Total Axe Refurb - Head to handle - (pic info heavy)

Operator1975

Operator1975

Joined
Sep 24, 2010
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Well I thought I would do a total from scratch axe refurb with head and handle. Most of my posts have been just cleaning up heads - no handle work or head work other than cleaning.

This one is going to be in depth all inclusive pick your phrase now. So sorry in advance.

What I do is not the best method, but just what I do. I am sure there are short cuts and better methods, some of which I learned while doing this. So I will incorporate next time.

So what we are dealing with is a Craftsman boys axe head I picked up cheap, and happened to already have one of, so it made a good patsy for a couple reasons -

1. I had questioned about why do guys grind off the mushroomed or rounded polls? Had a few answers which were all good. I had never done it before, so thought with this willing example I would try.

2. New haft job with lacquer already on it - how to handle, what to do, what not to do, and see what we can all learn(including me) on the aspect.

3. Sharpening - I haven't posted much on it, so thought I would this time, to get a more all inclusive view.

So here we go - sit back, grab a brew, and get ready to make comments (all are appreciated as we all learn that way, good, bad, or ugly).

So here it is with the new haft -







So as you can see, it is in ok shape overall, but we have some "mushrooming" on the head. Normally I will leave this alone, as I don't see it as an issue overall in the grand scheme, but a lot of guys do.
Some reasons were pointed out to me lately via the forums that I thought were good and justified(like I can justify) but more so interesting. Having never grounded a poll, I thought I would give this one a whirl. I am a little unsure of this whole deal because I don't like the way the head looks afterwards, but having never done it, I will learn something I hope either thru me or one of you all.

So here is what we are going to use -



That is a basic Craftsman(see the irony already?) that I have had for about 5 years. I use it on basics - lawn mower blades, big tractor issues, etc. First time for this.

So we go at it with the poll and I come out with this -





I am not pleased to say the least. To me looks terrible. Of course my usage has something to do with it. But we will press on, and maybe it will grow on me. Remember to use gloves apron and eye protection!

Next we have to sharpen this baby up - and this head has been sharpened before, but by someone who didn't really know how to sharpen an axe(way to common on old axe heads)

Hopefully in this next pic you can see the difference in the lines of the bit -



After preliminary sharpening, you can see I was trying to get the angles correct before the actually cutting edge - (hope it is ok to see)



One thing to me with sharpening an axe - its all about the shape of the bit - not necessarily the absolute sharpness of the edge itself - too thin it will break - too thick and even if it can shave hairs - who cares it won't penetrate. So to me its all about proper geometry of the bit into the cheek. That will do more for you than anything else.

Here is still a work in progress pic -



Then this pic here we are pretty darn close to being ok for a boys axe - (for one side, anyway)



Quick snap of the other side - same issue as before -



So work had to be done - making sure the angles were correct on both sides, and then the final sharpness was withing range for me(Remember I am not a hair shaving guy, I am more about proper angle guy)

One thing everyone should note - remember when sharpening to leave your toe and heel thicker than the middle of the bit - this will prevent breakage from whatever happens during use. This has helped me out a lot overall with chipped/busted bits.

Ok so on to the handle now -

It is a Do it Best handle I picked up at a local hardware store - it has pretty good grain on it -



Couple things amiss with hardware handles -

1. You have to do a lot of searching to get a good handle. Grain, kerfs, knots, etc can all be issues.

2. Flippin price.

So this handle is ok all things considered, but needs work -

1. Has stickers on it.

2. Has lacquer on it.

So we have to work on these with this guy to start -



Good ole belt sander. This currently has 120 grit on it, which is an old belt. But for the fact of getting rid of the lacquer/finish whatever it is - it will work fine.

So the first step is basic removal - we aren't trying to win any awards here - here is what it looks like going in - really not bad overall -



Here it is after about 60 seconds on the belt grinder -



So we are making our way - continue on -



So now remember we aren't trying to win a prize here with the belt sander, we are trying to get rid of the coating. We will have to go to phase 2 once most of it is off - which this is what it will basically look like -



So now we go to phase 2, or my phase 2, which is to use this guy -



That is an orbital sander with a 60 grit pad on it - to get us down to the nitty gritty more or less - I'll put her in the vise and this is what she looks like to start -



Now, if using the orbital use caution in the following aspect - you want to keep this light and free - too much pressure and you will leave little circle marks in the haft from the pad - this is no good. Then you will spend a lot of time on the next aspect which is hand sanding. So remember, the goal of this phase 2 is to get rid of all the rest of the lacquer and maybe basic sanding - not a lot more.

