Problems with hanging an axe head..

S

sisk61

Joined
Jun 24, 2011
Messages
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Im trying to re-haft my Plumb boys axe, but I didnt shave the handle small enough for the it to fit in the eye.. But I went ahead and tried to put the head on there.. now its half way on, and stuck. Ive tried everything i know to get the handle off. It isnt working.. Any tips? i want to save the handle if i can..
 
Beat the head off the handle with a soft face hammer. You can even use a stout branch as a hammer. Or you can make a punch out of a scrap of wood and drive it out with that. Do you still have a scrap of the old handle laying around? Whittle it down and use it as a punch.
 
Have you tried holding the Handel loosely in your hand with the axe head down then smack the end of the handle with a hammer. That will drawl the axe head farther up the handle it might splinter out the handle on the bottom side of the axe head a bit but you can take a razor and run it around and cut them away.
 
I've had to put the axe head in a padded vise and wiggle the handle out while pulling on it.

Invest in a rubber mallet, $4 or so around here, and keep some scrap wood around for all kinds of drifts, pads, and mallets.
 
use an old stout handle to beat the handle back off. I wouldn't recommending trying to seat it further down at this point. If the kerf is closed, it won't open if you keep knocking it further on.

Just my experience, I usually don't drive it home until I'm sure of the fit. The axe should slide on somewhat easy. But before that happens, it's a lot of putting on and taking off. The knocks on the end of the handle seat the axe in a final fashion before wedging.
 
well.. Ive tried pounding it out with a drift and the handle is stuck so bad that i ended up sliding the axe head out of the vice.. Ive tried beating it and its stuck on there.. I guess i should just keep trying?

Thanks!
 
So it's the holding that is insufficient. Try putting a short length of plank on your workbench and jamming the heel of the bit into it for some support with the eye out over the edge of the bench. Maybe you could support the poll end with stick or 2x4 or something up from the ground at the right height, then with your drift, knock the handle out from the top. I'm sure you'll get it out, it will just take a little patience.

E.DB.
 
I finally got it out using the old axe handle. It took a while but it worked! Thanks for the help! Now i just have to sand the scuff marks from my rubber mallet off of the handle..
 
Yeah - lesson learned at least? I ended up doing something similar my first hang.. It ended up stuck and misaligned with the handle still a good quarter inch from being fully through the eye. Had to use a hammer to get the head off as the wooden mallet I made for the task wasn't even budging it.

Now I only ever give the butt of the handle love taps to draw the head up. You don't really need to use much force to make the head mar the high spots that require rasping. I'll usually knock the head off 4-5 times for rasping before fully committing. Only once it looks well aligned and is maybe 1/2" from the shoulder will I go full force to fully draw the head. Then I'll give it a real look-over before driving the wedge
 
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