I'm curious as to why several on the Forum act like it's a terrible thing to use a steel wedge in addition to a wooden wedge when you hang an axe. GB is extremely popular as well asl Council tool use metal wedges. What's the big deal? If it helps keep them tight why not?
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Why Not Metal Wedge?
- Thread starter dongotto
- Start date
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2013
- Messages
- 3,898
They can act as insurance but if wedged properly, an axe head should stay on fine with just a wooden wedge.
My issue (and I don't lose sleep over it) comes from digging them out of older axes. Handles I would like to reuse are damaged or get damaged trying to remove them.
In my experience, more often than not they start an unnecessary split in the wood grain in the tongue.
Do GB axes have a slightly bigger eye than their standard American counterparts? If so, then maybe there is more area to sink them and they cause splits less often.
Run them if you like - If your axe is sharp and you use it then it is personal preference I guess.
My issue (and I don't lose sleep over it) comes from digging them out of older axes. Handles I would like to reuse are damaged or get damaged trying to remove them.
In my experience, more often than not they start an unnecessary split in the wood grain in the tongue.
Do GB axes have a slightly bigger eye than their standard American counterparts? If so, then maybe there is more area to sink them and they cause splits less often.
Run them if you like - If your axe is sharp and you use it then it is personal preference I guess.
Good points just seems ridiculous that some act like you have committed a crime. If properly hung and used like most will use them it just seems smart? Any decent drill bit would take out the soft wedges ive used. Then a metal or wooden punch takes them out easy. I dont see the advantage other than a pride/pecker measuring contest. Its a tool set it up for worst case not kid gloves.
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2016
- Messages
- 796
I find them unnecessary. And as my ax heads are not coming loose driving unnecessary metal bits into my handles seems asinine. As was pointed out above they cause damage and splitting. If it comes loose, I rehang. You wont see any metal wedges in a top competitors axe either. You will see a roll pin, but no metal wedge. I believe several competition axe makers clearly state NOT to drive metal wedges into handles using the heads they sell.
Last edited:
Square_peg
Gold Member
- Joined
- Feb 1, 2012
- Messages
- 13,798
I don't find the need for them. But hanging without them takes some special methods. It's much quicker to just jamb a haft in the eye, trim it off flush, wedge it and add a metal wedge. It is something of personal pride to be able to hang an axe well without a metal wedge. Some of us get carried away with that pride - I'm certainly guilty at times.
Very well said. I get that. Some of you folks on here do amazing work.
There's been lots of debate about these on here. Because they don't require a pre-cut kerf they always split the wood rather than causing controlled expansion. Sure, if you're going to saw a slot to accommodate a metal wedge that'll work but then again you could have used a wood wedge. Hollow conical wedges are lovely (expansion forces in all directions) but they're a SOB to remove if ever you want to rehang the axe using that same handle.
Save your steel wedges for field repairs or lazy fixes.
By the way I am not dead set against metal wedges and am quite interested in exploring the use of long ago discontinued (1922-1943) Plumb take-up screw steel wedges because these are adjustable and removable.
Save your steel wedges for field repairs or lazy fixes.
By the way I am not dead set against metal wedges and am quite interested in exploring the use of long ago discontinued (1922-1943) Plumb take-up screw steel wedges because these are adjustable and removable.
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2016
- Messages
- 796
I have only seen the advertisement for these. Do you have a picture of the actual "devices"?
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2016
- Messages
- 1,927
i dont have any glue, so most of the time my wedges back out, what i'v started doing is cutting split nails in half and and use those. they're big enough to work and small enough not to split the eye
I don't have pictures either but in essence they are a gently tapered fully threaded screw, without a head, that were likely fitted to an undersized pilot hole. One of these in a oval eye or two in an axe eye ought to do the trick. Plumb of 80 years ago seems to have installed these in wood wedged eyes and in unwedged eyes. There has to be a reason these never caught on once the patent expired but this may be more a case of expense than actual usefulness.
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2016
- Messages
- 796
Very interesting
Here's another take on metal wedges. These have a generous head and are easily removed providing they're not driven in tight. They're not thick enough to serve as a primary wedge but they sure are handy to have tucked away in a kit bag or pocket when you are out in the bush and discover the head on your axe is loose.
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2011
- Messages
- 2,647
Here is one
Back in July I pulled a cone shaped screw just like that out of a little Plumb U.S.A. hatchet. I found it very odd and was going to put a picture of it in the things you have found in the eye of an axe thread so I kept the screw. Now I think I will save it and thread the screw wedge back into the eye when I re-haft this little guy.
Thanks for posting this thread.
Bob
I don't have any glue etc etc. Visible demonstration of split, and then split again, nails is in order. Otherwise I'd say WTF are you talking about.
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2016
- Messages
- 796
Thank you. I actually found and read that thread after posting. I just hung a 4lb Plumb and have two more Plumbs to hang. So I was "in the mood" for some Plumb reading.
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2016
- Messages
- 1,927
300, i'v seen quite a few guys using wood glue on their wooden wedges, what i was getting about is if you cut a split nail in half, it's just the right size, for me anyway, to A, keep the wood wedge in, B, make the fit better, and C, not slit the wood, you may disagree but it works very well as opposed to no wedge at all
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2016
- Messages
- 796
It is all fine and dandy to do whatever you want. I do not use glue or pins or metal secondary wedges. I have had very few issues of wedges starting to back out. And those that have were less than satisfactory to begin with. (We all make mistakes) A rehang corrects the issue. Correctly done and properly maintained you need nothing more. And frankly, that is something to be damn proud of.
If you glue your wedge it'll never come out and also can't be driven in further, meaning the haft can not be reprieved when it eventually works loose (such as all wood handled tools do). Then it becomes a question of pounding in metal wedges, nails, screws, sickle blades and key blanks ad infinitum. A crying shame when that particular handle is a first class stick with vintage form and thickness.
- Joined
- Aug 21, 2013
- Messages
- 3,898
Phantomknives, are you talking about one of these?
Are you taking one prong/tine/shaft off at/below the head then using them to shore up space parallel or perpendicular to the wedge?
Maybe driving them into the wedge with the head facing in line with the wooden wedge or facing the sides. A picture of one in place would be interesting.
No judgement = just curious.
Are you taking one prong/tine/shaft off at/below the head then using them to shore up space parallel or perpendicular to the wedge?
Maybe driving them into the wedge with the head facing in line with the wooden wedge or facing the sides. A picture of one in place would be interesting.
No judgement = just curious.