So I will then sand by hand with 60 grit, to 150 grit, then to 400 grit(if need be) and then call it good. 400 is usually overkill IMO but it is smooth, there is no doubt. Here is what we have -



Now, one thing I will do, and this is just me, you can take it or leave it, is that I will not sand the end of the handle. That way, you can always tell it was/is not an original handle, especially if someone tries to sell it after me - the buyer should know if for whatever reason they can't figure it out. Also, while I am looking over the collection, I can quickly tell which ones I did and which ones I got the way they were. Like I said, just something I do -



Now, I won't finish the handle. Actually, a lesson to be learned here is, do phase one(belt sander), then fit head to handle the way you want it. I went to phase 2(orbital, then tried to fit head). All this does it get my dirty hand prints all over the haft and then make me re do phase 3. Live and learn.

Ok so anyway, we need to haft it -



Not gonna fit of course, so I need to use this guy for some "persuasion"



Of course I got that implement from an old friend on BCUSA - you know who you are! (Thanks that thing kicks rump)

So, here is what we have at first take - (sorry crap pic)



Not bad, but not far enough down on the shoulder for me - so I mark it for sanding -



After some work -



Then of course the kerf isn't deep enough now, so need to cut it deeper - (this is after cut)



So I get the wedge, slim it down to what I "think" is the proper size(this is very very tricky and I have failed at this so many times), but I linseeded up the wedge and the kerf and drove her home(she didn't like it) and this is what we got -



So now we are in - now what?

I cut off the top of the handle to this amount - enough to stick out over the top - this isn't an even pic - I sanded it later to even it up -



Then I did a quick sand job on the handle to get rid of dirt and handle marks from my hands - this is the redneck method I used -



It worked - and got her all oiled up via my linseed applicator (can used for reference of course)



So now we are done - here is how she turned out -





 
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Second part -

So it turned out well I thought. Couple takeaways from me anyways -

1. I am not sold on the grinding of the mushroomed polls. Doesn't look good to me, seems overkill, etc. This doesn't mean you can't do it. I think it might grow on me. I don't have enough experience trying to do chopping or splitting with a mushroomed poll to know if it makes a difference. What I do know is, if it is a wall hanger, IMO, let it ride.

2. Hafts. Buy em without lacquer or coating. This one above I will put on 1 to 2 thin coats of regular linseed oil per day for a week. I like this method better than the big soak/dip method. Whats wrong with that method? Nothin. Thats just me.

3. Files. Have em ready and able to do the job. I love the Nicholson files - even the el mexico ones seem to be pretty darn good. 8 inch bastard file is awesome.

4. Linseed. I like regular old linseed. Not boiled. Thats just me, and the best answer I can give you. Will take more time, but I think a better result.

Ok fellas thats it. Hope this was ok. I know it was long, but hopefully a couple guys learned something, or what I did wrong and can point it out, so lets hear it.

Thanks for taking the time and reading.

Mike
 
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I agree with you on the mushrooming. I usually don't mess with it and don't buy any axe heads with excessive pounding. If it's a sharp edge, I take it off with a file since it's not hardened steel on the poll. That leaves a smoother finish than a grinder but still you're left with a 2-tone finish there which bugs me a little. Anyway nice writeup. I do things about the same way only I just have a small vibrating hand sander.
 
Thanks for this! I found a Plumb Victory hatchet that's been in my garage for years.. the head looks great, but the handle is a bit loose. It's painted, and electrical taped over as well, so I was going to post a thread tonight with some pictures and where to pick up a new handle. Hopefully I can find an unfinished one, since having stripped guitar bodies & other various wood things, I've learned that stripping sucks! That is a sweet looking axe though, thanks for sharing.
 
Thanks for taking the time to post that. Looks like you have plenty of work lined up on the floor- bowtie convention.
 
Thanks, Operator. Anything to say about the head (and bit) alignment? I'd like to see a good thread like this on how to correct a misaligned bit.
 
