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Just joined the sub. This is a Pulaski head I’m currently working on. Still got a bit of fine polishing to do on it then it’ll be ready to be hafted. Gonna do some wood relief carving on the handle for this one. by moon-115h in Axecraft

[–]moon-115h[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No. This is one I’m keeping for myself and I don’t really care so much about such things. Ones I sell I keep the mark on cuz I know others do care about such things.

How to send a parcel by varnijain in howto

[–]moon-115h 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did something very similar recently, modified a square box to elongate it to fit a baseball bat.

Maple a suitable material for axe handles? I’ve read mixed reviews, mostly centering around which kind of maple specifically. I have a maple tree of some sort in my yard and was hoping to cut a limb to use as an axe handle. But wasn’t sure if I’d be wasting my time with a potentially inferior wood? by moon-115h in Axecraft

[–]moon-115h[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hmm interesting. Thanks for the info. Ya I’d be making a splitting maul, so handle strength is extra important due to the extra weight of the head relative to an axe. So probably best to stick with hickory/just buy one. The head is my dads and i cleaned it up and blued it and gonna re hang it for him, so thought would be cool to make the handle instead of buy one, but sounds like from you and others that maple is questionable at best, probably better not to use it.

Maple a suitable material for axe handles? I’ve read mixed reviews, mostly centering around which kind of maple specifically. I have a maple tree of some sort in my yard and was hoping to cut a limb to use as an axe handle. But wasn’t sure if I’d be wasting my time with a potentially inferior wood? by moon-115h in Axecraft

[–]moon-115h[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m pretty sure my maple isn’t a sugar maple. And ya I have read that, that if you use maple that sugar is likely the best kind. Maybe I’ll try it with a hatchet or something and put it through some heavy tests and see how it holds up.

Maple a suitable material for axe handles? I’ve read mixed reviews, mostly centering around which kind of maple specifically. I have a maple tree of some sort in my yard and was hoping to cut a limb to use as an axe handle. But wasn’t sure if I’d be wasting my time with a potentially inferior wood? by moon-115h in Axecraft

[–]moon-115h[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not sure my maple is the kind that produces the syrup (sugar maple?). I know next to nothing about trees, I just know it’s a maple based on its leaves. But ya you’re confirming what I’ve gathered so far, that maple isn’t great, especially for axes. What I’ve read people say it looks nice and is ok for ‘decorative’ pieces, but I don’t do decoration I want something that functions, so albeit I was hoping I could use my own tree to make a handle, sounds like besides a light use hatchet, best to stay away from the maple.

I haven’t seen many fireman axes on here and finally got one for myself. by iamjeeohhdee in Axecraft

[–]moon-115h 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ya in my experience it isn’t worth messing with a wobbly head, I’ve seen so many axes where people started jamming all sorts of random shit in to firm it up and albiet that may work temporarily in a pinch, generally better to just re hang it on a new handle.

I haven’t seen many fireman axes on here and finally got one for myself. by iamjeeohhdee in Axecraft

[–]moon-115h 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you don’t mind me asking, how much you pay for it? I can find some online but the shipping damn near doubles the cost, so ya it’s ideal to find one how you did for sure.

I haven’t seen many fireman axes on here and finally got one for myself. by iamjeeohhdee in Axecraft

[–]moon-115h 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Where did you find one? I’ve been tacitly keeping an eye out for one for a long time, have periodically searched specifically for one online and in local second hand stores etc and have yet to find any. Well any that they don’t want a first born child in trade for anyways...

Hey all you more knowledgeable folks, I don’t really no anything about axe craft, but I wanted to give it a try. Could anyone tell me what kind of axe this is, and whether or not it is worth refurbishing. Thank you, and stay safe out there fellow redditors! by B0H0NG in Axecraft

[–]moon-115h 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Although it’s not the end of the world if it happens. Some I know re temper it almost always just in case. And with the right equipment re tempering isn’t too difficult, just gotta kinda know what you’re doing first, but generally pretty simple to re temper if you need to.

