Metal wedges, where to ues them

Slim278

Slim278

Joined
Aug 24, 2016
Messages
319
So I'm hanging a sledge and the haft I found came with a small metal wedge. I have read elsewhere not to use them in axes. Is this so for hammers as well? If I am to use it does it go cross or diagonal?

Thanks
- Slim
 
Most of us skip the metal wedge. Just leave the haft protruding 1/4" past the top of the eye and wood wedge it solid. The protruding haft will expand larger than the eye.
 
Tapered metal eliminates having to start a wedge in a pre-made slot or saw kerf. Because of this these types of wedges often cause a handle to crack or split, not something you seek to experience on a fresh hang. Save the metal wedge for an emergency field repair or when it's not feasible to pull the haft in order to replace/renew the existing wood wedge.
 
I'm not a fan of metal wedges, they're a pig to remove when the handle snaps, and can crack the haft as they wont compress.
 
Slim, both 300 and Darth make good points. Look at the thread "what did you rehang today" the photos are worth a million words and very few metal wedges are seen.
 
Thanks everyone for the advice. The metal wedge will go in a drawer somewhere.
 
Slim278 said:
Thanks everyone for the advice. The metal wedge will go in a drawer somewhere.
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When I use an axe in remote locations I generally have an emergency steel wedge or two on hand. There's nothing as annoying or dangerous as a suddenly-become-loose axe head when you're in the middle of nowhere with a need to use the tool. There are metal wedges available that have a head on them and which can be removed when you get back home and have the means (vice, pry bar, mallet, new wood wedge etc.) to properly repair the hang.

axehafts1008Medium_zps55cdaf36.jpg
 
i never use metal wedges unless someone asks for them. i personally don't use them on my axes or hatchets.
i have a soup can full hardware i've removed from axes and hatchets. screws,nails of all kinds, metal shards, staples... you name it.
makes no sense to me to ruin a perfectly good handle by driving a metal wedge into the end of it.
plenty of videos on YT showing this being done because it is " how it has always been done "
 
I actually just asked a similar question here in the sledge thread --but never got an answer. Recently I hung a 40oz ball peen hammer and seriously question to use/not to use a metal wedge... Was hoping 300Six (hint hint) would follow up with his comment about metal wedges...
 
I had not seen the sledge thread. Great more to further my addiction on BF. Have been a member for a month and so far purchased my first ever custom knife, now I'm out shopping old hammers and axes.
 
I will say that the aluminum and steel are the only metal wedges I like, but that's simply because of how they're constructed.
 
1215 said:
I actually just asked a similar question here in the sledge thread --but never got an answer. Recently I hung a 40oz ball peen hammer and seriously question to use/not to use a metal wedge... Was hoping 300Six (hint hint) would follow up with his comment about metal wedges...
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A ball peen hammer has an oval eye. Expanding the eye wood in 2 directions is advantageous. Easiest is a traditional kerf-started wood wedge in one direction and then pounding in a metal wedge in the other. Conscientious folks on here, that are (and have been) much less in a hurry, have shown that two directional wedging entirely with wood is imminently do-able. Made perfect sense to me and my hat goes off to them. Caused me to try doing one that way (X wood wedge - on a 3 pound mini sledge) for a truck mechanic buddy a few years ago, who uses it every day, and it's held up great so far.
 
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300Six said:
Conscientious folks on here, with are (and have been) much less in a hurry, have shown that two directional wood wedging is imminently do-able. Makes perfect sense to me and my hat goes off to them.
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I call it cross-wedging.

Finished%20broad%20axe.JPG
 
Slim278 said:
I had not seen the sledge thread. Great more to further my addiction on BF. Have been a member for a month and so far purchased my first ever custom knife, now I'm out shopping old hammers and axes.
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I see no problem with this.

300Six said:
A ball peen hammer has an oval eye. Expanding the eye wood in 2 directions is advantageous. Easiest is a traditional kerf-started wood wedge in one direction and then pounding in a metal wedge in the other. Conscientious folks on here, that are (and have been) much less in a hurry, have shown that two directional wedging entirely with wood is imminently do-able. Made perfect sense to me and my hat goes off to them. Caused me to try doing one that way (X wood wedge - on a 3 pound mini sledge) for a truck mechanic buddy a few years ago, who uses it every day, and it's held up great so far.
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Thank you very much sir. I thought I had reached my limit once... and found my way back... and now this X wedge thing (and I happen to have a milk crate full of sledge & ball peen heads)... If we ever meet, you owe me a beer for creating my new addiction! (figuring out a cross wedge) Those cross wedge hafts make me drool.

Seriously though, Is the consensus that a cross wedge (metal or wood) is a good thing with an oval eye?
 
I normally metalwedge on hammers. Sometimes a straight, but usually a tubular wedge.
Btw, leaving protruding haft is not always good. For example clawhammers, it can interfere with clawpulling.
 
Lieblad said:
I normally metalwedge on hammers. Sometimes a straight, but usually a tubular wedge.
Btw, leaving protruding haft is not always good. For example clawhammers, it can interfere with clawpulling.
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The multi-directional expansion created by hollow conical metal wedges ought to be the "cat's meow". Except for the prospect of trying to remove them at a later date without ruining the haft. That's the rub with that technique.
 
cityofthesouth said:
When it comes to hammers, I'm all about the cross wedge. I've hung hammers that had pretty straight walled eyes and had no need to cross them, but for the most part, it's SOP for me.

catshead1 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr
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Hot damn COTS you do set the gold standard for functional (and pretty) work. Were that head to let go after what you've done I'll offer to eat my hat.
 
I'm going to pick on 300Six's post as a lead in for my comments:

300Six said:
The multi-directional expansion created by hollow conical metal wedges ought to be the "cat's meow". . .
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Here is a sledge with a conical wedge. I just took it out of my wood shed this morning for the picture - cobwebs and all.

29074643933_5459e63feb_c.jpg


I bought it 40 years ago when I started building my house, so I know the handle and wedge are original. Once I got a garage it got stored in there - sitting on the concrete floor head down. It has probably been used for about anything it was made for. Used it a lot to split wood with metal wedges. It seems like there was always snow on the ground when I did this, so it got wet many times when I set it down. And yes, it's had overstrikes. Finally got a wood shed 3-4 years ago and now keep it there. I have no recollection of what if anything was on the handle when I got it. I have never put anything on it my self.

So, that's the history on it and the head is still tight. One anecdote of a conical wedge on a sledge.

300Six said:
. . . Except for the prospect of trying to remove them at a later date without ruining the haft. That's the rub with that technique.
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Good point. I'll leave that conundrum to others. I suspect that if mine should need replacement it will a good excuse for me to give up sledge hammering. :D

Bob
 
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