What did you rehang today?

I had a similar experience with a cheap hatchet once. The center of the eye, the middle of the "hourglass" was extreme. I had taken it off a plastic handle. To get the wood handle through the eye it had to be made small. Really too small for the top of the eye. Another problem I encountered on that hang was the kerf was still pressed pretty tight when fully seated. The axe was tight, with gaps at the top of the head. It was just a head that was designed to be hung on a plastic handle not a wooden one.
Just from the photo that is a pretty extreme gap in the front of the eye. (The wedging shape of the eye holds the handle in when tight even if there is a gap at the front) If you try to fill that by cutting a cross kerf and driving a wedge big enough to fill that gap you run a real risk of creating a crack that will travel. If you just made the handle to slim start over. If it is because the center of the eye is tight, then I would use a bigger wedge. Just one. Fill that front gap with something, perhaps shape a piece of wedge to drive in there.
 
daizee said:
You guys may be swaying me here. Steel or wood? wouldn't I need to cut a cross-kerf for a wood wedge, which would mean pulling it off again anyway?
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I’ve had good luck the last three times with solidly seating the crosswedge first, notching it with a small wood chisel/knife, cutting it off, and then driving the main wedge. Once the main wedge won’t go any farther, I cut it off almost even with the crosswedge, and then drive the two of them together. Seems to work so far.


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COTS does a great job of explaining and amazing application of the crosswedge:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1233816-COTS-Project-Thread/page10
 
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Alright, I'm going to see what I can do without pulling the whole thing apart again, but it may come to that.
 
daizee said:
Alright, I'm going to see what I can do without pulling the whole thing apart again, but it may come to that.
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With that much space to fill, you might try a double cross wedge. The double cross kerfs protect better against splits, the haft sections have less far to move and the extra wedge can take up space.

Here’s an axe I hung that had a lot of space to take up. The double cross wedge worked wonders. It’s tricky to hammer in the cross wedges, especially if you fully drive in the main wedge first. I like to use wider kerfs (chop saw) for the cross wedges, but my experience is limited.

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That's way better than what I did. I was afraid of splitting the grain on this old, dry haft.

Here, this goes to show that two wrongs can make a slightly less bad, but still embarrassing:

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Agent_H said:
Daizee, if you're happy with how it's secured on there then it's just right. :thumbup:
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Haha, well I dunno about 'happy', but it stayed nice and tight while whacking on some red oak this afternoon, so I'm gonna call it good-enough until it says otherwise. Not my best work, but it's time to make sheaths. Or knives.
 
daizee said:
Haha, well I dunno about 'happy', but it stayed nice and tight while whacking on some red oak this afternoon, so I'm gonna call it good-enough until it says otherwise. Not my best work, but it's time to make sheaths. Or knives.
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Happens. Here is one I slammed in. There is a space in one side, I split the wedge in two spots, busted a piece out, and because In a hurry to use it I never even sanded the wedge down flush. I usually take great pride in my hangs. Happens. What do you want to bet this is the last one to come loose? Lol. It is an awesome db on a SLIM 34 straight.
One before shot, then after some WD-40 to bring out the stamps. The edge is a work in progress;)




 
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Just finished up this Plumb National. Fixed up the nicks and dings on the bit, wire brushed to remove the rust, gave it a blued finish and sharpened it up. Hung it on a new hickory haft, grain isn't the best though, and wedged it with some dark walnut. Sanded and BLO.

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Your hang looks great and I wouldn't be the slightest concerned about the grain. It's continuous - no run out. But I might take a file to that edge and refine the bevel a bit.
 
Square_peg said:
Your hang looks great and I wouldn't be the slightest concerned about the grain. It's continuous - no run out. But I might take a file to that edge and refine the bevel a bit.
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Thanks! Do you think the edge needs a more steep or shallow bevel? I filed out several chips in the blade but smoothed out the bevel in the process.
 
I was thinking a slighty thinner bevel. But it's hard to be certain without seeing the edge profile and comparing it to an axe sharpening gauge. I'm just judging by the length of the bevel. Maybe you're OK now.
 
I finally got around to hanging this old girl again. I tried a 36" Octagonal Haft originally, but it was too unweildly for me. I have never found a handle that I've really liked, I mostly tolerate them. I can appreciate good handles, but none have been completely comfortable. I'm a pretty short guy, so 36" handles on axes have never really worked for me. It's rather embarrasing admitting it, but handles that long make 3 pounders feel like 5's with that extra length to me.

So, I splurged and got a curved 31" Gransfors handle for their American Felling Axe. I bought it in the hopes that I would like it so I could use it as a template for other handles later down the road. It looks and feels better than in photographs. I'm not gonna lie, this is probably the best-feeling handle I've had on any of my axes so far...and I hate curved handles.

I should have used this opportunity to try a cross wedge for the first time because of how large the eye on this head is, but I didn't want to chance ruining a good handle. I'll try it out later down the road I guess.

This old girl makes chips fly now, it feels pretty great :D

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-Jim
 
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