Fitting an axe handle 

Thank you

It sounds like you would do a great job Mary - give it a go!

I hate to disagree with your Dad, but half a century of fitting and making axe handles has taught me to leave the handle a little proud. When it's time to replace the handle it's much easier to hook out the metal wedge this way. I do agree with him on ash, it's a fantastic, local wood. With a shave horse and draw knife it's easy enough to shape anew helve from a billet of home seasoned ash. I must video that process!

Consider me your RU-vid Grandpa 🙂

Thanks, that's very kind of you 🙂

Thank you! And welcome to the channel 😉

You are so welcome!

Excellent - let me know how you get on?

Glad it was useful

Really glad you enjoyed it! The cottage in the intro is our cottage - no-one knows how old it is. There are records back to the 1700s but an expert looking at the handmade bricks believes it at least 100 years older than that.

Totally agree about the varnish!

So glad it was useful 👍

Thanks Pete!

Most welcome!

Thanks for watching!

Thank you! Hope it comes in useful

Excellent, Brades made very good axes indeed!

Very good point!

Thank you so much. Hugh

Thanks Norman 😁👍

Will do, chutneys, pickles, soups & canning?

@@EnglishCountryLife For me the first three are I suspect the ones I'm likely to have a go at. Thanks!

Will do - there's a Blackberry Port video starting on Friday 😉

Thank you!

Fantastic - what types do you have?

I absolutely agree, brilliant tools

Thank you and welcome!

Managed to replace two axe handless today. I had just pounded them both on their current handles over a year ago. Split, crooked and atrocious. Using the wood rasp I custom fit a double bit Craftsman then on to the over 100 year old German axe found while metal detecting here in Florida. A holdover from the German American Lumber Company that scalped all marketable timber in Florida in the late 1800's. An odd shape with three spines each side to grip the handle and two triangular shaped wings each side. It took me several hours of little by little removing wood and shaping the handle but thanks to your tutorial I've got two great looking axes. Sanded the new handles down to bare wood and applied boiled linseed oil. Now to learn a proper sharpening technique. Cheers

I haven't but I've some lovely seasoned ash I felled a few years ago...

It's been passed on to a great guy who will use it well 🙂

Good morning Andrew, thanks for the kind words. I've not done one on pickaxes. My way does not involve bolts or wedges, they are designed to be friction fit I put the new, dry handle in from the top. Then then turn the pickaxe over. Put it over an old board (so the head is near the ground) and give the thick end of the handle two or three sharp raps on the board. The weight of the head will seat it. After that I will give the handle three coats of boiled linseed oil letting each coat dry. That swells the wood grain for a really tight fit and protects the wood. Hope that helps Hugh

​@@EnglishCountryLife Hi Hugh, thanks for the advice which I am following. I needed to remove wood; the metal axe goes 13 cm short of the top. With a wood rasp I have removed material to get the wood shaft further up metal pick axe hole. I’ve gone from 13, to 8 and now down to 4 cm. I aim to take it to 2 cm. Before I take any further action what would you advise? Thanks for the tip of looking for the score marks on the wood in how much wood to rasp off. I used a pencil to shade in these areas, the idea being I wouldn’t rasp off too much. Repeating this process (and looking down for gaps) ensured the wood matched the profile of the oval hole that increases in size from bottom to top. This way I can achieve a really tight fit especially if the oval is not 100% symmetrical. Thanks for explaining what a patina is, this is new to me. I cleaned off the rust with a circular wire brush on the end of my electric drill. This media will not take photos so I am unable to confirm if my pick axe metal is really is covered in a patina. I think it is, so I’ll bees wax it. I feel this will make it easier to maintain my axe head.

@@andrewboxall8460 I'd go no less than 2.5cm (1 inch) protruding Andrew

@@EnglishCountryLife Job done! Thanks for the prompt reply Hugh. I've stopped at 3 cm. I'm chuffed to bits finding your programs on restoration of old tools, miles in front of all the others out there on RU-vid. Next is the sledge hammer. Many thanks again Hugh.

@@andrewboxall8460 That's really kind of you Andrew - thank you & Merry Christmas 🎄

I'm thinking of offering it as a subscriber giveaway so stay tuned! Sharpening a spade is easy, I'll do a restoration series when I find a suitable donor. Changing the shape is hard as its 3 dimensional

Thank you sir!

Alright Mark. Hows the health mate?

