Drill into handle w/ 1/4" bit from both ends. When you've removed all the wood possible it'll knock out pretty easy.
If the wood seems stuck to head,it may be epoxyed in. Try some light heat w/ propane torch,enough to make glue soften.Do not heat beyond that point as it could remove some of the temper in head.
Mike

Ok, thanks Mike. I'll have to cut the axe head off. I was working with it still attached to the handle, so I could have some leverage. Thought that made sense.
I will try to clamp it down and chisel the wood out.

Grandma,

Read somewhere that the way to do it is to cut the handle immediately below the head and then drive the stock upward and out. Most of these things have a wedge in them that prevents the handle from going down.

Arizona Bob

Throw it in a fire and burn it out.

"Throw it in a fire and burn it out."

...or if you don't want to draw the temper, drive it into a stump and shoot at the eye endways with a large caliber handgun. Usually takes a few shots at least but it'll come right out!

Drilling that wedge help 1/4 bit then use blont piece metal to drive it out like large bolt 1/2 inch are 3/8 use hex on wood it helps if bolt three four inches long an old bolt because it want any good after this use. using punch are chisel that tapered is bad way to go. short piece flat bar works good.

Bob and Gator rider, thanks for the tips. Makes a lot of sense.

Well, if all else fails I'll try the burning or shooting. I really didn't want to kill my axe, just fix it! lol

I might be rong and it been too many years since I studied metalurgy and casting etc (and correct me if I'm rong here) but I recall an axe head is made of cast iron and doesn't have temper. I recall the sharp edge has 'chill' which means the carbon has migrated away from the sharp edge so it is (I think) more ductile and will dent instead of chip if, for example, you hit a stone with it.

If an axe is sharpened too often then the chill gets ground away and the edge then exists in the high carbon portion of the axe head and is brittle. The way to cure it is to heat the head and hold it at some temp I can't possibly recall (1400ºF?, X hours) till the edge gets re-chilled. Therefore burning the broken handle out will not harm the head and may help it.

I once was in the North Woods with this problem and no bench or vice or hammer or tools or electricity or extra bolts etc and finally burned the broken piece out. A couple weeks later I snowshoed to a neighbor bout 3 miles away and he said that burning out the handle was SOP for him.

I would advise saving your ammo for driving nails.

Ever since the axe I had in my crib 66 years ago and way before, axe heads have been made of "steel". Cast iron axe heads went out with the ox cart and home made shoes. :)

If you must grind an axe head on a high speed wheel you will see the type of sparks indicating the carbon content. Cast iron becomes way too brittle for long service on cutting edges of any tool. The edge will "work harden" and chip back farther than you want to file or grind. Maybe them cast iron "trade axes" they foisted off on the Indians was what got 'em mad at the Pilgrims...

I think when Grandmapoo's head is finally straight we'll find that some wedge, sealer or epoxy or a combination was the culprit. I love a gramma who swings... axes, of course! :>)

I've always preferred burning broken heads out of axes, mauls, and sledge hammers - to trying to beat, cut, or drill them out. Toss the head in the fireplace with a fire (or toss it on the grill), let it cool slowly, re-sharpen it and mount a new handle
Dad

I typed "how to remove a broken axe handle" into Google and from this site

www.scoutingresources.org.uk/camping_axe.html -

found this statement

"To remove a broken handle, the easiest way is to put it in a fire, burying as much as possible of the metal in the earth (to prevent it losing temper)."

I'd be interested in what a "modern" axe manufacturer would say about removing handles volcanically! Today's tool makers go to great lengths and use very expensive equipment to see to it the steel temperatures are kept in the proper ranges during manufacturing. I seriously doubt TrueTemper, Ames, or...

Follow this link below for everything you ever needed to know about axe refurbishment. Scroll down to "When You Get the Axe Home" for removal instructions that make sense in THIS century.

Here is a link that might be useful: Common Sense Axe Treatment

If made within last 30 yrs , burn out old axe handle since it will be tempered to an extent .