The quality of a hand tool is one of the important criteria for evaluating it when choosing. A practical, convenient and reliable tool significantly increases labor productivity, facilitates the process itself and eliminates the possibility of injury. This is especially true for a tool such as an ax.
Its use provides for the presence of an intense dynamic load, which is particularly hazardous. In case of inept handling of the tool, the ax often flies off the handle and injures the worker. To prevent this from happening, you first need to learn how to plant an ax on an ax.
About varieties
Today, there are about ten varieties of cutting tools. And before planting an ax on an ax, it is necessary to determine what type it belongs to: carpentry, combat, tourist or is it a lumberjack tool. Although all axes consist of a hilt and a metal part, each type of implement differs in its purpose and design features. For each, special recommendations apply on how to properly plant an ax on an ax. The photo below, for example, presents the features of fastening the metal part to the handle in a carpentry ax. In other types of tools, it is slightly different.
How are axes attached?
There are several methods for attaching a handle to a metal part:
- Welding. Provides reliability and durability of the tool.
- The production of an ax in the form of a solid tool. It is characterized by rigidity and strong recoil.
- Bonding method in a special chamber using epoxy materials. Polymer materials are used for hatchets, which are very difficult to glue at home. Such work requires drying chambers.
- Pushing the metal part onto the handle with further wedging. This connection method is considered the most ideal for home use.
To successfully complete the job, you need good qualifications, time and an idea of how to plant an ax on an ax. Most This can be dealt with if you have the skills and the necessary tools. In case of failure, if the metal cutting part is not securely held on the handle or the structure has become loose over time, the procedure of setting and wedging should be repeated again.
How to plant an ax on an ax?
Despite the apparent simplicity of the connection by means of mounting and wedging, to perform this work is not easy. It has its own nuances that should be taken into account. To facilitate the process, professional carpenters recommend following a step-by-step instruction that contains the following steps:
- preparation for work;
- production of steel and wooden products for wedging;
- planting and wedging.
The recommendations of experts will help a beginner figure out how to plant an ax on an ax.
Start. Preparatory stage
Before you begin, you must:
- Get an ax. According to experienced carpenters, dried birch is ideal as a material for its manufacture. This tree is very popular, as it has all the necessary properties for this. When choosing a handle, you need to consider the thickness of the product and its shape.
- It is recommended to check the ax for a comfortable grip. Ignoring this aspect will lead to the need to perform unnatural compensating force movements during logging, and this, in turn, is fraught with rapid fatigue.
- Fit the purchased ax under the ax eye. The job is to use a knife or other woodworking tool to trim the handle to the desired shape (straight or conical). Conical eyelets are considered the best because they provide a very reliable fit.
- Make a cut on the top of the handle. This work is performed at the end. Propyl is a longitudinal groove that is performed using a hacksaw on a tree. You can make one (along the end) or several cuts (three lateral and one longitudinal). It depends on how the master decides to plant the ax. According to professionals, the most effective is a longitudinal cut with four side cuts. An important nuance at this stage is the width and depth of the cut. The resulting groove must be hidden in the eye, otherwise, when wedging or when operating the ax, its handle may crack. The width should correspond to the thickness of the wedges. But at the same time, they should not go into cuts either too easily (the sawing procedure loses its meaning), and tight, as this may cause the ax to split.
- Before planting an ax on an ax, you need to align the axis of the blade and the axis of the handle in one plane.
Cooking wedges
Reliable fastening of the chopping element with a handle is possible subject to high-quality wedging. For this, the master will need wooden and metal wedges.
They can be purchased at a hardware store or made independently. The shape and size of the wedges should correspond to the type of cut and the material from which the ax is made. For a wooden wedge, the wood of dried birch is suitable. Hard metal (shovel shovel) is suitable for a metal product.
Driving
Often beginner home masters ask questions: how to plant an ax on an ax, how to hammer wooden and steel wedges?
Driving is a simple process. This work should begin if the handle and wedges are already fully prepared.
First you need to score a longitudinal wedge. This is done with light hammer blows. It is undesirable to knock heavily, as this can flatten the tree, reducing the stability of the connection. After the wedge fills in the cut, the residues must be carefully cut using a hacksaw blade. Work is considered successful if, during testing, the ax mounted on the handle holds firmly and does not stagger.
Wedging
According to the belief that beginners have, wooden wedges should be from the same tree as the ax. But this is not so.
- First of all, wood must be strong.
- The direction of the fibers must also be considered. It should be parallel to the narrowing of the wedge. This direction will prevent breakage of the latter when driving into the cut. A broken wedge does not perform a qualitative bursting of the ax to the sides. A wedging is considered successful when the wedge completely fills the entire space of the cut and cannot be removed.
- In the manufacture of wedges, it is important that the dimensions of the transverse products correspond to the size of the eye.
- In some cases, the eyelet may have gaps. You can fix them with a gauze or bandage soaked in epoxy. Epoxy material protects the wood from getting wet and performs a reinforcing function. To perform the reinforcement, it is necessary to wrap several layers of gauze in front of the ax attachment around the upper part of the handle. The resin is poured into the cuts and fills all available voids and cracks. After hardening, the wedges are clogged. At the same time, wooden wedges are driven first. The distance between them should be at least 0.3 cm. The iron wedge at the end with one edge is bent so as to cover a wooden one.
Which side to plant an ax on an ax?
Features of ax mounting depend on its shape. For standard Soviet-made products, the conical shape of the chopping part is characteristic. This enhances its wedging qualities and eliminates errors when sticking on the handle.
According to the rules, an ax must be worn in such a way that the wedge and the butt end of the handle protrude 0.5 cm behind the eye. This is possible if the ax is mounted with its narrow part towards the wedge and the wide one towards the ax. With this attachment, the worker can, if necessary, push the loose chopping part back into place, tapping with an ax on something solid. After that, you need to re-hammer the wedge, but already deeper.
In carpentry, the reverse landing of an ax is often used. It is necessary in those rare cases, if the ax is used not as the main tool, but as an auxiliary tool in order to hang or trim something. The reverse nozzle method is mainly used for sledgehammers and cleavers. No wedges are provided for them. All the load goes to the extreme part of the handle, which holds the metal part of the ax.
In conclusion
Depending on what shape the metal chopping part is chosen, it is decided which side to plant the ax on the ax. It is important that the tool is comfortable and ergonomic.
Following the step-by-step instructions, you can quickly prepare the ax for work yourself.