How to Pick and Hang a Store-Bought Axe Handle
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- Опубліковано 3 лют 2019
- Today in the shop I am rehanging an axe on a hardware store handle. These handles are usually made with less than optimal wood characteristics, but when you know what to look for, and take the time to customize them, you can come away with a handle that will serve you well for a long time.
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Not complaining nor criticizing... just offering a different view. Although my Dad was career military. No matter where we were in the world, he always had a side job of putting new handles on Axes. It was a job his father had thrust upon him during The Depression (Grandpa owned two hardware stores). But he never used the word "handle", nor have I ever heard the term "hang" in regards to a new handle. Haft was used both as a noun and a verb. That piece of wood you put into an axe head was a haft and the act of putting that piece of wood into an axe head was "to haft". But an axe could only be hafted the one time, every subsequent job was a rehaft. I never saw him use any glue. Just moments before the haft was driven for the last time, the inside of the slot was filled with Boiled Linseed Oil and the wedge was soaked in it as well. Once the wedge was driven, the top of the haft was cut to the desired length and filed (like you do) and the axe was put top down in a shallow pan with a thin layer of linseed oil for 2 days. Final finish was whatever the owner wanted. In one of our many conversations in the hospital before he passed I asked him how many axes he thought he had hafted or rehafted and he said it had to have been over 5000... but less than 100 were store bought. Broken axes still came to their house for about 5 years. I'd help mom return them with a note explaining why they could not be repaired. Dad has been gone for 12 years now, Mom 8. The lady who bought their retirement house says she still gets 2 or 3 axes in the mail every year.
Wow! Thanks a great story my man. Thank you for telling it. Your Dad sounds like one hell of an axe man! I haven’t had good luck with heads hung with BLO in the eye, which is why I switched over to using glue. I’ve heard from other old timers that “Get the hang of it” comes from successfully “hanging” an axe. I love everything about axes, and most commonly use handle, and hang, but I also use haft to describe both. Thanks again, and axe on👊
That's a beautiful story!
Thanks for sharing.
Awesome comment. It gets tiring and old seeing comments like " I watch a lot of regardless videos and yours is by far the best out there". I was involved in racing for 25 years starting in 1977. We had a few terms and phrases. Now I go back to the track 20 years after I quit and every kid ( they consider themselves veterans) knows every phrase and term that has been made up in the last 25-30 years. Your comment is constructive and comes from old experience. Did your father have a gnarly beard? Seems that is necessary now to show your value.
@@spudth No, US Air Force didn't allow beards. 😉
What kind of racing? I was heavily involved in Historic and current TransAM in the 90s and 2000s.
@@ramosel regional Dirt. My employer did SCCA GT4?
The day a person thinks they are smart enough on subjects as they will not take advice or look at different ways to do things, they are smart as they will ever be. Thanks for the videos, wealth of knowledge, glad I found this channel. I have to request more woodlore clone type knife making videos. Keep the videos coming!!
Love your QC inspector...nothing is going unnoticed!.
I'm from S.W.VA and recently found seven vintage axe heads of my Father's.Im hanging the one remaining handle now and coincidentally the technique I use other than shaping a fawns foot is identical to yours.Well done friend.
It's nice to see some people liking the old stuff and reusing and fixing the old stuff good Craftsmanship
Haha! Love your daughter sneaking into the frame there! :) Awesome video...as usual!
That red wedge made a nice two toned effect. Really nice!
After watching , I'm feeling I haven't been kind enough to my axe & other tool handles over the years. Excellent detail work.
I thought I would have to break down and buy a saw for this, and here he is using the exact, more or less, same one I already own, and love.
To help your brother with his overstrikes you could wire your handle. The old woodsworkers in my area always wrapped the area behind the head with soft 19 gauge galvanized wire. Take about 20 feet of wire and tie it to a building or tree - the other end goes into the eye of the axe or is tacked to the side. Pull tight then start walking to the building keeping tension on the wire and wrap the handle. Tap the wraps tight together with an axe file as you go. When you run out of wire tap in a tack, wrap wire around tack and drive tack flush. It is amazing the abuse an axe handle will take when it is wire wrapped. About 4-5 inches of wrap is usually enough.
