Support for framing an Ax

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srw19artist56

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I'm going to be framing a large heavy ax for a fireman. Frame size will be about 38" x 14". I've done a search on framing heavy objects & what to secure it with.

Am planning on using wood support to secure the ax to. (assuming coroplast or gator wouldn't be strong enough) My question is, do you think I can get away with using just 1/4" plywood ? Thicker is probably better, but am trying to take up as little space as possible in the shadow box.

Thanks for the grumble wisdom!
Sharon
 
srw19artist56 said:
....(assuming coroplast or gator wouldn't be strong enough)...
Click to expand...

Assuming wrong.

10 mm polyflute would probably provide plenty of support, and you could anchor the formed-rod mounts securely between the flutes by filling those air spaces with hard-setting glue. Alternatively, you could securely attach clear film straps to the back of the board with 3M #889 tape.

If you are hanging it vertically, mounting is easy. If the ax will be horizontal, mounting is more tricky and you'll need a secure, two-point mounting system. Wire would not work at all, for that radically-out-of-balance assembly.
 
Thanks for the input, Jim. Originally I had only visualized it horizontally, but vertically makes much more sense. What is the name of this hard setting glue & where can I get it?

And would you consider Gator to be AS strong as polyflute, (as I have gator in stock)?

Sharon
 
Sharon,
After mounting / securing to the primary polyflute, then laminate an opposing direction flute board to the back to make it rigid in the other direction.
Use 2 x 5mm or 6mm opposing flute boards if rebate depth is an issue.
 
srw19artist56 said:
... What is the name of this hard setting glue & where can I get it?
Click to expand...

Epoxy. Hardware store.

srw19artist56 said:
... And would you consider Gator to be AS strong as polyflute, (as I have gator in stock)?
Click to expand...

Strength is not the issue. Rigidity and abiliy to retain the mounts are the issues. GatorFoam is at least as rigid as 10mm polyflute, and probably weighs about the same. Polyflute's advantage is having the air spaces between the flutes, in which you can securely anchor the mounts.
 
We are mounting several ice axes this weekend. Some are heavy antiques. Our plan is to hold them down with plastic covered wire in several locations. The client does not want to see mylar. The axes will all be vertical, one per shadow box. We are using a printed mat board background as specified by the client (text printed on paper, then mounted to the mat, completely covering the mat. )We don't have room in the frame to mount the paper to foamcore or gator. We plan to back the mat (20 x 40) with Coroplast running in opposite directions and to attatch one vertical strainer bar between the top and bottom of the strainer bars that will support the 4" deep frames. Our framer will then attach the wire by drilling through the strainer bar in at least two locations.

To recap: top layer mat, second layer coroplast, third layer corpolast, backed by a vertical strainer bar.
Mat walls/foamcore glued to wood frame. 8 ply top mat to cover the walls (client design request), acrylic.

We ran into a few problems with debris from the side of the frames falling down inside the top mats and getting trapped between the top mat and the acrylic. Solved by lining the 4" insides with metal tape and taping a clean, well dusted piece of corrugated temporarily to the back of the mat window while we worked on the walls.

Are we missing anything?

Thanks.
 
You could have Abe Lincoln hold it in place.

abraham-lincoln-vampire-hunter-movie-poster-03.jpg
 
As much as Mr. Miller's reputation has been made with epoxy in the flutes.....
The walls of poly flute are little more than plastic film. Durable.... but:

A single edged Fireman's axe (depending on the department) weighs
between 5 & 7 pounds.

A double bit is closer to 8-10lbs.

3/8's baltic birch ply is the minimum that I would ever feel comfortable
using as a backing to secure to.

The fulcrum point is just inside of the head, so snuggling up next to the
head with a good steel wire will work. (Even in the horizontal position).
After that, I would use a pair of screws set at the two ends with shaped
washers that create a spike that pierces the ends to prevent movement.
Angle the screws slightly so that as you screw them in, they set the spike.
Super glue or hot glue the spike washer to the screws after they are set.
 
to add to Baer's
You might go down to fire station see the brackets they use to hold axes. Not only on the walls but maybe some hot chrome ones like on the trucks. Aluminium painted red as a back ground.....1/4" luan behind that.
 
Gumby, you forgot the 1/8" thick acrylic chrome diamond plate.....

and yes, they do have some sexy looking axe hooks that would
be easy to tie down to.
 
chrome would be good too
 
photo of the axe job

Job is done and installed. I will put a photo on the framing diesign thread.
Thanks for your advice.
 
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