@@hillbill79 im getting there, still have mobility and dexterity issues, buy waaay better than i was even six weeks ago

@@maveraver God to hear mate. Seems a lot of us (back from bcuk days) have had shit to deal with. Life I guess. Keep the wood carving flowing! A toast to your health my friend!

@@hillbill79 aye, guess we are all just getting older and things that we used to shrug off to a certain degree, don't easily get shrugged off anymore, im telling people though that im in training for 35 -40 years time ;-)

The tightness is occasioned by wedging the head rather than by rasping to a tight fit

Generally epoxy resin. It's not just unnecessary but counterproductive with properly fitted wooden handles

@@EnglishCountryLife agreed. Thanks for identifying it

Hi John, Kent pattern axes were English pattern utility and cross cutting axes in sizes from a small hand axe up to a large felling axe. We explore grinds and shape more in the video below ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Jwh0aQucT88.html

I'm sure you mean handle rather than head 😉. It's definitely strong enough & being such an oily wood it would resist rot well. It was traditionally used for walking sticks (as well as shillelaghs 🙂). The shortcomings are that smaller pieces have a lot of thorn nubs on the side that are a right pain to remove & shape. If you could get a really big piece and quarter it (to prevent it from splitting whilst it seasons), dry it for a year per inch of thickness & then shape it with a draw knife, it should be beautiful & functional

@@EnglishCountryLife Thanks for taking the time to reply. I cut a bit piece here in Ireland recently (5ft) I will quarter it as you suggest and let it season for a year. All the best. Adrian (I assume by 'quarter' you literally mean to cut it in 4 shorter pieces?

@@burning4902 Hi Adrian, quartering is splitting it lengthwise, like pizza slices (Google quarter sawn wood). Wood splits when drying because the rings cannot dry evenly. A quarter sawn piece can flex at the edges. The final plank cuts off the "crust" of the pizza and the point..

The eye generally tapers so it is wider at the top.

I've never found it necessary tbh h I've not had a well driven in wooden wedge back out

Is that it in the vid?

It is indeed, its a fantastic little axe!

@@EnglishCountryLife Yeah, a cruiser is almost a perfect axe. The only one that is almost perfect. They can do anything! I like the ideas behind American axe designs. We never really cottoned on a middling axe. We either had big felling axes or hatchets. They worked though.

The nearest we have is a limbing axe like a Scandinavian. 24" is a handy length

Hi Natalie! Are you on Twitter or Instagram? If so, end me a picture @engcountrylife and I'll take a look!

@@EnglishCountryLife I'm afraid I dont have either. I tried to link to a photo but I don't think the link is allowed as my comment was deleted. I'll try your website contact form...

Hi! The Woox forte is a friction fit axe. This is the same mechanism used in tomahawks & pick axes. It's not intended to be wedged.

@@EnglishCountryLife thanks

@EnglishCountryLife so do I set it by tapping it on a hard surface or do I just start using it ?

@@eurika7655 Turn it upside down and give the end of the helve a couple of sharp raps on the floor to firmly seat the head then use it 👍

In most stores here Marco "boiled” linseed oil is not just linseed oil that's been boiled, but linseed oil that has been boiled with chemicals to aid polymerisation. These additives can make it toxic. Raw linseed oil is fine as is traditional boiled ( that is very rare) but most ”boiled” linseed oil should not be regularly used without skin covering. If in doubt, gloves is my motto gimmethegoodstuff.org/is-linseed-oil-toxic/

Its a good question and I should use raw linseed more. I'm not concerned about the axe in hand because boiled linseed polymerises in air so its safe when dry. I ought to invest in an oil press an make some!

Thanks Dave, I hope you find other stuff to interest you on the channel - its a broad range of self sufficiency / homestead type stuff 🙂. Hugh

Hi Samuel, is it the wood wedge that backs out? If so, do you make your own wooden wedge? Hugh

@@EnglishCountryLife yes, wooden wedge. I make them myself.

@@samuelkurvits2073 Okay Samuel, 3 possibilities 1) If the angle of your wedge is too wide, it will back out. They must be a very acute angle make the finish rough, not smooth so that it grabs. 2) The wood is not completely dry. If it has even a little moisture it will shrink and come loose. 3) The fit of helve to head is too loose allowing the handle to flex & spit out the wedge If those 3 are correct it should be fine, but lock it with a metal wedge to be sure. 3) You

Okay, thank you so much. Next time i'm going to hang an axe i'll remember these tips. I think my problem was that i sanded my wedges really smooth.

Sadly so - now that heating is getting expensive, I wonder if it will come back?