Hand Making Axe Handles

[ajschainsaws]

 

[ajschainsaws]

 

[ajschainsaws]

and a big ole hickory mattock/pickaxe handle gonna shape it down for another wannabee dragon slayer

 

[ranchdadmike]

I’ve got a ton of handles to make once winter sets in, just haven’t had time.

And you’ve got a buyer for one if you ever have an extra to sell

 

[jakethesnake]

Broke the handle on my wedge driver today. Grain runout. Hardware store handles are starting to piss me off.

 

[XP_Slinger]

And you’ve got a buyer for one if you ever have an extra to sell

I’ll keep you in mind Mike.

 

[ranchdadmike]

I appreciate that (I just had to comment, just in case you’ve gone commercial)

 

[jakethesnake]

Ohhhhh me too me too

 

[XP_Slinger]

I appreciate that (I just had to comment, just in case you’ve gone commercial)

Ohhhhh me too me too

Lol! If I went commercial I’d go bankrupt for failure to deliver because I’m too slow...ha ha ha!

Still waiting for wood to dry so I can make one for a raffle recipient from the spring.

 

[jakethesnake]

Lol! If I went commercial I’d go bankrupt for failure to deliver because I’m too slow...ha ha ha!

Still waiting for wood to dry so I can make one for a raffle recipient from the spring.

Stay focused!

 

[ajschainsaws]

Haven’t done anymore on the bamboo handle
Just finished off the slayer

 

[ajschainsaws]

 

[ajschainsaws]

 

[ajschainsaws]

Had another hour on this bamboo handle

 

[ajschainsaws]

 

[ajschainsaws]

 

[ajschainsaws]

Getting there

 

[jehinten]

I've suddenly taken an interest in making a handle and had to buy an axe head to make it happen. I bought one off of Ebay, I choose it because it was forged in my hometown of Evansville Indiana many years ago (no idea on the date but the company is no longer open). I started with soaking the head in vinegar for 48 hours and selected a piece of Ash from my firewood logs. I wanted to use a piece of honey locust, but all of my pieces of it were full of knots or twisted grain. As this is my first handle that I have made I did make a few mistakes and could have done a little better on the fit, but I think it has turned out nice. I had every intention of making a narrow oval handle until I felt this handle as I started to shave it down, it felt good in my hands being a little square and thick so I finished shaping it how I wanted and sanded it smooth, I then gave the handle 4 coats of boiled linseed oil.

this is what I started with, it was covered in rust and I believe old dried up tar.





this is after 48 hours in white vinegar and a light scrubbing with a scouring pad


beginning to shape the handle. I used the bandsaw to get me a close to square post out of this log, I then cut one side off at an angle to get the grain orientation the direction I wanted it, and then used that edge to cut the other 3 sides off on a table saw. After tracing another handle that I used as a template I made these cuts with a bandsaw and started working it down with a draw shave.


in cutting the top of the handle down for the head, I did not take into account that the tablesaw cuts further on the bottom than the top where I could see ( I was actually thinking as I made this cut, that this would be a bad time to mess up, well...) the line on the right side is where I was supposed to stop my cut.

I was able to shorten my handle by about an inch and make it still work

 

[ajschainsaws]

Nice job there’s nothing better than renovating axe head and making a handle
For it

 

[jehinten]

this is after shortening my handle, I made the mistake of going ahead and setting the head like this even though I was not happy with the fit. I later decided to take the time to fix it, which would have been easier if the head was not seated


I was able to adjust how the head fit to the axe without taking the head off. I used a caliper and measured the widest gap on both sides (3/16") and scribed a mark following the shape of the head at that mark. I then used a Dremel tool with a small bit and removed all the wood up to that mark. It did require a bit more force than should have been necessary, but I was able to get the head to move further onto the handle even though it had already been wedged. I then reset the wedge to hold the head secure.

(should not have used the flash here) just showing the fit to the head. I was a little surprised to see the gap at the front of the head, I kept removing wood as the head marked it little by little, and I noticed that the back needed quite a bit removed. Had I left more of it and reshaped this part a little I think I could of had a better fit in the front.





final product, after 4 coats of linseed oil. The head could be a little tighter, if it ever wants to move with age I will try to tighten it up then.

Overall I am pretty happy with it, it feels solid and is heavy for an axe. My main use for it will be to drive in felling wedges. Feel free to critique anything you see as this is my first handle that I did not buy from a store.

Thanks,
Justin