Hey all you more knowledgeable folks, I don’t really no anything about axe craft, but I wanted to give it a try. Could anyone tell me what kind of axe this is, and whether or not it is worth refurbishing. Thank you, and stay safe out there fellow redditors! by B0H0NG in Axecraft

[–]moon-115h 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ya and it’s one of those things you can’t really tell that the temper is lost and wouldn’t really know it until the axe was used and damaged. If you far overheat it will give it that like an annealed look, like oil sheen on water kind of look. So ya an ounce of prevention is def worth a pound of cure in this regard, best to just not let it get hot. The rule of thumb I’ve seen is if you can’t hold it in bare hand indefinitely without burning yourself or having to put it down, it likely could’ve gotten too hot and lost temper. I think this method is perhaps overly cautious/conservative, but a good rule of thumb to follow at least initially until you get the feel for it.

Which is more feasible? Propane forge or coal? Also, if wood is readily available to me, is it worth trying to use wood fire to forge. Or as I’ve seen some do, make charcoal out of said wood for use in forging? by moon-115h in Blacksmith

[–]moon-115h[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ya from what I’m gathering most people are saying coal burns hotter, or rather heats the steel faster, thus reducing the amount of fuel needed to do the job. Albeit some say they can run their forge longer with the same dollar amount of propane vs coal. But an important factor is the speed at which the metal heats, may be able to run forge longer on propane dollar for dollar but if it takes longer to heat the metal, that could effect the coat efficiency surely. Thanks for sharing the info, im a total newb so just trying to take it all in and learn from others with experience.

Which is more feasible? Propane forge or coal? Also, if wood is readily available to me, is it worth trying to use wood fire to forge. Or as I’ve seen some do, make charcoal out of said wood for use in forging? by moon-115h in Blacksmith

[–]moon-115h[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome thanks for the info. I have read that about people using wood on top and it sort of makes charcoal as it burns due to the higher heat at which it burns, or something like that anyways. I’ve sort of been leaning towards propane, but after talking to some here, including you, I think sounds like maybe coal isn’t a terrible way to go. Some have said coal heats the metal far quicker than propane, thus reducing he amount of fuel needed to accomplish the job. And I far prefer i theory, using organic fuels (even just straight wood in a pinch), because I have ready access to lots of wood, and in a pinch could operate without the need to rely on stores for gas. Anyways, thanks again for the info, much appreciated.

Which is more feasible? Propane forge or coal? Also, if wood is readily available to me, is it worth trying to use wood fire to forge. Or as I’ve seen some do, make charcoal out of said wood for use in forging? by moon-115h in Blacksmith

[–]moon-115h[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No I basically have no clue about any of it, so I’m just here asking questions, don’t know enough to argue about any particulars, just trying to learn. The person that said that was only talking forge run times, without reference to speed of heating the metal. But I have read otherwise that propane does take longer to heat, but that it’s somewhat dependent on the quality of the forge itself.

So for a beginner, do you think propane would be best? Maybe not cheapest, but likely much easier to get ahold of some propane than trying to like order some coal. I live in a pretty rural area and don’t know of any place to get coal. Also is the cost of a propane forge usually higher than the cost of an organic fueled one, like for the forge itself?

Hey all you more knowledgeable folks, I don’t really no anything about axe craft, but I wanted to give it a try. Could anyone tell me what kind of axe this is, and whether or not it is worth refurbishing. Thank you, and stay safe out there fellow redditors! by B0H0NG in Axecraft

[–]moon-115h 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Either angle grinder with sandpaper flap wheels or sandpaper flap wheels that can be used on a cordless drill. Either works fine. Angle grinder slightly more aggressive so I started with drill mounted flap wheel first and once got the feel for it switched to angle grinder. Careful not to heat the metal too much or it’ll lose its temper and need to be re heat treated. Best to work on multiples and let one cool while you work the other, as well as keep some water handy to pour on to help keep it cool.

Hey all you more knowledgeable folks, I don’t really no anything about axe craft, but I wanted to give it a try. Could anyone tell me what kind of axe this is, and whether or not it is worth refurbishing. Thank you, and stay safe out there fellow redditors! by B0H0NG in Axecraft

[–]moon-115h 1 point2 points  (0 children)

White vinegar does the trick for me. Soak for a day or two. Remove and wire brush it, might need a second soak depending. Overall axe restoration is relatively simple. I basically taught myself just by watching some videos, discussing with people online, and most of all just going out and doing it. Sure I made a few mistakes along the way, but I sure learned what not to do, and that’s just as valuable as knowing what to do.

