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Yes, I make notes on axe handles
but not so much as once.
but not so much as once.
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Notes On Axe Handles
- Thread starter Ernest DuBois
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It's ash but I'm pretty sure the hickory handle on the right ended up sheering off like that too, though maybe not in so short a time span, if you can see the "made" and the "broke" dates. One conclusion was to make sure the bottom of the eye never cuts into the wood when doing the mounting, so eliminate any shoulder, it has no function anyway. I even sometimes relieve the inside edge of the eye to keep it from scoring the wood. Foremost cause though was the wood I was splitting - the probleem being situational and not structural - old and gnarly crown oak, that was destined for the paper mill, that caused an abnormal amount of torque at the heads and would snap handle after handle. I did have some percussion failures splitting 40 m3 that year and one or two replacements from wear.
You are a perfect candidate for requesting some staves that forum member quinton hand splits from out of the 'Hickory Holler' at his place. Early on he demonstrated that air-dried hickory will not sever or shear such as that catastrophic break you experienced. Kiln-dried (such as factories use so that the wood is as dimensionally 'shrunk' as possible when hung) wood doesn't exhibit those properties. If ever I get my hands on some knot-free decent diameter Hophornbeam/Ironwood (Ostrya virginiana) I'll send you some. 30 years ago an old gent with a copy lathe in Cornwall, Ontario supplied the Ottawa store of Lee Valley Tools with Ironwood axe handles. These sold out in a jiffy and disappeared from the catalogue altogether the following year because demand far exceeded supply.
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Luckily I could find a good shot of the wood, pinched from eol, in this instance Ostrya carpinifolia
the European version and it has a reputation as outstanding tool handles wood including for axes. There is no doubt about it, so better to face up to it, we settle on ash and hickory and beech because they offer convenience and because these woods are good enough but not because they are the best, ha, ha, ha.
the European version and it has a reputation as outstanding tool handles wood including for axes. There is no doubt about it, so better to face up to it, we settle on ash and hickory and beech because they offer convenience and because these woods are good enough but not because they are the best, ha, ha, ha.
No real surprise! Coming up with a cane or walking stick (of Ironwood) is already a chore. It was the Ice Storm of 1998 that introduced me to native Bitternut Hickories and Ironwoods because fallen trees became 'free for the taking' on public lands and there was instantly a lineup to grab mature Black Cherry, White/Bur Oak, Red Oak and Sugar Maples.Luckily I could find a good shot of the wood, pinched from eol, in this instance Ostrya carpinifolia
the European version and it has a reputation as outstanding tool handles wood including for axes. There is no doubt about it, so better to face up to it, we settle on ash and hickory and beech because they offer convenience and because these woods are good enough but not because they are the best, ha, ha, ha.
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It's a good idea. I routinely do this to the top and bottom of every axe I hang. No burrs. Nothing to hang up on. Half round files get most the eye and small round files get the ends.
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It makes me feel good that other people are also doing this. It does seem logical and at least cannot hurt.
I do have to wonder if ease of manufacture played a roll in that decision. I had a arrow shaft maker quit making Larch shafts because he had to sharpen his cutters to often compared to the Port Orford cedar even though the Larch was local and the Cedar was a two day round trip.
I'm entirely in agreement with you gentlemen.I always relieve the corners inside the eye especially where the haft Enters,of course.(whether it's a factory head or something i forged).
However,that alone is not enough.As the problems of this sort are caused simply by a ratio force Concentrated at this point,relative to the ability of the specific wood to resist these loads(and do so Repeatedly).
There're two other technologies used to counteract that effect that i know of:An obscene expansion of the inside volume of the eye,like in those "topors".(simple solution-all we got is birch;birch's loading capacity is X,therefore the volume/section of that material must be Y).
Or the more gracious N.European way of extending the area of the inside of the eye by some form of Collar.It can be a long socket integral to the head,or like some manufacturers do now(Stihl,maybe,and/or GB?),pressing a sheet-steel sleeve into the eye along with the haft.
But that Quality of the wood(not being an engineer i hesitate to put a term on it,it isn't hardness only though,but some combination of harness and MOE or sumpin...
IS important.
It has to be the right species,and a right density(like that number we have for hickory,17 to 21 rings per inch or the like),and of course it cannot have the life of the stick kilned out of it....
