Recommendation? Handle Shaping For Hanging

S

Steve Sr.

Joined
Jun 26, 2018
Messages
42
Where to begin... I received my replacement handle from House and started looking at shaping it for the axe head. Unfortunately, the handle is too wide to even fit inside the head. My calipers say it is about .050" too wide.

So I am stuck before getting to step one in the "axe To Grind" video. The video now seems like the job was about 90% complete before even being started! This doesn't help a beginner very much.

Can any of you recommend any good videos that go through the complete process rather than the 2 minutes in the "Axe To Grind" video?

I have some basic wood working tools and not adverse to adding to the collection. It looks like the next one will be a 4 in hand rasp. Is Nicholson any good any more or have they been outsourced to China?

The first issue is going to be getting the head on the handle. The second will be removing what appears to be considerable material at the bottom of the eye section and making the lower extensions of the Jersey pattern blend with the handle.

Thanks,
Steve

P.S. I tried to add photos of the handle and axe head but this doesn't appear to work. All I get is a "Your Media" pop-up and nothing happens. Go figure...
 
I got a Nicholson fine 12in file and the rasp you mentioned. All made in Brazil. They worked just great until i realized is better to order the appropriate handle that will be a closer fit to the small eyed ax i am attempting to re hafting
 
"An Ax To Grind" video and the manual were produced 22 yrs ago. The production was done with a camera man, sound man, etc., and a producer. Its is always sad to me, all these years later, when I am reminded of how much footage was shot, and how much I wrote for the manual, and how much was left on the cutting room floor. It was all complete when I finished with it, but then the producers started cutting and editing.
PS- I guess the funny part of this story is that the single most critical comment is about when I said be careful about the linseed oil rag disposal and then threw it on the floor. Seems like over the years this comes back to haunt me. Well, I was screwing around with the director and crew when I did that. Then, after cutting the crap out of some good footage, they leave that scene in the video, go figure!
 
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Steve Sr. said:
Where to begin... I received my replacement handle from House and started looking at shaping it for the axe head. Unfortunately, the handle is too wide to even fit inside the head. My calipers say it is about .050" too wide.

So I am stuck before getting to step one in the "axe To Grind" video. The video now seems like the job was about 90% complete before even being started! This doesn't help a beginner very much.

Can any of you recommend any good videos that go through the complete process rather than the 2 minutes in the "Axe To Grind" video?

I have some basic wood working tools and not adverse to adding to the collection. It looks like the next one will be a 4 in hand rasp. Is Nicholson any good any more or have they been outsourced to China?

The first issue is going to be getting the head on the handle. The second will be removing what appears to be considerable material at the bottom of the eye section and making the lower extensions of the Jersey pattern blend with the handle.

Thanks,
Steve

P.S. I tried to add photos of the handle and axe head but this doesn't appear to work. All I get is a "Your Media" pop-up and nothing happens. Go figure...
Click to expand...
Steve Sr.

You might check this out and it is a series "the efficient axe". He also has good ones on sharpening.
Here is another on that shows removing a lot of the excess material at the shoulder on an already a thinned down handle.
If you want to try thinning down a handle, check out SkillCult on YouTube, and his work on a Husqvarna axe handle.
SwedeFP
 
In case some of you do not know, when it was made, "An Ax To Grind" was a U S Forest Service training video and manual for U S Govt. employees only. The target audience was not without some level of ax skills. The only reason it is even available to you free is because your tax dollars paid for it. I might add that I have NEVER posted any of my training material on line. There are people with some sort of paid sites who use my training material to make money. I would add that these clowns who do this would not know what to do with a ax if it bit them in the ass.
 
To the OP’s problem, I’ve had great success with a spoke shave or even a pocket knife. Every rehaft I’ve done has begun with a haft tongue that was oversized compared to the eye.

also, in my rehafting I’ve realized that I try really hard for a “perfect” fit, but by the time I’m done knocking everything together the small inconsistencies don’t matter.

Old Axeman said:
I guess the funny part of this story is that the single most critical comment is about when I said be careful about the linseed oil rag disposal and then threw it on the floor.
Click to expand...

If it helps, I always understood there was a tongue-in-cheek element to the video. I got the impression you folks had a lot of fun making that video.

Old Axeman said:
The target audience was not without some level of ax skills.
Click to expand...

You know, I always felt it was more than sufficient for anyone with general hand tool experience. Those tax dollars are some of the best that have ever been spent.
 
Steve Sr. said:
Where to begin... I received my replacement handle from House and started looking at shaping it for the axe head. Unfortunately, the handle is too wide to even fit inside the head. My calipers say it is about .050" too wide.

So I am stuck before getting to step one in the "axe To Grind" video. The video now seems like the job was about 90% complete before even being started! This doesn't help a beginner very much.

Can any of you recommend any good videos that go through the complete process rather than the 2 minutes in the "Axe To Grind" video?

I have some basic wood working tools and not adverse to adding to the collection. It looks like the next one will be a 4 in hand rasp. Is Nicholson any good any more or have they been outsourced to China?

The first issue is going to be getting the head on the handle. The second will be removing what appears to be considerable material at the bottom of the eye section and making the lower extensions of the Jersey pattern blend with the handle.

Thanks,
Steve

P.S. I tried to add photos of the handle and axe head but this doesn't appear to work. All I get is a "Your Media" pop-up and nothing happens. Go figure...
Click to expand...

