Took a chance on a couple no names

[cityofthesouth]

I decided to take a chance on these two, the smaller one because I like the pattern. It's kinda Hudson Bay ish, but it's 2lbs 14oz. If it's not old (and I don't think it is) I'm curious who would have made it. I took a chance on the larger one because it was a no name that I want to cut down into a smaller axe.

But let's start with the first one. What do you guys think, cast steel maybe? I can't tell. There is what appears to be a fair amount of factory grinding on all the "square" edges and even though I don't keep up on modern axes much, I've just never seen one quite like it.

noname_originalcondition by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

Here it is out of the vinegar bath. It was pretty clean so I only left it in a few hours so that I could see the hard line. I hit it with a file and it would not bite.
noname_small_vinegarbath by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

noname_small_hardline by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

A close up of the "texture" in the surface.
noname_small_closeup by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

Driving the wedge. Took this pic to explain to a friend who I've been doing handles for why I don't use metal wedges.
noname_small_wedge by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

noname_small_wedge2 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

The SFA is how I was paid for my time. I never would have bought one myself but I think it was a sweet trade.
noname_small_finished by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

noname_small_handles by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

 

[Agent_H]

The wedge work looks very nice. Do you think the rounded poll portion is factory?

 

[Bridger]

The smaller one looked like an inlaid bit in the side shot, but the view from the top it just looks like a strong temper line. Nice handle by the way!

 

[cityofthesouth]

The wedge work looks very nice. Do you think the rounded poll portion is factory?

Tough to tell. I would say yes. If someone modified this, they did a nice job but the grind lines look industrial to me (if that makes sense) - they are clear and defined and very square. Now, contrary to that, the pitting on the cheeks and sides runs out onto those rounded corners and you may have noticed from that one side shot that the rounding is very neat and symmetrical. It's all just speculation for me.

The smaller one looked like an inlaid bit in the side shot, but the view from the top it just looks like a strong temper line. Nice handle by the way!

The part that is crazy and I will try to capture it in some pics is that the line on the underside doesn't match up with the cheeks like it does in that picture. But it doesn't make a V like the steel was laid over top. I would expect a "right-sdie-up" V if it were inlaid?
ETA: I think I probably should have let is soak longer - it almost looks like there are two hardening lines. I think that is what made it look weird and you can sort of see it in the pics up top. Before vinegar the line looked way back, then after vinegar it looks narrower but there is still a faint line behind the defined dark steel.

It's just an interesting axe. It has a chunky poll and it's thick around the eye, much thicker than other axes I've dealt with - like they fully intended to make a more compact axe that also made 3lbs. I sharpened it tonight and it took a great edge.

 

[cityofthesouth]

One more clue on this one. There is a streak of blue on the handle from inside the eye - possibly blue at one point in its life?

BTW yeah this handle is pretty close to flawless. Nice wide growth rings, virtually straight grain, the only issue is a little bend at the swell. I thinned it some and cut the swell down but a nice stick overall.

 

[Square_peg]

Fine looking axe and a nice job of hanging it. It looks kinda like a small rafting pattern axe. They often have the corners of the poll forged in like that.

 

[Alocksly]

Fine looking axe and a nice job of hanging it. It looks kinda like a small rafting pattern axe. They often have the corners of the poll forged in like that.

I thought most rafting patterns had a hardened poll for hammering the dogs in. Did they make many without hardened polls?

 

[Square_peg]

I don't know. But I have seen numerous polls shaped like that which weren't hardened. I was looking at that one for chips - an indication of hardness - and didn't notice any. But only the file will tell us for sure.

 

[Twoinch]

BTW yeah this handle is pretty close to flawless. Nice wide growth rings, virtually straight grain, the only issue is a little bend at the swell. I thinned it some and cut the swell down but a nice stick overall.

the growth rings look very large to me. good size rings, from my memory are something like 8-16grpi, with 5-20grpi to be acceptable.

i personally try to stay between 10 and 20grpi, because when you see TIGHT grain, its is almost always dead straight, which means it most likely came from an OLD tree that was large in diameter. not a young growth tree. when you have tight straight grain, with very small earlywood rings(the porous looking part), the wood will be heavy in the hand, and will "ring" like a bell when tapped on a concrete floor.

i would be interested to see a photo of the swell end with a tape measure across the grain. looks like it would be right around 5grpi or a little less.