However,that alone is not enough.As the problems of this sort are caused simply by a ratio force Concentrated at this point,relative to the ability of the specific wood to resist these loads(and do so Repeatedly).
There're two other technologies used to counteract that effect that i know of:An obscene expansion of the inside volume of the eye,like in those "topors".(simple solution-all we got is birch;birch's loading capacity is X,therefore the volume/section of that material must be Y).
Or the more gracious N.European way of extending the area of the inside of the eye by some form of Collar.It can be a long socket integral to the head,or like some manufacturers do now(Stihl,maybe,and/or GB?),pressing a sheet-steel sleeve into the eye along with the haft.
But that Quality of the wood(not being an engineer i hesitate to put a term on it,it isn't hardness only though,but some combination of harness and MOE or sumpin...
IS important.
It has to be the right species,and a right density(like that number we have for hickory,17 to 21 rings per inch or the like),and of course it cannot have the life of the stick kilned out of it....
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2003 US Forest Service axe handle spec:
3.2.2 HANDLE
The handle shall be Shagbark Hickory (Carya Ovata), Shellbark Hickory (Carya Laciniosa), Mockernut Hickory (Carya Tomentosa) or Pignut Hickory (Carya Glabra) of clear all white wood (two small streaks or threadlike discolored lines extending along the grain not more than 1/3 the length of the handle are permitted) No brown heartwood is permitted. Annual growth rings per inch of radius must not exceed 17. Weight must be at least 55 pounds per cubic foot (these weights are based on a moisture content not to exceed 12%). The wood grain lines shall be parallel to the cutting edge of the axe blade. No cross grain is permitted (cross grain-deviation of the fiber from a line parallel to the axis of the handle in excess of one inch in twenty inches) The handle center line shall be parallel to the cutting edge of the axe blade. The handle dimensions shall conform in all respects to drawings MTDC-632. Each handle shall have a wedging slot cut in the head end as shown on the drawing for the insertion of the wedge. The wedge shall be made of Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron Tulpifera). The wedge shall not have a protective coating. The handle shall fit snugly into the eye of the axe head (see 3.2.4) The knob end of the handle shall be chamfered. The wood shall be sound and free from knots, crooks, bows, cracks, splits, scores, or other defects that may affect appearance or serviceability.
3.2.2.1 HANDLE FINISH
The handle, including the knob end, shall be smoothly finished and protected with at least one coat of boiled linseed oil. No wax, stain, lacquer, or varnish is permitted. The protective coating of linseed oil shall be applied evenly over the surface and shall be free from runs, drips, wet or tacky spots, or other defects. Flame hardening is not permitted.
3.2.2.2 MOISTURE CONTENT
Moisture content of the handle or the wedge shall not exceed 12% when tested as specified in 4.5.2.1
It is of course much better if the hickory is air dried, but this spec was taken out by the contracting office because no contractor would bid on the handles if they could not klin dry the sticks.
3.2.2 HANDLE
The handle shall be Shagbark Hickory (Carya Ovata), Shellbark Hickory (Carya Laciniosa), Mockernut Hickory (Carya Tomentosa) or Pignut Hickory (Carya Glabra) of clear all white wood (two small streaks or threadlike discolored lines extending along the grain not more than 1/3 the length of the handle are permitted) No brown heartwood is permitted. Annual growth rings per inch of radius must not exceed 17. Weight must be at least 55 pounds per cubic foot (these weights are based on a moisture content not to exceed 12%). The wood grain lines shall be parallel to the cutting edge of the axe blade. No cross grain is permitted (cross grain-deviation of the fiber from a line parallel to the axis of the handle in excess of one inch in twenty inches) The handle center line shall be parallel to the cutting edge of the axe blade. The handle dimensions shall conform in all respects to drawings MTDC-632. Each handle shall have a wedging slot cut in the head end as shown on the drawing for the insertion of the wedge. The wedge shall be made of Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron Tulpifera). The wedge shall not have a protective coating. The handle shall fit snugly into the eye of the axe head (see 3.2.4) The knob end of the handle shall be chamfered. The wood shall be sound and free from knots, crooks, bows, cracks, splits, scores, or other defects that may affect appearance or serviceability.
