Where to find Eye Drifts for Axes

The standard size, if any, is "bigger than any ax heads we expect this handle to be fitted to". Axe handles are shaved down to fit the axe head, as axe heads vary. I've pulled heads and brand-new handles from dumpsters where people did not get this concept, so they threw both away when the new handle was "too big".

If you're in Australia, you'll probably have to make your own as importing is bad news on the pocket :-(

Regards Charles P.S. Please prove me wrong!!!!!

i have been seeing tomahawk and hammer drifts on ebay, not sure if they will work for you or not.

Bob

Find a handle. Make it into the shape you want and make sure it catches nicely in a flair.

Now you have a handle. A drift is a version of this ?!

Find a person that melts steel themselves. your converted handle-drift

You have a pattern - he has the sand and steel.

The melt steel has to be the grade you want. Then you need to work the metal with heat and dressing files and such.

Not easy, but blacksmiths have done it for years.

Martin

Mart> I went to a forge welding class and got the bug to make a new axe for

Alright, I've never tried to do a drift myself but wouldn't the simplest solution just be a big chisle? tool steel round is pretty cheap and if you wanted something more hands free you can do cool things with pieces of RR track cut in creative ways. Cutting RR track isn't super easy without a good bandsaw. I can do it - just barely - with my harbor freight band saw.

My point is that it seems like you folks are talking about a drift that is really close to the size of the handle and that just seems like a waste of effort to me. As long as you have something that will spread the hole out wide enough you should be in good shape.

GA

We used to use old car axles.

JK

"Kyle J." wrote:

I'm not a blacksmith, just do a little metal here and there - turn, mill, plasma cut...cnc... you can certainly start it with a standard tool - how do you widen it ?

How about a log splitting tool or such. Some are square some are round ... larger than a starting chisel. Might use other drift tools if you have to get larger and easier. Perhaps when it is a hole and thin, standard tools will work.

Mart>