Unless i plan on using a round steel wedge i don't bottom the wood wedge out. I'm getting better at determining wedge thickness and thinning them out enough to go down a ways but not all the way. I like the idea of getting the wedge down in there and pressing against the inside of the eye as much as possible. I believe this is key to a good hang that will last a long time.
I have few old handles around that can’t be rehung, but I also couldnt bring myself to get rid of either. Great idea for a way to reuse a nice old piece of hickory!This followed me home the other day. It is not an axe but I did hang it! I had a handle from a Plumb Connie that was cracked but I saved the bottom because it just had a perfect palm swell. So I used it to handle this pull saw. Honestly whoever had this before me knew what they were doing. It feels like it was literally just sharpened and the teeth have such a wide set. It tore through some seasoned walnut I had with ease!!
I used some brass rivers instead of the nuts and bolts they had when I got it. I think it turned out good!
This followed me home the other day. It is not an axe but I did hang it! I had a handle from a Plumb Connie that was cracked but I saved the bottom because it just had a perfect palm swell. So I used it to handle this pull saw. Honestly whoever had this before me knew what they were doing. It feels like it was literally just sharpened and the teeth have such a wide set. It tore through some seasoned walnut I had with ease!!
I was thinking that because all but one of the hung axes I’ve picked up have had step wedges, but then again most of them are probably from the later 1900s, and most had probably been rehung before I got them.
It all has to do with the years they were produced. I’m sure someone with more knowledge than me will help us out here.
Yeah that would be great I'd love to know what era my head is from!
IMG_20181030_165959 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20181030_170026 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20181030_203326 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20181030_203620 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
IMG_20181030_212129 by Justin Lyttle, on Flickr
I put the head on the handle on the third then sorta lost interest until yesterday. I looked at it and decided the head was too light to be on a 36 inch handle. The eye was kinda small anyway so I figured I would drop the head down to the line as shown below. I forgot to take progress pics but I ended up doing that and taking 3/16 to 1/4 of an inch off each side of the handle and 3/8 from the top part of the handle about like the lines show. 6 hours later this emerged. I'm looking forward to trying it out. Despite the bad omen that "Dare to be Stupid" was playing when I started work on it, it turned out ok. I used the handle on the axe in the last pic as a template. I'm not sure why the handles appear to be tapering in width in the last pic.
