Mod'ing an axe

[cmshoot]

I've had this axe head for years, got it for free. It was left in a house I bought.

Seems like good steel, but no maker's markings, although you can see where a sticker once was.

Always liked the looks of the Nordlund axes, so I decided to mod this one into a similar design.

The head is starting out at 2lbs 9.4oz.

 

[bbforstr]

Shooter

You're taking on a big project. I can't wait to see the results. Keep posting photos of your progress.

 

[Agent_H]

Nice. The lower portion would make an interesting tool as well.

 

[garry3]

Nice. The lower portion would make an interesting tool as well.

Its begging to be a pickeroon.

 

[Axe Master '94]

What do you cut with? Any of the normal ways I can think of generate a terrible amount of heat.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

What do you cut with? Any of the normal ways I can think of generate a terrible amount of heat.

Make long, light, fast passes with a cutoff wheel and you can avoid excessive heat buildup.

 

[bbforstr]

Its begging to be a pickeroon.

I didn't think anybody knew about pickeroons. ,

 

[Square_peg]

This is the axe forum, man. We know about pickeroons.

 

[300Six]

Its begging to be a pickeroon.

My grade 7 woodwork class wood lathe attempt at making a decorative deep dish bowl 'turned into' a much smaller diameter and low-rimmed ash tray through inexperience and impatience. Pickaroon I gather is your equivalent expectation for a novice-described 'hatchet job'? Lots of steel to fritter with in this case though and a greater likelihood of ruining the blade temper than overall ruining the donor axe head.
Were I to want to try something like this today an electric jigsaw (or bandsaw) with a bi-metal fine tooth blade and a constantly kept wet (ie cool) axe head would be my slow and gentle approach.

 

[garry3]

My grade 7 woodwork class wood lathe attempt at making a decorative deep dish bowl 'turned into' a much smaller diameter and low-rimmed ash tray through inexperience and impatience. Pickaroon I gather is your equivalent expectation for a novice-described 'hatchet job'? Lots of steel to fritter with in this case though and a greater likelihood of ruining the blade temper than overall ruining the donor axe head.
Were I to want to try something like this today an electric jigsaw (or bandsaw) with a bi-metal fine tooth blade and a constantly kept wet (ie cool) axe head would be my slow and gentle approach.

Naw, your reading way to much into it. I just thought the waste piece looked like a pickeroon.

 

[Square_peg]

I don't think a jigsaw or bandsaw would cut the bit in it's hardened state. You'd have to anneal it, then cut it, then re-heat treat it.

 

[Alocksly]

I've had good luck using a dremel and a stack of cut-off wheels. No issues with the steel overheating.

 

[300Six]

Naw, your reading way to much into it. I just thought the waste piece looked like a pickeroon.

Looking at the picture of the proposed cut I now see what you mean; the leftover piece ought to make a half-decent pickeroon.

 

[cityofthesouth]

I've done this a couple times, the heat issue is easy to overcome. I'll be looking forward to the final product.

 

[mako20ft]

I've done this a couple times, the heat issue is easy to overcome. I'll be looking forward to the final product.

Curious, did you make the cuts in stages and somehow quench every 20 seconds (roughly)? That was my best guess...a tempered axe head is to large to rig a heat sink (at least in my limited experience). I imagine I'm not the only one who has wondered about this.

 

[cityofthesouth]

Curious, did you make the cuts in stages and somehow quench every 20 seconds (roughly)? That was my best guess...a tempered axe head is to large to rig a heat sink (at least in my limited experience). I imagine I'm not the only one who has wondered about this.

I wrap the head in water soaked shop towels and clamp them on, then have a bucket of water at the ready. I dip rags, clamps and all. Cut with an angle grinder and cut-off wheel.

 

[cmshoot]

I have my choice of a CNC mill and a large, metal-cutting bandsaw to use in removing most of the material. Both have misters and other cooling attachments.

I'll post pics as it comes along.

 

[garry3]

I have my choice of a CNC mill and a large, metal-cutting bandsaw to use in removing most of the material. Both have misters and other cooling attachments.

I'll post pics as it comes along.

It may kill a band saw blade. Atleast the bit part.
Looking forward to the pics!

 

[Square_peg]

You could cut through the bit with a cutoff wheel using water to cool and then finish it up with the bandsaw.

 

[Alocksly]

You could cut through the bit with a cutoff wheel using water to cool and then finish it up with the bandsaw.

When I use the little dremel with a cutoff wheel I haven't had any issues with heat. The area of contact is so small with the little wheel that there just isn't much heat produced. I will go through a number of wheels cutting one axe head though. One issue with the little wheels though is you have to attack from several angles and often the waste section ends up cut into several pieces (so in the above plan there would be no pickeroon left over)