Hanging an axe - where to get the head?

[pialia]

I browsed around some online sites and after much searching found a double cut file with a course pattern. Pretty much everything seems to medium or fine, don't Swedes do any rough work?! I checked local tool shops when I was out looking for stuff earlier in the week and all I could find that even felt rough to the touch was the 120 grit diamond file. All of the regular type flat files etc were just fine patterns.

I should have the file and file card sometime next week, I guess that is when the real work starts.

I'm hoping to hear back from my potential wood supplier sometime soon, getting hickory wood that isn't already a shaped shaft seems to be a tedious thing when living on the wrong continent. This doesn't seem like a cheap and fun alternative to buying a brand new Gränsfors anymore, all though I do see purchase of any tools as an investment as my hands will probably wear out before they do. But the price of raw materials are staggering in Sweden, darn taxes.

I just hope I'm able to find a suitable wood that won't leave me broke, otherwise I'll have built my shave horse for nothing!

Thanks for all the help so far, I'm off to check on my axe head(it's been sizzling away in vinegar for the past hours.)

Current shape:

 

[Square_peg]

I'm hoping to hear back from my potential wood supplier sometime soon, getting hickory wood that isn't already a shaped shaft seems to be a tedious thing when living on the wrong continent.
I just hope I'm able to find a suitable wood that won't leave me broke, otherwise I'll have built my shave horse for nothing!

I would bet that there is suitable wood growing all around you. Any hardwood will make a decent axe handle. Hickory is best but it's not the only wood that will work. Ash is very good, too. And maple or birch will do in a pinch. Elm is another excellent choice, up there with ash and just below hickory. Oak is another suitable wood.Virtually any fruitwood will do. Don't limit yourself to only hickory.

 

[pialia]

I would bet that there is suitable wood growing all around you. Any hardwood will make a decent axe handle. Hickory is best but it's not the only wood that will work. Ash is very good, too. And maple or birch will do in a pinch. Elm is another excellent choice, up there with ash and just below hickory. Oak is another suitable wood.Virtually any fruitwood will do. Don't limit yourself to only hickory.

You're probably correct. I think it would be awesome to find some standing dead tree and actually use part of it for an axe, but that requires a hell of a lot of drying doesn't it? I don't really know the process you go through before having usable lumber. The ash up here is supposed to be good, I was reading a post from a Swedish forum where all he used was ash which had lasted him 35 years, and I'll be sad if I only get to make handles every 35 years. Guess that means I need more axes...

If I had snow shoes I could probably do some scouting in the woods nearby, but there's about 3-4ft of snow due to a recent storm that I don't want to mess with Plus I don't really know what to look for. I'm not even sure I can identify an ash.

 

[DarkWolf777]

I have read (here somewhere) that you could use a green limb, with the curve you like (no grain run-out) cut to shape. A good excuse to use your shaving horse. Just a thought.
That much snow sux. I live in the deep south of the U.S. and have seen real snow maybe 3 times in 40 years.
Real snow being 2-3 INCHES, never feet........not even half a foot.

 

[pialia]

I have read (here somewhere) that you could use a green limb, with the curve you like (no grain run-out) cut to shape. A good excuse to use your shaving horse. Just a thought.
That much snow sux. I live in the deep south of the U.S. and have seen real snow maybe 3 times in 40 years.
Real snow being 2-3 INCHES, never feet........not even half a foot.

A green branch sounds like it would probably suffice if you had to rehandle it in the bush, but won't that require another handle after it dries and shrinks? Perhaps that takes a long time, I don't know.

 

[Ramonr]

Congratulations Pia to bring the axe back to life.
Indeed finding a suitable wood for the handle is not easy, even living in a country - Brazil - where there are trees in abundance. I love doing handle for my axes and have used twigs of native woods, especially blown down ( 3 to 4 months to dry). The problem is that if the wood is very hard breaks easily, if soft, the handle does not fixed properly, and so I'm always doing new ones, for the new arrivals and to put new handle in others.

 

[Square_peg]

..... but there's about 3-4ft of snow due to a recent storm that I don't want to mess with

That could be a blessing. You would prefer green live wood to make your handle. It's much easier to work with. If you can find some recent stormfall then you would have green wood without having to cut down a tree just for a few axe handles.

Debark it, split it into staves and coat the ends with paint or wax or something to prevent uneven drying which cracks the wood. Some guys do all their shaping green and just leave the wedge long so they can tighten it up once everything is dry. Others rough shape the handle and leave it to dry and be finished later. You could do both. Lay up a rough-shaped stave to dry and then make another complete handle to use right away. If the first handle shrinks too much you can replace ti with the second. Otherwise use the second one on your next axe.

 

[G-pig]

Green wood never stopped me. Leave the wedge fat and a quarter inch proud and give it a couple weeks before pounding the crap out of the wedge. That will probably fix any issues with loosening.

You can make a handle out of a plethora of different stuff. You probably have a lot of birch around right? As long as you dont abuse it, that would work fine. You might well get to make more handles if you use birch because it isn't as strong as ash. For a smaller axe like yours, it would be fine at 27 or 26 inches. The main thing is to have fun and create something you have a connection too.

Birch is very easy to identify and I'm sure you can find something to suit your needs even out of smaller stuff. This blogpost by Peter Vido is illuminating-- you needn't be picky.

http://axeconnected.blogspot.com/2011/02/weak-handles.html

 

[pialia]

You guys have really inspired me! Thanks so much I think I'm just going to go wild and start shaping handles of most everything I can find, mainly so that once I do finish refurbishing my head I'll have made a decent handle that'll fit it. Maybe I'll get it right the first time(doubtful!), but practice should make perfect!

 

[pialia]

My shave horse is nearing its completion!