 

[cityofthesouth]

Twoinch, just for you. Seven, almost eight rings.

noname_small_growthrings by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

Sharpened and ready for work.
noname_small_sidebyside by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

Now for the other one. Here it is out of the vinegar.
noname_large_vinegarbath by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

And after a vicious attack by the angle grinder! Took a big chunk off the bottom and a sliver off the top then attempted to thin the cheeks a little. I didn't want to waste a good belt so I didn't do much. That's all for tonight, back into the vinegar to make it sorta look more uniform. It started the day 3lbs 10oz and ended the day 2lbs 14oz.
noname_large_cutandground by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

 

[Twoinch]

good deal, cant ask for better than that. from the top side, they looked like big fat grain lines. how are you finishing the handles, BLO?

 

[cityofthesouth]

A couple are fat but then a couple skinny ones squeaked in there. Yeah just BLO - you probably noticed it is just a bit more golden in the new pic vs the glaring white it started out as. A couple slatherings later.

 

[Square_peg]

.... from my memory are something like 8-16grpi, with 5-20grpi to be acceptable.

i personally try to stay between 10 and 20grpi........

Sound about right to me. I recall that same 5-20 grpi as being the standard for good quality hickory handles. It's seems like I read that maximum flexibility came in the 12-15 grpi range. I aim for that if I have the choice.

 

[cityofthesouth]

A "first pass" handle from House Handle. Time to make the dust fly. One of these two is gonna go on that second head.

firstpass1 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

firstpass2 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

firstpass3 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

 

[cityofthesouth]

Decided to use the finished handle, but first it needed an introduction to my belt sander. This is sort of a before and after - it's two pics spliced together. The trick is to remove wood only from the inside curves to make the handle look more curvy than it was.

handlework by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

Wedge didn't suit me so I made one from Hedge and here is a shot of it being driven.

noname_osagewedge by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

The finished product.

nonamecustom_complete by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

nonamecustom_wedgework by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

I think I'm going to do a little bit more touching up around the swell and tonight it will bathe in BLO. Probably going to reshape the bit just a little bit and call it a done deal. The handle came out to 29 inches in the end.

 

[Twoinch]

Decided to use the finished handle, but first it needed an introduction to my belt sander. This is sort of a before and after - it's two pics spliced together. The trick is to remove wood only from the inside curves to make the handle look more curvy than it was.

i do the exact opposite. when i thin and finish my handles, i take it from the outside of the bends, to straighten the end product slightly.

 

[Twoinch]

Decided to use the finished handle, but first it needed an introduction to my belt sander. This is sort of a before and after - it's two pics spliced together. The trick is to remove wood only from the inside curves to make the handle look more curvy than it was.

i do the exact opposite. when i thin and finish my handles, i take it from the outside of the bends, to straighten the end product slightly.

 

[cityofthesouth]

Let me guess, you also put curves in straight handles? Am I right? :topsy_turvy:



If you choose "leave page" and then click the thread title, BAM, you'll find out that your initial post actually did appear. It seems something is broken BF ... I am having the same problem.

 

[Twoinch]

i do not put curves in straight handles. i much prefer straight handles on all axes, but with boys axes, and some of my 34" axes, i use "curved" handles, but i prefer a minimal curve when i do.

every single time i post, i get the leave page thing, always have since i joined. never once has it double posted on me though. strange. i have wondered why BF has not fixed this problem, as its obviously been happening for a LONG time. see double posts every day

 

[cityofthesouth]

i do not put curves in straight handles.

Well that's a relief.

never once has it double posted on me though

All except for that one time. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-Lacquer-removal-using-broken-glass-technique