Screwed up (then finally succeeded) with my first double-cross wedged hang

[Twindog]

City of the South makes it look easy, but it ain’t.


I hung this beautiful old Walters axe head on a 28-inch House Handle haft. The single cross wedge looks beautiful, but it also looks like it can create enough stress to crack the haft, if not done correctly — a theory that quickly proved accurate. I eventually want to use a double cross wedge to reduce stress on the haft, but I started with a single cross wedge as a learning process.


But first, the axe. The Walters cleaned up really nicely. A cupped wire brush took off all the rust and left about half of the patina. I blued the head after that, then oiled and sharpened at 40 degrees inclusive.

The haft grain is not perfect. The butt grain looks good, but there is runout at the top of the haft.

Yes, my sander left a burn mark taking off the varnish.


Then I put in the cross wedge. I didn’t really know what I was doing, but the haft didn’t fill in the front of the eye and the cross wedge filled that gap nicely. Then I split the cross wedge with a chisel and drove in the long wedge. It went in hard. It broke it into three pieces. Must have the wrong technique (smooth-faced finishing hammer).

The cross wedge went in easily and filled the eye, but it was too thick and it cracked the haft.

It’s a little hard to see, but you can see that the crack lines up with the cross wedge. Given the grain runout, it seemed a serious defect, not to mention embarrassing.

 

[Twindog]

So at this point, I knew I’d have to rehang it. As an idea, I drilled a quarter inch hole through the haft, parallel to the head, and glued in a dowel. My thinking was that the dowel would block the weakness of the grain runout and prevent the crack from spreading. Unfortunately, the dowel was partly rotten and broke off before it could go all the way through.

The edge turned out pretty well. I used a belt sander, with a 40-degree inclusive guide. That angle is a more acute then the original grind, but it should be fine.

Also have to give credit to my helper:

So, yeah, I screwed it up. One big issue is the kerf. I used a Japanese pull saw to make the kerfs. It’s pretty thin (0.018 inches). I tried a hand saw with a larger kerf, but the wood is too thin for a slow blade. Hickory likes to splinter. I’m guessing that a power-driven blade with a larger kerf would be perfect, but I don’t have anything appropriate. I tried a chop saw, but couldn’t keep the haft perfectly lined up without my eyeball being an inch from the blade.


I’m also thinking that the cross wedges should be two separate wedges (four with the double cross wedge). I don’t know how to pound all those wedges in (3 for the single cross wedge and 5 for the double cross wedge).


And it seems like the bottom of the kerf could use some help to keep it from splitting — maybe some glue at the bottom of the kerf, maybe an eighth-inch hole with glued in dowel.


Advice is welcome. Insults don’t bother me, unless they are about my helper.

 

[DarthTaco123]

Looks fine to me! I've got a Walters similar to that, and for a thick axe it chops darn well. It looks like you had more room to slide the head down the haft?

 

[Twindog]

Looks fine to me! I've got a Walters similar to that, and for a thick axe it chops darn well. It looks like you had more room to slide the head down the haft?

The head is fine, but the haft is cracked, and the crack is in the grain runout. I don't think I could have slide the head down much farther. I sanded the haft pretty good. As it was, I had to extend the manufactured kerf by about an inch.

 

[jblyttle]

Thanks for sharing this. I also want to give this a try. Your axe looks fine BTW, I would just use it and fix it if it becomes an issue. I have found that fatter wedges are good for rehanging old handles, but I sand them thinner for new handles. A hammer isn't the best way to drive these, I use a big wooden mallet that covers the whole wedge, an alternative is placing a flat piece of wood over the wedge and then striking that. Another is to place the whole thing upside down onto the floor and strike the butt. The goal is to get all of the force evenly distributed over the wedge.

I tried my band saw in the beginning to cut the kerf, but found even that was too thin. These days, I put two pieces of scrap pine into the vise as soft jaws, secure the handle and I use a carpenter's hand saw to cut it. Width is good, and I have complete control.

 

[Twindog]

Thanks. When I tried using a carpenter's saw, the teeth were too coarse and the haft splits would splinter. That's why I went to the pull saw with fine teeth.

That cross wedge, which I put i first, really tightened things up, making the long vertical wedge difficult to drive in.

On the plus side, the portion of the haft above the eye mushroomed quite a bit. I don't see it coming loose. Ever.

