COTS Project Thread

aikonen said:
It is strange how they got to be called 'Ray mears'-style just because he likes them.

Ok, however they look solid, $25 might just be worth it!
Click to expand...

After sharpening and some very brief testing against stone hard oak lumber, I am feeling confident in the quality of the steel. When I get more time I will do some real testing, but yeah, they are already worth what I paid.
 
Well .... more hammers. No before and after because, well you guys already know what they looked like before. The little one is interesting I think. It's marked "Bell System". It's a nice little hammer - well made, and it was well taken care of because this is how it looked when it was brought to me for a handle. Not a spec of rust, sort of that natural blue/black steel patina. It's tiny, yet has a huge eye and I noticed in one of these pics how it really depicts the totally random sizes involved with hammers. I just go buy sledge hammer handles now, cut them, and turn them into handles. Then someone showed up with this cleaver. It's got to be old by my estimation and a vinegar bath revealed that it is bi-metal, with only a tiny bit of cutting edge left. But I think it's just for looking at - some family history of butcher shops. Anyway, the handle had some bug holes in it but whatever it came out ok. This was a new challenge for me.

cleaver_original by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

cleaver_vinegar by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

cleaver_hammers2 by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

cleaver_hammers by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

cleaver_hammers_eyes by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr
 
Once again, I really enjoy updates to this thread. Not only is the time and skill evident in what you do but your pictures always do them "justice".
 
Thanks everyone. I like photography as a hobby too so it just gives me something else to do. I am not good at not being busy, but I am sure it means I have some kind of disorder. :p
 
So I've been meaning to get a 28" rough handle for a long time - got a specific head that I think belongs on it - finally got around to ordering one. You guys can probably see right away some features that are intriguing to me. The 28s are apparently a wholly different pattern and the first thing I noticed is how long the tongue is compared to the 30" sitting next to it. My Jersey and Connie heads barely fit, but as you can see with the 28" there is at least a full inch extra material. To me, that's how they should all be. The stick is overall more curved and the swell is unique. I have already begun to shape a knob on it for my first attempt to satisfy my knob-end octagonal fetish. It's not going to be perfect but I think it will be pretty good. The nice feature of the extra material top and bottom is the ability to make this handle even shorter should a person want to. I think it would be easy to get it down to 26" for a smaller head or bring the shoulder up for a full 28". This particular stick has really nice grain features as well so I am very pleased with HH today.

28inch_firstpass by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr
 
Just getting into this hobby, so I apologize if this is a question that reflects my experience, but where did you get those handles? Did you make them? How do you finish them?

I have already bought every handle that has a reasonably straight grain I can find in fairbanks. :confused:

Your projects look amazing by the way. They give me an idea of what I should be shooting for. Thanks for posting.

Best,
 
Alan2442 said:
Just getting into this hobby, so I apologize if this is a question that reflects my experience, but where did you get those handles? Did you make them? How do you finish them?

I have already bought every handle that has a reasonably straight grain I can find in fairbanks. :confused:

Your projects look amazing by the way. They give me an idea of what I should be shooting for. Thanks for posting.

Best,
Click to expand...

No problem. I'm beginning to think I should move out your way. I ordered it from House Handle but I just put in the order comments that I would like it rough, straight off the lathe. I got this idea from watching the House Handle videos on youtube where you get to see the handles after they come off the lathe. You are seeing that in my pics. Based on what I see in the videos they use another machine to set the tongue, but other than that, their handles are finished by hand on a massive belt sander - and I believe this is how it's been done for the last 100 years plus by most outfits that made handles on copy lathes.

As for finishing them, I kinda do it the same way they do except my belt sander isn't the size of a room. First I rip the steps off with a draw knife. It may be old school but really it's faster. I then use half round rasp/files to make the swell just right. I have to use files because the radius at the swell is tighter than my belt sander contact wheel, and I have more control. By using a rasp, it goes pretty fast, then a file to smooth it down. Pretty much from there on out it's belt sander time. I will do some hand sanding at the end.

And thank you!

Oh and a note on the rough handles. They can only provide them when they are turning that style of handle so it depends on where your order falls in their rotation. It can take a week or it can take a month to get one.
 
