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SC T100's Axe Projects (Pic Heavy)
- Thread starter SC T100
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Thanks! And yep, exactly. I was hoping it wouldn't dull them somehow and it didn't. There's still some gunk in a few of them in a few places, but they all came out great. I only left them in there for a day or so.
Edit: Huh...just looked it up, and apparently the vinegar will actually sharpen the files, not dull them. Good to know. I have a few dull files around that could use a quick soak.
I also just saw the trick for cutting a copper tube some from one end...hammering that end flat, and using it to get the really stubborn gunk out of files. I have a copper tube. I think I have a new mini project!
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Square_peg
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I also just saw the trick for cutting a copper tube some from one end...hammering that end flat, and using it to get the really stubborn gunk out of files. I have a copper tube. I think I have a new mini project!
You can buy small thin sheets of brass at the hardware store that work great for this. Just a few passes parallel to the file teeth will quickly cut teeth in the brass that match your file.
My handles are here! All heartwood curved hafts, hand picked, grain is fantastic, no lacquer. One is 30" and one is 28". They look great, and feel great.
I think they got banged around pretty good in shipping, as the box was mangled. I don't know for certain, but I think that's how the 30" haft ended up with a few small cracks near the handle (against the grain, which is why I think it might be shipping damage). I am unconcerned, and I'm not going to worry about sending it back, as I don't believe this was HH's issue, and it's not worth fighting with the shipping company over a $12 handle. And I truly don't think it'll be an issue. Once it gets sanded and treated with BLO, I seriously doubt it will be an issue. I started hanging the new CT, and hammered the butt end to seat the handle once and the cracks didn't get bigger, but they may have increased a little from being in the hot garage. Overall, I'm not worried. If nothing else, I throw a few coats of tung oil finish or teak oil finish on the handle and that should act as a decent adhesive.
I need to seat the head again (it's back off for rasping and fitting) and make sure it fits in my work bin. If not, it'll go on the 28" handle. We'll see!
Edit: Oh, and the head on the 30" haft feels fine...I thought it would feel a little off, but it's great! I will just need to keep the shorter length in mind in use! It's purpose doesn't include splitting, so I don't foresee any issues.
I think they got banged around pretty good in shipping, as the box was mangled. I don't know for certain, but I think that's how the 30" haft ended up with a few small cracks near the handle (against the grain, which is why I think it might be shipping damage). I am unconcerned, and I'm not going to worry about sending it back, as I don't believe this was HH's issue, and it's not worth fighting with the shipping company over a $12 handle. And I truly don't think it'll be an issue. Once it gets sanded and treated with BLO, I seriously doubt it will be an issue. I started hanging the new CT, and hammered the butt end to seat the handle once and the cracks didn't get bigger, but they may have increased a little from being in the hot garage. Overall, I'm not worried. If nothing else, I throw a few coats of tung oil finish or teak oil finish on the handle and that should act as a decent adhesive.
I need to seat the head again (it's back off for rasping and fitting) and make sure it fits in my work bin. If not, it'll go on the 28" handle. We'll see!
Edit: Oh, and the head on the 30" haft feels fine...I thought it would feel a little off, but it's great! I will just need to keep the shorter length in mind in use! It's purpose doesn't include splitting, so I don't foresee any issues.
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It does look like they did a nice job for you. The cracks might be almost nonexistent if/when you thin it down a little anyway. You were saying that the hot garage might have an effect, and I suppose it could be that they rode around in a blazing hot USPS truck as well. But I've also seen HH handles on the shelf at the hardware store cracked all to hell, so it could be any number of things I guess.
Yeah, very true. I really don't think it'll be an issue...especially for use on a truck axe that may get used for any number of things (and some mild sanding with BLO will likely fill them in anyway). I got a hatchet handle from them once that had some small cracks like this and it wasn't an issue at all...I hung my 1920s-1930s Merit on it.