3.2.2.1 HANDLE FINISH
The handle, including the knob end, shall be smoothly finished and protected with at least one coat of boiled linseed oil. No wax, stain, lacquer, or varnish is permitted. The protective coating of linseed oil shall be applied evenly over the surface and shall be free from runs, drips, wet or tacky spots, or other defects. Flame hardening is not permitted.
3.2.2.2 MOISTURE CONTENT
Moisture content of the handle or the wedge shall not exceed 12% when tested as specified in 4.5.2.1
It is of course much better if the hickory is air dried, but this spec was taken out by the contracting office because no contractor would bid on the handles if they could not klin dry the sticks.
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Ironwood has long had a reputation for quickly dulling axes (hence the common name) and my experience with chainsawing the stuff is seeing sparks (very noticeable at night) as it cuts. I don't imagine this is appealing to folks that are meticulous about maintaining jointer and planer blades.
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There is another simple and elegant one. First you have to consider what is happening to the wood, in particular right at this spot we are going on about, the bottom of the eye. The sharp edge at the eye's inside and or a swell at the shoulder right there is not only creating some concentrated pressure but scoring the wood as well. You don't have to saw through a piece in order to make it into two pieces, often scoring, it can be both with or across the grain, is enough to begin and guide the process of division. If I want to accurately split a billet down the center for making shingles I always first score a line across the end grain to begin the split. The straight line there at the eye makes an effective score on both sides of the handle. The Norwegian ones spread the pressure out and eliminate the straight line by angling the opening where the handle enters or more correctly make an arch or curve of it. Well, here's one I've got not strictly speaking Norwegian but coming from a Norwegian trained smid.
I wish someone would come up with a name for this part, would make describing the situation a bit less tortured. Still the intention is not arbitrary or a matter of style but is also functional.
Oh yeah, and lugs/ears. A very good remade to this problem.
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It's a curious thing. I'm sure the cooper would not let themselves be told by a contractor that they had to take kiln dried stave material in place of air dried. The ones I'm familiar with will not even take sawn blanks for their barrels, only riven.
I remember reading once that the specs on hickory are relating to old growth which was common at the time they were established but is now rare and that for younger not-old-growth hickory the hart wood and sap wood have common characteristics.
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The description doesn't show much insight into how oil as a finish works.
These are US Forest Service specs from 2003. The technical writer that composed them probably never used or swung an axe in his/her life and was condensing and parroting older specs. When supply contractors can insist on omitting air-dry requirements in favour of expedient kiln-dry you know the rules are being relaxed to favour availability/cost instead of durability.
On their website Council Tools claims to ensure '10% moisture at the eye end' of their Forest Service spec Pulaskis (no mention of air or kiln) and uses non-shrinking (and probably easier to install) PVC wedges. Whatever they're up to their gov't-spec Pulaski is almost twice the price of the 'civilian' version.
On their website Council Tools claims to ensure '10% moisture at the eye end' of their Forest Service spec Pulaskis (no mention of air or kiln) and uses non-shrinking (and probably easier to install) PVC wedges. Whatever they're up to their gov't-spec Pulaski is almost twice the price of the 'civilian' version.
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I've seen this in some hammer head eyes. My solution was to smear the eye interior with construction adhesive and likewise coat the tongue of the new handle. It's a little messy as the adhesive oozes out as you drive the handle into the eye. But it works. Wedging squeezes a bit more adhesive out. But when you're done you have an eye free of voids.
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I thought that the FSS axes made recently by Council Tool, and available to the public around 2013 or so, had plastic wedges, not Yellow Poplar. Looking up the specs currently listed at the USFS website, it's interesting that they are dated 1999, and have a bunch of differences, including:
- No requirement for "clear all white", but "any natural commercial color" is allowed.
- No mention of wood grain alignment, being parallel to the cutting edge, cross grain, etc.
- The handle finish must be at least one coat of clear lacquer, not linseed oil.
- Both a plastic wedge and epoxy adhesive are required for the head attachment.
- "Flame hardening is optional to the manufacturer", not prohibited.
It looks like the 2003 specs are better specs, but the 1999 specs are the ones being used.
Reference:
https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/programs/fire/specs.htm
https://www.fs.fed.us/t-d/programs/fire/documents/5100_9D.pdf
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There are a lot of turn-in council and simply FSS Pulaskis around here and they tend to have either white, black, or grey plastic wedges.*
*The grey and black could have started white for all I know.