Axes and handles

[Mick Annick]

The first one is actually a coopers adze. All our wood handles are hickory. Ash which isn't bad, but won't won't hold up as well as hickory.

Don’t cooper’s adzes have a curved blade?

 

[Barking Mat]

I've got some weird and wonderful axe heads I got when I bought this house / hovel, I'll find some photos tomorrow, it's cold and dark outside. Possibly throwing axes? Suggestion I had?

 

[Screwdriver]

Gransfors Bruks splitting maul.

 

[Memmeddu]

Gransfors Bruks splitting maul.

How they fit the reinforcement tube under the head?

 

[Screwdriver]

How they fit the reinforcement tube under the head?

The top of the handle is fully protected with a steel reinforcing collar.

https://www.gransforsbruk.com/en/product/gransfors-splitting-maul/

 

[Migmac]

It will split a round into 4 but if you knock it into the side of a log and it will just get stuck. We used straight wedges of metal and wood to split trunks length ways.

I don’t need to split lengths in half, I just need firewood. Grenade isn’t designed for what you use a wedge for

 

[Memmeddu]

The top of the handle is fully protected with a steel reinforcing collar.

https://www.gransforsbruk.com/en/product/gransfors-splitting-maul/

How to fit it on an axe where it's not fitted?

 

[Screwdriver]

How to fit it on an axe where it's not fitted?

Sorry, you know as much as I do.

There might be a video somewhere showing them being made...

I'll have a look anyway.

 

[outofthefire]

Don’t cooper’s adzes have a curved blade?

I would have always guessed that, but no they're flat, we make quite a lot of coopers tools.

 

[outofthefire]

How to fit it on an axe where it's not fitted?

The sleeve slides on first then the head is fitted then the wedges stop it all coming off.

 

[Arc Tourist]

How to fit it on an axe where it's not fitted?

Make sure you clean out the slot in the axe head before final installation of the handle. If there is a slight gap between the wood and axe head, consider getting a tube of epoxy and spread it to fill in the void and provide a better bond when you drive the wedge in. Not sure about Sardegna, but here in the UK we can get epoxy at Pound Shop discount stores. Its cheap and does the job well enough.

 

[outofthefire]

If there is a slight gap between the wood and axe head, consider getting a tube of epoxy and spread it to fill in the void and provide a better bond when you drive the wedge in.

Absolute waste of money even from a pound shop. The handle want's to be a reasonably tight fit, dry, with a slot cut in it. Start the handle on a bit then hit the base of the handle on something like an anvil and the head should slide on. Then hammer a hard wood wedge in to the slot, this spreads the handle to fit the head then a steel wedge or (or two in an axe) this will help to spread the handle, but mainly the steel wedge is there to stop the wooden wedge coming out. I fit handles as part of my job to BS876 and we never use glue.

Stop motion video of fitting a handle on a metal sleeved crash axe head blink and you'll miss it

 

[Screwdriver]

Don’t cooper’s adzes have a curved blade?

Sometimes they do but what distinguishes a Coopers adze from a universal adze is the Coopers have an extended hammer on one end and the blade on the other.

 

[Arc Tourist]

Reasonably tight fit for sure, but I guess I must have got lucky with the epoxy I bought.

 

[nickk]

I’ve made similar shaped blades to the adze ,for trimming stone roof tiles for a local quarry,used HGV leaf springs.

 

[Mick Annick]

Sometimes they do but what distinguishes a Coopers adze from a universal adze is the Coopers have an extended hammer on one end and the blade on the other.

Presumably to knock the hoops down with?

 

[Migmac]

The top of the handle is fully protected with a steel reinforcing collar.

https://www.gransforsbruk.com/en/product/gransfors-splitting-maul/

I replaced the fibre glass shafts on our mauls with bits of pipe off forestry machines. Was concerned that you might get more vibration in your hands but it’s fine.

 

[Screwdriver]

I replaced the fibre glass shafts on our mauls with bits of pipe off forestry machines. Was concerned that you might get more vibration in your hands but it’s fine.

If you watch the video, you'll notice I hit the opposite edge of the large round to split it. I picked up that tip when I bought the maul. It does make the handle quite vulnerable to a miss hit!

Luckily, that thing is so damned expensive, I daren't miss so have never tested the additional protection that collar provides.

 

[Migmac]

If you watch the video, you'll notice I hit the opposite edge of the large round to split it. I picked up that tip when I bought the maul. It does make the handle quite vulnerable to a miss hit!

Luckily, that thing is so damned expensive, I daren't miss so have never tested the additional protection that collar provides.

I did notice that. My first hit is the middle followed by either the front edge or back edge. I remember when I first used a maul that all it did was bounce off the log. Thought they were rubbish until I gave them more onions. Great tools

 

[Screwdriver]

I did notice that. My first hit is the middle followed by either the front edge or back edge. I remember when I first used a maul that all it did was bounce off the log. Thought they were rubbish until I gave them more onions. Great tools

Very satisfying tool. Makes a lovely noise too.