My First Handmade axe handle

[jblyttle]

I can't say because I'm not there, but I'd say it looks like ash.

 

[Yankee Josh]

The diagonal pattern in the bark does definitely resemble ash and the grain structure/ color is quite similar as well. But the bark is more deeply furrowed than what we have around here. There's so many subtle variations even within the same species it's very hard to tell. Especially from a photo!
Congrats on your first haft deepobs! It came out very well!

 

[quinton]

Try breaking a sliver of the wood, hickory does this, ash don't.

 

[deepobs]

Looks very good. A truly custom handle fitted to you. Now you need a draw knife, a Nicholson #49 rasp, carpenters hand axe (hewing hatchet) and some more spokshaves.

Thanks, Good suggestions. Ive been searching drawknives and hewing hatchets on auction sites, it would certainly make things more easy/fast. Anything in particular to look for in a hewing axe for this purpose? My spokeshave blade is in horrible condition, But i made a new one out of 1095 and just need to grind the bevel, i will take care of that before i make another handle.

You did a great job D deepobs , inspiring really for those of us who have yet to get to it.

thank you!

I can't say because I'm not there, but I'd say it looks like ash.

That was my original feeling, its hard to say why, im going to post some more pics that might help. The color is definitely a little lighter than many of the hickory handles ive bought.

Try breaking a sliver of the wood, hickory does this, ash don't.

Im gonna run out to my shop and try this. Is ash likely to just snap clean?

 

[quinton]

Thanks, Good suggestions. Ive been searching drawknives and hewing hatchets on auction sites, it would certainly make things more easy/fast. Anything in particular to look for in a hewing axe for this purpose? My spokeshave blade is in horrible condition, But i made a new one out of 1095 and just need to grind the bevel, i will take care of that before i make another handle.



thank you!



That was my original feeling, its hard to say why, im going to post some more pics that might help. The color is definitely a little lighter than many of the hickory handles ive bought.



Im gonna run out to my shop and try this. Is ash likely to just snap clean?

Ash won't have the fine feathering like this hickory sliver, it will basically snap.

 

[deepobs]

Here's some better pics.

I snapped a sliver from an old hickory handle that broke and compared it with the scraps from making this handle. They behave diffrently, but are pretty similar, the hickory slivers were more springy and bent a little more before breaking.

 

[Square_peg]

Anything in particular to look for in a hewing axe for this purpose

Vaughan still makes them right here in the USA out off 1080 steel. And they're cheap.

http://www.vaughanmfg.com/shopping/Products/SB2-28-oz-Supersteel-Broad-Hatchet__20701.aspx

 

[deepobs]

Vaughan still makes them right here in the USA out off 1080 steel. And they're cheap.

http://www.vaughanmfg.com/shopping/Products/SB2-28-oz-Supersteel-Broad-Hatchet__20701.aspx

I have 2 vintage vaughn axes, i really like them, good quality, seem to stay sharp, nice feel and look. I like that broad hatchet too. Might take the paint off though. Good price, i almost bought a Very very rough looking heavily pitted vintage broad hatchet for about the same price on the Bay. Glad i didnt. Havent even though about getting one new until seeing this.

 

[Yankee Josh]

Here's some better pics.

I snapped a sliver from an old hickory handle that broke and compared it with the scraps from making this handle. They behave diffrently, but are pretty similar, the hickory slivers were more springy and bent a little more before breaking.

I could be wrong but man that resembles ash...

 

[Fmont]

Yeah that's ash, no doubt.

 

[Downwindtracker2]

When it comes to spokeshaves, I use a round bottomed Record and a flat bottomed Stanley . They are both #151 versions. Lee Valley Veritas makes better ones .

Here in Canada we have Lee Valley stores. When I was picking some leather snaps for a DB axe sheath Thursday, I looked at some of what they call small broad axes. I call them carpenters' hand axe, but they are mostly called hewing hatchets. They are a Chestnut Tool, Lee Valley has Chestnut tools made offshore. They are very nicely finished as well as being affordable , about $51 USD I think you may have to phone as they are not on the web site yet otherwise I would have linked it.. The Chestnut tools, mostly kitchen stuff I've gotten for the wife, is good quality, like American made stuff from the '50s.

 

[cityofthesouth]

Yep, Ash (and it looks like it's nice too, unlike what grows around me). I have burned/cut some Silver Maple - totally useless. Burns like paper and the wood, as mentioned, is very weak.

 

[garry3]

I’m surrounded by Silver Maple and always want them to make make better axe handles than “gutter chokes”. These here have leaves that are the size of dinner plates.



In the same vein, I am impressed with the Shinto rasps for fitting and shaping.
*of course you need all the items you mentioned.

I suspect with leaves the size of dinner plates you might be looking at big leaf maple and not silver....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_macrophyllum

 

[Downwindtracker2]

Big Leaf Western maple is a great cabinet making wood, it's numbers are like walnut except it's more moisture stable. It's downside is it's like cherry with power tools you can get burn marks, so feed rate and sharp tools become important.

 

[Agent_H]

I suspect with leaves the size of dinner plates you might be looking at big leaf maple and not silver....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_macrophyllum

Many of the leaves are about the size of a sheet of paper - some even larger but not the size in the pictures I see of leaves from the Big Leaf Maple.

 

[Square_peg]

I suspect with leaves the size of dinner plates you might be looking at big leaf maple and not silver....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_macrophyllum

The juvenile trees make the biggest leaves. A 20 foot tree in understory with a 3"-4" trunk might make leaves 16" across. I live in Maple Valley in the heart of big leaf maple country.