle secure enough.

 

[Danke42]

Simply start with your chosen piece of metal and remove anything that doesn't look like a handle. Then proceed to attach to head. Done.

Seriously though you're not giving anyone enough info to give solid advice. What kind of head is it? What kind of metal are you using for the handle, what tools do you have in your shop to do this with, milling machine, welders, etc. And of course the favorite question of all; why.

 

[Paul Robinson]

Simply start with your chosen piece of metal and remove anything that doesn't look like a handle. Then proceed to attach to head. Done.

Seriously though you're not giving anyone enough info to give solid advice. What kind of head is it? What kind of metal are you using for the handle, what tools do you have in your shop to do this with, milling machine, welders, etc. And of course the favorite question of all; why.

I’m just looking for any ideas because I need a starting point.

 

[gben]

True Temper and Estwing and others sold axes or hatchets with metal handles starting not long after WWII. I think True-Temper's were tubular, Estwing made both tubular and solid handles. I know a guy who lives by me who welded a piece of pipe into his splitting-maul head and he has used it for years to split a LOT of wood and has never had one problem with it at all. He said he got tired of screwing with wood handles. Get some junk axe heads and start experimenting!