Suggestions? No wonder these tools are so damn tough, they're too damn tough to build

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PayetteRucker

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Aug 4, 2009
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I've done three beautiful, sucessful axe restorations this week including a new looking Norlund Hudson Bay, but I'm working on a Wetterlings at the moment and boy she's an SOB.

I sanded down the haft until the first inch and a half I could press-fit into the eye. From there I took a seasoned piece of oak from dad's woodpile and have been pounding the eye on on top of the chopping block. I've got about .75 inches left to go in the eye, and would like to pull the haft up about a quarter of an inch above the head before I wedge it, but this Wetterlings hickory haft is too tight. I've been wacking away for 15 minutes now and I'm not gaining any ground. There is one tiny point where shavings are forming at the bottom of the eye, where the handle is thick enough for the head to bite into, but for the life of me I can't get the rest of this thing on.

The other part is now I can't get it off. I tried flipping the axe over, pounding the head off to sand away some more material, but the head just isn't moving. I tried using a 1x4 and a 4 lb sledge as well. Any ideas?
 
I've had that, but not so bad that a bench vise and a hickory drift plus sledge couldn't push it back out.
 
Hmm, all of Pop's vises are occupied with 3,000 dollar mountain bikes that are older than I am, and he's downstairs swearing violently at a new spring component for an early 90's Rock Shox Judy SL... might have to do some rearranging in the basement after his current project is done. Thanks for the advice, I'll try to find a bolt that will fit the eye.
 
If it will not come off, you can shave off wood ahead of the head and keep hammering it on. I suggest you do not set the head on anything, but suspend it in the air upside down and pound on the handle end. It is surprising how effective that is.
Jim
 
In the forest service video of "An Axe to Grind" the gentlemen demonstrates using a vise and a drift to punch out a handle. Would be good to watch for picking up the other details like padding the axe head in the vise so it does not get scarred up.

It's available on YouTube.
 
Thanks! I've been using 1x4s as padding for all the pounding. I'm sure there's an old hammer handle downstairs somewhere that I can use as a punch. Not sure what you call the area of the handle above the shoulder, but it contours drastically-I should have spent more time carving it out and sanding it. I wonder if they design these things to be pressure fit with a hydraulic press, or if it's just lack of attention to detail or what. I'll watch the clip and get back at it. Thanks again.
 
A super tight fit isn't really necessary as the wedge will do most of the work keeping the head on, as tight a fit as possible is good though.
Went through something similar just last night, putting a smaller handle on my little wetterlings hatchet.
 
Got her off-lots of light, controlled repetitive pounding finally did it. Back to the 100 grit I go... An Axe To Grind is a great watch. I have alot of respect for that guy peening and sharpening those crosscut axes... wow.
 
PayetteRucker said:
Got her off-lots of light, controlled repetitive pounding finally did it. Back to the 100 grit I go... An Axe To Grind is a great watch. I have alot of respect for that guy peening and sharpening those crosscut axes... wow.
Click to expand...

I will give you a ferrier's rasp if you want one. It's much faster.
 
She's hung. I have it suspended from the ceiling with a ziplock filled with tung oil rubberbanded around the head. Tedious but that is by far the tightest, cleanest hanging job I've ever done. I took pictures of the process, might throw together some kind of ad hoc how to.

I've been hunting for a shop and trail quality tool like that for a long time. Didn't know what to look for or what they were called. If you're willing to send me one, I'll greatly appreciate it and put it to good use.

I've also determined that making myself a nice hickory mallet would be worthwhile. Going to go through the stack of 3 year-seasoned firewood tomorrow and see what I can find for worthy stock. carve it out, one side rounded and one side flat, auger a 1 inch whole through it for a handle, probably do an epoxy soaked parachute cord wrap around the grain so it has less tendency to split.
 
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So the tung oil I am guessing will swell the wood in the eye? How long does that stuff last?
 
Yeah, supposedly in penetrates better than linseed oil, and it's what Dad had in the shop. I soaked the wedge while the axe was in process, and then painted it with Chair Lock, which is the same deal as Swel-Lock. After seating the wedge I set up this soaking deal to get the wood to swell up overnight. In the morning I'll cut off the excess handle/wedge and seal the top/end grain, and around the top and the bottom of the eye, with Chair Lock and she should be good to go. Ideally, the compound should lock/draw in moisture and keep the head swollen on long term, but I'll reapply oil every couple of weeks or after abuse. On the wood, the finish dries with a hard sheen, it's very beautiful. Much higher profile than linseed oil, though since I haven't beaten on a tung-treated axe yet I can't tell you which makes for a stronger, long term finish.
 