The point of this hang for me was to do it correctly, not just get an axe up and running. I wanted to see if I could pull it off. I'll get it eventually, but I'm not going to use a cracked haft.

I ordered several hafts from HH. One was cracked for about a foot. Another had the wedge split so off center I didn't think I could use it. This one had grain runout, so it was my test hang. I still have a good haft, and on the next try I'll be more careful.

Thanks for the tip on pounding in the wedges. With multiple wedges (three or five) having to go in at the same time, it's tricky to get by with just one hammer.

 

[Steve Tall]

I'm thinking that a cross-wedge would have less issues with splitting like that with an axe head that covers more of the handle (like a Jersey or Connecticut pattern, for example), and more problems for an axe like a Hudson Bay pattern. That specific axe head looks closer to a Hudson Bay than a Connecticut.

Full disclosure, I haven't yet tried putting in a cross-wedge, but when the time comes, I will make sure that the bottom portion of the eye makes an extremely tight fit on the handle, before hammering in the carefully sized wedges.

 

[Twindog]

I'm thinking that a cross-wedge would have less issues with splitting like that with an axe head that covers more of the handle (like a Jersey or Connecticut pattern, for example), and more problems for an axe like a Hudson Bay pattern. That specific axe head looks closer to a Hudson Bay than a Connecticut.

Full disclosure, I haven't yet tried putting in a cross-wedge, but when the time comes, I will make sure that the bottom portion of the eye makes an extremely tight fit on the handle, before hammering in the carefully sized wedges.

Yes, that makes sense. One of the problems is that the front part of the wedge split on the haft chipped off. There was quite a gap between the left haft split and the front of the eye. The back of the eye was tight on top. When I drove in the fat cross wedge, the front half of the left split filled in the eye gap quickly, but that quarter split (left front) had a long way to move, and I think that's what caused the split. I was asking a small piece of the haft to do too much.

I think that a double cross wedge will work better, although I'd end up with a lot of thin splits filling the eye. And, as you say, other axe heads may work a lot better.

The bottom of the eye is perfectly fit to the haft. No gaps.

 

[cityofthesouth]

I haven't attempted a real axe though. I've done mental battle over the idea for a long time and haven't overcome the fear of splitting the handle yet. I've considered doing two cross wedges, I've considered purposefully cutting the cross wedge at an angle, but that's all the further I've made it. I wouldn't be surprised if your handle works out fine, but I know that sinking feeling when something like this happens. It sucks to get to the end and then, disaster. The big risk of hand made things is the possibility of the entire project being ruined at any point along the way after a significant amount of work and time. But it's the big pay off as well. The pin was probably a good idea, the rotten pin maybe not so much, and that kinda adds insult to injury, but in the end, a good looking final product and good learning experience. Great helper as well, and nice pictures to boot.

 

[Skweeker]

Seconding jblyttle's advice here. You must drive the entire wedge evenly or it will split. His methods are all sound. The kerf doesn't need to be overly deep either. I've never put in a cross wedge unless faced with a failing primary wedge. I am not surprised the haft split due to the very thick cross wedges exerting such strong fore and aft forces on the unsupported sides of the haft inside the eye. You could stick with cross-wedging in the more traditional manner (i.e. - after the primary wedge has been fitted) or fit the haft more tightly to the eye and use a much thinner cross wedge.

As an aside: I really like HH tool handles. Their axe handles - not so much.

 

[rjdankert]

Thanks. When I tried using a carpenter's saw, the teeth were too coarse and the haft splits would splinter. . . .
. . .

Were you using a sharp rip saw? I'm not sure what you mean by "the haft splits would splinter".

. . . .The point of this hang for me was to do it correctly, not just get an axe up and running. I wanted to see if I could pull it off. I'll get it eventually, but I'm not going to use a cracked haft.
. . .

I'm not convinced that there is one "correct" way to hang an axe. It seems to me that if the head stays on it was done correctly. I can't see from the pictures that that head will come off any time soon through use. I think you did a good job and learned about wedge thickness.

. . . . Your axe looks fine BTW, I would just use it and fix it if it becomes an issue. . . ..

. . .I wouldn't be surprised if your handle works out fine, but I know that sinking feeling when something like this happens. . . .

I can fully understand if you don't want to look at that split. In that case you could trim the handle flush with the bit and at least see less of it. Or re-hang it. As far as the split goes, what force is going to make it continue? If there is room inside the eye for the handle to expand and the wedge is driven further, the split would continue. But as a practical matter I don't think you will be doing this.

