Wetterlings axe fail....

I havent given the wetterlings much hard work. i got halfway through a 10 inch diameter tree, and the wedge flew out. yesterday i used it on an old wisteria that needed to be taken down, and the same thing happened.
 
That doesn't even count as use. You got a lemon. I suppose it happens.
I know I'm old fashioned, but hand tools are going the way of pickup trucks. People used to buy them to work them. Today they are fashion statements.
 
Section10 said:
That doesn't even count as use. You got a lemon. I suppose it happens.
I know I'm old fashioned, but hand tools are going the way of pickup trucks. People used to buy them to work them. Today they are fashion statements.
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Yes and no. The problem is that the majority of folks buying NEW axes are buying them as fashion statements. The folks buying them as users are often buying vintage ones. There's overlap of the categories, of course (folks buying old ones as fashion statements/folks buying new premium axes as users), but as a whole I figure at least the popularity of hand tools is on the rise thanks to the homesteading/local farming movement. That's a good thing.
 
Sounds to me like there's too little friction holding the wedge in. I'd get or make a new wedge and shaped it exactly how I wanted it. I would rough it up on the sides with a rasp and rough up the inside of the kerf with a key hole saw (jab saw). Then I would re-hang it and be sure not to put any oil on the wedge or in the kerf. For added security, I might put a small dab of wood glue on the wedge, but not much. Personally, I would not use any high performance glues. If your hang does not go well again, the high performance glue will screw you. That's what I'd do.
 
Alright thanks guys. I was looking for a plumb boys axe before i got the wetterlings, its just that the wetterlings is available. i cannot seem to find a plumb boys axe for sale anywhere. I have heard that older "vintage" axes are much better in quality. and steel. I shall make myself a new wedge and try it out. If it doesnt work, im gonna just go ahead and forget about it and get myself a vintage axe off ebay. what are some good suggestions for that size of axe? the size of the wetterlings is ideal to me.
 
M3mphis said:
Sounds to me like there's too little friction holding the wedge in. I'd get or make a new wedge and shaped it exactly how I wanted it. I would rough it up on the sides with a rasp and rough up the inside of the kerf with a key hole saw (jab saw). Then I would re-hang it and be sure not to put any oil on the wedge or in the kerf. For added security, I might put a small dab of wood glue on the wedge, but not much. Personally, I would not use any high performance glues. If your hang does not go well again, the high performance glue will screw you. That's what I'd do.
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^This. :)
 
Take this as an opportunity to learn something about axe maintenance. The Federal Highway Administration website has an excellent document on the care and feeding of axes called "An Ax To Grind: A practical ax manual". Just type that into your search engine and it should take you right to it. Remember to spell it ax, not axe. I just purchased a Snow and Neally axe from Ben Meadows and the handle broke on its first trip out. Great US steel on a cheap Chinese handle. Naturally I returned it to BM for replacement, but if it happens again, I'm simply going to order replacement handles and hang the axe head on it. Can't beat US hickory.
 
Wyszrd said:
Take this as an opportunity to learn something about axe maintenance. The Federal Highway Administration website has an excellent document on the care and feeding of axes called "An Ax To Grind: A practical ax manual". Just type that into your search engine and it should take you right to it. Remember to spell it ax, not axe. I just purchased a Snow and Neally axe from Ben Meadows and the handle broke on its first trip out. Great US steel on a cheap Chinese handle. Naturally I returned it to BM for replacement, but if it happens again, I'm simply going to order replacement handles and hang the axe head on it. Can't beat US hickory.
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Isn't it a chinese head on US hickory?????
 
While the folks offering advice here are well meaning, everything I've been reading on the subject contradicts some of the advice you've been getting.
1. You shouldn't use metal wedges to hang an axe. Even current handle websites that carry handles for hammers, sledges, adzes, axes, etc. will offer metal wedges for other tools but recommend against it for axes.
2. Don't use glue or epoxy. Linseed oil is a temporary fix for a loose axe head that needs to be replaced. Use Swel Lock to hang your axe head. Below is an excerpt from An Ax to Grind:

Figure 57--Before inserting the wedge in the handle,
apply a coat of Swel-Lock to the inside kerf cut and
the new wooden wedge. Swel-Lock is a product that swells
wood. It is not a glue or an adhesive; rather, it penetrates
and expands wood fibers to keep the new handle tight.

