True Temper Broadaxe question. What would you do?

W

Windwhistler

Joined
Aug 18, 2013
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Hi out in axeland,

Yesterday I came across this nice little True Temper TB2 cheap. Unfortunately, someone had taken a power grind wheel to the edge and then had hit a few nails with it. I have done all I can with a file. The edge nicks are all gone and the grinder marks are about 95% gone as well. Fortunately, no one had sharpened the back at all so it is still a good squaring axe. The head weighs in at an actual 2 1/2 lbs and the handle, while seemingly tight is very dry, with some cracking. Here is my question. I have several really nice cuts of hickory in the shop that would make a nice boys' axe out of it. The thing seems a bit unbalanced with its short handle anyway. Should I rehang it or not?? Would it be some kind of sacrilege?







 
Certainly not a broadaxe but you do have the right idea. Carpenters used these to trim/adjust/level mudsills, lathe etc back when houses were built from rough sawn lumber which was +/- dimensionally. Your baby still has lots of life left in it and with or without the original handle the collectors value is negligibly affected. Of more value is a new handle should there be a plan to put it back in service.
If you're into building with logs or rough lumber and there is no power supply around you might just find the hatchet to be surprisingly handy.
 
Thanks 300Six,

I was tongue-in-cheek regarding the broad axe thing. Several TB2 hatchets I found online were referred to that way and I know the handle that I could order to fit was a "broadaxe" handle. Anyway, it looks almost exactly like the head of my 19th century squaring axe (which is a full sized broad axe) that I still use to square logs for construction. I still replace a good many and build small out buildings of squared timbers. But when I lifted this thing up, I basically could see it as a limbing axe if the handle was a bit longer. I'll probably try to get started on cutting a new one this afternoon. I am about to take on restoration and rehanging of the old squaring axe too in the next month or so. I have a few projects to finish up before I start on a new handle and possibly take it out of service for a while. I'm not too sure how the whole project will go.

Anyway, I couldn't pass it up:)


Thanks,
 
BLO would rejuvenate that handle if you chose to keep it. But if another handle would suit you better then by all means change it. There are plenty of those around. Not sacrilege to modify one.
 
I would refer to your True Temper TB2 as a hewing axe. You'll be surprised at how Pegs suggestion about BLO will give your handle some new life. However, if it should work loose, you may have to replace it.

Tom
 
Based on your advice about not diminishing value or usefulness,

I spent much of yesterday sawing and hand working a new handle that seems much better balanced. It may be due to my over-use for 30 years of tomahawks but the longer handle balances perfectly at the head and I will put it on today. The only problem with the older handle that made me not want to dedicate too much time to it's rejuvenation was (and I didn't take a photo of this) that someone had driven three separate metal wedges into it and the cracking was everywhere. It seemed tight and probably would have been useable with a good soaking in coal oil or boiled linseed oil. But the thing just looked like it was loose and all cracked up.

So,

I'll post a few pics of the rebuilt project tomorrow. I have some older farm implement paint that seems just the right degree of glossiness to mimic what was in the hidden portions of the head. It is quite thick and has to be sprayed in very quick short bursts to prevent running.

Thanks for the advice and info!

;=)
 
Finished last night and the implement paint dried nicely. Still takes a week to cure for use but here are the photos with the new handle. I put the Perfect Jersey in for size comparison. I just recently noticed it. All the axes I've used all my life were Kelly axes and dad found this one somewhere about 1965 with a broken handle. Until I started cleaning them up, sharpening and moving them inside for next season I had never really looked at them. Now I have a nice little hewing axe to go with them!







My wife's only comment is "Can I throw it?" :(
 
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