Challenging hafting project finished

O

osage outlaw

Joined
Feb 21, 2015
Messages
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I'm fairly new to the hatchet collecting hobby. Here is my first attempt at some repair work. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...raftsman-mini-hatchet-with-curly-osage-handle It looked good but I screwed up the wedge. This idea has been bouncing around my head for a while and I think it's finally time to make it happen. I have this chunk of osage that was cut off of a bow stave. I want to incorporate the open knot hole in the handle. I've made several osage longbows with similar holes. I think I can follow the grain around the knot and still retain the strength of the wood. I do it with bows and that wood has to flex. Making it work on a rigid handle should be doable.







Here is the part that will be a challenge. I think I can steam bend it straight after I get it worked down to rough size. Osage bends very easily with dry heat or steam.




I guess this is the head that I am going to put on it. I don't know much about wardmaster. I probably have better heads in my collection but I haven't done any restoration work on them yet. Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

 
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Do you have any hewing axes/hatchets that need hanging? That bend would be just the ticket.

What is metal thing in the upper right of the middle picture? The combination of stock steel bits and quality welding caught my eye.
 
I have one hewing hatchet but it already has a nice handle so I don't want to use it. The thing on the corner of my work bench is a bow vise that a friend made for me. It clamps down on a bow limb from the top instead of the sides. He made me a larger version also. They work really well. I will be using it on this project.



 
Canadian Mojo said:
Do you have any hewing axes/hatchets that need hanging? That bend would be just the ticket.

What is metal thing in the upper right of the middle picture? The combination of stock steel bits and quality welding caught my eye.
Click to expand...

Exactly!

I like what you're doing. It's a cool idea, It can work. But you should accept the gift of that great curve and put it to use in your project.
 
Montgomery wards master quality axes are known to be good tools, and you did a pretty good job taking any rust off without affecting the patina.
BTW that Vaughan / craftsman mini hatchet that you hung is likely from the 50's or 60's as that particular style of craftsman stamp is an earlier one.
( you might be better off giving the kid a different hatchet and keeping the one which belonged to your grandfather for yourself )
 
Square_peg said:
Exactly!

I like what you're doing. It's a cool idea, It can work. But you should accept the gift of that great curve and put it to use in your project.
Click to expand...

That would put the grain running the wrong way. Plus it gets thinner around the knot and I don't know if it would work with that layout.
 
Hickory n steel said:
Montgomery wards master quality axes are known to be good tools, and you did a pretty good job taking any rust off without affecting the patina.
BTW that Vaughan / craftsman mini hatchet that you hung is likely from the 50's or 60's as that particular style of craftsman stamp is an earlier one.
( you might be better off giving the kid a different hatchet and keeping the one which belonged to your grandfather for yourself )
Click to expand...

I didn't clean up the wardmaster. It was like that when I got it. That little Craftsman hatchet already has a new home. It went to the son of a really good friend. I was OK with letting it go.
 
osage outlaw said:
That would put the grain running the wrong way. Plus it gets thinner around the knot and I don't know if it would work with that layout.
Click to expand...

As long as the grain is continuous it would be fine in a hatchet - some would say in a full size, too.
 
I'm making slow progress on it. I cut off some excess wood on the bandsaw. It's looking a little more like a handle.




 
I got it all squared up and then rounded the edges. It's really taking shape now. I used a scraper to remove all the file marks and smooth it out for steam bending in the morning. It feels good in the hand. I hope I don't screw it up trying to straighten it. I put a heavy coat of shellac on it as a temporary finish before the steam. I'm waiting until after I straighten to shape the head end. I want to make sure it makes it before I put in all that work to get a good fit.



 
After an hour of steaming I chose the wrong type of clamp and didn't get it bent quick enough. I grabbed a heat gun and slowly bent it a little farther than I needed to. I'm expecting it to spring back a little bit when I take the clamp off. The knot didn't straighten out much. Most of the bend happened just above it. As long as it lines up I think it will work. I didn't hear any cracks or pops when I bent it. I think it's going to work.




 
Just curious, do you make those wooden arrows hanging on the wall and in the bucket?
 
Cool project to follow along with. Definitely will be a unique handle when finished. I am interested to see the end product and find out how it performs.
 
You could heat again and put props under the haft on either side of the eye. You migth get it a little flatter.
 
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