Use copper wire and then clear epoxy over it. Beautiful. For real abuse, use fiberglass cloth and then resin it in. Several layers for a lifetime handle.
Thanks sounds good... I ve been using duck tape but your idea sound better!
Hey. You probably never read the comments ...but I learned so much ...I wanna take time to thank you ....that was Awesome ....very informative... thanks again Craig. Pa. Guy
Thanks for the compliments Craig!
I've hafted my fair share of axes, and am an experienced amateur at best. This video is rad....thanks for making it!
Our old Stanley axe finally bit the dust after too much time out in the woodpile and too many overstrikes. Your clear and concise description of how to rehang it made the job easy and straightforward. It's so much better to repair the old tools than junk them and buy new ones. Like another commenter, I did have to make a thinner wedge when the first one was unworkably chunky, but that's easy enough to do.
Finding a decent axe handle was close to impossible, though, which really surprised me. I made the rounds of every hardware store in the county trying to find one that wasn't dangerously badly made. Bad runout, lousy kerfs, knots(!), bends, you name it. I finally asked my local-est Ace hardware if they'd be willing to order a new batch, since what they had was badly picked over. They did, and there was a pretty good one in that batch. Not perfect, but good enough.
Of course now we've got a lovely, pristine, glisteningly sharp axe and I don't want to put it back out by the woodpile :>)
Thank you!
I am 73 and spent a lot of time in hardware stores searching, now I spend a little extra and order a Hoffman’s, let Liam do the picking and never look back.🪓🪓🪓🪓🪓⭐️
I would love to get a Hoffman axe. And yes, he does amazing handles.
Always appreciate hanging out in the shop. Thanks for your efforts.
Thanks Owl!
Awesome man.
I know this has never happened to anyone. But I'll add, make sure your bit is not upside down before you send it home.
Lol!
Yes some axes have the bottom of the axe as the wide and and the top the small. Cuz some are made wrong.
@@fallingsuncreations9270 or perhaps they're made that way on purpose? Makes sense, having it wider at the top allowing a wedge to retain the ax head that way...
Hey I wanted to thank you. I just hung a true value red warrior using these tips. Thanks so much.
The patience, you love your brother very much. Really took the time to do it right.
You are a great craftsman and I throughly enjoy watching your videos. I learn a lot and they are very calming! You are the woodworking Bob Ross!
Glad to see I'm not the only one who's used a rail spike to knock out old handles lol
Good guide to hafting an axe without complicating the process needlessly. And it's always good to see someone who isn't knocking store-bought handles. Sure some _are_ terrible - more than once I've picked through a bin to discover that all had the grain at 60-90° to the striking axis - but not all of them and as most people don't have the tools (or inclination!) to make one from scratch it's important to spread the word on how to select a good one from the commercial offerings.
But actually I'm mainly posting because I wanted to compliment you on that awesome sanded chamfer on the butt end, that was a thing of beauty.
Thanks for the feed back and compliments. I love making handles from scratch as much as the next axe junkie/wood worker, but sometimes a store bought handle is just as good if you know what to look for, and how to add some finishing touches. Thanks again
Hey Brother. I hear you say that people have poor comments for your work. Who cares! I’ve been watching several of projects and have enjoyed all of them. As well, learned slot thank you, and keep having fun.
Thanks Jaret!
subscribed to your channel about 2 hours ago. then started watching axe hanging videos and this one came up!
Great tips for working with a store bought handle. I've seen a few of your handle hanging videos and the only suggestion I have is to make your wedges a little thinner. You always end up with a really tight precise initial fit that driving the fat wedge blows out the cheeks and doesn't get down. I love your videos - looking at your shop and the tools you use is very real life for most people...I hate when people on other channels are using $10k power equipment for a basic project. Keep up the good work.
I wondered this entire day long why store bought wedges have such a radical angle, Im making a wedge for an axe I am rehandling and mine will end up less tapered, just a slight bit to push outward enough
I have replaced a few axe and hammer handles. I have never thought about making them. Working works of art. Very nice.
Great video, I like to watch your "old School" craftsmanship.
You do a great job not only explaining things but also anticipate questions. Thanks for the great videos.
Loved the way you worked the
Wood. Gave me some great tips thank you.
Thanks, Very, very good vedio.
