What did you rehang today?

Good morning, I have a quick question. You got this from the 1940 catalog correct? I had found the 1921, 1940 and 1941 in PDF and saved them all. My question is that the 1921 does not have any axes pictured. Was Vaughan that late in the axe game? I don't have any other references other than these (3) catalogs. So I thought I would ask.
Correct, 1940. Sorry, I don't know about the 1921.

fwiw The 1940 used only "VAUGHAN" on the cover. Inside:
yzwVaYS.jpg



Bob
 
Man :(
more like, what didn't you rehang today :(

Just spent 2 hours working on a double bit handle. Got it from house and it was super super fat. literally like a handle blank. I spent forever filing and sanding on it until I got it slimmed down pretty good, and then started to hang the head, but somehow got the handle stuck in the head and can't get it out. :( I've never gotten a handle stuck in the head before.

this is my first double bit hang attempt and it sucked. I'm depressed. the whole garage is covered in saw dust, my shoulder hurts, and the handle is stuck most of the way in the head and I can't get it to budge. :( :(
 
Man :(
more like, what didn't you rehang today :(

Just spent 2 hours working on a double bit handle. Got it from house and it was super super fat. literally like a handle blank. I spent forever filing and sanding on it until I got it slimmed down pretty good, and then started to hang the head, but somehow got the handle stuck in the head and can't get it out. :( I've never gotten a handle stuck in the head before.

this is my first double bit hang attempt and it sucked. I'm depressed. the whole garage is covered in saw dust, my shoulder hurts, and the handle is stuck most of the way in the head and I can't get it to budge. :( :(
I've had that happen before man. It's no fun. Do you have a steel drift? I don't per se but I made one from some 1/4" mild steel. Some just won't come out. Happened to me twice. Is the inside of the eye rusty?
 
I actually just posted the page after this link to that "fixing a cracked handle" thread. It's odd for one past post to be relevant to two topics in the same day! Haha. Just thought I'd post the link for ya! It's down near the bottom of this page;

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/what-did-you-rehang-today.1064461/page-251

Edit; I just realized the other axe that got stuck is actually in that first picture! Haha. I had them both sitting in that rack drying out.
 
I've had that happen before man. It's no fun. Do you have a steel drift? I don't per se but I made one from some 1/4" mild steel. Some just won't come out. Happened to me twice. Is the inside of the eye rusty?

Thanks man, yeah it's funny because I just posted on another topic about how successful I've been at removing heads, etc. The inside of the eye isn't rusty, but it does seem really rough. I'm not sure how to proceed. I don't want to ruin the handle, though I may have already. I've crushed the crap out of the top of the tongue and even tried to drill the kerf back open to try to relieve some pressure. I don't want to destroy the handle because I put a lot of work into it.

tongue is a mess now :(


here it is, half on/half off. its in axe purgatory :(


HOWEVER, I was able to successfully hang an head this weekend, so all isn't lost.
I've had this 5lb Flint Edge Rafting head for a little while, and finally got a 28" straight handle for it. Again, from House, and spent quite a long while thinning it down. I octagonalized this one - except for the grip of course.

It turned out really well, and I really like this axe. Feels really good. Can't wait to put it to work next time I go out with the chainsaw.


Also, this Sunday we had a really nice warm (50s) sunny day, so I set out a few axes that I've finished lately to cure in the sun. Its amazing how much faster the tung oil polymerizes with a few good hours in the sun. Turns weeks into hours.

 
Thanks man, yeah it's funny because I just posted on another topic about how successful I've been at removing heads, etc. The inside of the eye isn't rusty, but it does seem really rough. I'm not sure how to proceed. I don't want to ruin the handle, though I may have already. I've crushed the crap out of the top of the tongue and even tried to drill the kerf back open to try to relieve some pressure. I don't want to destroy the handle because I put a lot of work into it.

tongue is a mess now :(


here it is, half on/half off. its in axe purgatory :(


HOWEVER, I was able to successfully hang an head this weekend, so all isn't lost.
I've had this 5lb Flint Edge Rafting head for a little while, and finally got a 28" straight handle for it. Again, from House, and spent quite a long while thinning it down. I octagonalized this one - except for the grip of course.

It turned out really well, and I really like this axe. Feels really good. Can't wait to put it to work next time I go out with the chainsaw.


Also, this Sunday we had a really nice warm (50s) sunny day, so I set out a few axes that I've finished lately to cure in the sun. Its amazing how much faster the tung oil polymerizes with a few good hours in the sun. Turns weeks into hours.

