Need advice on cracked heads

M

Misneac

Joined
Feb 16, 2021
Messages
3
I have a few axe head that have various cracks and I need advice on how to make them useable again or if they are ready to roll. I outlined the crack on one of the heads because its a bit hard to see, but the rest are fairly obvious. Can they be welded? Should they be welded?
Any help is appreciated.




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Yes,the photos are now clearly visible.Are all those of one and the same axe?
Do those cracks on the side,on the Flat of the blade propagate from the one in front of eye?

In any case,those Can,and probably should be welded.
Groove the cracks out as much as possible,and weld them up with 7018 in a normal fashion,as you mask the last couple inches of blade from overheating.
 
Jeeez...These all(*) appear to be severely worn(some possibly beyond recall),in part the wear was caused by improper grinds/sharpenings.

* They kinda weirdly all share similar problems-cracks,excessive wear of toe And heel,and some unnecessarily rude stripping (with a petal disc or whatever)...
Looks like they came from the same place?
(from under ground beneath some farm shed,in a climate where ground freezes hard in winter(those cracks in front of eye possibly caused by the remnant of wood in the eye rotting,absorbing water,and cracking the steel when freezing and expanding..).

I'm not sure any of these justify time+energy spent grinding and welding,and re-grinding to some semblence of usefulness...Sorry,but i'd look for healthier axes to restore.
 
I would not be too picky about the repairs to these, have some fun and experiment. Get a wire welder or a stick welder and put some tacks at the end of the cracks, I don't think you have to worry about welding the entire crack up, then just put a handle on it and start using it. If it works great, if it does not then try something different. I have seen photos of axes that were drilled and had a reinforcing plate riveted over a crack. Only your imagination is the limit. There are lots of old axes out there that are worn way down because that is how they were actually used. Hipsters need things to be just right according to a code they made up themselves that has little to do with what worked or was used historically, so be free from all that and make your own music.
 
I have a 50's True Temper double bit that cracked in the middle of the eye. I welded it with a cracker box using the rod Jake suggested. It has been fine for the past 25 yrs.. It being a 2 1/2 lb., so I use it just for limb work. I use my axes and don't mind the looks. DM
 
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I know a guy who heats with wood for real, and spends all summer for years splitting with an axe he welded a pipe handle in. Zero problems with it. I sold him a nice old collectible house-axe to hang on his wall as a collector's item after I was sure he was not going to take out the original handle and weld pipe in it too.
 
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