COTS Project Thread

[cityofthesouth]

COTS, would you mind sharing some of your most used/favored tools when working on these?

As I ease my way into this hobby I'm trying to slowly piece together my woodworking toolkit.

I think I would really enjoy working with these first pass handles if I had the proper tools to work with.

Maybe if I had more experience with different styles of draw knife and spoke shave my opinion would be different, but I don't find them as useful for curved handles as a rasp. If a guy wanted to buy just basic inexpensive tools but still get the job done - and pretty quickly - a couple rasps would be the way to go for me. I use a half round to work on the swell but with a big ole farrier's rasp you could do the entire handle in short order. Then clean it up with a file. For straight handles the spoke shave is pretty good. There is a certain therapy to using one as well.

Anyway, half round rasp and file are go-to for me. I use a 2x42 belt sander for the rest with 36 grit belts (to start). A sharp 36 doesn't make dust, it makes shavings. It's not very old fashioned BUT the belt sander is one of the best purchases I've made - I use it for a million other projects. I bought the 2x42 with knife making in the back of my mind. I use it all the time to dress up axes before sharpening. If knife making wasn't part of my thought process, I think I would have got something that took 4" belts instead. The width would have proven to be useful MANY times in my projects and I think a 4" belt sander is more of a wood working specific tool.

I use regular old hand saws to cut things. I cut the kerfs with a back saw. And I guess I am skipping over the obvious but a vise is an absolute must for all shops. On many occasions I have wanted to build a shave horse and I think it would be a useful (cheap/easy) alternative to a vise since they are so frickin expensive if you are stuck buying one new.

 

[cityofthesouth]

Axe specific tools (although a mallet is very useful all around) my mallet. Vital to axe hanging. I've used a few different hammers and mallets and this one has just the right mass IMO. It is large enough that I can strike wedges without breaking them, yet still delivers a sharp blow for drawing the head up the handle.

plumb_beveled_jersey1 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

My half rounds and spoke shave are seen in this shot. It occurred to me looking at this that a guy could get away with clamps, but I'd still want a vise.

32inch_reshape_36gritrough by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

 

[quinton]

+1 for the shave horse. It would be hard for me to make a handle without one.

 

[Square_peg]

I like a white rubber mallet for drawing the axe up on to the haft. A wood mallet is best for driving the wedge - one with a face wider than the wedge. A large (12"-14") coarse wood rasp is invaluable, especially when it comes to shaping the swell but also for thinning the haft. An 8" or 10" wood rasp will aid in shaping the inside curve of the swell. A 4-in-hand rasp is essential for hanging - if you can find a 10" so much the better. Octagon hafts require a spoke shave. There's no other way to get crisp corners.


Vise. Vise. Vise. With non-marring jaws.

 

[cityofthesouth]

Now things are getting interesting. 4 billets from House. Grain looks good - I can't see any run-out upon close inspection. Looks like one of them is heart wood.

hickory_billets by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

 

[300Six]

Now things are getting interesting. 4 billets from House. Grain looks good - I can't see any run-out upon close inspection. Looks like one of them is heart wood.

Wow! One of the few occasions where I don't want to invoke the phrase "You've really got your work cut out for you", despite it being accurate in the true sense.

 

[Camber]

Is that a Hoffman head?

 

[quinton]

Now things are getting interesting. 4 billets from House. Grain looks good - I can't see any run-out upon close inspection. Looks like one of them is heart wood.

hickory_billets by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

Uh-Oh.

 

[Riz!]

Now things are getting interesting. 4 billets from House. Grain looks good - I can't see any run-out upon close inspection. Looks like one of them is heart wood.

hickory_billets by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

May I ask what grain runout is? I think I know but would love some confirmation. If you had a picture that would be even better. Is it when the grain terminates at the surface of the handle somewhere midshaft and not on the very ends?

