AXE BELL DISPLAY

Museum was closed yesterday...opens today at 1p.
Soccer has me busy into the afternoon...i am not going to get there today.

The old Collins axe factory is still a conglomerate of many venders, as it has been for the past few years...Antiques on The Farmington.
 
Museum was closed yesterday...opens today at 1p.
Soccer has me busy into the afternoon...i am not going to get there today.

The old Collins axe factory is still a conglomerate of many venders, as it has been for the past few years...Antiques on The Farmington.
What about those honey holes you were hoping to check out along the way? Anything good?
I'm bummed because it's pouring rain here today. My one planned day off and this damn storm has ruined it.
Oh well at least it didn't take my house with it like some poor folks.. Count your "blessings" I suppose...
 
What about those honey holes you were hoping to check out along the way? Anything good?
I'm bummed because it's pouring rain here today. My one planned day off and this damn storm has ruined it.
Oh well at least it didn't take my house with it like some poor folks.. Count your "blessings" I suppose...

At 10a i was about to head out, but decided to check their website first...i then redirected my energies to yard work to free up weekend time for family fun and my boys soccer.
Not my 1st choice...but the smart choice :confused:;)

I will need to check back, but weekdays are my best time to escape and hunt. My weekends are locked down thru soccer season.
 
Axe bells were very common in hardware stores back in the day, you see them often enough at antique stores or auctions, they usually bring about $300 min, I think I've seen a dozen or so the last few years. I know a guy who makes new ones as well, but charges about $350 plus it's like $80 to ship.

I have acquired a CNC machine and designed an axe bell in 3D Autocad to be cut out and assembled with no hardware, just glue, so it can be shipped flat and save on shipping costs. I however have not cut/assembled one yet, still in the design phase, I want to make it out of Plywood or MDF, as a cheaper option to keep the price low. Would be easy enough to swap out for nicer wood for "premium models"

I'll keep everyone posted as the project progresses.
Good Afternoon, I just wanted to check in and see if you had made any progress on your axe bell?
 
Got the bell done.


Anybody got any axes? I need a few more...
Kick ass man! You've got me all pumped up to make one now. I'm working 6 days a week so it'll mean my day off but whatever! Anything you'd do differently next time?
Looks awesome man! Don't worry you'll fill that thing up ten times over inside I hear I'll wager...
 
Thank you
Kick ass man! You've got me all pumped up to make one now. I'm working 6 days a week so it'll mean my day off but whatever! Anything you'd do differently next time?
Looks awesome man! Don't worry you'll fill that thing up ten times over inside I hear I'll wager...
Thank you! Yeah, I had an oh shoot moment that winter would be over soon so I figured I better get moving. I think this one will serve it's purpose. There are many different options. So I will probably go completely different on the next one. I hope you do make one! I can't wait to see some other variations!!!
 
looks great!

does it handle double bit axes as well?
I actually stuck a couple in there. The smaller cruiser size fit just fine. The larger ones hang out over the edge. I don't have any sheaths yet, so it is not exactly ideal. There is a single layer that had a DB holder in the beginning of this post. But it just held a few. I am sure we will come up with something collectively that could accommodate double bits better? thank you for checking it out! It really was a lot of fun. And a good practice run. I hope to do a couple more.
 
Got the bell done.


Anybody got any axes? I need a few more...
Wonderful! I'm imagining it spinning slowly making music box tunes, oh no one else? Nevermind then I'll stay in my own head! Haha. Looks great man, wish I had those skills! You'll fill it up eventually! Room to grow was a good idea!
 
I was inspired by this thread and made an axe bell for myself, actually a half-bell.

I went to a local fleet supply store and asked in the back if they had any empty wire spools - we found one and they gave it to me for free. Using it as a basis for the bell, I took the spool apart and cut one round piece in half - the bottom and back pieces you see in the pictures. The two pieces are joined with L brackets routered in, and a few screws for good measure.

I had an old, grungy 1x8 board which I used to make dividers. I planed it down to bare wood then cut pieces from it on the chop saw, making simple angle cuts for each divider rather than prettier curved cuts (a band saw is on my wish list!). The dividers were glued in one at a time after measuring with different axes - I varied the spacing so I can fit different axes in the bell. I also shaved with a paring chisel the inside edge of each divider, where the blade touches, to make extra room for axes with bigger cheeks. I found four hard plastic feet that come from something I took apart (can’t recall what), and epoxied them on the bottom so the bell can slide around the concrete garage floor if I need to move it around. The blocks holding cruiser axes on top work better than I expected - I screwed but did not glue them down so they can be removed later to cut notches if I decide to add another. I won’t put double edged or fire axes in the bottom slots as it seems like a ridiculous hazard to store them at toe level with an exposed cutting edge. The whole thing got coats of BLO until it stopped soaking in.

I put a number of axes in the bell for a photo when my wife noticed it and said, you have so many axes, what are they all for? I didn’t point her to the large box of unfit axe heads, or the pile of hafts, or especially the enormous covered mound of axes I hung last winter. Instead, I explained the history and use of each different axe on the bell until her eyes glazed over and she thought of something I could help her with in the garden, which I happily obliged.

Thanks to the BFers who posted photos and thoughts on this thread. Your inspiration helped me create a nice looking, functional holder for my personal user axes!

70E11FA4-0628-4985-BD77-8B3A86EA45F5.jpeg9FB78318-4A1F-4C1C-B0BB-AB1F8CEB0B85.jpeg65FC5804-6E28-4A8E-81DB-B0411ABAA178.jpeg
 
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I was inspired by this thread and made an axe bell for myself.

I went to a local fleet supply store and asked in the back if they had any empty wire spools - we found one and they gave it to me for free. Using it as a basis for the bell, I took the spool apart and cut one round piece in half - the bottom and back pieces you see in the pictures. The two pieces are joined with L brackets routered in, and a few screws for good measure.

I had an old, grungy 1x8 board which I used to make dividers. I planed it down to bare wood then cutpieces from it on the chop saw, making simple angle cuts for each divider rather than prettier curved cuts (a band saw is on my wish list!). The dividers were glued in one at a time after measuring with different axes, the spacing varies so I can fit different axes in the bell. I also shaved with a paring chisel the inside edge of each divider, where the blade touches, to make extra room for axes with bigger cheeks. I found four hard plastic feet that come from something I took apart (can’t recall what), and epoxied them on the bottom so the bell can slide around the concrete garage floor if I need to move it around. The blocks holding cruiser axes on top work better than I expected - I screwed but did not glue them down so they can be removed later to cut notches if I decide to add another. I won’t put double edged or fire axes in the bottom slots as it seems like a ridiculous hazard to store them at toe level with an exposed cutting edge. The whole thing got coats of BLO until it stopped soaking in.

I put a number of axes in the bell for a photo when my wife noticed it and said, you have so many axes, what are they all for? I didn’t point her to the large box of unfit axe heads, or the pile of hafts, or especially the enormous covered mound of axes I hung last winter. Instead, I explained the history and use of each different axe on the bell until her eyes glazed over and she thought of something I could help her with in the garden, which I happily obliged.

Thanks to the BFers who posted photos and thoughts on this thread. I love having an easy place to set my personal user axes!View attachment 1566337View attachment 1566338View attachment 1566339
That's cool! And you have a nice selection of axes to display in it.
 
That's cool! And you have a nice selection of axes to display in it.
Thanks, my axe collection hits a peak every year during maple syrup season because during boils I like to restore and rehaft axes I've accumulated during the year. The number diminishes over the summer and fall when I give them away to friends and family. The ones you see on the new half bell are mostly my users, not shown is the large pile of recently finished axe restorations.
 
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