At the beginning of spring I stopped by a nearby outdoors market and managed to pick up an old ave head that had broken off its handle.
I took the opportunity to clean it up and re-handle it, looking at the project as a learning experience, the final product being what would be a useable tool.
Midway through the project I found out (through investigating the shape and balance of the head) the reason why the axehead had broken off the original handle. Instead of abandoning the project I took it as a learning experience and continued on.
Picking up where I left off in the Part 2, I shaped the handle and added a patina to the axehead.
I then fitted and secured the axehead on by hammering it onto the handle. I earlier sawed a split into the part where the eye of the axehead would sit so that I could hammer a splint into it (essentially holding the head in place with outward pressure).
I trimmed the top and allowed 1/4" to stick out above the axehead ensure a better hold.
After a final sharpening I took the axe with me on a few trip out and it performs moderately well at the task of splitting wood. Due to the flaws I found in it earlier, I would not depend on this axe for more than that. The extra leverage provided by the length of the handle and the extra weight of the head shows a marked improvement in splitting tasks over the small camp hatchet that I am accustomed to. The motion allows for the tool to take on more of the work, and I find that I don't need to expend as much effort in splitting especially stubborn pieces.
Overall I've learned a great deal about axe maintenance and repair and now have a usable tool. When and if I do decide to invest in something pricier (Gransfor Burks or Wetterlings for example) I'll at least have a better idea of what I'm looking for, what tasks I'll ask of it, and how to maintain it.