Bob

 

[300Six]

Run what ya brung! You did a nice job on this. Either the crack resulted from a less than snug fit of the back of the head against the shoulder of the haft, or the wedge was driven in too far. This has happened to me on occasion and the resulting hang survived plenty long enough to succumb to some other problem (typically poor grain orientation or grain runout) before the crack ever did anything. Next time, instead of installing a dowel, clamp the handle firmly over the crack and install a wood screw to keep the split from wanting to creep along any further.

 

[Twindog]

Seconding jblyttle's advice here. You must drive the entire wedge evenly or it will split. His methods are all sound. The kerf doesn't need to be overly deep either. I've never put in a cross wedge unless faced with a failing primary wedge. I am not surprised the haft split due to the very thick cross wedges exerting such strong fore and aft forces on the unsupported sides of the haft inside the eye. You could stick with cross-wedging in the more traditional manner (i.e. - after the primary wedge has been fitted) or fit the haft more tightly to the eye and use a much thinner cross wedge.

As an aside: I really like HH tool handles. Their axe handles - not so much.

I pounded in the cross wedge first. It went in easily, with just a couple taps. But it was a little wide. I split it with a chisel so I could drive in the main wedge. But because the cross wedge was too wide, it created pressure on the middle of the main wedge. The small face of my hammer, as I moved it, broke the wedge because the cross wedge was acting like a fulcrum.

When I rehang this axe, I'll try to pound in the wedges more evenly. But with a five-wedge system, it may be tricky.

 

[Twindog]

Were you using a sharp rip saw? I'm not sure what you mean by "the haft splits would splinter".

The saw was sharp, but more of a cross-cut saw. The grain orientation was mostly vertical. The split part of the haft that slips into the eye has two splits, one on the right and one on the left. At the front of the eye, these splits come to a convex point, and that part of the haft is very vulnerable to splitting off splinters. In my case, I lost a pretty good chunk at the from of the left split. But even when I was crosscutting the kerf for the cross wedge, it was hard to avoid splintering the wood. Only very fine teeth allowed me to make the cut. Maybe the hickory was too dried out. I don't normally work with hickory.

I'm not convinced that there is one "correct" way to hang an axe. It seems to me that if the head stays on it was done correctly. I can't see from the pictures that that head will come off any time soon through use. I think you did a good job and learned about wedge thickness.

I didn't say that very well. What I meant is that I wanted this hang to showcase good craftsmanship. I blew that goal with sanding burns, uneven wedge widths and a cracked haft.

I can fully understand if you don't want to look at that split. In that case you could trim the handle flush with the bit and at least see less of it. Or re-hang it. As far as the split goes, what force is going to make it continue? If there is room inside the eye for the handle to expand and the wedge is driven further, the split would continue. But as a practical matter I don't think you will be doing this.

Bob

I'm pretty sure I can get the haft to the point where the crack won't spread. I could redress the dowel hole and glue in a fresh dowel. I didn't want to use screws because it would give the axe a cobbled together look. But it is still a cracked haft, and a sure sign that the hanger didn't have all his ducks in a row.

 

[Twindog]

Run what ya brung! You did a nice job on this. Either the crack resulted from a less than snug fit of the back of the head against the shoulder of the haft, or the wedge was driven in too far. This has happened to me on occasion and the resulting hang survived plenty long enough to succumb to some other problem (typically poor grain orientation or grain runout) before the crack ever did anything. Next time, instead of installing a dowel clamp the handle firmly across the crack and install a wood screw to keep the split from wanting to creep along any further.

I could just use it as is, but it was more of a craftsman kind of thing. I knew that I would likely run into issues on my first cross-wedge hang, so I used the haft with grain runout in the shoulders for my first attempt. I bought more hafts than I needed so I could select a good one. I bought several vintage axe heads on the bay so I could try them out and learn something about a tool that I've used regularly for the past 30 years.

And I wanted a final piece where I could say: see, this is the proper grain orientation, this is why I used this edge profile, this is what I chose cross wedging, etc. In reality, every decision -- the wood used for the haft, the way the wood was dried, the wood used in the wedge, the orientation of the wedge(s), the hardness of the poll, the hardness of the bit, the shape of the cheeks, etc., are all important to some degree. When you get most of them more or less right, you have a pretty good axe. If you can tune them all pretty close to excellent, you have a truly good axe.

