New (old) broad axe

Looks great, what a transformation!

Square_peg said:
...The handle is my next issue. I have some Elm and some Garry Oak on hand but they're both green.
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I read somewhere, wish I could remember the site, where a guy would make axe handles out of green wood, which carves easily, and then coat the top and bottom ends with a half/half mixture of wood glue and hot water (so the ends wouldn't dry so fast and crack), and then hung them up to dry for a while before using them. The eye end was oversized a bit to allow for shrinkage.
 
Steve Tall said:
...I read somewhere, wish I could remember the site, where a guy would make axe handles out of green wood, which carves easily, and then coat the top and bottom ends with a half/half mixture of wood glue and hot water (so the ends wouldn't dry so fast and crack), and then hung them up to dry for a while before using them. The eye end was oversized a bit to allow for shrinkage.
Click to expand...

Found a link:
http://northernwoodlands.org/knots_and_bolts/make-your-own-axe-handle/
 
Thanks for the link, Steve. I was planning on coating the ends of the handle blank before I set it to dry. But all those details are great.
 
Great restoration so far. Really interesting and tought me a few thigns too.

Looking forward to seeing it handled.

Thanks for taking us through the process!
 
You didn't just clean up this old head you tuned it better than new, presuming those low spots to have been blacksmith-issue. Broad axes must have been very expensive to buy 150 years ago (much more labour, much more material, and considerable skill required) so it surprises me that the maker didn't take the time to stamp it.
 
Peg, I have a nice whaletail broad axe and a curved replacement helve for it. I'm looking at the wedge system that was used to hang yours. How secure is it? And can it be used to reverse the handle from right to left? You sure did a nice job reconditioning yours.

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Thanks much, Tom
 
Thank you Peg. That's what I was looking for. I'll have to study it a bit more. I do have one bent handle for a whaletail broad axe. I was hoping that the
wedge system would allow on one to switch the head from a right hand cut to a left hand cut.

Thanks Tom
 
I think you'll need two handles, one lefty, one righty. The system allows for easy removal but the asymmetrical shape of the eye prevents use of the same handle from either end.
 
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