That is ironic. And horrible that it won't come off! It was perfectly seasoned I'm guessing? What's the humidity been there? Hopefully high... That's the only hope I can think of other than a proper drift. I hope you can get it man! I'm sure you will! :).
That's a handsome bunch of axes you got there! :eek::D. Some real lookers!
Hey how do you like your splitting maul on a curved haft? I didn't think I'd like it so I've always hung mine on straight hafts. I'm curious about how you like yours?
 
That is ironic. And horrible that it won't come off! It was perfectly seasoned I'm guessing? What's the humidity been there? Hopefully high... That's the only hope I can think of other than a proper drift. I hope you can get it man! I'm sure you will! :).
That's a handsome bunch of axes you got there! :eek::D. Some real lookers!
Hey how do you like your splitting maul on a curved haft? I didn't think I'd like it so I've always hung mine on straight hafts. I'm curious about how you like yours?

hmm, that's a good idea. it has been damp. maybe I could hit it with the heat gun pretty good and then pound on it. worth a shot.

and I've had that maul head on a bent handle for years and years. long before I got "in to" axes. I put it on a 36" bent link handle probably around 2007, and split countless cords of wood with it like that - well, I could estimate probably around 30+ cords. Finally the handle developed a crack where there was some grain run out on the handle - as I hung that axe before I knew how to evaluate handles, and the one I got had run out - So, I'm not too concerned about a little grain run out on a 3lb axe, as I had runout with an axe handle on a 8lb maul and split 30+ cords and countless overstrikes before it finally split. It is unlikely - no, impossible to put that much stress on a handle with a 3-4lb axe head on it.
 
hmm, that's a good idea. it has been damp. maybe I could hit it with the heat gun pretty good and then pound on it. worth a shot.

and I've had that maul head on a bent handle for years and years. long before I got "in to" axes. I put it on a 36" bent link handle probably around 2007, and split countless cords of wood with it like that - well, I could estimate probably around 30+ cords. Finally the handle developed a crack where there was some grain run out on the handle - as I hung that axe before I knew how to evaluate handles, and the one I got had run out - So, I'm not too concerned about a little grain run out on a 3lb axe, as I had runout with an axe handle on a 8lb maul and split 30+ cords and countless overstrikes before it finally split. It is unlikely - no, impossible to put that much stress on a handle with a 3-4lb axe head on it.
If you don’t have a steel drift you can make one out of hickory or whatever hardwood you have available. I have one made out of oak. I rest the head on top of my vice jaws and drive them out that way. Worth a try.
 
hmm, that's a good idea. it has been damp. maybe I could hit it with the heat gun pretty good and then pound on it. worth a shot.

and I've had that maul head on a bent handle for years and years. long before I got "in to" axes. I put it on a 36" bent link handle probably around 2007, and split countless cords of wood with it like that - well, I could estimate probably around 30+ cords. Finally the handle developed a crack where there was some grain run out on the handle - as I hung that axe before I knew how to evaluate handles, and the one I got had run out - So, I'm not too concerned about a little grain run out on a 3lb axe, as I had runout with an axe handle on a 8lb maul and split 30+ cords and countless overstrikes before it finally split. It is unlikely - no, impossible to put that much stress on a handle with a 3-4lb axe head on it.
Also I learned the hard way to fit the head to the handle before putting in a lot of work shaping the handle because you never know what may happen.
 
If you don’t have a steel drift you can make one out of hickory or whatever hardwood you have available. I have one made out of oak. I rest the head on top of my vice jaws and drive them out that way. Worth a try.

Yes, I have a Hickory drift I made out of an old handle. I use it every time I hang a head, but it wouldn't budge this one. I also used a large bolt as a drift but even it wouldn't budge the handle, it just crushed the wood down
 
Yes, I have a Hickory drift I made out of an old handle. I use it every time I hang a head, but it wouldn't budge this one. I also used a large bolt as a drift but even it wouldn't budge the handle, it just crushed the wood down
Dang that sucks I hope you can get it off and save the handle. Good luck man.
 
Flint77, I have had handles get stuck like that before. This may not work for you but what I did was sink the ax into my chopping block. It goes without saying that innocent bystanders should be clear of the area. After the ax is firmly set in the block I begin to wiggle the handle gently until some sort of movement starts. After the handle begins to wiggle inside the ax eye I would give it a light squirt of WD-40 and continue to wiggle to completely loosen the hold the eye has on the handle. Then I would go back to the vise and drifts. Sometimes I might have to repeat the process a time or two. This probably isn’t the best or most effective but it has worked for me in the past.
 
I've had some success with using a piece of wood (a thick, clublike piece of split hickory is what I use) to strike the bottom of the axe head. Hold the axe upside down by the haft and strike the steel, alternating sides.
Edited to add: Watch your toes and make sure that if the head falls off that it doesn't land on anything hard like concrete. I usually do this outside on the lawn.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top