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

[Square_peg]

I've been putting up a bunch of small, road-fall alder that came down in the last big storm. For fun, I'm using an axe to cut many of them into 10-foot sections that I'll later cut into rounds with my Stihl. The downed trees are only 4- 6-inches in diameter. With a sharp bit, I go through them in seconds.

There's nothing better or easier to split than alder. If you set it on the block and just show it an axe it will fall into pieces on its own accord. It lights easily and burns fast but it's one of the lower BTU-dense hardwoods. I still grab it when it's available solely because it's such a joy to split. Carves pretty nice, too. And it's heaven for smoking fish.

 

[Twindog]

I picked up this really nice vintage Tommy Axe off the Bay. It was nearly like new.

I found a couple hafts at the hardware store to hang the head. The eye size on the haft was correct, but when I got home, I found the orientation of the mounting tongues was reversed, putting the bend in the handle opposite of what felt comfortable. I don’t know if the factory shaped the hafts wrong or if they were designed for a different tool.

So I had to regrind everything so the handle would work with the axe head mounted. These hafts are lined up the same way, so you can see that I flipped the hanging orientation for the head.

 

[Twindog]

Regrinding that much off the haft left a lot of space in the eye to fill in.

It was this space problem that led to my going with a double-crossed wedge hang. Because of the space that was needed to be filled, the kerfs had to be cut wide. I used my 12-inch chop saw with an 80-tooth blade to prevent chipping.

I jammed in the main wedge first because it had to go in deep to fill in the voids. The cross wedges went in separately and were glued because they could not go in as deep. I used the eye to shave off the excess wood from the wedges.

 

[Twindog]

The fit was pretty good — tight as heck, anyway — but not perfect. I ended up with a large space at the bottom front of the eye. I pounded in a fitted wedge in that space, and soaked it in Swel-Lock.

I reshaped the haft to give it a butt and more comfortable grip.

Then cut off the excess haft just above the eye, sanded and soaked in boiled linseed oil. It’s a little ugly, and I obviously have a lot of craftsmanship skills to pick up, but the hang is functional.

I’m still not doing high-level work, but I’m learning. And this Tommy Axe is a real kick to use.

 

[Square_peg]

Looks good. Have you tried installing the cross wedges first, then the main wedge (in segments)?

The Tommy Axe is a cool tool. Powerful little chopper with good weight. But I found the claw has less leverage than the claw on a claw hatchet. The taller hammer face of the Tommy Axe puts the fulcrum further from the claw and reduces it's power.

And cut yourself some slack - you're doing very high-level work. You should be proud of that.

 

[Twindog]

Looks good. Have you tried installing the cross wedges first, then the main wedge (in segments)?

The Tommy Axe is a cool tool. Powerful little chopper with good weight. But I found the claw has less leverage than the claw on a claw hatchet. The taller hammer face of the Tommy Axe puts the fulcrum further from the claw and reduces it's power.

And cut yourself some slack - you're doing very high-level work. You should be proud of that.

Thanks, Square Peg. I think you're right about installing the cross wedges first. I would normally do that from now on, but I had to remove so much wood from the haft in reversing the tongue orientation, that I thought I needed the full main wedge first to fill in as much as I could with one solid piece of wood. I did fill everything in, but it doesn't look all that good.

I'm pretty sure I'll do the cross wedge(s) first in the future.

Do you know any reason for the hafts to have a reverse orientation, with the handle kickout at the butt angling toward the rear, rather than forward as is usually the case?

I'd also agree with you about the claw hatchet vs the Tommy Axe. But it was something I wanted to try.

 

[ICS]

Twin dog, think I would have left both handles where they were at the hardware store. ICS

 

[Twindog]

Twin dog, think I would have left both handles where they were at the hardware store. ICS

Believe me, I thought about that long and hard because it would have been so much easier. But when I tested the unhung handles in a chopping motion, the curved butt wanted to jam into my hand, making it uncomfortable to use. All my other hatchets have the curve in the butt pointing forward, so that's why I decided to change the orientation of the tongue.

 

[ICS]

Twin dog, I admire your patience, looks like you got a great result in the end. Regards, ICS

 

[Twindog]

This is the kind of wedge detailing that I was looking for. I think I'm going to move in this direction because there are so many possibilities, such as wedge liners, multi-colored wedge liners, star-shaped cross wedges, etc. I'll know that I've arrived when I can do a cross wedge in the shape of a cherub blowing a French horn.

 

[ICS]

Twin dog, if that's what floats your boat then go for it. Can't imagine what you could come up with if you used your imagination. However, if the wedge job in the photo is yours, then I am sorry to say it might look good but that's where it stops for me. Hope you are like me and welcome constructive criticism. I would remove that wedge and remove some more timber from inside the south end of the kerf so that it accepted a wedge that was symmetrical. That wedge shows me there would be differential pressures right down the kerf, top to bottom. It might work for a while but wait for some shrinkage in either the handle or the wedge and you are in trouble. There is really only one way to stop a wedge from coming out and that is what is required in competition. Pin it, with a 3/16 roll pin, from one side of the eye to the other, 3/4 of an inch back from the eye opening, right through the eye, handle and wedge. Regards, ICS

 

[Twindog]

Thanks, ICS. I appreciate those thoughts.

