Making your own handles - why not?

[Park Swan]

Links? 2" widths? Guaranteed grain orientation?

Good point. It's been a while since I bought wood online but I never purchased hickory. Quality can certainly be hit or miss, probably more hit than looking for a handle at the local ace though. I'm sure that quality 8/4 can be found.

 

[Park Swan]

You guys got me looking at a certain hickory tree out back in a whole new light. Of course the squirrels caught be checking it out and gave me the evil eyeball.

Hickory smoked squirrel anyone?

 

[Uncle Timbo]

Let's say a fellow was able to trade the squirrels a bag of peanuts for a small limb, big enough for a handle. Would that limb have to age for a year? Dry out?

 

[cityofthesouth]

Good point. It's been a while since I bought wood online but I never purchased hickory. Quality can certainly be hit or miss, probably more hit than looking for a handle at the local ace though. I'm sure that quality 8/4 can be found.

I was genuinely hoping you knew a place. I wasn't trying to give you grief.

 

[Square_peg]

Hate to take down a whole tree for a few axe handles but if you're in hickory country it might be worth talking to the folks at your local tree service. They probably take down hickory all the time.

 

[Square_peg]

Let's say a fellow was able to trade the squirrels a bag of peanuts for a small limb, big enough for a handle. Would that limb have to age for a year? Dry out?

2 years would be better.

 

[Uncle Timbo]

2 years would be better.

Dang! How best to dry it out? Debark and hang it in the basement?

 

[300Six]

Dang! How best to dry it out? Debark and hang it in the basement?

There are no real shortcuts to 'curing' wood (without incurring checks or splits) but long spells in a warm oven (below 100C or 212F) can move things along faster than waiting for nature to take it's course.

 

[Uncle Timbo]

Yea, I know. I had some wind damage in a chestnut tree. I kept a few of the larger sized limbs that looked promising. They were as big around as baseball bats. Those things split to beat the band.

 

[quinton]

Dang! How best to dry it out? Debark and hang it in the basement?

Don't even think about using the microwave. You've been warned..

 

[Uncle Timbo]

Don't even think about using the microwave. You've been warned..

Have you ever put a chestnut in a microwave without pricking it with a needle a few times?

 

[Park Swan]

You need to seal the end grain of anything you want to dry out, and yeah it's gonna take a while without a big setup. Can be done at home but is a good bit of work.

 

[Uncle Timbo]

I guess I don't understand the process. I assume it's not as easy as dipping the end in some kind of sealer. Anybody have a link to the process?

 

[Square_peg]

I assume it's not as easy as dipping the end in some kind of sealer.

It's as simple as dipping the end in some kind of sealer. Or painting the end with almost anything. Wood glue thinned with water is favored by some. Any can of spray paint you have around will do. Old can of paint for your batroom? Yeah, that'll do fine.

It's not a sure process. If it doesn't crack/check it might warp all to heck. Lay a few up and hope one of them turns out good.

 

[garry3]

Dang! How best to dry it out? Debark and hang it in the basement?

You can have a handle dried in a month or two, easy. It just depends on how small of a diameter you reduce it to and the environment it is stored in. The bark does just what it is designed to do and that is keep moisture in.
What you want to do is harvest your wood when the sap is down. Fall and winter. You will have much less warping. Trunks are better than branches that naturally have reaction wood and will have a tendency to warp when split.
You can simply weigh your wood at regular intervals to determine if it has dried. When it has quit losing weight it has reached equilibrium.

 

[garry3]

There are no real shortcuts to 'curing' wood (without incurring checks or splits) but long spells in a warm oven (below 100C or 212F) can move things along faster than waiting for nature to take it's course.

I have dried them in forced air laboratory ovens. I think I went rather conservative at around 60C. Worker well with smaller diameter stuff.

 

[Uncle Timbo]

Thanks everybody, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks.

Of course if I were to cut the tree down to get the trunk or heart wood, I think the squirrels would gnaw my house down. They LOVE those hickory nuts.

 

[300Six]

Don't even think about using the microwave. You've been warned..

At Christmas half century ago my mom put her first ever tray of edible Italian Chestnuts in the oven without slitting crosses in them. I don't know if anyone has ever eaten chestnut popcorn but that's what they looked (and sounded) like, and mom never made that mistake again. I'm guessing microwaving nuts probably accomplishes the same, except faster, to cause an even more messy explosion.

 

[crbnSteeladdict]

I have dried them in forced air laboratory ovens. I think I went rather conservative at around 60C. Worker well with smaller diameter stuff.

How long did you keep them in those laboratory ovens?

 

[garry3]

How long did you keep them in those laboratory ovens?

I could put them in on Friday and have them dry sometime the next week. I think over the weekend was probably enough for some stuff, but it wasn’t thick material and not right off the stump either. If it was I would probably turn down the temperature.

Them ovens are pretty nice if you have access to them.