Lets use those axes for what they were ment for.

I'll put this here since its as good a thread as any. The following story is of an axe head that wasn't used for what it was meant for. Around ten years ago my brother found an axe head in the "wild" portion of our property. After cutting off some mushrooming that was approx. 1/2 inch by 1/4 and hafting it, being a newbie I thought I had restored it. I rediscovered it last year and made a horrifying discovery. It had a misshapen eye and, with further prying, a huge crack on the poll plus tons of smaller offshoots. The following pics are what happens when a good axe head is used as a wedge and beaten with a metal hammer for X amount of years. A good axe head was harmed in making this discovery. The crack in the eye is the tail of the one on the poll. If I'd thought of it I could have gotten pics of cutting torch flames going through the poll into the eye via that crack. The large crack was revealed by peeling away some loose chunks of metal. I (mostly) straightened the eye with anvil and ball peen hammer. In your esteemed opinions, is this fixable? Could I (forge?) weld a new poll on it at some point when I'm an experienced blacksmith/welder?
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That'd fill up with welding rod. It wouldn't color match but it's not that hard to do. Use a migraine though, stick welding makes waay too much heat
 
I appreciate there is some nostalgia there but it's a 'no-name' head and it's really beat. For the time and effort (and skill plus luck) involved it'd be far wiser to start scouting around for another head. As a paper weight or door stop you've got yourself a heck of a conversation piece as Square_Peg has already suggested.
 
Miller'72: Attaboy I see that you're carefully nurturing some hemlock saplings. Out my way the mature stands of these are not rejuvenating themselves. I don't know what to blame this on (climate change, overharvesting, absence of forest fires, introduced insects, disease) but it has become a concern Province wide.
 
300Six said:
Miller'72: Attaboy I see that you're carefully nurturing some hemlock saplings. Out my way the mature stands of these are not rejuvenating themselves. I don't know what to blame this on (climate change, overharvesting, absence of forest fires, introduced insects, disease) but it has become a concern Province wide.
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Thank you.
All of the above and a simple lack of or full diconnect for the relationship we need with forests and their species as we clear cut for the next development and replant with non natives and invasive "pretty" species.
I see that here 300 six as well, although in my case(yard) the eastern White pine saplings grow so fast and dense they choke out the hemlock even the beach don't always break thru.
I rescued about 21 saplings two seasons back, stepped up most last season and the winters have taken 4. I will strategically plant in and around the yard this season for their longevity.

Three previous hemlock plantings are all dedicated to my wife and two boys, something I made a to do about just so my boys would also have a seed planted. My mature hemlock & pine are declining just in my property and I fear I will lose my cathedral in my lifetime if I don't do this now:thumbsup:
 


Time to make some maple syrup! The maul is a mid seventies craftsman, 6 pounds. I tried fiber fix for overstrike protection, seams to work great. Hatchet handle is hand made from ash. I resplit a normal piece of firewood at least once for use in the evaporator.
 
Maine20 said:
Time to make some maple syrup!
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I've been doing that small scale for a number of years. We don't have sugar maples here but our Oregon big leaf maple makes a decent syrup - strong flavored - really quite good. I made 7 cups of syrup last Friday. My taps are still out but it's been a bit too cold for the sap to run (usually I have the opposite problem). I should get another quart this weekend. It's enough for me with some to share with family and friends.
 
Nice tools you guys,thanks...(great to at least look at some before going out to use all the power-tools!:)....

Beautiful old(-er?) beetle-kill pines,Muleman77,those "blues" are clear through these trees...Really neat woods alltogether,must be seriously pleasant to work in...Great!
 
jake pogg said:
Nice tools you guys,thanks...(great to at least look at some before going out to use all the power-tools!:)....

Beautiful old(-er?) beetle-kill pines,Muleman77,those "blues" are clear through these trees...Really neat woods alltogether,must be seriously pleasant to work in...Great!
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Square_peg said:
Great looking work!
You were wise to leave such a large hinge on that spalted pine.
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Thanks. We've been loosing a lot of nice ones, all over around here. Much worse south of us.
These were mostly all road hazards.
 
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