Yeah having the right tools can make all the difference. Like M3mphis said, a rasp works well. I'll even use a knife and carve wood off if it's starts out way too thick and then use a rasp as it gets closer to shape. a broad hatchet also works instead of a knife. In fact I prefer a sharp broad axe as it's easier to control. The more axes you hang the easier and better it becomes.
 
M3mphis said:
I will give you a ferrier's rasp if you want one. It's much faster.
Click to expand...

Is a ferrier's rasp better than a wood rasp or the same thing? I use a wood rasp and a four-in-hand rasp. Tried recently using a belt sander similar to what is demonstrated in one of the Axe to Grind / Tools for trail work forest service videos.

PayetteRucker, would love to see some pictures.
 
cooperhill said:
Is a ferrier's rasp better than a wood rasp or the same thing? I use a wood rasp and a four-in-hand rasp. Tried recently using a belt sander similar to what is demonstrated in one of the Axe to Grind / Tools for trail work forest service videos.

PayetteRucker, would love to see some pictures.
Click to expand...

I like a farrier's rasp because they are so wide that it makes it quick and easy to keep a flat plane while shaping your hickory. They are also nice and long. It also has a very aggressive side and a less aggressive side. Another plus is that if you know a farrier you can get them for free! ;)

I also noticed that "ferrier" is not the correct spelling; it's "farrier." Not to be confused with "fairy!"
 
Just zipped off the excess, sealed off the end grain and gave the haft a final oil whipedown. I'm pretty elated. Here are some pics from the process last night. Filing out the eye, sharpening the bit, initial reduction/shaping of the handle, carving out under the stuck head fiasco, the head finally removed, more shaping, and I have to take some 'done' photos. I'll snap some in a bit.

Here's the semi-final product from my previous project-a like new Norlund Hudson Bay belt axe I picked up on ebay for less than 20 bucks. Unfortunately the previous owner wood glued the fantastically shaped handle into the head, and it was not recoverable. I ordered one online and all but slid right on this guy. Same wedging process-soak the wedge, chair-lock the wedge, seat the wedge, soak the head, trim the excess and seal the end grain. Step by step its pretty darned simple. This guy is getting dipped in white and striped with Hudson Bay colors.

Once I get back to Idaho I'll burn DIRIGO into it under a compass rose/north star. Figured the Maine motto was fitting since the head was forged in Bangor, and the whole 'I lead' thing is just cool. If Dad's in a mood to put up with the mess after work, I'll get it done tonight. Started another project too, just sawed and sanded out the block that will be scales for my Seaxe knife. Looks good so far. Man, I need my own shop....

Well the photos are only 50% done uploading so I'll do a short review of the Hudson Bay. The profile of the head is all but completely triangular from the poll to the bit. It is very cleanly and evenly ground, fantastic attention to detail. Beautiful, full Norlund logo stamped under the poll. She came useable sharp with a V grind, which I thinned out a tad and slightly convexed, but it needs more work.

I tested it out on a hike in 18 degree weather and 30mph gusts coming off the lake. The trees were pretty solidly cold. Lots of walnut, birch and oak in the area. Limbs around 2 inches were pretty easily handled by the little 14 incher. If I used a snap-wrist at the end of the swing, I got it to bite considerably deep. Anything half an inch and less, one chop is all it took. On the thicker, cold hard stuff, pretty much anything over 2 inches, the head just bounced off. I can't get enough leverage between my arthritic shoulder, elbow and hand to do much good. But that's what the 31 inch, 1.0 KG Wetterlings is for :D A pop with the poll rendered low hanging dead branches 2 inches and under cleanly broken from the trunks-probably the most expedient way to gather firewood with a little hatchet like this. Most likely, I'll find a nice stump to decorate my desk and permanently bury this baby into it as a decorative piece. Too small for my tastes, maybe a future son's first axe.

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This is the other bad boy that came out of the shop last night, a 1991 GT Cyclone (very few were built before it became the Psyclone) built with factory original 1991 spec. USA Reynolds 853 tubing, welded in the US. Dad's new safe queen :)
 
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My oil soaking contraption, the most efficient I've come up with thus far. Hang by the haft. rubberband a baggie filled with oil around the axe head. Every hour or so squish it all around real good so the oil gets in all the nooks and crannies. I figured it'd be best to leave the excess on for the soak, I don't know if it's the best or not.

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Pre-soak, immediately after I shaped the haft and press-fit the head on. Mom threw a fit because I carved and sanded it out on her desk... oops. Ah well, man's gotta have his Castle episodes while doing tedious work...
 
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