Chainsaw Repair

Does your ax head use a wedge driven into the top of the handle to make it fit tight.

Around here there is a country/ranch type store that carries wood handles for ax heads.

a guy i work with said there is an old time hardware store in his town that has racks of handles in stock.  i'll start there first.

this way, i can bring the axe heads in to match the handles/holes, then pick the length similar to picking out a baseball bat for swing i guess.

never much cared for the curve at the end on the one that is broken anyway.

the single edge head has a steel wedge in the handle.  the double bit has some sort of red melted plastic(?) in the end of the handle.

never gave any of this much thought before, but making handles does sound interesting.  have to go to a couple of barn sales this summer to get some old wood knives.  found this good info on making your own.

http://northernwoodlands.org/knots_and_bolts/make-your-own-axe-handle/

thanks for the help.  big community out there that focuses on axes: ie. wood grain, weight, metallurgy, etc.

-joe

I know this is rather late to reply.  I came across this post by accident and figured I'd throw in my two-cents from personal experience in hopes it may help someone.  I've replaced quite a few axe/maul handles, and the best thing to do from my experience is only fit and install a new wood handle in the dead of winter when the humidity has been real low.  The wood is at maximum shrinkage then, so you will get a tight fit year round.  I use a "four-in-one rasp and file" for the rough work.  Then when the handle is getting closer to fit I resort to my pocket knife.  I often make my own wedge because the ones that come with the handle do not have enough taper to my liking.  As another fellow said select a handle with the grain running in same direction as you swing the tool.  I tend to look for handles at country hardware stores during my business trips to rural areas; otherwise, Ace has had some fairly decent handles and selection.  My handles don't get loose.  I had to order from the internet a handle for my eye-hoe once.