Over time, the ax head begins to weakly adhere to the ax handle, mainly due to its drying out and reduction in volume. Driving in additional wedges is not enough here. It is necessary to disassemble the ax and reassemble it, after removing the old wedges.
Then, using a wood file, we slightly lengthen the seat on the handle. We push the head all the way in. We make a new wedge from wood of the required dimensions and hammer it into the old slot at the end of the ax handle. We install metal wedges. The fit of the mating parts is restored to its original strength. Let's take a closer look at the process.
Removing old wedges
We clamp the ax handle in a vice.
And we’ll try to use a center punch and a hammer to move the metal wedge from its place.
Alternately hitting it from both sides in the longitudinal direction, holding the tool at a certain angle to the end of the axe.
As soon as the wedge moves, you can use a fairly simple tool in the form of a metal rod with a diameter of about 10 mm, which is bent at the top into a closed handle. Directly below it, the rod is firmly wrapped around a metal stop ring.
On the other side of the rod, an elongated nut is screwed onto the thread, the threaded hole in which, at a certain depth, turns into a smooth through hole of a smaller diameter. A screw is inserted into the nut from above, the head of which rests on the annular ledge at the point where the threaded hole transitions into an unthreaded hole.
When screwing the nut, the head of the screw rests against the end of the rod and is firmly fixed there. Between the stop ring and the nut, a massive weight with a central through hole moves freely along the rod.
To use this tool, you need to make a hole 12-15 mm deep in the wedge using a center punch and a drill with a drill bit.
Next, insert the screw of the above-described tool into the drilling made in the wedge and screw it in until it begins to turn.
Then, holding the tool with one hand by the handle, with the other we accelerate the load away from the nut several times and hit the upper stop ring with it until a metal wedge comes out of the ax handle together with the screw. We do the same with the second wedge.
The wooden wedge, once driven in whole, was then divided into three fragments by metal wedges. We pull them out one by one using our device.
To do this, place the tip of the screw in the center of the fragments and, alternating rotation and blows with a weight on the nut, screw the screw into the thickness of the parts of the wedge until it is firmly secured.
Then, hitting the stop ring with a weight, we pull out the fragments of the wooden wedge one by one.The central piece and possibly the remains of the side pieces can be removed using the pointed end of a small pry bar.
New nozzle
Using a socket and a hammer, knock the handle out of the hole in the ax head and visually evaluate the seat. It is possible to extend it a little (by about 10 mm) by processing the belt on the ax handle using a wood file, comparing the profile with the existing seat. This solution will clearly strengthen the attachment of the head to the ax handle.
All that remains is to place the ax head on the elongated seat, drive a new wedge into the slot at the end of the ax handle, hitting it with a hammer through a suitable wooden block until it finally sits in place. The ax is ready for use again.
