The Swedish Carpenter’s Axe: Fixing a Poll for Forge Welding
I’ve let this website lay dormant for almost 2 years now while time has flown by in my shop – much of it spent on non-axe related work. But that doesn’t mean that I’ve neglected axe forging – actually far from it. I have forged a number of larger Norwegian style hewing axes that I am quite proud of – with edge lengths of about 7″ and weights of 5+ pounds. Some of these are even out for trial use and evaluation among the traditional house builders of Norway! I have also put a lot of effort on refining my techniques and tooling for forging Swedish style carpenters’ axes. This post deals with forge welding polls onto those axes, which can be a bit tricky if you decide to challenge yourself by not tacking them in place by modern, electric welding (to keep them securely in place for the forge weld).
I learned to forge this axe from the very excellent Mattias Helje in Sweden in 2015. When he got to the poll-welding stage he confidently gripped both the short poll and the axe body together with a pair of tongs and tacked the forge weld in a coke fire (which I also use). In the process the tongs reached a high, yellow heat on the tips but kept their grip long enough to get the tack finished in the upper corner. From there, the rest of the weld was carried out in the usual way – assured by Mattias’ expertise. I found this process to be a bit daunting, and, until recently, it didn’t always work for me – leaving me in the position of going back to tack the poll in place via TIG welding to complete the forge weld.
To work around the difficulties I had with the tong-hold, but also avoid the use of electrical welding, I decided to try a blind rivet to hold the poll and axe body together during the forge weld. It’s not hard to do and doesn’t take much time. However, it does take a certain feel to get it right during the two phases of blind riveting it. The trick is do the hot, blind riveting at the right tempo. If you do it too slowly the rivet can get too hot and bend (especially if the rivet is thinner). If you do it too fast the end of rivet may not heat up enough to upset within the poll or axe body and get a solid grip.
I would be happy if any of you could recount to me your experience with using this technique for welding axe polls, hammer faces and the like. I’m sure some of you have already thought of it or learned it and use it from time to time. I love discovering more about the vast array of techniques that traditional blacksmiths and other tradespeople use to solve problems by simple and elegant means. Finally, I wish you all safety and equanimity in these uncertain times of the covid-19. I feel lucky to be doing what I do and to get the chance to share it with you.
Yours, Jim.
- Here are the fitted and marked pieces which will get welded together The axe body is of mild steel and the poll is of 1075 steel. The poll is bent very slightly concave where it fits to the axe body so that it sits solidly on its corners without rocking across the middle.
- Another view of the fit-up.
- Another-nother view of the fit-up.
- Rounded stock for the blind rivet forged from W1 steel (1% carbon). The diameter is about 0.2″ (5mm) and it is marked for cutting at .75″ (19mm). Note: this was too long. I should have cut it at .55″ (14mm).
- The first center-punch mark is enlarged in the poll so that the diameter of the conical impression is a little more than 0.2″ (the diameter of the blind rivet). This will give the rivet a bit of lead-in during the riveting operation, and make the punches job a little easier in the next operation.
- This impression is immediately followed by sinking a very shallow (about 0.1″ / 2.5mm deep) hole into it with a slender punch. The punch face diameter is a little less than 0.2″ (i.e. a little smaller than the blind rivet diameter). Apologies for the blurred image.
- The rivet is driven into the punched depression to a depth of about .25″ (6mm). This is done at a measure pace and with a lot of feeling to insure that the end of the rivet has a little time to heat up and upset into the hole as it is sunk in. This will insure a solid, blind connection. Apologies for the blur.
- The rivet is straightened with a drift before the assembly is cool.
- The rivet was a little too long so the exposed length was ground down to about 0.3″ (7.5mm).
- Here is the riveted poll.
- Checking the register of the poll to the body. Looks good!
- The center-punch mark on the axe body is deepened as it was on the poll.
- And likewise, a shallow hole is punched to receive the end of the rivet shank from the poll.
- Heavier scale is chipped from the weld area of the axe body.
- Appearance of the chipped poll area of he axe body.
- The weld area is cleaned thoroughly with a bit of borax and brushing.
- The dissolved scale is brushed away.
- The poll is aligned over the axe body and VERY CAREFULLY driven down onto it. This is done at an unhurried tempo with a lot of control to make sure that the rivet has the right amount of time to heat on the end and upset into the hole for a solidly riveted bond.
- Finishing the riveting.
- The assembled poll and axe. They will be fluxed with anhydrous borax and welded in a coke fire. The blind rivet fixes the pieces very securely together during the weld. The tongs can now grip the axe on the socket under the blade, which will protect them from the extreme heat of the welding fire.
- The finished poll.
- The finished poll.
- The finished poll.