Good to hear, I had totally forgotten about those!
Axe restoration thread
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Here are a couple pics of the Boys Ax. The one I'm working on is on the far left of the 4.
Pulled the square nails and screws out.
Started on the blade, it's in pretty good shape, a couple small nicks, mostly rust pitting along the edge.
After I got the nails out of the kerf, the head tapped off easy. The stick is still in good shape, so put a couple hours with the 4 in hand rasp on it. Thinned it a little and reshaped it to octagonal. But after trying to sand out most of the rasp marks, it's almost round again. Put one coat of BLO on it. Going to make a Black Walnut wedge today. After I get it all tight I'll put a few more coats of BLO and call it a day.
I think I posted this pic before? Does anyone know what this little ax is for. My guess would be a small "Mortising" ax. The hammer head is checkered almost like a meat hammer, and the handle hole is about the size of my index finger. The ball peen, for comparison, is a 2 ounce Plumb. The ax is the one that was in the bottom of a box lot my cousin bought for a dollar. I gave him a dollar for the ax, so he was tickled, he got the rest of the box for free.
Almost finished. I hand fit the wedge to the kerf. If you look at the store bought wedge it tapers rapidly from the top to bottom. The "point" that bottoms out in the kerf is not touching either side. The only point where there is good contact is half way up the kerf where it starts to get tight. The store wedge is Poplar, so it will deform and smash out and make a little better contact where it deforms. I hand fit the wedge so it's square at the bottom and just a couple thousandths thicker where it bottoms out, it's Black Walnut and pretty hard compared to the Poplar. Plus there is contact all the way down the kerf. I slathered in a good dose of exterior wood glue. I wish I had a good wood epoxy on hand , but I didn't. It says it will be fully cured in 24 hours, think I'll let it sit for 48 hours, then grind the rest of the wedge off. I might still get some epoxy and try to pump it down the groove where they had a square cut nail driven in.
great work!
what weight is that boys axe Joe? and how long is the shaft?
what weight is that boys axe Joe? and how long is the shaft?
I keep forgetting to weigh the heads when I have them off. The handle is 24 1/2 inches and the whole thing weighs exactly 5 pounds. It feels very head heavy. I just called it a boys axe because it was short. If you look at House Handles, their boys axe has a curved handle 28" and 2.25 pound head. My Plumb and Craftsman Boys heads are both 2.25 pounds. If the other guys say it's not a boys axe, I'll stand corrected.
I know there is variation around regions, styles and personal preferences but what do you guys think the scale is? Names, Head weight and shaft length ranges.... My guess:
Hatchet 1 1/4lbs 15"
House axe? 1 3/4lbs 20"
Camping axe. Errrrr
Boys axe. Errrrrrrr
Small felling axe 2 1/2 - 2 3/4 lbs 28"
Large felling axe. 3-6 lbs 32"+
??
Hatchet 1 1/4lbs 15"
House axe? 1 3/4lbs 20"
Camping axe. Errrrr
Boys axe. Errrrrrrr
Small felling axe 2 1/2 - 2 3/4 lbs 28"
Large felling axe. 3-6 lbs 32"+
??
I think I'll get the gray single in the middle next, I think I can save the handle. Of course it has a nail driven in it. The wedge is pretty soft, I pulled a big piece out with curved needle nose pliers and then cut the rest out with an Exacto saw. Head came off pretty easy. I tried to weigh it on my digital fish scale and the battery was dead, so I stood on the bathroom scale and held it, just about 3 pounds. I have a postal scale I'll move down to my junk room later, I don't have a flat spot to put it. No name on the head, it only has a couple dings on it, and was painted red. I think there is plenty room on the handle to reset the head lower. Oh, 36" handle.
A coupe pretty ones. The short handle Plumb cruiser is the one Multifaceted hung for me.
Farmboy338
New Member
I have fallen in love with the Jersey pattern axe, but sadly nearly no one needed anything heavier than a 2#head in my neck of the woods. Is there any of you that know of a way to ship an axe head from the states for less than the price of a new axe. I would love to get my hands on a beauty like rarefish’s next project.
Good Feller
ArboristSite Operative
Anyone know what this is called? I've checked the internet but can't find it. The paint reminds me of a hults bruk
Farmboy338
New Member
Looks like a pickaroon me to me, but have noe idea on make and moddel
Homelitexl903
CAD...The struggle is real.
Pickaroon.
Definitely a pickaroon and either a HB or someone painted it to look like HB. Does it have a makers mark?
Good Feller
ArboristSite Operative
Good Feller
ArboristSite Operative
I did some googling. From what I could make out on the handle, I thought it said dix industries, it looks like it might be a Dixie western star make. Thank you everyone. I kept looking for various kinds of picks and all I would get is pick axes. I would have never figured out pickaroon lol
Some yard sale finds for a few toonies. No names that I cans see, yet.
Too bad handles are hard to find here and expensive.
Too bad handles are hard to find here and expensive.
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