As a union carpenter and a
machinest over the years I
have replaced many hammer
and ax handles for co-workers
and friends..I only have one
thing to add to your great
vedio.After you are finished,I
soak the whole head in linseed
oil as it causes the wood to
swell and not dry out to keep
the Head tight.
Again great vedio!
Nice job
I had always previously bought the hardware store handles, always having to settle for less than perfect. Recently, I was gifted a vintage Plumb National Pattern axe head and am restoring and rehanging it. Looking on ebay those axe heads are expensive. I guess they are sought after collectibles. Shopping my local stores, I wasn't happy with what was available, they were all 36" and I wanted 32" for my single bit beauty. So decided to splurge on a 1st quality handle from an Amish family company in Penn. With shipping it was $50. Apprehensive ordering from just the images on an ebay auction, I took a chance on it. When it came I was so pleased with it! It is truly the nicest handle I've ever bought. If you have a real special axe, it could be worth the extra cost for a quality handle.
good job on the axe hanging! i enjoy the time in your shop!
Another informative & helpful video. You & your brother are doing a great service to the general UA-camrs in all your videos. I would also like to echo a few of your other subs by say it's nice to see you use common tools. I also think you have the best shop elf! Thank ya'll!
Really nice video. It would encourage me to feel I could do this myself. Great detail and positive music etc make positive vibes
Happened upon your channel and love the content. I'm a hobby metal detectorist amongst other things and dig up old lost heads from time to time. Actually have one in process of restoration. Look forward to trying your tips/technic to rehandle it and bring it back to life.
This was an excellent video on how to replace an axe handle. And that’s what I have to do next thank you!
Thank You. I'm in the process of hanging a new handle, and your instructional video was very helpfull. Great Job. I value the attention to detail. It's how I do everything. God Bless U and Yours.
Very nice. Learning a lot from you. Thanks!
Man! I'm your biggest fan! Excellent job! Congrats from Brazil!
Thank you so much!!
Yeah, I did enjoy that, I had no Idea there was that much to know about an axe handle and selection.
My favorite place to get handles from the Amish
1st view of your videos. Very nicely done! Just learning this trade and I appreciate your simple way of doing a simple thing. Love your shop and can tell you've been at this stuff for a while now and I am sure have learned from some wonderful mentors.
Definitely real good information. I have about 50 heads that need handles
Beautiful work.
thank you , i had know idea how that was done or even that's what it meant "hang" an axe , extremly vaulable skill set 2 know , awesome of you 2 share your knowledge , lookin forward to next video , peace
Nice work.
Thanks Tom
9:18 Hi to you too.
I've been using the steel cone wedges that I buy from BeaverTooth. They flare the handle evenly. I do enjoy your channel.
Amazing tutorial!
Thank you.
I have fitted axe handles for years but I loved your approach to this, I learned a lot from your video. I just removed a busted handle from my double bit axe 2 days ago. Cant waite to try what I just learned from you. Thank you for a very well made video.
Great video. I’m about to do this myself for the first time with an old jersey style axe head and hickory handle. I don’t have all the nice tools but I’m gonna give it a shot and this helped a lot
Good luck. Ive done handle shaping with just a 1/2 round rasp and sand paper. Piece of cake.
I learned today while hanging my first ever axe with the same handle you are using that once it’s tight the whole axe rings the next time you hit it. Lol
Love it.
Great video and congrats on 10k! Can't wait til the next one.
This is great I can't wait till you have like 1 million subs so I can say I was here since 9k keep this up man really great content!
Enjoyed the video.
Great video! Really helped me.
Wow! I have that same axe head with the ridges on the inside. I never knew it was a Kelly true temper, great job and thanks for the info
Eye ridges often are a sign of a Kelly Woodslasher. No always, but a good place to start. If you have remnants of red paint as well, it’s almost guaranteed.
very well done sir
Your work is great, and even more than that, great aura. Cheers
Thanks brother!
First video of yours I have watched. Enjoyed it and very similar to the methods I use when hanging an axe.
Now you need a "Maker's Mark" branding iron to sign your work! (I'm in the same boat with regards to that...)
I am a new fan for sure. I am watching videos in reverse order but wow. I love them all. I also like how your dog is hanging out sometimes and your daughter kinda video bombs you here and there. Reminds me of mine.