Square_peg
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Those cracks are 'checking' the natural splitting of some wood as it dries. It's minor but it's House Handles problem if you wished remedy. Brush those cracks with BLO until they're filled (+/- 5 coats) and they'll never bother you. I've filled much worse on old dried out hafts.
That sounds about right. I'm not going to bother HH for such a small things, as i don't see it as an issue. I'm going to do exactly what you say, with some minor sanding between BLO coats to act as a filler. I doubt they'll be noticeable like you say. The long weekend is going to soon result in at least one more new hang. To the garage!
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Did they also supply you with wedges that don't suck? They look pretty good, but can't tell for sure.
Square_peg
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I was actually going to suggest that but I got lazy at the keyboard. It's a good idea.
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Pics make them look like the are wide, thick, and long enough, which typically isn't the case for me. Not that it's any reason not to just go ahead and make your own wedges.
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I was board and really had nothing to do so I went to the flee market with $3 and some change. I manged to pick up a head for a dollar and a handle for 2. After a lot of sanding on the handle and a few chemical bathes I think it turned out not half bad.
Looks great! Post it up in the photo thread too!
COTS...here's a pic of one of the wedges. This is post-cleanup, as it had a lot of stringy fuzzies I sanded off. It's quite long, but not hugely wide. It worked well for my purposes, but if the eye were much wider I might have needed a wider wedge.
And here's the CT all hung and treated with one coat of BLO. Man these heartwood handles are gorgeous once the BLO gets to them.
After these were taken, I took a little more of the protruding haft off to keep the height down a bit more. I'll post up pics of the completed project once it gets a few more coats of BLO and a sheath.
Speaking of BLO, I had mine in a plastic container, and that turned out to be a not-good idea...it's gotten thicker as it's slowly polymerizing. So I chucked what I had left and picked up a sweet deal...a gallon of Crown BLO on clearance from Lowe's for $5. Awesome...I should be set for a while. It will obviously penetrate better now, so the new axe will get a few coats of the new stuff coming up.
I'm happy with the haft overall. I wish the swell was a bit biggier, but it's certainyl not an issue...just aesthetically it would look better. I loved fitting this head though...the shoulders were thick, as was the eye, which required a lot of wood removal, but I much prefer that to having not enough. A little time with a rasp and it was golden. it feels pretty good, and should make an excellent tool.
COTS...here's a pic of one of the wedges. This is post-cleanup, as it had a lot of stringy fuzzies I sanded off. It's quite long, but not hugely wide. It worked well for my purposes, but if the eye were much wider I might have needed a wider wedge.
And here's the CT all hung and treated with one coat of BLO. Man these heartwood handles are gorgeous once the BLO gets to them.
After these were taken, I took a little more of the protruding haft off to keep the height down a bit more. I'll post up pics of the completed project once it gets a few more coats of BLO and a sheath.
Speaking of BLO, I had mine in a plastic container, and that turned out to be a not-good idea...it's gotten thicker as it's slowly polymerizing. So I chucked what I had left and picked up a sweet deal...a gallon of Crown BLO on clearance from Lowe's for $5. Awesome...I should be set for a while. It will obviously penetrate better now, so the new axe will get a few coats of the new stuff coming up.
I'm happy with the haft overall. I wish the swell was a bit biggier, but it's certainyl not an issue...just aesthetically it would look better. I loved fitting this head though...the shoulders were thick, as was the eye, which required a lot of wood removal, but I much prefer that to having not enough. A little time with a rasp and it was golden. it feels pretty good, and should make an excellent tool.
Yes, I'm actually a little surprised how nice it feels. I think I would prefer an even 3 lbs, but this axe feels great. It won't be used for splitting, so the length should be just fine for everything else. I have some field work coming up, and it will likely get a little testing soon.
Square_peg
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That's the toughest thing to find these days, a haft with a good swell. They would need to either start with a larger blank or be more careful about removing swell material. I guess neither of those things is conducive to mass production.