 

[Twindog]

I haven't attempted a real axe though. I've done mental battle over the idea for a long time and haven't overcome the fear of splitting the handle yet. I've considered doing two cross wedges, I've considered purposefully cutting the cross wedge at an angle, but that's all the further I've made it. I wouldn't be surprised if your handle works out fine, but I know that sinking feeling when something like this happens. It sucks to get to the end and then, disaster. The big risk of hand made things is the possibility of the entire project being ruined at any point along the way after a significant amount of work and time. But it's the big pay off as well. The pin was probably a good idea, the rotten pin maybe not so much, and that kinda adds insult to injury, but in the end, a good looking final product and good learning experience. Great helper as well, and nice pictures to boot.

Thanks, COTS. It was after stumbling across your thread and seeing some really beautiful craftsmanship, that I got interested in this. Plus, there are a lot of people in this subform who really know what they are talking about. It's fun to learn new things, especially when you can work with your hands to bring them to life and then actually do something with the thing you made.

A few weeks ago, we had a big wind storm move through the area. A bunch of spindly alders fell across the road. I chainsawed the worst of the fall down so I could get a clear path to the Forest Service Road. The rest I chopped up with a small Collins Homestead doublebit that I restored and sharpened. It was really a joy to use. Not as fast as the chainsaw, but pretty darn fast and a lot more satisfying and quiet.

 

[300Six]

I could just use it as is, but it was more of a craftsman kind of thing. I knew that I would likely run into issues on my first cross-wedge hang, so I used the haft with grain runout in the shoulders for my first attempt. I bought more hafts than I needed so I could select a good one. I bought several vintage axe heads on the bay so I could try them out and learn something about a tool that I've used regularly for the past 30 years.

And I wanted a final piece where I could say: see, this is the proper grain orientation, this is why I used this edge profile, this is what I chose cross wedging, etc. In reality, every decision -- the wood used for the haft, the way the wood was dried, the wood used in the wedge, the orientation of the wedge(s), the hardness of the poll, the hardness of the bit, the shape of the cheeks, etc., are all important to some degree. When you get most of them more or less right, you have a pretty good axe. If you can tune them all pretty close to excellent, you have a truly good axe.

Very rare to see a conventional axe eye with a cross wedge. Manufacturers haven't and don't do this and the small steel cross wedge (if they install one) is only there to lock-in the wood wedge.

 

[Twindog]

Very rare to see a conventional axe eye with a cross wedge. Manufacturers haven't and don't do this and the small steel cross wedge (if they install one) is only there to lock-in the wood wedge.

Agreed. But I think the reason that metal wedges are so common is that they are so cheap and easy to use. No kerf needed. Just pound the suckers in. Not tight enough, pound in another steel wedge.

I could be wrong, but my sense is that the kerf, properly done, protects agains splitting.

And, I could be wrong again, but my sense is that the normal wood wedge pushed the haft splits against the left and right sides of the eye. There is little to no pressure against the front and back parts of the eye. The metal wedge solves that problem, by pushing against the front and back parts of the eye. But without a kerf, it is prone to splitting the haft.

My favorite Japanse hatchet is held on by a single metal wedge. It caused a split in the handle. I fixed it by drilling out the crack at its terminal and a couple places higher and then forced glue into the holes. It has help up, and I use it to chop firewood rounds into smaller pieces and kindling.

What I noticed about the wooden cross wedge is that it really mushroomed the top of the haft. Although I ended up splitting the haft through improper technique, I doubt that the head is ever going to come loose, although I may break the haft. There is no need for metal wedges with a cross-wedged head, as far as I can see.

 

[Nsvens89]

Hey Twindog, what size eye is that handle? I think I have a twin of that head sitting on my workbench right now. Seems to be about a boys axe weight maybe a little lighter. They eye was a full size one though. I am just curious if you picked up a boys axe handle or a full size felling axe handle. I'm still now sure what I want to do with mine maybe a 20 inch haft since I already have a few boys axes. Nice looking head though! Good job!

 

[rjdankert]

. . .. I could redress the dowel hole and glue in a fresh dowel. I didn't want to use screws because it would give the axe a cobbled together look. . .

Just for the record my post did not mention anything about a dowel or a screw.