Welding an ax head

[Stan in Oly, WA]

My brother in law asked me if an ax head could be welded, and I had to admit that I didn't really know. He has the head of a favorite ax which he has used for about 40 years. Something he did caused it to crack parallel to the blade about an inch from the edge. The crack runs up about 1/3 of the ax head from the bottom side.

It would be easy to weld, but I don't want to do it and possibly ruin it for him if it requires heat treatment during or after the weld. Does anyone know? My guess is that an ax head is tempered differently than a tool which is meant to be used to strike metal or stone.

Thanks, Stan

 

[Goose]

Personally, I wouldn't even consider it for a second. I saw a sledge hammer head fly off the handle once and hit an innocent bystander upside the head. He died on the spot.

Even if the way it needs welding doesn't involve the head being loose on the handle, it just isn't worth the risks.

 

[JDseller]

Most ax heads are not heat treated much if any. I would just grind the crack out a little and weld it. The weld may put a stress point right at the edge of the weld so you should heat relieve it. Just heat the whole head up until it is light red. Either let it just air cool( that will make it soft and you can file it easily. If you want a little temper in it the oil quench it. Heat it to the same light red and then plunge it in and out of a bucket of oil. This will make it a little harder. You might not be able to use a file on it but may have to lightly grind it. It will not have the stress point at the edge of the weld either way.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I have welded 2 axe heads and it worked well but after welding all I used them for was to break the ice on cattle tanks. Both were small, inexpensive axes and would not have been much of a loss if I threw them away.

 

[2x4]

old timers welded ax heads all the time. When they used an ax a lot, they wore the bottom part of the blade down pretty far but had plenty left on the top part. A blacksmith would saw the edge of the blade off about 1/3 from the edge & flip that piece so the shape of the bottom edge was restored. Then it was welded back on with coal fire & blower til it became one piece again. The process was called "throwing" an ax. If its a very old ax this may've been done to it & it's cracking along the old weld. Takes a close eye to tell. I have an axehead a local West Virginia smitty "threw" about 100 yrs ago.

 

[Bob Huntress]

When I was a teenager, I had a habit of breaking Maul handles. Frequently, a peice of heavy steel tubing would be inserted where the handle should go and get welded top & bottom and returned to me to vibrate my arms. The welds did not break. The metal that maul heads are made of do take a weld. I believe that the rods were 6011, and the bead had good penetration. Now, I think that you should know that the iron handle that produced is murder on my arms, even as a teenager. If you are refering to repairing the head, remember that the weld will be under a great load with each swing. I do not recommend preforming any welding repairs on an ax or maul. I do see that some people weld numbers or a name on maul heads, however.

 

[Anonymous-0]

You don't want it to become too brittle from welding and have little chunks fly off. See how easy it is to mark with a center punch or what kind of sparks it has with a grinder. If it seems fairly soft, I'd preheat it a bit and peen the weld when done. I've seen a lot of sledge hammers with a piece of pipe welded on for the handle and used in the most severe applications without problems. A lot of guys also weld their initials on the hammer head.

 

[Puddles]

You mean like this? When I got this B&O new it had a wood handle, I used the handle to knock out about a 4 inch pendant pin on a crane, the handle got stuck. I had to take a sledge hammer and break the wood handle. So I welded some stainless steel ACME rod to it. :wink:

 

[JOB]

Like another has said grind it out and weld it with 7018. Jd sellers gave a heating suggestion. I have heat treated chipping hammers with good luck using that method. The axe is almost broke use it till it brakes and throw it away. Or else weld it and continue using it, you have nothing to lose.

 

[Anonymous-0]

I wouldn't weld a handle on, cause of the vibration issue. But to weld a crack, is a minor issue, on a tool, used in wood that is softer than the metal. Vee out the crack, and 6011, or 6013, or mig it.

 

[JOB]

There was a man that used a sledge hammer on a job and kept breaking the wooden handles. His boss got so mad that he had a pipe welded on the head for a handle. Gave the sledge to the man and said try and break this. The man told his boss I will not swing it. The vibrations from the hit goes into the arms and is not good for you. The boss had to git the man a new sledge with a wooden handle.

 

[36 Coupe]

Ax heads are made by folding a piece of low carbon steel and welding to a high carbon steel bit.I would not weld on an ax head.They were forge welded by expert crafts men.We have little knowledge of how it was done.There are times when you should leave a job alone.Welding on axe heads is one of them.I would contact Snow&Neally Co on the subject.They are still making forged axes.

