What did you rehang today?

I like to completely take care of the head first: clean, file out the butt mushrooms, etc, wire cup or sand, then re-profile the edge and sharpen. Then I stick a piece of duct tape over the edge. (I tend to bleed when I forget this step.) Then I rehang the head. Once the head is on the handle, if its a new handle, I strip all the finish off, do any re-shaping I want to do, then sand. After that, I apply bees wax, or whatever I am going to do. If its an old handle, I sand and apply bees wax. The reason I do it this way is I have found that if I go back to the head to file and sharpen, I get the black finger prints from handling the steel on the handle, or I get the fine bits of metal off of the sandpaper onto the handle. Its cleaner this way. The last thing I do is invert the axe into half an inch of BLO to swell the wood inside the eye for a good solid fit. Not saying its the best way, just my way.
 
Curt Hal said:
I like to completely take care of the head first: clean, file out the butt mushrooms, etc, wire cup or sand, then re-profile the edge and sharpen. Then I stick a piece of duct tape over the edge. (I tend to bleed when I forget this step.)
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I'm with you on the duct tape thing.

I like to strip and re-finish the handle before hafting the axe.
 

Talk about backed up on projects, I finally got around to hanging this True Temper Kelly Perfect Jersey that I bought when Ronald Reagan was president.. Paid $10 bucks of REAL money for it back then.:eek:

I hung it on a used haft that I octagonalized , the old haft has some grain run out. But, hey...it was a wet boring day here in the holler..
 
quinton said:
BTW, First time swinging a Jersey. They take a big bite, and make the chips fly!
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Nice job. Jerseys are my favorites now for some while, though I'd love to find a true Kentucky pattern, obviously!

On a straight handle, I bet you find it is one you'll find yourself using a lot!
 
quinton said:

I finally got around to hanging this True Temper Kelly Perfect Jersey that I bought when Ronald Reagan was president.. Paid $10 bucks of REAL money for it back then.:eek:
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That's a fine looking axe. I wouldn't mind taking a few swings with that beauty. I like the fact that the heel and toe are both fresh. They cut so much better like that.
 
BG_Farmer said:
Nice job. Jerseys are my favorites now for some while, though I'd love to find a true Kentucky pattern, obviously!

On a straight handle, I bet you find it is one you'll find yourself using a lot!
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Thanks.. . and yes, I LOVE the feel. It will become a go to user for sure!
 
Square_peg said:
That's a fine looking axe. I wouldn't mind taking a few swings with that beauty. I like the fact that the heel and toe are both fresh. They cut so much better like that.
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Back then I'd never seen Jersey, but I knew it was in fine shape. I had to have it!
 
quinton said:
Back then I'd never seen a Jersey, but I knew it was in fine shape. I had to have it!
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I'm with you on that. I've never seen one up this way (I don't think Walters ever made that style) and would have jumped all over a nice clean one (and likely as not even a beat up version) 20-30 years ago. That's a bona fide man's axe; the eye has more wood purchase than others and the big blade ought be lovely for cleaving rounds.
By the way, nice job with the hang and good choice of handle.
 
300Six said:
I'm with you on that. I've never seen one up this way (I don't think Walters ever made that style) and would have jumped all over a nice clean one (and likely as not even a beat up version) 20-30 years ago. That's a bona fide man's axe; the eye has more wood purchase than others and the big blade ought be lovely for cleaving rounds.
By the way, nice job with the hang and good choice of handle.
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Thanks!

I was but a pup when I bought that axe. I remember I just couldn't wait to get home and start workin' on hanging it! Long story short..it whipped my @ss back then. Those lugs made it hard to start a haft straight to begin with, then the ridges in the eye wouldn't let you get the haft out to trim it..it was just more than I had patience for back then. I put the head on a shelf in the corner of my shop where it had remained until yesterday.. Funny thing, after 50 or so hangs since that day a long time ago...it really didn't seem much different than any other axe.:D
 
Here's one from a couple of weeks ago- 3&3/4# E. C. Simmons Keen Kutter Michigan pattern

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First time using one of my handmade mahogany wedges.
 
Had a bit o' a hanging fest today. Got an axe marked Western Logger (unknown maker) cedar pattern hung, and a Ye olde (mid 1920's) Craftsman jersey hung today on some old Hickory blanks I carved out last year. Grain is fairly good on them, one is damn near perfect, maybe 10-15 degrees off, the other about 20. Both on 36" hafts.
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Good looking axes there DarthTaco. I like the picture on your woodpile as well - Jerseys are photogenic.
 
Several weeks ago I bought a Lakeside boys axe. It has some mushrooming on the poll and at the top of the eye from being banged into the handle. So, not the original handle but it is nicely shaped. It came with a metal wedge but no kerf cut into the handle. Gave me the option of fitting then cutting the kerf myself.
Hung it lower and used a Danish oil/BLO mix to try to hide my rasp marks at the head.

On the way out.
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Filed out the nicks but didn't mess with the grind- seems alright for use.
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The handle is sound.

Lakeside
 
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Looks good to me! I've got that Rixford R-49 that's got a banged out eye at the bottom so that'll take a bit o' special care when it comes to hanging (not so lucky for me, eh?). Gotta select a piece of maple for it and get to work.
 
I did file the top/inside smooth to fit it again. That is the most open part of the eye- more room to work.

The bottom of the eye? See what you're saying. Not easy for an ordinary, standard-sized file. Chain file?

Something round? Time.
 
This is the latest hang. It's a Smart's 4 lb. axe that comes from a long defunct axe maker from Brockville, Ontario, Canada. From my research, it is at least 50 years old. After giving it a vinegar bath, I worked it over with a new orbital sander up to 320 grit paper, then I filed off the butt mushrooms. The edge needed some re-profiling, then a good sharpen. I hung it on a 36" hickory handle, on which I rasped a 1/2 flat surface on the inside and outside of the haft. (I am working my way toward octagonal handles and learning how to eyeball a straight, flat line.) Sanded the haft up to 600 grit to bring out the grain and then 5 coats of beeswax. When it warms up here, I will sit the head in some BLO for a day.
 
Good looking axe with interesting history.

When you're serious about octagonalizing get yourself a Stanley #151 adjustable spokeshave or equivalent.
 
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