What did you rehang today?

It looks like a House Handle except that the octagoning is too clean.

 

This are not from today - but over the last week. All hafts from House Handle:

#1) 2 1/4 LB GBA Boy's Axe - 28" haft. This one was pretty beat up. I needed to do some special work to take out the mushrooming and straighten the eye.







#2) 2 1/4 Pound GAB Boy's Axe - 28" haft. This needed some work as well and the bit is thinner than most - but makes an awesome user - especially for limbing.







#3) Plumb - 2 LB Hatchet on 14" haft.







#4) Collins Boy Scout Hatchet. No logo - but the same size as a standard BSA. 14" haft:









#5) Plumb BSA Hatchet with hammer poll. Modified 14" haft.





#6) Plumb BSA Hatchet - 14" haft.





#7) Plumb 3 1/4 Pound Axe - 33" haft.








TF

 

Yea the house handle octagonal hafts are rough sometimes, out of the 4 I ordered 3 needed trimming and evening of the sides before I used them.

Nice axe too, looks good.

 

Joe - I find this to be true of their non octagonals. I spend a lot of time evening up the fawns foot and the cheeks on my hafts...

TF

 

It could well be that I am just seeing things, things presented by the imprecision inherent in posting up home made pictures, and I hope that is the case but in the spirit of maybe offering some constructive criticism with the best of intention I make the following observations, in case #1 and #4 there seems to be some misalignment at hand which has come about because of either a twist in the handle or an unequal amount of wood removed from the cheeks of the inserted portion during the fitting.

E.DB.

 

EDB:

Hah! I think you have hit the nail on the head.

House Handle has had cheeks that were uneven - and VERY large. In fact, I altered these cheeks to even them out. I am VERY VERY careful about hanging them straight on the haft - no twist - no angle - however - I have been reticent to take material off the cheeks. I think I have thought these were made by some sort of magical pattern that could not be altered. What I realize now is that they have way too much cheek and fawns foot so that everyone has enough material make it yours.

TF

 

House's octagons are often misshapen. For me the challenge is always making the haft symmetrical while leaving as much swell as possible. I don't like small swells.

 

How long is that handle...I have a similar Norlund camp axe head, not the Hudson, that I am modifying....Next is the haft.

 

This is the next head style I need.Love the Cedar axe!

 

Handle House Model 1630AA octagon option. I did burn it myself, but I do it when I am impregnating the wood with a mixture of waxes, tung/linseed/teak oil. I heat the handle slightly then rub on a thick coat. Let dry and heat again and coat...heat...coat...heat..coat. Pretty soon you have a tacky but smooth finish and flame tempered hickory too. It is similar to what they did here in the Redwoods for the handle on falling axes.

 

It's 34-1/2". Probably started out as a 35" before hanging.

 

I will be having one made for my Norlund head in the old scroll knob style...thinking 30-32"

Oh that octagon handle of mine is a House Handle and it is very straight and clean.

 

This is a 4 lb Collins double bit I hung on a 28" house handle. I don't have a before pic but it was in rough shape... Heavy rust, pitting, and extensive mushrooming on the top edge. I cold blued then lightly sanded for the patina.

 

Yeah, it's definitely becoming one of my new favorites. :thumbup:
okh- Nice job on that jersey, too. That wax/oil/flame temper method is a cool idea.

 

I was told about it and didnt have the right stuff to make it so I mad a potion of the stuff I had...its why there is three different oils in it...But it works.

 

I use bee's wax with my BLO on the last coat and then on future coats. Sometimes I will seal around the head and end grain with just the bee's wax also. I came upon a good supple of pure bee's wax so I am set there. If anyone has trouble finding bee's wax the wax ring for toilets was bee's wax last I knew. Not pure and a bit softer but it should work well enough.
I melt my wax into the oil, use caution.

 

More than enough is right. I guess better than not enough.

It doesn't take long to make the fawns foot to my liking, they are to thick every where for me. Not a huge issue but if they made handles like the vintage ones I would not have to bother.

 

A Hoe and a carpenters hammer. Both with House Handle hickory and the hammer was also one of their octagonal handles; kind of like that!

 

Catching up on documenting some recent works. This is probably the more interesting two thirds of what I've got hung lately... Some need a little more touching up but I needed a break from rasping and filing and sanding If it would ever stop raining I'd take some better pictures outside.



6.5 pound(!) Kelly World's Finest and a WC Kelly Rockaway on what was a beefy old straight handle that I cut off, reshaped and put just a bit of curve into.




AmericanAx Jersey and a Plumb hatchet.



4 pound unmarked (but for the weight) Maine pattern and an R King hatchet.

 

Four pound Flint Edge Jersey that belonged to my father in law on an old handle salvaged from another axe, and an unmarked old Jersey with a slightly softer shape.




4.5 pound Flint Edge Connecticut, and an R King Connecticut that's about 3.5.


Old John King boy's axe (can't remember if I posted pictures of this before) and a Kelly Woodslasher boy's axe.