Thanks for watching and the kind words Gabe! Love a good dog or kid photobomb.
Nice work and i have the same toolbox Craftsman!
Like #180..WOO HOO!!!!! WHAT?!!!....no measure marks burned into the handle? Liked that idea so much I was gonna start doing that to all of mine...lol
Great video. Thanks.
I love the store bought handle you used to rehandle your brother’s axe. Great job. Use a block between the wedge and the hammer and you probably won’t split or miss direct your wedge. Keep up the good work!!!
Nice video. I don't know why I am always fascinated with watching videos of replacing axe, shovel etc handles and restoring tools. One thing I'm not sure if it really helps but scoutcrafter or wranglerstar I forget which one mentioned to drill across the bottom of the kerf for the wedge to prevent splitting. I'm not sure if it really helps but I would give it a go. Also for the overstocked maybe wrap some leather, piece of tin, or wrap it in wire to prevent having to replace the broken handle again.
Hickory is a beast.
Grain is not as important, as most people that usually don't have a ton of experience using axes think it is. Also a thick handle, can break easier than a proper thin flexible handle. Metal wedges are not needed, only thing they do, is to make the procedure to change an old or broken handle, more difficult.
Scraping all the varnish of is called boning it off. The sharp edges of broken Coke bottles make good scrapers. You can smooth a piece of wood smoother than you can with sandpaper. I put an oil finish back on my axe handles, usually Trujillo if you can find it. I use boiled linseed oil for the first few coats after I darken the wood with a torch. I cut off the part of the handle that extends through the eye with a hack saw and glue the wedge to the handle. I know it is Vogue to let the handle extend through the eye but I never have and my axe heads stay on as good as any bodies.. I do seal the end of the handle with the same finish I use for the handle. Since my axes are True Temper axes for the most part, I redfish them and paint them in their original red color. After getting the wood wedge in I drive an appropriate size metal wedge, diagnolly, into the venter of the handle. The one thing you need to remember is you will have to replace the handle at some point so do not do anything to make the handle a permanent part of the axe head.
We have plenty of "Big Box Hardware Stores" where I live. The day of the " Mom and Pop store" are gone. I find it hard to find axe handles in the big boxes stores the last one I was in had 2 handles. There are a lot of online stores that sell a variety of handles but you never know what your going to get. Do you have a particular online dealer that you have had success with or do you buy primarily off the shelf? Your brother is blessed that he has you to rehang his axe heads for him,,,lol. Beautiful job.
Ace hardware stores are independently owned. What they carry carries from store to store but they carry handles.
Great job !
Looks great!
Thanks!
a thrill to be like #1000 Happy new year!
My grandfather left me an American ax blade (with logo number 9) I don't understand the meaning of the logo?. and I'm keeping it as a very valuable keepsake. I once heard him say that white ash is an optimal choice for the handle of an ax. my grandpa is gone...i always keep it and will restore it someday. thanks for your good video, tutorial. Happy New Year and support your content. I subscribe to your channel, thanks for letting me watch this video. bless you. You ok. Hot boy👍
Lot of fun to watch! Ty! :)
New subscriber love the vids, I recently got into vintage axes and anything axes. I did my first hang yesterday with a Home Depot handle. Runout was terrible and has bits of heart wood throughout but I figured would be good experience. Hung an old axe head I found at an antique place, looks to me to be a Connecticut pattern withe offset ridges. It was a tough hang but so far so good.
Godspeed brother!
Top job, watched this video after your "Making a Bushcraft axe" video. Subscribing was an easy decision.
Great video. I recently did a cold steel tomahawk project after watching and getting some ideas from another UA-camr (Doug L). Your video has given me a few ideas... now I need to start a new project: Cold Steel Tomahawk Mark II.
Thanks! Doug Outside did a cool video, and I have done that same mod as well. I love my cold steel trail hawk. Good luck.
On a good axe, you need to put a protector on the handle to protect against over strikes. I use 10# leather, cut to fit the top four or so inches of the handle and then laced up the top, tightly after soaking the leather in water, overnight. I use leather thong to lace it up, just like a boot, pulling it real tight. When it dries and tightens up I coat the leather with linseed oil to protect it. Linseed oil will make it real tough.
I have a couple axe heads and handles.
After watching this video I don't want to do this myself.
