Quick Fix for a Loose Axe Head If you take care of your axe and maintain the quality of the wood by oiling it and protecting it from the elements, you shouldn’t have … Gaps will result in loose tool heads.

When my axe head stared to loosen I just oiled the wedge area and inertia seated the head down as tight as possible by pounding the handle base first onto a piece of wood until the head started to bite into the handle. It is used to break up soil and rock (using the pointed end) and to shovel and remove dirt (using the flattened end). Once in place, the head should not dislodge while working and slide back toward the hand or head of the person wielding it. This axe has no metal wedges of any size or shape, just one wooden wedge.

Of cause a few days later, the problem would be …

Drive it directly into the handle groove, which will expand the material and lock the head in place. Method 1: Insert the Wedge. You may need to use one that's smaller than the original wedge for it to fit correctly. This advice applies for the entire life of your ax.

Turns out the head was loose. Continue test fitting the head and removing material as needed so the head slides onto the handle up to the shoulder.

I've been using an eye dropper to put boiled linseed oil in between the head and the handle, and haven't noticed any change. A pickaxe comes in two pieces, a head and a handle.

turnkey4099.

The head on this Arvika 5 Star has been a PITA to hang. Any suggestions for tightening the handle fit? There are many ways to fix the loose axe handle. You may need to saw the wedge kerf a little deeper too, should be about 2/3 the width of the head, be sure and put a coat of blo on the wedge before seating it!


I can't see any reason why you would want to do that to a properly hung ax.

So what do you do to solve this issue? It shows an old fashion fix for loose handles from the early 1900 s. I haven’t tried it yet, but it looks like it will work.

In this article, I have discussed all the methods to fix the loose axe head step by step and also the preventive steps that you should take to stop losing the axe head.

The pioneers considered an ax to be one of their most important tools and in the future, this may very well be true for us. If the axe head is snapped right off, no simple or easy repair will fix it well enough to be safe. However, sometimes the pickaxe head doesn't seat well and needs to be fixed. It also lacks the usual hump/shoulder in the handle which gives the head a place to seat and prevent it from sliding back (see pic). Other styles of axes/hammers will fit closer to the shoulder than others. This repair will cost pennies, and save you a trip to the store and the bother of extracting the old handle and replacing it. Years ago, I used to soak the ax or hammer in a bucket of water, the handle would swell and the problem was solved. Occasionally, the head of your axe may become loose. Note, this repair method will only work for lengthwise cracks. In my preparations for our winter camping course I inspected my trusty ax, that had been with me for a few years of service now. What is the best way to keep an axe head tight on a wooden handle? Probably due to me moving from humid Oklahoma to drier Colorado.I had read a bit on knife and bushcraft forums and suggestions pointed towards dipping the head and eye into boiled linseed oil.

You can properly fix the problem at home by following any of these methods.

I have a double-bitted axe that is getting a bit loose. Holding the handle above the tool head, hit downward on the head with a rubber mallet to get the handle back out.

I got a good mount on it last year, but now it is loose again. If the head on your axe is coming loose, here's a relatively simple fix- drive in a second metal wedge. The metal wedges tend to split the grain on the hickory handle. In my opinion the best solution is to remove the wedge, reseat the ax with about 1/4 inch sticking out the top and drive home a new wedge making sure it is wide enough to fill the eye. My grandpa has an old splitting maul head, it has an eye that looks like it’s made to use a sledge hammer type handle. I use the axe 4-5 days a week so it is to be expected, but it is a pain. About 4 years ago I was

Loose Axe Head.

Conventional wisdom says soak it in water a few hours before use (inconvenient), but I have also heard to use linseed oil. I've used this trick on axes that wouldn't tighten after soaking the handles in linseed oil. It's really starting to annoy me that my axe head is loose every time I want to use it. I thought that was only for finishing. When this happens, tighten the head by driving a metal wedge into the top of the handle. New axe handles cost about $10.00.
It still has the factory handle with a metal wedge. The pickaxe is an ancient and very useful tool.