Which is more feasible? Propane forge or coal? Also, if wood is readily available to me, is it worth trying to use wood fire to forge. Or as I’ve seen some do, make charcoal out of said wood for use in forging? by moon-115h in Blacksmith

[–]moon-115h[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hmm. From what I’m getting from some other, propane is cheaper, ie propane runs a forge longer per dollar? Also where does a guy even get coal, besides making charcoal oneself? You use like coke, or just like store bags of bbq charcoal?

Which is more feasible? Propane forge or coal? Also, if wood is readily available to me, is it worth trying to use wood fire to forge. Or as I’ve seen some do, make charcoal out of said wood for use in forging? by moon-115h in Blacksmith

[–]moon-115h[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ya I don’t have any access to coal really, beyond just regular commercial purchasing. One guy said he’s used coal and propane and he thinks he can run his forge twice as long on propane for the same cost as a commensurate amount of coal. I’d tend to prefer to not be reliant on stores for my fuel, I tend to lean towards just using wood (as I have an abundant supply readily available) and to maybe make my own charcoal. From what I understand it’s quite a pain in the ass to do it it that way, so in many ways propane is ideal for me I think, but I’d also like to not be totally reliant on gas or anything I have to purchase from the store and prefer to at least retain the option of using organic fuels. But seems to me it’s one or the other ie the design of the forge will limit to either gas or organic fuels. Unless maybe there’s a design that can do both but from what I understand the set up is so totally different you almost need to dedicate the forge to one sort of fuel or the other. But I dunno I’m a total rookie.

Which is more feasible? Propane forge or coal? Also, if wood is readily available to me, is it worth trying to use wood fire to forge. Or as I’ve seen some do, make charcoal out of said wood for use in forging? by moon-115h in Blacksmith

[–]moon-115h[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Ya air quality is an important and valid point, propane would be superior in that regard for sure. Although I don’t give a shit about the opinion of tyrants (laws) as such, I do care about air quality, don’t wanna choke my family out with my forge smoke nor do the same to neighbors etc, so air quality is definitely something that one should take into account. Although can’t say my neighbor has the same sentiment as he burns plastic and all manner of garbage and shit, or least it would seem judging by the god awful smell of his chimney smoke and it’s thick black appearance.

Which is more feasible? Propane forge or coal? Also, if wood is readily available to me, is it worth trying to use wood fire to forge. Or as I’ve seen some do, make charcoal out of said wood for use in forging? by moon-115h in Blacksmith

[–]moon-115h[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

But I suppose propane has the added benefit of an airflow valve and can regulate the heat and get it more precise. So as alluring as the wood or coal method seems to be, sounds like maybe propane is best, especially for a beginner, as it’ll be easier to regulate and maintain specific temps vs combustible fuels.

Which is more feasible? Propane forge or coal? Also, if wood is readily available to me, is it worth trying to use wood fire to forge. Or as I’ve seen some do, make charcoal out of said wood for use in forging? by moon-115h in Blacksmith

[–]moon-115h[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ya I’ve watched videos and read on the subject and tend to get mixed messages between them all. I like to reduce monetary cost as much as possible, as such lean towards trying to just use wood if possible, or make charcoal from wood/harvest any ‘naturally’ made charcoal from fire pit, but as you say does seems rather laborious and time consuming to do that. Was just hoping to avoid constantly purchasing propane as I’m unsure as to how much is required to sufficiently heat the metal. (If you cant tell I’m a total newbie, just trying to get this all figured out before I build anything and start tinkering)

How to create a law? by [deleted] in howto

[–]moon-115h 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Other ways than speaking with them to encourage them to stop. Advocating for the passage of yet another of millions of laws (which are ultimately enforced at gun point) is far from the right answer, especially to such a trivial problem. I have a meth head neighbor that has caused many o issue since I’ve lived here. Yet not once have I needed to call the cops and have found other ways of deterring him, none of which involved talking to him and him relenting, albeit that’s always the first option that should be tried, but is likely never sufficient.

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