Nice of you to share a step by step routine that is becoming increasingly foreign to the current generation who avoids purchasing or using wood handled implements. I have noticed that hammer and axe handles are increasingly often sold varnish-coated these days whereas 30 years ago that was rare.
 
Nice job, Mike. Turned out nice. What's your preferred tool for sawing down the kerf?
 
Great thread! I appreciate all the details you've given us.

Just let that shiny poll rust and then when you wire brush it you'll have it patina'd again. :)

A couple notes on mushroomed polls, suppose that in a pinch you're forced to use your unhardened poll to drive a steel wedge or some other unsavory use. If it's already mushroomed then you risk having a metal splinter fly off and hit you in the eye. For me that's not a risk worth taking. OTOH I like your idea of letting it go on a wall hanger. It earned those dings, let it display them proudly.

In regards to removing mushrooming I've had some luck beating the mushrooming back in on a few heads. I suppose you could get most of it back in if you took it up to forging heat, but at just 'hot to the touch' I frequently get half or more of the mushrooming back into the poll. Recall that it deformed cold. At 'hot to the touch' - maybe 130°-150° - hammer and anvil will move some of it back, and there's no risk of tempering the bit in the process. On lightly mushroomed polls I've got it good enough just by hammering - no filing or grinding. And this method leaves the patina intact. Also, you can dress up a filed poll by fine sanding it and then applying a light hammer finish. Looks better than grinder marks, especially after it's been patina'd.
 
M3mphis said:
Nice job, Mike. Turned out nice. What's your preferred tool for sawing down the kerf?
Click to expand...

I used to use a coping saw but it is too thin and wobbly in my opinion and led to crooked cuts. Now I use an old disston hand saw I have that works well for thickness and keeping a straight cut. One day maybe I'll have a band saw - but that's a wish as of now.
 
Great stuff as always Mike. I like your method on sharpening and pretty much do the same as you. I use a standard bastard file (Nicholson) and then smooth it out a bit with my Lansky puck. Also, on smoothing out the mushrooming I always try to round of the edges with a file and then finish it with 60 grit so it blends in better. I'm not a shiny steel guy.
 
RR-Cutlery said:
Beautiful Work . What Is The Handle Made Of ?
Click to expand...

Hickory. VB is making those for Do It Best. They're actually not bad handles if you can sort through 'em yourself and find a good one. But I agree, the lacquer is a pain. The only place I've found unfinished handles is hickory handle store. They'll ship them before they coat them. The last batch of unfinished handles I got from House Handle just had the lacquer sanded off, and it was pretty sloppy work. You could still see lacquer is some spots.

Nice post Op! I use a hacksaw for all my kerf and wedge sawing needs. Makes for straighter cuts than a coping saw.

Note on files, I've found the newer Nicholson's to wear out pretty fast. Especially on hardened steel. I think the consistency is hit or miss since they outsourced to Mexico and India. If I remember correctly 'mill' bastards are smoother than standard bastards, and better for finishing edge profiles, while standards are better at removing handle wood for hanging. Anyone have a preference for double vs single cut? Cooperhill has had some luck buying up antique NOS files. We should hit him up for a comparison with the new stock.
 
I like a double-cut or multi-kut pattern for fast removal of material. Then clean up with a single cut and move on to stones.
 
Was reading back thru my posts. This one made me remember the good ole days, so thought I would bump it.

Thanks!
 
Totally cool stuff. You guys are so far ahead of me. But I run better from the back.

As far as the mushroomed poll, what about sanding the ground off poll to smooth it out, and then blue the whole head, sharpening later for a clean look to the edge?
 
Good thread to bring back to life. I think it's probably a good idea to occasionally have new versions of these sorts of things just to see how the process has changed and make it easier for new folks to find a step-by-step from experienced people.

I'd be pretty happy with that handle myself as far as shape and whatnot.

I grind the mushrooming off to erase the history of the clowns who owned the axe before. I just do it first thing, and even tap at it with a hammer to hide some of the tool marks. I also finish the grind smoother so that it's not deep grind lines that are so obvious. And after all that, then I do something to reapply patina. It's not perfect but I would agree that shiny rough grind lines on an otherwise old looking head is not attractive at all.
 
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