The current leg setup is very stupid and unstable, but I was getting lazy and didn't really have the right tools to get good angled legs. They'll come sooner or later, though! The actual work platform portion works great, generates quite a bit of force on whatever I'm working on.

Basically what I've got left to do is secure the wood pegs, build a seat/saddle type dealio and get the legs stable/replace the current ones. As you can see I made a hell of a mess, and it'll probably be a while before I start shaping my handle - I found a decent piece of birch that I thought I'd roughly shape and let dry a bit in the cellar - so I'm debating whether to not clean up and work on the handle indoors, or clean up and wait till I see some spring action outside. It was -22 here today so I'm not in the mood to work outdoors

 

[CB-R]

Good stuff, Pia! That looks like a well functioning machine. The splayed out legs will help a lot. I ended up pitching my seat forward to keep from sliding back on it-just a thought. What's wrong with leaving it where it is? Put a sleeping bag next to it and get shavin!

 

[garry3]

My shave horse is nearing its completion!

The current leg setup is very stupid and unstable, but I was getting lazy and didn't really have the right tools to get good angled legs. They'll come sooner or later, though! The actual work platform portion works great, generates quite a bit of force on whatever I'm working on.

Basically what I've got left to do is secure the wood pegs, build a seat/saddle type dealio and get the legs stable/replace the current ones. As you can see I made a hell of a mess, and it'll probably be a while before I start shaping my handle - I found a decent piece of birch that I thought I'd roughly shape and let dry a bit in the cellar - so I'm debating whether to not clean up and work on the handle indoors, or clean up and wait till I see some spring action outside. It was -22 here today so I'm not in the mood to work outdoors

You have been busy! Looks good. Make the front legs wider and you are good to go.
If it was me with that axe head(which I like alot). I would just sharpen it up and go. I would also sharpen the broke part and as you use it and resharpen it will work out over time. Just resharpen with the proper geometry in mind.

 

[pialia]

You have been busy! Looks good. Make the front legs wider and you are good to go.
If it was me with that axe head(which I like alot). I would just sharpen it up and go. I would also sharpen the broke part and as you use it and resharpen it will work out over time. Just resharpen with the proper geometry in mind.

That is kind of my thought also, I want to get a-choppin'!

Sleeping bag and axe handle shaping does sound nice, even nicer if it was out in the woods. An idea just came to mind

 

[pialia]

I figured I'd ask you guys who seem to frequent this thread a lot, what should one look for in a good draw knife? I had a bid on a really cheap one that looked to be in good condition from the Sweland, but I got sniped. So I figured I'd cruise the bay for one, but I have no idea what to look for. Any tips? Brands? Grinds? Length? Primary use will be axe handle shaping

 

[G-pig]

Any draw knife can be made to cut good with a little work. Grinds and stuff vary from person to person-- its not like knives where it usually falls into one of several types. Most of them would probably be called a convex grind, since thats generally what you get when you just sharpen to get a good edge without obsessing. Some people like a flat back, others a really gradual dub off. It depends on the condition and whats most realistic to get without a ton of reworking. Flat back is nice for smoothing a flat surface, and a well shaped bevel on the opposite side is good for cutting curves. I've been using them long enough I feel like I could probably cut a good serviceable handle out with just an axe and a draw knife. They are really wonderful tools that I think everyone should have and posses the skills to use. It really negates the need for a lot of other things and in a pinch thats wicked important.

 

[pialia]

Any draw knife can be made to cut good with a little work. Grinds and stuff vary from person to person-- its not like knives where it usually falls into one of several types. Most of them would probably be called a convex grind, since thats generally what you get when you just sharpen to get a good edge without obsessing. Some people like a flat back, others a really gradual dub off. It depends on the condition and whats most realistic to get without a ton of reworking. Flat back is nice for smoothing a flat surface, and a well shaped bevel on the opposite side is good for cutting curves. I've been using them long enough I feel like I could probably cut a good serviceable handle out with just an axe and a draw knife. They are really wonderful tools that I think everyone should have and posses the skills to use. It really negates the need for a lot of other things and in a pinch thats wicked important.

I kind of feel like it's fun to learn the basics that were used hundreds of years ago. I'm not necessarily one to take the easiest route when fun can be had in learning how to use a draw knife! I just can't believe prices in Sweden. I looked at a handful of draw knifes for sale on various websites - the Gränsfors draw knife is almost $200, a couple of handmade forged ones for ~$150. Nothing on any auction sites. I'm still waiting on something I can actually say "I'm glad I live in Sweden because this would have been hard to find anywhere else" about, so far all I can think of is lingon jam and surströmming(the most disgusting fermented herring you'll ever smell/see/eat)

Okay. I'm done griping

 

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I'm still waiting on something I can actually say "I'm glad I live in Sweden because this would have been hard to find anywhere else" about, so far all I can think of is lingon jam and surströmming(the most disgusting fermented herring you'll ever smell/see/eat)

I hadn't heard of lingonberry. It's looks similar to our kinnikinnick (bearberry). But our's is used more as a medicinal fruit than as a treat like your lingonberry jam.

 

[CB-R]

Don't they reference "lingonberry pancakes" in The Big Lebowski?

 

[garry3]

Why is it that we can pick up used draw knifes here for $20.00 all day long and in Europe they can't?

 

[halfaxe]

Why is it that we can pick up used draw knifes here for $20.00 all day long and in Europe they can't?

I think here during the industrial revolution there was such a demand for coopers (everything was shipped in barrels) wheelwrights, builders, loggers and our economy was so large due to abundant natural resources and immigration that old tools like drawkives and axes, that are now obsolete yet durable are still around in numbers that keep prices low. Will it always be this way? I don't think so.