- Joined
- May 19, 2009
- Messages
- 1,161
So I happened to stop by the Ace HW store downtown. Picked up some supplies (a couple nicholson files and handles for them, a good rasp, a file card, a coping saw, etc). Then I decided to check out the replacement handles section for kicks. I'd come to note based on previous searches that most 14" handles are sanded down to fit hatchet heads with eyes that are 1-1/2" x 1/2". Mine happens to be a bit larger at 1-3/4" x 3/4".
They had a total of four 14" handles, the first three fitting my earlier assumption - 1-1/2" x 1/2". Then I happened upon one that looked as though it hadn't been sanded down - it was actually a bit larger than my needed dimensions! Guess I lucked out so I picked it up. Not the best quality all-white, perfect grained handle and was pretty varnished up but I don't think that's quite as critical for a hatchet as it is for a full sized felling axe.
So here it is after getting the varnish off:
It took me a fair bit of carving/rasping just to get the head to fit on:
And from there it was a long and laborious process of carving/rasping, test fitting, beating the head off, and repeating until I eventually got it to shoulder up:
I then pounded in the wedge (which seemed rather iffy and then actually split on me right towards the end) then gave the handle a number of coats of linseed oil (which it sucked right up as it was probably very dried out due to the varnish):
They had a total of four 14" handles, the first three fitting my earlier assumption - 1-1/2" x 1/2". Then I happened upon one that looked as though it hadn't been sanded down - it was actually a bit larger than my needed dimensions! Guess I lucked out so I picked it up. Not the best quality all-white, perfect grained handle and was pretty varnished up but I don't think that's quite as critical for a hatchet as it is for a full sized felling axe.
So here it is after getting the varnish off:
It took me a fair bit of carving/rasping just to get the head to fit on:
And from there it was a long and laborious process of carving/rasping, test fitting, beating the head off, and repeating until I eventually got it to shoulder up:
I then pounded in the wedge (which seemed rather iffy and then actually split on me right towards the end) then gave the handle a number of coats of linseed oil (which it sucked right up as it was probably very dried out due to the varnish):
