modern marvels ax video

[Ken S]

I found this hour long video on the history and technology of the ax fascinating.

Enjoy,

Ken

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMDwPeDoaH4

[Rob]

[chuckling to himself]

I'm not sure if this is an American v English spelling thing but we spell it Axe over here so when I read your post I though ax was an acronym for some modern technology I hadn't heard of.  When I clicked through to Youtube and saw the (lets call it a chopper) it made me smile :-)

I was expecting some sort of computer guided cutting tool or similar :-)

[Ken S]

"Ax" is an acceptable American-English spelling. I did lern spelling in skool.

Ken

[SharpenADullWitt]

I don't know, but it tends to be a bit dull without an e....

Doesn't everything need an e

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdqbi66oNuI

[Jan]

The final part of the video dedicated to the fire axes reminded me that I also have somewhere a similar one. Fortunately, I managed to find it, you can see it here. 



This pickhead axe is from Austro-Hungarian Empire, from the period 1869 to 1900.
The axe measures 10" long including the 4" hardened pick.
The blade is convex – axe grind, which keeps a lot of steel behind the edge.

Jan

P.S.: The axe belongs to my son-in-law, but for grandchildren's safety I have decided to deposit it with me. The bit is really sharp. 

[Ken S]

Very nice pick ax, Jan. Did you restore it? Interesting historical background.

Do you know he purpose of the hole in the blade?

Ken

[Elden]

   Interesting video, Ken. Your spot on too you're spelling. It kinda makes the tyre spin around the axel.

[Ken S]

Good one, Elden!

Ken

[Jan]

Very nice pick ax, Jan. Did you restore it? Interesting historical background.

Do you know he purpose of the hole in the blade?

Ken

The pick axe is in original state. For the near future I plan only a new handle form hornbeam or ash wood.

The cross-shaped hole in the blade is probably blade holder while the handle is usually hold in a handle bracket.

There is a small nick on the edge, but for the time being, I do not know how to restore the convex axe grind using Tormek.

Jan

[Elden]

This doesn't have the T name but covers convex grinding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpZjPUAffZI

[Jan]

Thank you, Elden. 

Jan

[Ken S]

Regarding double axes, or sharpening axes in general;

I have no doubt that many axes have been sharpened with the Tormek, either using the jig or freehand by skilled users. If I needed to sharpen an ax, and only had a Tormek, I would do it. However, if I also had a belt grinder with a slack span (an unsupported area between the wheel and the flat supported area), that would be my tool of choice. The slightly concave ground surface left by the Tormek suits most tools. An ax should have a convex bevel for strength. That can be done with the Tormek, but only with skill. It is more easily and efficiently done with the belt grinder. I believe in using the most efficient tool for the job, if it is available.

Ken

[Herman Trivilino]

I have sharpened several axes and hatchets with my Tormek. These are not museum pieces. I use them for chopping fire wood and the like.

I've had the best results with my homemade platform jig that I attach to the scissors jig base. Unlike the SVD-110 Tool Rest jig, its platform is much closer to the horizontal support bar of the Universal Support allowing the tool to get much closer to the grindstone. I haven't found the slight concavity of the hollow grind to be of any consequence. There is still a lot of steel behind the small portion of the ax head that gets ground away, especially on a splitting maul or wedge.

These slight adjustments to edge angles and edge shape (concave versus convex) involve at most a millimeter or two of steel, and usually far less than that on a tool that's several centimeters in size. They are, in most cases, of only academic rather than practical consequence.