Repair a broken plastic/rubber ax

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Repair a broken plastic/rubber ax

Necessary material

Consumables:
  • 2 assembly legs of a size adapted to the ax
  • 2 small screws (curved head for extra security)
  • 3 screws/nuts/washers of a size adapted to the assembly brackets
  • Strong tape (I use Black heavy-duty PVC adhesive tape which has more than proven itself so far)
  • Glue/fixing mastic (here PATTEX crystal fixing glue) (not mandatory but recommended)
  • Scotch tape in the color of your ax (not required but recommended)
Tools:
  • 2 pliers
  • Screwdriver
  • Drill
  • Hacksaw
  • File (recommended)
  • Vise (recommended)

Mounting the assembly brackets

Using the 2 pliers, bend the leg slightly to give it the shape of the axe.
Repeat the operation with the other assembly leg, be careful to take the shape on the other side.

Once your legs are in the right shape, put the first one in place to make drilling marks corresponding to the first 2 holes

Start by drilling (plastic + wood) at the level of the 1st mark, with a drill suitable for small domed screws.
For the second mark, drill, with a larger drill adapted to the screw (the one with the nut), as straight as possible in order to facilitate assembly with the other leg as much as possible.

Then screw the small screw into the first hole to secure the headstock and leg to the handle.
Thread the large screw through the second hole in the leg and head, then do the same with the leg on the other side. Secure everything with washer and nut.
Tighten firmly to ensure good support and avoid any future inconvenience.

Finish by repeating the operation for the small screw, but on the other side, now that you have its location.
Putting these screws in the wood in particular allows the head not to turn because of the repeated blows with the axe.



Assembly of the broken piece

Now that you have your 2 assembly legs in place, thread the broken piece between them until the end, leaving no space between the 2 pieces.
It is possible that, thanks to the pressure of the legs, the piece holds itself in place, if this is not the case, it does not matter.

As with the previous step, make a mark then drill for the last 2 holes.
Be careful to apply the correct drilling angle so that the holes of the 2 assembly brackets align correctly.

Once your holes are made, lock everything with the 2 screws/washers/nuts you have left (tighten well).
In general, I alternate the direction from one screw to another, but nothing is compulsory.

To complete this step, saw off the excess screw as close as possible to the nut.
If you have a file, you can use it to remove anything protruding from the nut so that there is nothing sharp to make it more secure.



Finishes

The assembly legs can be wider than the ax, to avoid any irregular surface and offer maximum support, I fill the space with fixing glue/mastic.

The assembly tabs offer a very good fixation but to secure and stiffen everything, I surround everything with very tight strong tape.
This is an important step, because this tape will allow more maintenance and a longer life for this repair.

Finally, for aesthetic reasons, you can camouflage this repair with tape the same color as your axe.