HELP NEEDED choosing proper adze handle and how to hang an adze?

[Aj35]

Hello all I am in the processes of purchasing a Collins legitimus adze head. I plan on ordering either the "carpenters adze" handle #3200 or the "railroad adze"#3300 handle from Tennessee hickory to go with it. I am leaning towards the carpenters adze handle but any recommendations would help. I was also wondering how to properly rehang it. I remember reading something that said you don't have to use a wedge which confused me. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your respons

es.

 

[Aj35]

here are some pics of the adze head

 

[Steve Tall]

I'd go with the carpenter's adze handle, although measurements of the top of the handle would be useful for comparing to size of the adze eye.

The handles are installed like a tomahawk handle, or a mattock handle: slide the bottom (narrowest) part of the handle through the top of the eye, and slide all the way down until it makes a tight fit (with the eye) at the top of the handle, with maybe a half inch of handle extending past the top of the eye once it's on tightly. Some rasping, filing, and/or sanding of the handle will probably be necessary to make it slide down far enough and fit well in the eye. Holding it upside down (head down) and banging the top of the handle a couple times on a block of wood will help to seat the head on the handle, once it's fitted adequately. The handle can be loosened and removed by banging the bottom of the handle a couple times on the block while pushing the head down.

Someone with more experience with adzes may weigh in and add something that I missed.

 

[jake pogg]

Steve pretty much said it all...
I could add that it was also customary to wedge the front or the back of the handle inside the eye,to adjust the angle of the tool to the handle.It was done by very practiced users because it gave them the correct(for them)attitude of edge at contact with wood.For a novice it would be pointless,plus,you're not intending to make a living with this,10 hrs a day?Well,it don't matter then.
Adzes had mainly this type,the compression,eye,for unhandling to sharpen the tool,as they commonly had a bevel inside.(the one in the photo needs an edge ground before it can be sharpened).
The tool is used bevel-up which makes it darn aggressive,you want to learn to carry the stroke through.
All in all,an adze is a challenging tool to learn,but gratifying,and one heck of a work-out!
Best of luck with it,Jake.

 

[halfaxe]

I would only add that I concur that a carpenter adze handle is what you want. I see a few old adzes with the handle put in reversed. They will work either way but there is a "right" way. A wedge doesn't work well because the socket has a larger taper than an axe and it's made just for a friction fit. You could wedge the side of the handle as suggested above. I've never seen a handle wedged in the center like an axe.

 

[300Six]

Do these handle makers give you haft dimensions at the eye? Could be railway adze eyes are different dimension from carpenter versions. Obviously you'd appreciate if this fit right from the factory and certainly wouldn't want to find out it was too small.

 

[Old Axeman]

Your adze is a railroad carpenters head. There were 3 styles of adze handles- house carpenter, railroad carpenter, and ship carpenter. the length was 34-36". Any of the styles should work in your adz, it just depends what you want to use it for. As stated, you do not want to wedge the handle. You only want a tight compression fit on all sides of the eye. If you try to wedge to adjust the angle as suggested you will find that the head will not stay tight very long under hard use. It is hard enough to keep a tight handle even with a proper compression fit when you use the adze hard all day. You also only want 1/4" or less extending above the eye after the handle is driven in extremely tight. Any more above the eye will hit the stick you are adzing on your follow through swing. The follow through is very important to prevent tear out. For a look at the 3 adzes and their traditional handle shapes look at page 13 of "An Ax To Grind"

 

[Aj35]

Thank you guys for the information. Did I do well in choosing an adze? I was really excited to find one with the collins legitimus mark because most of the adzes on eBay have no mark or a mark I have never heard of.

 

[Square_peg]

I was taught that the proper swing with an adze is directly under your boot. I've tried this and it works fine. But I'm a scaredy-cat and wear steel toed boots when working this way. I will do rough work like barking while straddling the log but fine work is under the toe.

 

[Steve Tall]

I was taught that the proper swing with an adze is directly under your boot. I've tried this and it works fine. But I'm a scaredy-cat and wear steel toed boots when working this way. I will do rough work like barking while straddling the log but fine work is under the toe...

I've read of contests where the adze-men would aim to split the sole off their boot. That would take some nerve.

 

[Old Axeman]

Yes,under the toe is one method. The adze is a dressing tool and usually follows the broadaxe on log and timber frame work. In house carpentry it is also useful for dressing rough flooring. Think of it as a plane with a handle. Again, follow through is critical. A slight kick up at the end of the swing takes out a clean chip with no tear out and a very smooth adzed surface. But with this method you stop short of your toe. In the adze contests when I was much younger we stood on a cedar shingle and tried to spit the shingle in 2 equal halfs. Heard about the sole splitting but never saw it as nobody wanted to wreck a good boot!
Peg your carpenters adze with the ridges on the outside looks like some True Tempers I used to have. I may still have one around some place. Your handle is a house carpenters and looks very proper on tht adze.
Aj35-that is a nice railroad adze but you will need to file the bevel to look like pegs carpenters adze.
When working I enjoyed using the adze almost as much as the broadaxe. Broad axe is still my favorite of all edge tools.

 

[Aj35]

My adze just arrived and its way bigger than I expected. It's 9 inches long with a 4 1/2 inch cutting edge. I'm now leaning towards the railroad adze handle.