I want it done by a guy who has done it a hundred times
That’s no fun, lol. The best part is doing it yourself and then using it, knowing what you have done to get there. We all start on the first one.
@@TheArtofCraftsmanship
Okay.
I'll send you my axe head and a handle and you can have the fun of hanging it.
It's a fun challenge to make your own tool handles, but most of the time I just order them from House Handles in Missouri. It's a small family business that makes the handles themselves from local hickory. You can order them with or without sealant, and it's def. worth the extra dollar they charge to pick a good one rather than just pulling from the top of the pile. They also have a fair number of hexagonal handles available, as well as handles for tools that mostly exist as antiques--like adzes, for example. And making a felling axe handle is one thing, but goddamn is it nice to already have the bend in there for a hewing axe.
Listen how the sound of each rap changes on the final seat. You can hear the fit.
I love it!
There's more than enough hickory in that handle. Thinner profiles allow better flex in the system. Theory is this actually extends the life of the handle and reduces shock.
9:17 Photobomber in the background lmao
Thank u
9:18 🙋👋
Nice
I also drill a hole in the end of the handle for a leather thong to be used to hang it in my shop on a nail. I also make a mask (sheath) for all of my working axes. This protects the edge and keeps it from cutting me. I hand stitch the sheath and use copper rivets in the corners and snaps on the strap.
You can use wire cutters/dikes, to pull nails/wedges without having to dig/drill into the wood. . Just lay wire cutters horizontal, with curved portion of cutters on bottom, must have enough exposed to grab onto,,but the curved , round part of cutters you use as a fulcrum, or leverage upward. Hope I explained it that makes sense
Do you scrape/rasp file both sides of the new handle fitting the axe head, & putting graphite on inside of head
The crack in the handle lines up with the metal cross wedge.
Sweet!
All my axes have store bought handles. The one thing you need to make sure of is the width of the eye and the length and type of handle you want. I prefer a handle of about 31 inches on a single bit and longer on a double bit. I also prefer a doe leg handle on a single bit and straight on a double bit. Any dimensional differences or shape I can change later with my draw knife or files.
I like to leave the factory varnish on until the head is hung. I end up taking on and of the head maybe 10 times before I'm satisfied, so it gets handled a bunch. I just finished a double bit that the only tools used was a razor blade and a hand saw. I'm never quite sure how proud to leave the handle above the head? Thanks for the great content!
Nice work once again👍 congratulations on 10k ! Next stop 100k 😀👍
Thanks Brother. I snapped a screen shot at 9,999 this morning. I really appreciate your compliments! Still need to send you that email😉.
The Art of Craftsmanship No hurry, ill be around awhile 😀👍
@@OUTDOORS55 just came across this comment!!!! 100 is right around the corner. Hop to see you for the 100,000 live stream. The week after Christmas hopefully.
You don’t really need to mark graphite in the eye, when ya fit the head it already marks the handle. And all the dark spots are where ya want to take off, don’t take off where it hasn’t marked unless your head is leaning or isn’t sitraight to your handle.
Wildfield forge axes are hand forged with 20 year garantee. And a third of the price of hand forged American made.
I'd love to know the proper name for the tools you use. Such a great video! I'm not familiar with some of the wood shaving tools... Otherwise, keep em coming! Really appreciate the information!
New sub'er. Nice video.
Thanks Wes! Welcome.
It’s just me- i mark the handle with a pencil once it’s right, knock it off one more time and coat the outside with titebond II before giving it a home... seems to work on a couple levels, lubes it to slide in a bit deeper and seals the whole assembly. Done it twice in the past year on 2 different heads, Got the idea from watching Engels coachwork mixing steel, wood and titebond
Knowledge from an old-time logger on fitting the axe head to the
wooden handle: never file fit or sand the handle to final fit. Leave the haft a
little over sized to the eye of the axe head. BURN the haft head until hot
charred ambers form, insert the charred amber haft head into the eye of axe
head and rap the knob end of the handle until the head is seated. The heat of
the fire shrinks the wood and as it cools it swells tight in the axe head. The
hot ambers slough off for a clean fit. If you cut the knob end so it is square
or flat, no point, the handle is less likely to split when you rap the knob end.
I like that burning trick, I’ll have to try that out. Thanks!