At this point, I'm just hanging my worst hafts while I build up my skills.

You're right about the wedge not being symmetrical. The wedge itself was symmetrical. And the tongues were symmetrical. But the eye of the head was not. One side compressed the kerf more than the other. I was pushing to try something new and the head actually slipped on with no fitting required. I drove that main wedge in hard with a dead blow hammer. The wedge compressed on one side, making it look like a tapered wedge, and actually split in the middle, which you can't see because everything is so compressed.

The cross wedges jam the wedge in further and dig into the wedge itself. For the wedge to come out, it will have to lift all four cross wedges. I could have glued them, but I didn't.

On an earlier axe, I drilled two 3/16th holes through the portion of the haft sticking above the eye. Then I drove through two oak doles and glued those in, so the wedge was mechanically and chemically prevented from moving. But I didn't drill the eye.

But I see what you're saying about the pressures of the wedge not being equal, and thereby opening the path for movement. Another thing to watch out for. Thanks much for pointing that out. I love criticism at this point because I know my skills are still developing.

 

[ICS]

Twin dog, great to see what you are doing and the results you are getting, keep up the great work.

 

[SC T100]

Are you sure the hafts weren't for a California framing hammer? They have the reverse style eye compared to the handle curve. I've almost grabbed one or two of those on accident before given their nice length for hatchet use.

 

[cityofthesouth]

I accidentally had to glue a chunk of wood on a handle/tongue that was too small (after I got stupid with it). So I just put a flat on the rear of the tongue and glued on a new piece then shaped it. It worked out just fine and I think it makes for a good solution to this sort of problem. Anyway, I think the result looks good to go. And the wooden pin you did 100% keeps the wedge in so it turns out there is more than one way to keep a wedge in.

 

[Twindog]

Are you sure the hafts weren't for a California framing hammer? They have the reverse style eye compared to the handle curve. I've almost grabbed one or two of those on accident before given their nice length for hatchet use.

You could be right. I got a couple of them at a hardware store because they were the right size for my Tommy Axe eye and the had a nice length. It never occurred to me that the orientation would be flipped. Yet another thing to watch out for. It's hard to imagine that they would be comfortable to use for any kind of axe or hammer.

 

[Twindog]

I accidentally had to glue a chunk of wood on a handle/tongue that was too small (after I got stupid with it). So I just put a flat on the rear of the tongue and glued on a new piece then shaped it. It worked out just fine and I think it makes for a good solution to this sort of problem. Anyway, I think the result looks good to go. And the wooden pin you did 100% keeps the wedge in so it turns out there is more than one way to keep a wedge in.

I found a really small Keen Kutter hatchet that I like. From the bottom of the eye, the haft is less than a foot long. The haft is in beautiful shape, but it must have come loose at some point, because it has a wooden main wedge, a metal cross wedge and three large screws. It took an impact driver to get out the screws. A slide hammer dent puller and a geologist's pick to get out the metal wedge. I'm still trying to remove the haft, but it's starting to come.

I think I'll be faced with a fair amount of damage at the top of the haft, and I don't want to make it shorter. So maybe I can try something like you did. (I pretty much copy whatever you do.) But I"m worried about it.

Is there a good way to repair the mounting portion of a mangled haft?

I have a feeling that I'm worrying too much about the issue of a wedge coming loose or falling out. My sense, from limited experience, is that the issue with a loosening wedge is due to changes in the moisture content the wood (the haft drying out) or the wood degrading and losing it's flexibility and strength, especially in the eye where the end grains are exposed. It's hard to image any of these wedges just falling otherwise because I drive them in so darn hard.

If the wedges and haft are dry to start and the wedge is driven in hard and the haft treated and maintained with boiled linseed oil or the like and if the wood stays above moisture levels when first hung, I think the head and wedge will stay just fine. But it will take a long time to test that theory.

 

[cityofthesouth]

Like to extend the length of the handle? I'm not sure there is a way. I guess I wouldn't be inclined to trust attaching a piece to the top.

As far as the wedges coming out. Meh, it happens .... rarely. I don't see anything wrong with gluing them in myself, and I don't even do that. I glued one of my first hangs together cause I figured it was the way to go - and I neglected that poor axe, left it outside, wedge never moved. First axe I hung lived outside 24/7/365 with a full length steel wedge, no wood at all. Perfectly sideways grain, handle was all grey, lacquer all over it was peeling off, never knew the taste of BLO, nothing. It lasted for years as my only axe before the handle became somewhat loose and the wedge never moved.

I also think that wooden pin thing you did is a simple and effective solution. Now, really steep wedges, sure. The kerf is sort of trying to spit them out. In fact, I was striking the back of my maul the other day with a sledge and noticed that my wedges (steep ones BTW) had completely ejected from the kerf. The handle didn't come loose at all. I hammered the wedges back in with wood glue this time. We'll see how that goes. But I was splitting Oak rounds by striking the maul (repeatedly) with a sledge hammer so ... it's not exactly the sort of thing an axe would experience.