Straightening a haft

G

garry3

Joined
Sep 11, 2012
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I thought that this might be of some use to those that have warped axe handles. It's not the only way to do it, it's not even my preferred way to do it , but it works.
I am no subject matter expert on heat bending wood. But I do enough of it though that it is pretty routine for me.
This is a boys axe I picked up a few weeks ago.
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It has an issue. I prefer a heat gun, but my wife is out with the girls and this is easy.
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15-20 minuntes or so she is hot and plyable. Steam is a real safe way to heat the wood. The down side is you got a very narrow window of time to move it off the heat and get it bent (that is why it is not my favorite).
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Let it cool completely and this is what you got.
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Might be a little too much but I will lose some of that bend for sure.
 
I've tried the same thing with a warped handle. At first it seemed to work, but after a few days it went right back to where it was before :(
I even tried it again and clamped the handle down to dry. It still bent back to where I started
 
bearhunter said:
I've tried the same thing with a warped handle. At first it seemed to work, but after a few days it went right back to where it was before :(
I even tried it again and clamped the handle down to dry. It still bent back to where I started
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It would be my guess that you didn't get it clamped fast enough. You have just seconds to get it clamped. It is the heat not the moisture that makes it bend. It will go real easy with very little clamp pressure.
 
garry3 said:
It would be my guess that you didn't get it clamped fast enough. You have just seconds to get it clamped. It is the heat not the moisture that makes it bend. It will go real easy with very little clamp pressure.
Click to expand...

I did clamp it very soon.
I took it off my wood stove and clamp it immediately to a bench right by the stove.
 
bearhunter said:
I did clamp it very soon.
I took it off my wood stove and clamp it immediately to a bench right by the stove.
Click to expand...

You have a very defective haft. Then again something could be wrong with the head also. The whole works could just be evil. I suggest you send them to me without delay:D.
 
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