Axe Repair Advice

[Youngguns]

OK, so I picked this axe up today with knowledge of its wound. I thought, "That's a damn fine handle on that axe that it'll fit damn well on the cruiser axe head I already have." Well, fast forward to getting this thing home, and I got to thinking, "Well, besides that hideous weld, that's a nice two and a half pound axe; Kelly Works without the slightest chip in either bit." So that' brought me to the fabrication forum of GJ.

What does everyone think of this situation?
Should I just leave it alone and use it as is?
Should I grind the weld flat to clean it up a little?
Should I redo the weld "properly?"
If so, what would be the best route to take?
Or,
Is it ruined, no questions axed, use the handle for the other axe head?

 

[raiderhillbilly]

I would grind the weld to clean up the appearance and if it wasn't too thin in that area, I would use it as is.

 

[Hammer1963]

I've been in this situation before and the lucky thing about it is that the head can be fixed properly. You'll need to find someone that TIG welds and is familiar with steel used for axe and hammer heads. My guess is a 1039 to 1041 steel filler rod would work very well although a person may choose to use an even higher carbon content steel all the way up to 1095. I generally use 1041 for these types of repairs. A good repair job should feather out nicely and be strong enough. Good luck

 

[Youngguns]

I've been in this situation before and the lucky thing about it is that the head can be fixed properly. Good luck

You mention that you've been in the situation before, do you have a picture of said situation?

 

[Hammer1963]

No I do not. Unfortunately I do not take many photos. What I can add is that the axe head had sustained a crack from being hit against granite on a -10 day several years ago. At that time I was employed as a Tool & Die maker and we had a welder that quite good with TIG welding and was able to do a A+ repair on the crack after I created a V groove for new material to be fused with both sides. Once welded, I feathered the slight excess away for a virtually seamless repair. The axe is still in use today

 

[k p]

Shameless plug for my Axe Restoration videos on youtube

 

[Youngguns]

Well, you never know how well an axe is wedged until you compromise the integrity of the wedge and there's no turning back. I've never fought a wedge so hard, and I've dealt with Plumb bonds before! Had I not messed with it, I assure you it would have been wedged forever. Raider, I didn't miss your comment, I just couldn't go on not knowing what the inside looked like. It turns out, it's flawless on the inside. I can't even see a crack, let alone any hints of a weld (except at the top where it dripped). I'm not entirely sure if this is a good thing (maybe some jackass welded on it for no reason?), or a bad thing (not enough penetration?).

Anyways, the head is off, and the handle still useable. I believe I'm going to try and clean the head up and see what happens. For those more experienced welders, should I have a backing in the eye or what? How should I approach this?

 

[Nor'Easter]

What are you trying to do? Fill it in so you can grind smooth and leave it, or grind out the weld and fill it for structural concerns.

 

[Youngguns]

What are you trying to do? Fill it in so you can grind smooth and leave it, or grind out the weld and fill it for structural concerns.

Honestly, either would do, but I think the first route is "easier." I think it's structurally sound as-is, but can't be ground smooth as it has valleys. I think I want to fill it in.

Filling it in shouldn't be too bad as long as I'm careful and keep the heat down, eh?

 

[Nor'Easter]

Filling it slowly will not put enough heat in it to cause any warping that will lead to difficulties installing a handle. The handles can be reshaped if it's too snug, and depending on the angle of the wedge you use, and the material of the handle, it'll all get compacted in nicely. If it is tempered in any way I would recommend keeping it as cool as possible, and grinding with a wet system if possible.

I work in a small shop that sells high end woodworking tools including Gransfors Bruks, it is amazing how many people come in saying "I just can't get it sharp with my bench grinder." I don't know how much you paid but Gransfors are anywhere from $110-300 a piece.

 

[Youngguns]

I work in a small shop that sells high end woodworking tools including Gransfors Bruks, it is amazing how many people come in saying "I just can't get it sharp with my bench grinder." I don't know how much you paid but Gransfors are anywhere from $110-300 a piece.

Ugh, who buys such an expensive axe with no idea how to care for it? I don't have a GB yet, but maybe one day..

 

[d.mcfarland]

Could always start with cleaning up the current weld situation. You can't make it worse as far as cosmetics go. If you're going to be using it heavily then get it fixed. Just don't forget that it's about a $20 axe head so don't get in too deep unless it's sentimental.

 

[larry_g]

IMHO that has probably worked that way for what, 10, 20, 40 years? Why does it have to be purty? If your going to chop wood then get to it, winters coming. If a wall hanger then put the weld to the wall if it bothers you.

That said I have done the irrational many times as all of us have. Now that you have the handle out I don't have a good answer. Is the head of a quality or rarity to repair to a like new appearance? I guess that the end purpose of the head would dictate the path forward. Me I would make up a good story how it was broken and great grandpa had to fix it or face freezing. That axe fell enough trees to keep the family warm and make enough money to buy a proper saw and from there gpa built an empire in the logging business. Paint it gold and put a nice handle on it engraved with Young's Logging and tell 'em all that it hung in grandpas office for 40 years to remind all where the company started. A good line of BS will beat a perfect restoration.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[spooler41]

Larry , I like the way you think. If it ain't broke , don't try to fix it.

................................ Jack

 

[zkling]

When I was in my very early teens I fixed our old axe (standard axe, not a double bit) that had a very similar crack in the side of the eye. Used the mig welder and a standard ER70 wire. Still holding today, ~15 years later and lots of heavy use. Would I do it again that way, probably not, but... I'd sand it out a bit, look for cracks and use as is.

 

[KRB52]

I always figured that, short of striking the edge on something hard, like a rock, it was pretty tough to mess up an axe, even a cheap one. Doing that (cracking or breaking one) has to take some work.

 

[ChevyEFI]

IMHO that has probably worked that way for what, 10, 20, 40 years? Why does it have to be purty? If your going to chop wood then get to it, winters coming. If a wall hanger then put the weld to the wall if it bothers you.

That said I have done the irrational many times as all of us have. Now that you have the handle out I don't have a good answer. Is the head of a quality or rarity to repair to a like new appearance? I guess that the end purpose of the head would dictate the path forward. Me I would make up a good story how it was broken and great grandpa had to fix it or face freezing. That axe fell enough trees to keep the family warm and make enough money to buy a proper saw and from there gpa built an empire in the logging business. Paint it gold and put a nice handle on it engraved with Young's Logging and tell 'em all that it hung in grandpas office for 40 years to remind all where the company started. A good line of BS will beat a perfect restoration.

lg
no neat sig line

There is at least one possible neat sig line in the above post.

 

[Youngguns]

Well boys, I didn't listen to the majority. I probably should have, because it was quite the roller coaster, but I guess I just wanted this one bad enough. I didn't take pictures of all the ups and downs, I've just got one of the initial leveling and the final product. I tried to force a patina to really hide everything, but I'm pretty sure I just gave it a vinegar bath. Which, of course, removed all the rust and actually amplified the weld area. Anyways, attached are the two images.

EDIT: Well, never mind, apparently my phone can only do one image (and sideways at that!). At least it was the final product and not a random intermediate step.