 

[quinton]

May I ask what grain runout is? I think I know but would love some confirmation. If you had a picture that would be even better. Is it when the grain terminates at the surface of the handle somewhere midshaft and not on the very ends?

Yes, you are correct, Riz.

Where the hell is 300 with that pic when he is needed?

 

[TN metalman]

Wow!?! You can get the actual billets from House, or is that just a COTS thing? I've got a stack stuff to rehang, and I'd rather make the handles myself. Your thread is quite inspiring!

 

[cityofthesouth]

Wow! One of the few occasions where I don't want to invoke the phrase "You've really got your work cut out for you", despite it being accurate in the true sense.

Ha! I think you nailed it. Wish me luck.

Is that a Hoffman head?

Yep. None of these are mine though.

May I ask what grain runout is? I think I know but would love some confirmation. If you had a picture that would be even better. Is it when the grain terminates at the surface of the handle somewhere midshaft and not on the very ends?

You got it. Somewhere in this thread are some good shots of run-out and elsewhere.

Wow!?! You can get the actual billets from House, or is that just a COTS thing? I've got a stack stuff to rehang, and I'd rather make the handles myself. Your thread is quite inspiring!

No, I want to be special like that but I'm not. You too can get boards from House. Hickory is HEAVY - shipping sucks, but the final result is still less $ than a finished handle. However, they have altered the website a little so that the special requests are actually chosen during your order rather than in the comments (and that was a good idea). The negative of it is, it seems they don't bother to read the comments. You'll just have to e-mail them and request the billets.

 

[Agent_H]

COTS, this is one of my favorite shows on the internet.:thumbup:

 

[300Six]

Yes, you are correct, Riz.

Where the hell is 300 with that pic when he is needed?

OK man! Here it is once again. Darn near perfect haft on the left and complete dud (extreme runout) on the right.

 

[Operator1975]

Take good care of my heads. Lol.

 

[Bigfattyt]

Great thread. I sure wish there were decent vintage axe heads to be found in my neck of the woods.

 

[cityofthesouth]

COTS, this is one of my favorite shows on the internet.:thumbup:

Haha, thanks!

OK man! Here it is once again. Darn near perfect haft on the left and complete dud (extreme runout) on the right.

There we go! Our favorite example.

Take good care of my heads. Lol.

Will do. The wait will be worse now because I will have no excuses. By the same token, I'm excited to get started so tomorrow there will be some progress.

Great thread. I sure wish there were decent vintage axe heads to be found in my neck of the woods.

So do I. I'm now just hanging other people's axes because I can't get any of my own. Not really. I have dealt with several good people here who have helped me get stuff I never would have gotten on my own.

 

[cityofthesouth]

I think you guys get the idea here. Made a couple mistakes however. First while chiseling off the chunks I was just day dreaming apparently and tried to go the wrong way which resulted in a pretty insignificant, but very annoying crack. Second, it turns out these boards are thicker on one end. I just assumed they were equal thickness throughout so I had the fat end toward the shoulder, and the narrow end toward the swell. Sigh. I guess this handle is mine. I did manage to rough out a second one this evening. Both are a little further along than the pics.

axehandle_progress1 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr
Stop cuts.

axehandle_progress2 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr
Chisel work.

axehandle_progress3 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr
Draw knife work.

axehandle_progress4 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr
First run on the belt sander.

 

[Creek_Stomper]

Now things are getting interesting. 4 billets from House. Grain looks good - I can't see any run-out upon close inspection. Looks like one of them is heart wood.

hickory_billets by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

What would one call the bottommost pattern? I love this look: almost like a half hatchet with no hammer poll. I'd love to find one in a larger size.

 

[cityofthesouth]

What would one call the bottommost pattern? I love this look: almost like a half hatchet with no hammer poll. I'd love to find one in a larger size.

I'd call it inspired Jersey and current Euro axe - it is a full size poll axe though at just over 3lbs. It's a modern axe made by Hoffman Blacksmithing. Not sure what Hoffman calls it but maybe Operator can tell us.