 

[Chris(WA)]

You can do a LOT of work to an axe!
I still have my great great grandfathers axe that came west.
The handle has been replaces six times and the head four...

 

[M-MAN]

It's already ruined & the heat treating is easy. Just to be on the safe side I would heat it first & let it cool slowly. Then bore a hole just past the end of the crack before welding.

 

[PJH]

Lots of answers Stan. I'd weld it if it was mine. You're not gonna be striking steel with it, unless you use your axe for something unusual. I remember how Dad's axe heads used to get "fatter", I suppose from sharpening the cutting edge, but some old timers also said it was the striking force during use that contributed to the "fatness". Kinda the opposite effect of the struck end of a chisel mushrooming I guess. The local blacksmith would heat the heads and "draw" them back out into a thinner profile. It would make an old head new again. I don't remember how or if they treated them. Actually, when I was a kid, I thought they were simply cooling the steel so they could handle it, and wasn't aware that there was a scientific reason for the quenching. I still don't know the whys and wherefors of tempering. Probably explains why the chisel that I made in high school shop broke like glass the first time I hit it with a hammer. . .

 

[Stan in Oly, WA]

Thanks, everyone. Lots of good advice, opinions, and good stories. Very informative. I feel like I got the information I needed.

Stan

 

[buickanddeere]

I enjoyed that.

 

[Stan in Oly, WA]

Hi Chris,

I've actually told that one myself on this forum. Forty years ago I'd have been amazed that some people took it at face value. Now, unfortunately, I'm not.

Stan

 

[Chris(WA)]

You may very well be the one I stole it from Stan! Merry Xmas!

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 08:29:41 12/26/11) You can do a LOT of work to an axe!
I still have my great great grandfathers axe that came west.
The handle has been replaces six times and the head four...

That's like the fire department in a neighboring town still has an old WWII military surplus Fire Department tanker truck. They have replaced the cab and chassis three times and the tank body twice but never both at the same time.

 

[sam in mo]

I wouldn't think that the ax has been tempered much. The early ax's were sharpened with a sand stone or a file. I doubt that the farmers took the ax to a smitty to have it sharpened an re tempered. By welding it it will probably draw the iron a little but if you only use it a few times a year I don't think it would be much of a problem. We very seldom had a stright handel in any of our axes since we leaned them against a wall and they would warp. We used a file to sharpen our ax's. For cutting sprouts we kept them sharp for splitting wood not so sharp. Don't know if this holds water or not, just my 2 cents worth.

 

[PJH]

"I doubt that the farmers took the ax to a smitty to have it sharpened an re tempered."

You're right Sam - they didn't take them anywhere for resharpening. Dad had a stone that he carried in his back pocket. He'd touch up the edge several times before he got a tree on the ground. A couple of licks was all it took. After many many touch-ups, the sharpened edge got worn away, making a more rounded look, instead of the usual long thin taper from the cutting edge to the middle. That's when he'd take them to the smith to be heated and drawn back thin again. I've got a couple of axes that are as fun to use as an axe can be, and a couple more that might make good splitters if I didn't have something better. The duds never see any sunlight.

 

[jackinok]

ive seen them welded,but i wouldnt guarantee one myself.two things about an axe head,first ITS NOT one peice of steel,or iron. Nearly always they have a iron body with a steel edge forged in. The reason is simply because steel is too brittle,and can break,besides being expensive,for a good head. Iron is too soft for a good edge. This is the difference in a good axe and a cheap chinese piece of trash. Second is iron and steel needs two different heat treatments. If you heat iron up to the point you need to heat treat the steel edge you will its more than likely going to become brittle to the point of shattering. If you properly heat treat the iron your going to soften the steel edge and this ruins a good axe. All that being said.its ruined anyway if its cracked( bet a dollar to a dognut he was hitting a steel wedge when it split thats what kills nearly every one,and that not what that flat is for.)if i liked the axe i would weld it. The difference between a good axe and an every day axe is like comparing a horse and buggy to the space shuttle!a good axe will do more work with less effort in three minutes than a bad one will do in three hours of working yourself to death.very few of them are made these days. if you have a old really good one take care of it like you would a $100,000 sports car.Never ever use one to hit a piece of steel,they were never intended to do that.

 

[36 Coupe]

I found an axe head that has been destroyed by a fool using it as a wedge.I still have my fathers and my uncles axes.I think they bought these axes in the early 30s.Both are a Michigan pattern;My Dad and Uncle passed away years ago.I treasure their axes.Both axes have good handles and are kept sharp.