Old Axeman said:
"An Ax To Grind" video and the manual were produced 22 yrs ago. The production was done with a camera man, sound man, etc., and a producer. Its is always sad to me, all these years later, when I am reminded of how much footage was shot, and how much I wrote for the manual, and how much was left on the cutting room floor. It was all complete when I finished with it, but then the producers started cutting and editing.
PS- I guess the funny part of this story is that the single most critical comment is about when I said be careful about the linseed oil rag disposal and then threw it on the floor. Seems like over the years this comes back to haunt me. Well, I was screwing around with the director and crew when I did that. Then, after cutting the crap out of some good footage, they leave that scene in the video, go figure!
Click to expand...

Yes S Steve Sr. , as O Old Axeman said the video was made many years ago. At that time, you could still get axe handles that were shaped, well, like axe handles and not like clubs - so there was a time when axe handles did not require any shaping to get them ready to hang. If you look at old axe handle advertisements they often have statements about how they are ready to hang and require minimal fitting, etc. Vintage axe handles from 50-100 years ago look like works of art today. The original handle on my old McKinnon rockaway is slim octagonal perfection.
 
FLINT77 said:
Yes S Steve Sr. , as O Old Axeman said the video was made many years ago. At that time, you could still get axe handles that were shaped, well, like axe handles and not like clubs - so there was a time when axe handles did not require any shaping to get them ready to hang. If you look at old axe handle advertisements they often have statements about how they are ready to hang and require minimal fitting, etc. Vintage axe handles from 50-100 years ago look like works of art today. The original handle on my old McKinnon rockaway is slim octagonal perfection.
Click to expand...
Well, I would rather the eye section be a little large than a little small. The head is a vintage Plumb 3_2 Jersey pattern. It was hard enough finding a new handle with this old eye profile.
 
SwedeFP said:
Steve Sr.

You might check this out and it is a series "the efficient axe". He also has good ones on sharpening.
Here is another on that shows removing a lot of the excess material at the shoulder on an already a thinned down handle.
If you want to try thinning down a handle, check out SkillCult on YouTube, and his work on a Husqvarna axe handle.
SwedeFP
Click to expand...
Thanks for the video links I am still making my way through these and others on the same channels.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Another good shaping option is a Microplane wood rasp. They're like the Silky saw of rasps, I swear. No chatter, even in the curliest grain, and they cut quickly while leaving a finish that can be scraped smooth in just 1-2 passes.
Click to expand...

Well, now it is onto tool choices. After watching the videos the choices have expanded a little as follows:

1. Microplane - Looks to be available in flat and curved versions. These look interesting but appear to be unobtanium, at least on their website. I haven't looked elsewhere yet.

2. Shinto rasp - Neat idea using hacksaw blades. Coarse and fine in the same tool.

3. Nicholson 21860N - standard 4-in-hand rasp. Currently available at the local Home Depot.

Has anyone ever used either #1 or #2 above and can comment on how well it worked?

I suspect that with the pandemic folks are taking up woodworking to kill time while at the same time the supply is reduced due to Covid.

Almost forgot... I inherited some of my great grandfather's woodworking tools and there is a small spoke-shave in the collection. I need to see what kind of shape that the blade is in and if I have the tools to sharpen it if needed.
 
You can find the Microplane 8" snap-in rasp (the one I personally recommend) in a few different woodworking stores' sites in-stock.
 
Steve Sr. said:
Almost forgot... I inherited some of my great grandfather's woodworking tools and there is a small spoke-shave in the collection. I need to see what kind of shape that the blade is in and if I have the tools to sharpen it if needed.
Click to expand...

Can’t go wrong with a working spokeshave! Get good with one and you’ll find yourself shaving hafts for fun.
 
Wait, the handle is .05" too big? Any file on earth will do that job. If you're buying finished handles you need two half round files - one course rasp and something finer - and a vise (or something to hold the thing). And that's it for the shaping and fitting process. Other tools might be nice but aren't necessary. I got my files at the local hardware store for cheap so I presume they are imported (but I have no idea), but even if you make the handles from scratch they will probably do many handles before they are trash.

And, you fit a Jersey the exact same way you fit any other head. Don't let the lugs/ears/whatever try and trick you.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
You can find the Microplane 8" snap-in rasp (the one I personally recommend) in a few different woodworking stores' sites in-stock.
Click to expand...
Since I don't have the handle I was looking fro the Microplane 32015 set that comes with the coarse and fine flat rasps and the needed handle. This one doesn't seem to be readily available.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
You can find the Microplane 8" snap-in rasp (the one I personally recommend) in a few different woodworking stores' sites in-stock.
Click to expand...
Since I don't have the handle I was looking fro the Microplane 32015 set that comes with the coarse and fine flat rasps and the needed handle. This one doesn't seem to be readily available.
 
The Shinto rasp also seems to be on back-order about everywhere that I have tried.

So it looks like it is time for the 80-100 year old combination spoke shave. I would post a photo of it but that doesn't seem to work.

Each section is about 1 1/2" wide. One is flat and the other is concave. I have the tools to sharpen the flat one but the concave one is going to be more of a challenge and requires some kind of round edge stone. Looks to be about a 6" diameter. Anyone have any suggestions of a round profile stone and where to find it? Went through Klingspor's web site and didn't see much that would help.
 
Steve Sr. said:
The Shinto rasp also seems to be on back-order about everywhere that I have tried.

So it looks like it is time for the 80-100 year old combination spoke shave. I would post a photo of it but that doesn't seem to work.

Each section is about 1 1/2" wide. One is flat and the other is concave. I have the tools to sharpen the flat one but the concave one is going to be more of a challenge and requires some kind of round edge stone. Looks to be about a 6" diameter. Anyone have any suggestions of a round profile stone and where to find it? Went through Klingspor's web site and didn't see much that would help.
Click to expand...
dowel + glue + sandpaper
 
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