Thanks COTS. I'll have to give that a try...it's a good reason to get a better belt sander :D
 
Today's project is brought to you by our man JB. I bought it quite a while back but wanted a short handle like the one that came on it. It's marked NE OLD YANK 3-1/4 and with a 57 under the poll. It has a forge welded bit and still weighs in at 3lbs, 3oz.

Unfortunately, I didn't exactly do my best work here. Gotta show the good with the bad I guess. I just removed too much material and didn't pay attention to the way the head wanted to hang - should have known though since Cts have that sort of super closed look to them. Anyway, you'll see in the pics (kinda) that I put a filler piece at the back of the eye. What sort of worked out was, I put in the filler at the top, and then drove the wedge, so in theory my wedge is crushing the filler piece in, and hopefully causing the whole thing to be tighter. When I applied my aging sludge to it, it all sorta blended in and you can't really see it very well in the pics.

Otherwise the fit was pretty good. Got good bulging around the eye and got the wedge just about right. The knob-end came out pretty good I think. There wasn't a TON of wood to work with. Got a little carried away with the aging effect and stain but ya know, that's how it goes.

NE_OLDYANK_markings by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

NE_OLDYANK_forgeweld by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

NE_OLDYANK_sidebyside by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

NE_OLDYANK_fit by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

NE_OLDYANK_bulge by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr

NE_OLDYANK_wedge by city_ofthe_south, on Flickr
 
Square_peg said:
I really love that knob end. Looks great.
Click to expand...

I'm going to second that! Lovely rendition and obviously you've got a good eye for this! Reminds me of the Walters versions from 1/2+ century ago.

axe%20handles%20001%20Medium_zpsqszzhrk6.jpg
 
Awesome. I have found 3-4 of those "NE OLD YANK" axes in the last year. The first was a complete near mint axe and one of the best that I have used. I sold it for good money but still kind of regret not being able to put my hands on it. I have not been able to find much info online regarding who made them, but it would not surprise me if they were a Maine product. I have another now, a complete axe and the head looks hand made. It has been put aside because it is on the short list for a keeper. I'll post it in the Followed me home thread. Any info would be great if anyone knows anything. Top quality but a little mystery to me.

Anyway, have you used it?!?!? BTW, I also love the handle style. The color, shape and knob remind me of an old horn or antler knife handle at first glance.
 
300Six said:
I'm going to second that! Lovely rendition and obviously you've got a good eye for this! Reminds me of the Walters versions from 1/2+ century ago.
Click to expand...
Thanks and thanks to pictures like that one you and others provided way back when I started thinking about this, I knew how it was supposed to look.


Square_peg said:
I really love that knob end. Looks great.
Click to expand...
Thanks!


jblyttle said:
Awesome. I have found 3-4 of those "NE OLD YANK" axes in the last year. The first was a complete near mint axe and one of the best that I have used. I sold it for good money but still kind of regret not being able to put my hands on it. I have not been able to find much info online regarding who made them, but it would not surprise me if they were a Maine product. I have another now, a complete axe and the head looks hand made. It has been put aside because it is on the short list for a keeper. I'll post it in the Followed me home thread. Any info would be great if anyone knows anything. Top quality but a little mystery to me.

Anyway, have you used it?!?!? BTW, I also love the handle style. The color, shape and knob remind me of an old horn or antler knife handle at first glance.
Click to expand...

It's an awesome axe - it looks like it's been through hell but is still full weight. The goofy errant grind marks near the bit are from file testing, which took a ton of pressure to cut and resulted in some slipping. I didn't really feel like the bit needed profiling - I just kept it how it was. I did split some of that Oak skid material you see in the background of some of the pictures. I landed that huge stack for free and one chunk of that stuff is crazy heavy. Of course that Oak is not great for splitting - twisted and full of knots - but it's pretty much all I've got here at the house. Other than that the axe probably won't see much work until winter comes back around. But, it felt good, I did find some relatively knot free pieces and split them up just to see how it was. It's now among my most prized choppers for sure.

You find another one this good or better, keep it! It's a great pattern. I call it a Ct but it's a little bit unique, kind of boxy, and more of a multipurpose wedge shape vs narrow like my Collins Ct.
 
Last edited:
cityofthesouth said:
That one is niiiiiiice. I see it has the same handle as mine had. Man did they thin those out.
Click to expand...

I've decided to let it go. Hard choice but I have a E&S Connie that is similar and is probably my favorite axe that I have ever found. And that is saying something.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top