Axe Repair

[Dieselman 63]

I have just bought a Tyzack carpenter's axe and the octagonal hammer head had a lot of mushrooming, with some chips of steel on the top, and a few cracks which I could probably chip out. I would like to get it fixed because it's a very nice axe and I haven't seen one like it before in this pattern. I do not know what the material is though, is it likely to be cast or drop forged steel? It has the old three-leg logo so probably pre-war. Can the holes be filled with weld and then be ground down or will it damage the head further? I can post a pic but it's fairly normal damage like you'd see on the end of a cold chisel etc

 

[Screwdriver]

Probably best just grind off the damage. Most likely hand forged with a high carbon steel insert edge. Depends on the extent of any cracks as to whether or not welding is a good idea.

 

[Dieselman 63]

Just found a 1940 Tyzack catalogue:

https://archive.org/details/J.TyzackAndSon1940Catalogue71.1MB

Very cool btw if you fancy a look. It is not a carpenter's axe as I originally thought, but a lath hammer. Wood lath used to be applied before plaster, in the days prior to gib. I have learned something today!

 

[galooph]

Thanks for the catalogue link! One of my ancestors was a Tyzack, so maybe that's where I get my tool addiction from

I know one branch of the Tyzack family emigrated to Australia, so not a million miles from you - http://www.users.on.net/~tyzack/index.html

 

[pedrobedro]

I'm 65 and my dad was a bricklayer, he only used Tyzack trowels and used to fetch them from Sheffield. I found a lath hammer with broken handle. It has the strap fitting head with pins through the shaft not a socketed one. Quite a handy tool when I was doing some roofing as well.

 

[Dieselman 63]

I'm 65 and my dad was a bricklayer, he only used Tyzack trowels and used to fetch them from Sheffield. I found a lath hammer with broken handle. It has the strap fitting head with pins through the shaft not a socketed one. Quite a handy tool when I was doing some roofing as well.

Very similar to a roofing hammer, you are correct. The WHS Brades trowels are very good too.

 

[Kent]

Just found a 1940 Tyzack catalogue:

https://archive.org/details/J.TyzackAndSon1940Catalogue71.1MB

Very cool btw if you fancy a look. It is not a carpenter's axe as I originally thought, but a lath hammer. Wood lath used to be applied before plaster, in the days prior to gib. I have learned something today!

Intersesting subject, those lads used to store the tacks between thier teeth I am told quite a lot at the same time for speed. Lost thier teeth very young from all the chipping though

 

[Kent]

I think things like those chips form character I should leave alone unless it effects function. How does a file effect it in that area? Suspect it's hardened like a Hammer due to purpose?

 

[Dieselman 63]

I think things like those chips form character I should leave alone unless it effects function. How does a file effect it in that area? Suspect it's hardened like a Hammer due to purpose?

In some ways I'm inclined to agree, but the chipping is more damage than character - a bit like how heavy pitting is beyond patina.

Intersesting subject, those lads used to store the tacks between thier teeth I am told quite a lot at the same time for speed. Lost thier teeth very young from all the chipping though

I bought the BFI's Transport film collection (which is v good btw) and there's one of the reupholstery chaps taking a whole mouthful of tacks, then spitting them out as needed.

This is what I started with:

And this is where I am now. The red paint was a test, I'm going to take it off tomorrow when I sandblast it.

 

[Dieselman 63]

Decided to see if I could chip the cracked bits out - no joy. I did however manage to grind them out. What lay underneath was a whole heap of rust and a lot more material has been lost. I will get this built back up with weld I think. It's looking very sorry for itself at the moment, though I'm confident it will come good!

 

[Dieselman 63]

Went to the welder's today - first place quoted me $40 and told me I won't find a place cheaper. Well, there's no harm in trying, right?

Second place charges $90/hour, but I had a good chat with the guy and he said he could do it in five minutes, charge me $10. It's amazing how places will lie don't you think? I didn't get it done though, as he said it will chip again and give a poor finish if welded. The thing to do is to get it heated in a forge and then knocked back, re-formed and then I can grind it back. He didn't say where to do that, so either I build a forge, this gets resigned to the 'too difficult - do it later' pile, or I cut 7mm off the end and live with a shorter hammer head. Decisions...

 

[Robotstar5]

Went to the welder's today - first place quoted me $40 and told me I won't find a place cheaper. Well, there's no harm in trying, right?

Second place charges $90/hour, but I had a good chat with the guy and he said he could do it in five minutes, charge me $10. It's amazing how places will lie don't you think? I didn't get it done though, as he said it will chip again and give a poor finish if welded. The thing to do is to get it heated in a forge and then knocked back, re-formed and then I can grind it back. He didn't say where to do that, so either I build a forge, this gets resigned to the 'too difficult - do it later' pile, or I cut 7mm off the end and live with a shorter hammer head. Decisions...

Is it worth looking for a decent Farrier or Blacksmith?, I'm sure a local trades directory or google will come up with one, or maybe local FB groups?.

 

[Kent]

Went to the welder's today - first place quoted me $40 and told me I won't find a place cheaper. Well, there's no harm in trying, right?

Second place charges $90/hour, but I had a good chat with the guy and he said he could do it in five minutes, charge me $10. It's amazing how places will lie don't you think? I didn't get it done though, as he said it will chip again and give a poor finish if welded. The thing to do is to get it heated in a forge and then knocked back, re-formed and then I can grind it back. He didn't say where to do that, so either I build a forge, this gets resigned to the 'too difficult - do it later' pile, or I cut 7mm off the end and live with a shorter hammer head. Decisions...

Ninety per hour? Thinking I should have moved over your way when I had the offer if he can carry that off

 

[Aesgarth]

Ninety per hour? Thinking I should have moved over your way when I had the offer if he can carry that off

That's only £70, and bearing in mind that he's not going to be able to charge that for full days the vast majority of the time and is prepared to charge for 5 minutes work only i really don't think that's unreasonable. Sounds a lot but if you only have a couple of chargeable hours work in a day it dosen't go far.

 

[Dieselman 63]

Is it worth looking for a decent Farrier or Blacksmith?, I'm sure a local trades directory or google will come up with one, or maybe local FB groups?.

Yes, my thoughts exactly - should be a mobile farrier forge somewhere

 

[Kent]

That's only £70, and bearing in mind that he's not going to be able to charge that for full days the vast majority of the time and is prepared to charge for 5 minutes work only i really don't think that's unreasonable. Sounds a lot but if you only have a couple of chargeable hours work in a day it dosen't go far.

Don't go converting to sterling. Dangerous one that look at what 90k sterling will buy you home wise in relation to hear in the UK. Good garages without a franchise don't often change £70 an hour here in north West England.

 

[Aesgarth]

Don't go converting to sterling. Dangerous one that look at what 90k sterling will buy you home wise in relation to hear in the UK. Good garages without a franchise don't often change £70 an hour here in north West England.

UK average for a garage is £67 per hour, and I'd personally expect a dedicated welding company to charge more - for small jobs anyway. Could be wrong on that - I've never used one. By the time electricity, gas, rent, insurance, etc is paid for it dosen't go far..

 

[Dieselman 63]

fftopic:

 

[pedrobedro]

Just square the end off, 7mm is not going to make that much difference to it, you'll probably never use it as a hammer anyway.

 

[Aesgarth]

fftopic:

Sorry. Any photos of what it looks like at the moment?