Help needed to salvage axe head

[BusyBeaver]

I have a Kelly axehead that someone has evidently used as a splitting wedge, thus bulging the eye.
Do ya'll have any suggestions for hammering or squeezing the eye closed a little bit to straighten it up? I'm afraid heating it to red hot will ruin the temper.
Thanks,
BB

 

[svk]

I think heating it up will be best. Many folks throw an axe head in the fire to burn the wood out of the eye with no ill effects.

 

[old guy]

Put it in a big vice & apply some heat to the eye area with an acet. torch, maybe the vice alone will do it.

 

[rarefish383]

Keep the heat off the blade. I'm pretty sure they only heat treat a couple inches up the blade. Even better would be to wrap the cutting edge with some of the heat protective tape they use for welding, without heating up the surrounding area, Joe.

 

[7sleeper]

Don't understand the problem. If you heat and ruin the hardness, who cares. If you can get such high temperatures to get the axe head red hot to reforge the eye, then you should have no problem whatsoever rehardening, tempering and anealing the axe.

7

 

[rarefish383]

On the other hand, I'd get one that has not been abused. I go to several farm auctions every year and you can buy a bucket full of ax heads for $5. If I see a nice old double in the pile, I ask the auctioneer to sell it separate. They always pull it out, because the bucket will still go for $5, and I'll go $5 on the single ax, Joe.

 

[BusyBeaver]

But this is a Kelly Works axe, not likely to find one at an auction cheap. Kellys are highly regarded as having good steel.
Plus I found it on my property and it has some sentimental value.
BB

 

[Big_Eddy]

When burning the old handle out, they used to say to stick the blade in the sand before burning, to keep the heat away from the edge and preserve the temper.

I'd do the same here - stick the edge in a bucket of sand up to the eye, heat with a torch until just starting to glow, then place on an anvil and tap the eye closed. Put the blade back in the sand as soon as you're done to keep the heat away.

 

[olyman]

When burning the old handle out, they used to say to stick the blade in the sand before burning, to keep the heat away from the edge and preserve the temper.

I'd do the same here - stick the edge in a bucket of sand up to the eye, heat with a torch until just starting to glow, then place on an anvil and tap the eye closed. Put the blade back in the sand as soon as you're done to keep the heat away.

beat me to it.............

 

[rarefish383]

But this is a Kelly Works axe, not likely to find one at an auction cheap. Kellys are highly regarded as having good steel.
Plus I found it on my property and it has some sentimental value.
BB

Sentimental value trumps all. Old farmers did buy good axes. They do show up in $5 buckets of broken ax heads. Did you check out my Kelly Perfect in the "Old double ax" thread? I think I'd trade 10 Kelly's for my American Beauty, maybe 10 more for my mint Collins Legitimus. Not saying it's not worth saving. It is. Especially if you found it, Joe.

 

[svk]

I'll grab a pic next time I'm at the cabin. I have a lightweight axe made from the good half of a busted double bit. It's too light to do much but good for carrying in a pack when canoeing.

 

[rarefish383]

Might be good for throwing? Just a week or so ago someone had a pic of throwing axes, and I forgot who already. But, I think I'll start throwing again. We used to throw at playing cards with the goal of splitting the card in half. The person with the two biggest pieces won. Throwing a double is a real anxiety release. If you split the card in half you just pretend it was the guy that flipped you off in traffic the other day. If the blade hooks your shoulder, you forget about every pain you ever had before, Joe.

 

[svk]

It's cut off right behind the eye so probably not much good for throwing?

 

[svk]

Found an old pic in another thread although not a close up shot.

The axe on the lower left is the reformed double bit.

 

[rarefish383]

Wow, until you look at the handle, you don't notice anything strange, good job, Joe.

 

[svk]

Not sure if you can see the chunk missing near the head too.

I've taken using my Fiskars chopping axe as well as the lightweight one third from left as of late so really have no need to rehang it due to the damage.

 

[user 122190]

Refreshing an old axe is a great time to show it off. Next time I'm doing mine Red White and Blue.

http://www.arboristsite.com/community/threads/broke-my-axe-handle.309356/

Mine is not as pretty in the pictures, but still better then new.

 

[Greenerpastures]

Take it to a black smith, or heat it yourself and beat it back into shape.
They are heat treated well over an inch from the edge, so try and keep
the heat away from there, if it is a good axe head, it would be worth sending
to someone who makes heads, to heat hammer temper and re sharpen.

Hope it all works out, Regards, john