I Really Want One of These... And You?

Firefighters don’t only fight fires, save lives or rescue cats from the top of the trees... they are also sometimes designers and inventors of their own tools.

Recently, Washington-state-based firefighter Scott McCann developed the BadAxx, a multi-purpose axe that contains a lot of very clever designs. 

Take a look at this thing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o22hAdbjhts

The head of the axe is created through the process of investment casting, otherwise known as lost wax casting. It starts with a die that has wax injected into it, to form the shape of the head. The wax head is then coated with a series of porcelain layers to create a mold of the head. The mold is then heated to melt and remove the wax and is finally filled with molten 4150 tool steel. Once cooled down, the porcelain is removed and we have a finished head. 

Once they have the casting, the head is then hardened through the process of heat treating to create the strength and durability to withstand a lifetime of completing the toughest jobs in the harshest environments. 

The handle is precision machined from a solid blank of 7075-T651 tempered aluminum; this is the toughest alloy of aluminum and is the same grade used in manufacturing commercial aircraft. We have chosen this alloy to allow extreme strength while keeping the weight down. We then treat the handle with an anodized finish to get the color you want and prevent oxidation.

Finally the head and handle are pressed together and pinned with 5 stainless steel roll pins to ensure a lifetime of dependable and durable use. No matter what job is put in its way, your BADAXX tool will never let you down.

This Ax is cool, this guy is cool, well done Scott.

Cheers — Gaston Monge-Grassi