New Cut Projects

quinton said:
I located a couple of good shagbarks summer of 2014 in a holler here on the farm. Holler grown hickory tends to grow straight and even, with uniform growth rings without internal damage from high winds like trees located on ridges. The rings also tend to be very uniform in size because of the minimal drought stress low ground provides in dry years.

I cut one of them last December, and split it into staves for handles while the sap was down as is proper. Handle blanks split when the sap is up will check and split severely through the warm months as they dry, sometimes rendering the stave unusable. This type of damage will only be discovered when a lot of work has been done to prep the blank for a haft. So, for premium quality handles, I only cut handle stock in the winter. I also paint the ends of the stave with whatever is on hand to stop fast end drying, and retard the checking. The bark is left on the stave too, this also slows the drying, and prevents cracks and checks. I have found staves handled, and prepped in this manner will yield some of the best, strongest, and most resilient haft material that can be found.

I cut the other tree today, and split some full length staves out of the best cuts from the trunk. I'll go back in a day or two and split the best of what's left for hatchet and shorter handles. The rest of the tree will be used as firewood. I thought I would share todays work with a few pictures.

This tree has SUPER straight grain, not all do, and you never know until you begin splitting the staves. With the heartwood riven off, looks like some quality grain too, with around 10 growth rings per inch.

17 really good staves so far, I may be able to get several more full length blanks when I go back to split the rest. If not, there will be 20-30 hatchet staves for sure!
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Thanks.
 
I'm located just beyond the northern range limits of Shagbark Hickory but Bitternut Hickory is reasonably common around here. Have you by chance ever compared the two? If the difference is the same as Red Maple vs Sugar Maple then it isn't worth the effort. Sawyers in the Ottawa Valley refer to these as 'soft maple' and 'hard maple' and the durability and strength of each is quite different.
 
300Six said:
I'm located just beyond the northern range limits of Shagbark Hickory but Bitternut Hickory is reasonably common around here. Have you by chance ever compared the two? If the difference is the same as Red Maple vs Sugar Maple then it isn't worth the effort. Sawyers in the Ottawa Valley refer to these as 'soft maple' and 'hard maple' and the durability and strength of each is quite different.
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You weren't asking me, and I have no direct comparative experience with them, but looks like Bitternut has a lower modulus of rupture and elastic modulus than Shagbark but higher than White Ash. Sounds worth a shot to me.
 
300Six said:
I'm located just beyond the northern range limits of Shagbark Hickory but Bitternut Hickory is reasonably common around here. Have you by chance ever compared the two? If the difference is the same as Red Maple vs Sugar Maple then it isn't worth the effort. Sawyers in the Ottawa Valley refer to these as 'soft maple' and 'hard maple' and the durability and strength of each is quite different.
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I don't think there's "much" difference at all between the strength of any of the species of hickory, including pecan. I know I sure can't tell a difference when working it, and I know I've used at least 3 different species. I like the mockernut for staves because they tend to grow big and straight, and seem to have thicker sapwood. I may cut one this fall for staves.
 
300Six said:
I'm located just beyond the northern range limits of Shagbark Hickory but Bitternut Hickory is reasonably common around here. Have you by chance ever compared the two? If the difference is the same as Red Maple vs Sugar Maple then it isn't worth the effort. Sawyers in the Ottawa Valley refer to these as 'soft maple' and 'hard maple' and the durability and strength of each is quite different.
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http://www.wood-database.com/wood-articles/true-hickory-and-pecan-hickory/
http://woodmonsters.com/wood-charts-density-hardness-stiffness-and-strength.html
 
I did this Tommy Axe today. I really love these little axes! I wanted an original type handle, but with a little more length to take advantage of the heavier head these axes have. The original handles were 15", just a little short I think for the head weight.

Tommy Axes take, and hold a keen edge forever it seems, and with the head profile, the are good at chopping as well as hatchet work. Here's what I came up with.
The head, never sharpened.

Roughed out blank through the eye.

Good and straight with the head.

Working on facets with the rasp.

I like it!

Sharpened the bit. That ain't steel wool on the edge.;)

Wedged.

17 inches, it feels perfect!
 
nice, i found a western kelly like that, it had a paper label, methinks i should carve the handle down, its pretty thick, that little tommy's lookin noice
 
quinton said:
I just worked for half and hour on this post and hit the back button and lost it all! I'm not typing it again, so I'll just post the pictures in sequence of the 3 pound Kelly Perfect hang I worked on after work this past week.






Did you use the ball peen to beat the head down on the handle? Just kiddin. Nice work as always quinton.
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phantomknives said:
nice, i found a western kelly like that, it had a paper label, methinks i should carve the handle down, its pretty thick, that little tommy's lookin noice
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I would thin the handle until it suits your taste. I like handles in the 13/16ths- 7/8" thickness range. I have big paws, and that thickness just feels, and works the best for me. With care that Kelly will last a lifetime! Thanks, I really like the little Tommy Axe, I used it today to sharpen some stakes for a form.
 
IMG_20170513_165436_zps9nnzz0g0.jpg


Wedge to handle grain looks wise.
One more piece to a great tool :thumbsup:
 
Agent_H said:
IMG_20170513_165436_zps9nnzz0g0.jpg


Wedge to handle grain looks wise.
One more piece to a great tool :thumbsup:
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Thanks. I do think a quarter sawn wedge adds more stability to a hang.

The wedges I've been using lately are sassafras, another "softer" hardwood. A friend of mine with a portable band mill gave a few boards from some sassafras logs he milled around 25 years ago.
 
Beachlogger said:
Wow, both look great. I really like those tommy axes for the reasons you mentioned and that handle is super
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Thanks. I really like the handle on the Tommy. I think it's pretty close to the originals, and just the little bit of extra length makes a huge difference.
 
I bought this Craftsman hewing hatchet a few years back and decided to make a handle for it today.

I've been using an old Fayette R. Plumb anchor brand hewing hatchet off and on for a couple of years. The old Plumb has a beautiful old original straight handle which I have found surprisingly VERY comfortable to use. So that handle was my inspiration for this handle I made today for the Craftsman.

..And the money shot!
 
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