It followed me home (Part 2)

And does this octagonal stock form for temperable steel still apply today? Personally I think that it makes for a much better log dog when the blades are tempered not so much for edge retention - though that's beneficial - but the harder blade will not deform as readily when pounded in. This is obvious from the tempered and un-tempered ones I use. One seller, Dictum out of Meten makes the specific claim to tempered log dogs, and these are the best, though by no means perfect, ones I've come across. Suppose the best is to have them made to your own standard.
 
YJ--As SP said, you want the edges 90 deg. from each other. I came to only using a solid staple shaped dog with edges 90 deg. from each other. In theory the hinged ones are better. In actual use, not better. The hinge always starts to wobble too much to suit me. For a picture of what I prefer, look at figure 97, page 46 of "An Ax To Grind". I really dislike pointed dogs, they dont stay tight and they chew up too much of the stick you are hewing. Your dogs are actually pinch dogs. Look close at their design and you will see that they are designed to draw two pieces, of what ever they are driven into, together. That said, your dogs will work ok for you because the edge holding the stick to be hewn, will be driven in parallel with the grain. It will hold fast and not chew it up. The edge driven into the yoak will have to be driven hard, contrary to the grain, and will chew up the yoak or trestle eventually. Yours are a lot better than spiking with scrap lumber. Any of these many videos you see on the internet when the hewer does not have the stick fast, look no further, they dont have a clue about hewing.
 
I guess I'm a little slow today... I was picturing 90° the opposite direction and I'm thinking to myself "how will this make it EASIER?". Lol. It finally came to me in a genius moment.
My girlfriend and I just got back from a new antique store in the area. The one booth that had things I really wanted was WAY overpriced. But i did grab a couple things from different booths. I think i got a swedish head. Hoping one of you may recognize the blue color and the weight stampings. Both kilogram and pound 20190330_131036.jpg 20190330_131102.jpg 20190330_151046.jpg 20190330_151054.jpg 20190330_151305.jpg
Weight is spot on! It is butter soft though...
 
"...It is butter soft though..."

Really?Kinda`surprising...Doesn't look like it's been exposed to high heat;paint still on,and it doesn't look ground to death...

It's a fairly intact,complete profile.Maybe it has never been properly ground past Decarb.You may want to pick at the edge area deeper.
 
jake pogg said:
"...It is butter soft though..."

Really?Kinda`surprising...Doesn't look like it's been exposed to high heat;paint still on,and it doesn't look ground to death...

It's a fairly intact,complete profile.Maybe it has never been properly ground past Decarb.You may want to pick at the edge area deeper.
Click to expand...
Oh it's bad... fills the file right up. Almost like it's wet. It's on par with the softest I've ever come across. I don't know this but I feel if I keep filing I'll just lose more bit. I'll try a little though as you suggested to make sure. Do you guys find that hatchets in general seem to be softer? I've found that to be the case especially with any newer hatchet. Like 70's forward.
 
Yankee Josh said:
I guess I'm a little slow today... I was picturing 90° the opposite direction and I'm thinking to myself "how will this make it EASIER?". Lol. It finally came to me in a genius moment.
My girlfriend and I just got back from a new antique store in the area. The one booth that had things I really wanted was WAY overpriced. But i did grab a couple things from different booths. I think i got a swedish head. Hoping one of you may recognize the blue color and the weight stampings. Both kilogram and pound View attachment 1101345 View attachment 1101348 View attachment 1101349 View attachment 1101350 View attachment 1101351
Weight is spot on! It is butter soft though...
Click to expand...
Looks like a Hults Bruk.
 
Yankee Josh said:
Oh it's bad... fills the file right up. Almost like it's wet. It's on par with the softest I've ever come across. I don't know this but I feel if I keep filing I'll just lose more bit. I'll try a little though as you suggested to make sure. Do you guys find that hatchets in general seem to be softer? I've found that to be the case especially with any newer hatchet. Like 70's forward.
Click to expand...
Run your file on the steel around the eye, poll and 1 inch away from the edge (temper line area). Different tones should give you better idea what you are dealing with. Maybe the edge has been overheated by grinding or whole axe was in the fire.
 
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A source brought all this back from a property that is going to be scrapped. I got a Stihl MS210 that needs some parts along with the bar and chain, a no-name quality peavey, an Atha (edit: straight) pein, a Klein Logan 8lb sledge, a W. Germany hatchet, some M splitting mauls, a 12lb M sledge, an oil can, a usable vintage double bit haft, and a factory Ford brush guard for my Highboy project. Now I have to decide, winch bumper or Ford bumper + guard?
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Ps. The electrical tape is a temporary fix, just till I can afford to throw money at something other than my highboy.
 
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Good score,A17,you can be pretty busy with looking after all this stuff:)

That Atha job is actually a straight pein...It's a scary tool,took a lot of guts to use it day in and day out...Something like this was necessary to pein a wagon tire,which needs to be is a section of a cone vs cylinder,and this is what you used to accomplish it...It built plenty character!:)
 
For a Highboy stick to the guard, a winch bumper won't fit the classic aesthetic, imo :D

Whatever you do for tires make sure they're OWL!
 
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If that's a Hults Bruk, the maker's stamp is on the other side of the weight stamp. Pre 1988 they were cold stamped, so they aren't very deep, or legible for that matter. The weight stamp is kilo/pounds, that would suggest Swedish , German or Austrian. If it's Swedish, by the '60s there were three production axe manufacturers, Hulks Bruk, Wetterling and Gransfor Bruk, (not the current Gransfor Bruk) There you've gone and used up all my knowledge. Being a rust hunter, I like tracking down tools.
 
In pre-88 HB’s, the stamp sometimes gets obscured by wear. I purchased a double bit that I didn’t even suspect was an HB until I got it home and took a closer look. All I found was a piece of the circle and the bottom half of the B. The shape, weight and colour on that head make me think its an HB.
 
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