I'm no expert, but I love to quote them! :D
 
M3mphis said:
Isn't it a chinese head on US hickory?????
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If it is, then the salesperson I spoke to misspoke or got it backward. The label simply says assembled from US and Chinese Parts. I suppose it's a moot point since apparently Snow and Neally is now out of business. The way that handle snapped off just below the head makes me hope it was a Chinese handle. That head, however, cut through both live and dead spruce like a house-a-fire!
 
Wyszrd said:
If it is, then the salesperson I spoke to misspoke or got it backward. The label simply says assembled from US and Chinese Parts. I suppose it's a moot point since apparently Snow and Neally is now out of business. The way that handle snapped off just below the head makes me hope it was a Chinese handle. That head, however, cut through both live and dead spruce like a house-a-fire!
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I thought I had read somewhere that they were manufacturing the heads overseas. I don't remember any additional details, though. If it works, it works!
 
M3mphis said:
I thought I had read somewhere that they were manufacturing the heads overseas. I don't remember any additional details, though. If it works, it works!
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I going over some reviews of the current S and N product line (off center eyes, poor finish, etc) it's entirely possible the heads were made overseas, which probably accounts for their demise. Pity that such a historic company had to go out with a whimper like that. Let's hope Council is around for a long time!
 
Their heads are made in China and the handles are made in Texas. They are assembled in Maine. I hadn't heard of them being out of business, but going to their website it now seems to be nothing but links that go nowhere. If they ARE really gone, that's a shame but they kind of deserve it for not adapting properly to the marketplace. Quality never needed to take a hit. They needed to advertise more aggressively and take the route of making "the best" instead of cheaping out.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Their heads are made in China and the handles are made in Texas. They are assembled in Maine. I hadn't heard of them being out of business, but going to their website it now seems to be nothing but links that go nowhere. If they ARE really gone, that's a shame but they kind of deserve it for not adapting properly to the marketplace. Quality never needed to take a hit. They needed to advertise more aggressively and take the route of making "the best" instead of cheaping out.
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I'm really confused, I was understanding the handles to be from Maine Hardwoods. Theres even a store here selling handles that I swear are S & N seconds.
 
Crazyotter said:
I'm really confused, I was understanding the handles to be from Maine Hardwoods. Theres even a store here selling handles that I swear are S & N seconds.
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Nope--made in Texas. Got it straight from the guys working there a few years back. I used to live only a 15 minute drive from their headquarters.
 
Crazyotter said:
I'm really confused, I was understanding the handles to be from Maine Hardwoods. Theres even a store here selling handles that I swear are S & N seconds.
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Maybe the collapse is recent and your store has the last of the old second handles?
It can't be more than 2 years ago that I was reading on s&n's website about their local hand-craftsmen and their years of experience. I couldn't find any such claims on their totally different website the last time I looked.
 
I actually thought it was pretty dishonest the way they touted themselves as local, American-made, yada-yada. All along they were keeping it quiet that they had moved forging to China a number of years ago.
 
M3mphis said:
Sounds to me like there's too little friction holding the wedge in. I'd get or make a new wedge and shaped it exactly how I wanted it. .
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I thought that this would have been intuitive to anyone using an axe, experienced or not. I do my own oil changes, some bring their vehicle in to the dealer. Whatever floats yer boat.
 
M3mphis said:
I actually thought it was pretty dishonest the way they touted themselves as local, American-made, yada-yada. All along they were keeping it quiet that they had moved forging to China a number of years ago.
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Same here. They had been playing that game FAR too long.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Their heads are made in China and the handles are made in Texas. They are assembled in Maine. I hadn't heard of them being out of business, but going to their website it now seems to be nothing but links that go nowhere. If they ARE really gone, that's a shame but they kind of deserve it for not adapting properly to the marketplace. Quality never needed to take a hit. They needed to advertise more aggressively and take the route of making "the best" instead of cheaping out.
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^ This!

My apologies for veering the thread away from the OP's original question.
 
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