The head of my hatchet is loose. Any suggestions?

T

thebeck

Joined
Dec 1, 2010
Messages
23
Hi guys. I just noticed that head on my hatchet is loose. I was wondering if any of you had thoughts on how to tighten it back up? :confused: As always...I appreciate your time and ideas.
 
They sell the wedges that go into the hatchet handle. Is the handle damaged in any way? Maybe invest in a better handle?
 
Wooden handle I presume? Was it stored in a very dry place too long? Temporary fix can be to add moisture to make it swell but you'll probably have to replace the handle.
 
Don't soak it in water. This is a temporary fix only. It will dry out again. if you have to soak it in anything, boiled linseed oil will do. You can either re-wedge it or replace the handle.
 
BenchmadeBoy said:
Don't soak it in water. This is a temporary fix only. It will dry out again. if you have to soak it in anything, boiled linseed oil will do. You can either re-wedge it or replace the handle.
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This would be my advise. My dad tried the water thing with a maul and it just made it worse after the intial swelling.
 
Thanks for your time guys. I just broke the handle. Time to buy a new one...yesterday.
 
You can soak the end of the handle in anti-freeze, just the end not much of it. I learned that trick about 10yrs ago, the head that I tried it on is still tight. Wouldn't do it for an expensive blade but for a 10 old hatchet like I had it was a great fix.
 
After reading the suggestions...scoping out the added info links...I think I might try to hang a new handle. ( You know with that Scout of mine ) That will depend on what's available to me at the local hardware store. I'll let you know how it works out. Thanks again.
 
Well that's a shame on the broken handle. For future reference, if a head becomes loose and you absolutely need it to still function for awhile longer, you can drive a nail into the wood at the eye to act as a wedge - perhaps two if it needs it, but any more than that and you should probably be replacing it right away. Use nails that are relatively thick but no longer than the head itself. Also, don't soak axes in water - it does more harm than good. If anything, soak it in BLO or Tung - pretty much anything that soaks into the wood, dried hard and doesn't evaporate.
 
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thebeck said:
After reading the suggestions...scoping out the added info links...I think I might try to hang a new handle. ( You know with that Scout of mine ) That will depend on what's available to me at the local hardware store. I'll let you know how it works out. Thanks again.
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hanging the handle is a critical skill set - you will be glad that you did, brother.

just remember what a lot of folks forget - align the bit to the butt, not the eye to the butt.

some of the most twisted up, cupped heads that i have put handles on markedly outwork beautiful hawks, hatchets, and axes, becaues the strike point of the bit on the Fugly Hawks is aligned to the most distal point of the haft (the butt). - i foudn that out a couple eyars ago when i was stuck with some really twisted up hawk heads that i originall perceived as a disadvantage.

it's not always true, of course, but i thought it was relevant enough to mention.

On a hawk or hatchet with a flat top, like the Cold Steel Trail Hawk, that strike point, that i mention here, is usually the top 3/4 inches, if even that much of the bit. - ignore where the non-strike area of the bit trails off to on curved bits (vice straight bits) - which is a lot of times off to one side - i think that deviation helps splitting as well, similar to the physical principles behind those twisted diamond wood wedges.

food for thought if nothing else, from a guy who has hafted and swung quite a share.

vec
 
BenchmadeBoy said:
Don't soak it in water. This is a temporary fix only. It will dry out again. if you have to soak it in anything, boiled linseed oil will do. You can either re-wedge it or replace the handle.
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I have soaked them in kerosene, or linseed, and pound in a few metal wedges as needed at an angle across the wooded wedge in the center of the handle. If it doesn't work, drill holes to the side of the wedges and pry them out for reused with the new handle.
 
just my experience but i find the circular wedges to hold the head better then the standard bit wedge.
 
mk77 said:
just my experience but i find the circular wedges to hold the head better then the standard bit wedge.
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I haven't seen the circular wedges for sale. I always thought it was a small piece of sharpened pipe. Some axes do come with that type of wedge.
 
there is a surplus store in town that has a whole tray of them, but an arborist store could be a good place to look as well. they look like a piece of pipe that has been ground to taper from narrow at the bottom to wider at top.
 
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I'm having the same problem. Bought an old belt axe on eBay and when I got it the head was slightly loose. I remember when I was a kid all these weird wedge nails in the garage and my dad said they were for tightening axe heads. Searching for the wedges I found this post and had an epiphany... Could I take a piece of brass knife pinstock and grind that to a nail like taper? I have up to 1/4" pinstock, brass and stainless. I want to keep the handle, it's in great shape and shows the age of the hatchet just as well as the head. I should add, this axe hasn't been wedged yet except for the wooden one it came with I'd imagine... no extra wedges in there! Would/could pinstock work? What diameter would you suggest? Should I taper the hole thing top to bottom or taper say the bottom half to a point? Any advice is appreciated!
 
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