How To I don't know what I've done wrong.

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Slickwillytfcf

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Oct 1, 2017
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I've hung three axes in my life: first was my grandfather's old Jersey pattern 4.2 Plumb and more recently, and most troubling, are two double bits - one 3lb Plumb and a 3.2 Collins Legitimus. I was out working on a tree today and noticed that both of the double bits are working loose after about ten minutes worth of swinging. Again. For the second day in a row.

Obviously I'm doing something wrong, but I don't know what since the 4.2 Plumb hasn't had a single issue. The two handles I got for the double bits had to be trimmed down quite a bit, and the kerfs widened, to fit the smaller eyes. When they started coming loose yesterday I brought them back to the shop and used the end of an old file placed on the wedge to drive them much deeper than they were initially set. I drove cut off wedges in to make up for the space created and put a bit of BLO on top and let them sit overnight. I thought the problem was fixed, but ran into the same issue today - barely any progress on the tree before the heads moved a quarter of an inch or so. So my question is obviously what I could be doing wrong, but I have at least one other question about the details of a properly hung axe. When the handle is shaped properly and the head is hung, should there be a small 'shelf' of wood created where the bottom of the head meets the handle or should I rasp that down some more to see if the head gets more purchase?
 
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Beachlogger said:
The kerf widened, to fit the smaller eye part has me confused
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The handles were made for axes with much larger eyes and, after I took enough material off to get them to fit, the slot where the wedge goes was smashed together. I cut some more out of it so the wedge wouldn't have a problem getting smacked in. It was still tight, but I assumed that driving the wedges deeper and letting them sit overnight with more BLO on would tighten it up enough to hold them.
 
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phantomknives said:
i bet the handles dried out if the kerf widened, or maybe the wedge
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The time it took between getting the handle shaved down to getting the head on and the wedge set was maybe twenty minutes, and I then loaded it up with BLO (in addition to what I put on the wedge before I hammered it in).
 
Beachlogger said:
May have been better to continue taking off material from the outside to make it fit
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The only reason I didn't initially do that is because it was getting to the point that it was so loose I could put it almost all the way on and take it off without using a hammer. I was thinking about taking the handle off to see if trimming it down would help now, but I'm probably just going to have to get a new handle and start over from the beginning.
 
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Slickwillytfcf said:
I've hung three axes in my life: first was my grandfather's old Jersey pattern 4.2 Plumb and more recently, and most troubling, are two double bits - one 3lb Plumb and a 3.2 Collins Legitimus. I was out working on a tree today and noticed that both of the double bits are working loose after about ten minutes worth of swinging. Again. For the second day in a row.

Obviously I'm doing something wrong, but I don't know what since the 4.2 Plumb hasn't had a single issue. The two handles I got for the double bits had to be trimmed down quite a bit, and the kerfs widened, to fit the smaller eyes. When they started coming loose yesterday I brought them back to the shop and used the end of an old file placed on the wedge to drive them much deeper than they were initially set. I drove cut off wedges in to make up for the space created and put a bit of BLO on top and let them sit overnight. I thought the problem was fixed, but ran into the same issue today - barely any progress on the tree before the heads moved a quarter of an inch or so. So my question is obviously what I could be doing wrong, but I have at least one other question about the details of a properly hung axe. When the handle is shaped properly and the head is hung, should there be a small 'shelf' of wood created where the bottom of the head meets the handle or should I rasp that down some more to see if the head gets more purchase?
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If I ever have a problem like that it’s moisture related. Hickory handles that I use manufactured down south are going to loose some moisture in my climate. Get them dry.

I prefer little or no shelf or shoulder on a haft. It’s a crutch to hide poor fits and make handles appear stronger to the unsuspecting by the makers.
 
garry3 said:
If I ever have a problem like that it’s moisture related. Hickory handles that I use manufactured down south are going to loose some moisture in my climate. Get them dry.


I prefer little or no shelf or shoulder on a haft. It’s a crutch to hide poor fits and make handles appear stronger to the unsuspecting by the makers.
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I'm in Florida so I know the humidity is potentially a factor, though I had the handles in the house for a few days before using them.

I guess I'll get some more wedges and try to refit them before I try to start from scratch. Thanks.
 
Was the wedge thick enough ?
You want the kerf 3/4 the depth of the tool eye, and you want to size the wedge so it goes all the way down and try to make sure it's not too thick to go all the way down.

It's best to have the wood already trimmed to to where about 1/4 will stick out when hung when you set the kerf depth and Suze the wedge.
 
Hickory n steel said:
Was the wedge thick enough ?
You want the kerf 3/4 the depth of the tool eye, and you want to size the wedge so it goes all the way down and try to make sure it's not too thick to go all the way down.

It's best to have the wood already trimmed to to where about 1/4 will stick out when hung when you set the kerf depth and Suze the wedge.
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The wedges were tall enough, and if anything they may have been too thick since I didn't really trim any off that much of the thickness. They certainly went quite a bit deeper when I worked them in with the edge of the file versus just laying a board across it and pounding it in. That's why I figured it would work after that.

Sounds like I'm just going to have to take quite a bit more time getting the fitment better, or just start from the beginning. What's the best way to make sure they're dried out well enough before mounting?
 
Slickwillytfcf said:
When the handle is shaped properly and the head is hung, should there be a small 'shelf' of wood created where the bottom of the head meets the handle or should I rasp that down some more to see if the head gets more purchase?
Click to expand...

That's your problem right there. You're not getting a tight fit in the eye because the haft is topped by the shelf. Rasp that off. Push the haft at least 1/4" through the eye and leave that 1/4" protruding. That portion of haft will swell wider than the eye. Make certain your kerf is deep enough that the wedge never bottoms out. Try applying some Swel-lock to the kerf and wedge just before assembly. Pound the wedge tight and let it sit overnight before trimming it. After trimming the wedge use a wide flat punch (your file edge will work) to drive the wedge 1/8" into 1/4" of protruding haft. The haft will swell over the wedge locking it in place. Do these things correctly and it will never come loose.
 
The fact that the curf is already cut gives you a false sense of how much wood needs to be removed.
On your next one you might try stuffing something in the curf that will keep you from "cheating", then when you got it sticking out 1/4" out the top take out your shim stock and figure out what you need to do to the wedge to get optimum fill
 
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