1215 Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Not exactly sure if this is the right place to put this so feel free to tell me where to go if I'm in the wrong place. I have an older (Pre-1966, made in Collinsville, CT) five pound Collins Legitimus axe that needs help. I'm told that the five pound Legitimus axe heads are fairly hard to come by so I'd like to try and restore it (or have it restored). This was her grandfather's axe and there are a lot of family stories that come with this axe --and he is now 89 and his health is up & down depending on the day so our goal is for him to see it fixed and restored while he still has his wits about him (that means sooner rather than later). The axe has been abused and hammered on pretty badly over the years. The poll/butt has mushroomed out and there is a chunk of metal missing from the axe head (from hammering). The hammering, and the missing chunk of metal has also caused a crack to develop at the back of the eye (the fat part) going down into the eye about 1/4"-3/8". I came here or posted here because I'm wondering about fixing the mushroomed poll/butt. I know it needs to be heated (I think) but I know nothing about working with metal like this and because I believe it may need to be hammered, I want to both preserve the strength of the steel as well as not ruin the stamped logo, if at all possible. My plan to address the crack is the same as I would address any other cracked piece of metal; drill a hole at the base of the crack, grind it out and weld it up. I have a MIG and a TIG and I'm still researching the metal & carbon composition of the axe so I can try and match it with the best combination of heat, gas and filler/wire, etc. This complicates things because I think I need to fix the mushroomed poll/butt first and then weld? I just don't know where to start and I don't want to make it worse or ruin it. You guys know a whole lot more about this type of metal work than I do so I would welcome any thoughts. I don't have an oven, forge or kiln so I'm happy to send the axe head out somewhere to either address just the mushrooming or do the whole thing. Thanks for reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 What you need to do is add a location to your profile, as advised in the first reply to your first post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhyfelwr Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Well there are still rude people here I reckon. I would dress the edges of the mushroomed head as best I could. I'd take the handle off the head and weld the inside and outside of the crack. Then dress the welds. I'd also fill the chunk thats missing in with the welder. Then re-hang the head. I have an older axe sitting in the corner that a buddy of mine welded a while back it had a crack up one side of the eye and I re-hung it on and new handle and it has been used ever since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickOHH Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 I wouldn't worry about welding the crack inside the eye but from the outside, aim for as much penetration as I can fill in the chip and then redress it. Your gonna need to take care not to get to much heat traveling down to the bit or your gonna have to re heat treat it , but shouldn't be to much trouble. That's just my 2 cents . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 34 minutes ago, Rhyfelwr said: Well there are still rude people here I reckon. .......and that would be who and in what way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhyfelwr Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 9 minutes ago, Smoggy said: .......and that would be who and in what way? Well I figure the guilty dog barks the loudest as a buddy of mine once said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles R. Stevens Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Play nice or you'll get a well deserved nastygram from admin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 16 minutes ago, Rhyfelwr said: Well I figure the guilty dog barks the loudest as a buddy of mine once said. Well suppose Smoggy had recommended that he pop around to my place and use my kiln for his heat treat? Or that Frosty or Thomas Powers was just the man to help him? It wasn't being rude, it was a constructive comment which was acted upon by the OP. (even though it's still quite vague ,a whole state?) I would suggest that this would be a great item to take to a local blacksmithing meet/hammer inn and I'm sure that you'll get it sorted in a jiffy along with meeting some great guys and possibly learning some neat stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 grind as prep for welding; preheat as suggested for the alloy, weld with rod as suggested for the alloy, post heat for slow cooling and then re heat treat the axe. I would suggest no hammering needed which will help preserve the stamping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smoggy Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 I wanted to make sure I was the perceived offender before I replied, I did not want to commit the error of shooting half cocked! I now no longer need include much in my reply as Ian has kindly covered it. My thanks Ian. I will however add that I was "terse" in my reply and deliberately so, which had the desired effect of reminding the OP of his promise. Now for the axe, maybe, just maybe, someone in the local of the OP with the skills and equipment may offer to repair or instruct the OP in the repair of the axe at their forge....Hell maybe even Grandad could be taken along to witness the rebirth.........now that folks know where the axe is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ianinsa Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 9 minutes ago, Smoggy said: Now for the axe, maybe, just maybe, someone in the local of the OP with the skills and equipment may offer to repair or instruct the OP in the repair of the axe at their forge....Hell maybe even Grandad could be taken along to witness the rebirth.........now that folks know where the axe is! What a laugh.............. I chirped (a whole State) to see if would be narrowed down! New England is a cluster of states approximately as long as it is from Lands end to John o' groats give or take a couple of miles . Virtually the same as you giving your location as UK! Not just England but adding the possibility of Scotland and Wales too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Yup New England is a pretty small place; I googled for the area of the UK and got 94058 sq miles; whereas the area of the State of New Mexico is 121697 sq miles; luckily interstate speed limits are pretty high out here 120 kph only takes 3 hours to do the 210 miles between my casita and my house! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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