Home Forums Gear Knives and Blades Pinning a hatchet head

I need to pin a hatchet head. What size dowel do I need to use? Help please.

Use a roll pin.

if it's properly hung, why do you need a pin?

They are commercial products that even with the wedges driven a tight as I can get them slip upon hard usage. I assume the are hung properly. Pinning is all I can think of.

Hello Doc, pinning is only of use to stop a loose head from taking the head off whoever is in front of you (which is why I pin). Try adding a small cross wedge as well as the large wedge, and soak the head of the axe in raw linseed oil for a few days/week.

I also cheat a bit and add some Gorilla glue to the haft and wedges when I put them together.

round wedges rock......hint

Hunts:

The one I am most concerned about had a round wedge in addition to the wood wedge and was slipping. Since I started this thread, I have pulled the round wedge and the old wooden wedges and re-wedged with a new wood wedge. We'll see how that works out.
If all else fails, I will pull the head and rehang with Gorilla glue and a new wood wedge.

The sage continues.