New Venture & New Project

[daverobson]

Although I've been using sharp pointy things for a lot of years now I've never yet ventured into the axe world.

Well, all that is about to change thanks to Sparky415
He was kind enough to send me a nice example to practice on.

[AimlessWanderer]

Nice one 

So what's the plan, Dave?

[daverobson]

Nice one 

So what's the plan, Dave?

My main plan is just to practice fitting a handle to an axe head, something I've not done before.

You wouldn't believe the trouble I've had trying to buy a hickory handle locally, every hardware shop I tried just gave me the usual blank or puzzled stare followed by the response of "just buy a new axe".
There's a large supplier named Axminster Tools who have a store 5 miles from where I live, I was told there that they don't sell them in store they are online order only!
Anyway, handle & wedges are ordered.

I should be able to fit the handle, batter in a wooden wedge, trim it down & give it a few coats of boiled linseed & white spirit.

My main problem is what to do with the head.
Leave it as is, polish it or paint it.
If I polish it up I might try a mustard powder & vinegar paste to give it a patina.

It'll probably take me longer to decide what to do than to actually do it.

[AimlessWanderer]

It'll probably take me longer to decide what to do than to actually do it.

Yeah, that's usually how it works for me. 
I've had some projects on the drawing board for years 

Good luck with it, and I look forward to the pics 

[Sparky415]

 

[Poncho65]

It is a shame that one can't find a good handle anymore Sadly it is much the same here and you really have to go looking for a handle of any tool I have lucked up and found a few over the years here and there but I get the same look mentioned above and the same blank stare

Hope you have a good time in the fitting of the handle and the whole process goes well for you 

[TazzieRob]

I went to three hardware stores, all of them sell axe handles of various sizes. The first one had the Australian made Kruger handles in Hickory and Spotted Gum, but after going through the whole lot, I couldn't find one 800mm that I was happy with.
At the next place, they don't sell Kruger any more, but sell the Aussie owned but made in China rubbish handles from Cyclone.
At my local shop, a decent number of different sizes, but still couldn't find a Spotted Gum handle I was happy with. Some had good grain orientation but weren't straight, others had rubbish grain, or splits in the wood at the eye end where the saw kerf was. They had some Vuetrade Hickory handles there for just under twice the price of the gum handles. So I may go back and buy one of them. I like the gum handles better for the thinness as compared to the hickory offerings.

Anyway, hope your handle arrives and you get that thing hafted up. I'd leave the head as is and just give it a bit of oil so it doesn't rust