true temper black prince

bradlox

bradlox

Joined
Aug 1, 2009
Messages
389
hey there just wanted to share some pic of my restoration project .
bought a axe head from a local thrift store for 2 buks !
and this is what i did with it ......
this is my first attempt at making a handle .
made it from a length of maple that i kept in my workshop for years waiting for the right axe head to show up .
i think the grain orientation was just right ?
used a piece of purple hart to make the wedge .

would love to hear comments good bad on handle shape .

the maple i used was about 2 1/2" by 3 " section and i did it all by hand (no power tools )
started with a hatchet and then lots of spoke shave and rasp action .
finished with some oil and wax mixture , feels pretty grippy .

was a ton of fun i hope you like !

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hey thanks guys ,
someone told me that welland vale was a canadian axe maker ?
possibly from the 1950s ?
i think it still had the factory bevel on it , i just worked the existing bevel and got a nice sharp polished edge .

thanks to all the handy info from BF !!
 
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They were Canadian, True Temper absorbed them in 51 or so. Axes without the TT are obviously pre 1950, I think those with both True Temper and Welland Vale dated exactly to 51 or 52. Black Prince was the cream of their crop. Nice axe and nice job on it.
 
that's your first attempt to make a handle? geez, I give up. you guys have me beat by a country mile.


-ben
 
Dont give up ben ! I was hopeing to inspire .
Ive been doing woodwork a few years now , lots of hand tool work .
You can do it !
Bf is a great place to learn .
 
i recently made my own hatchet handle out of a handle from a pulaski I broke, and I was pretty damned proud of it... until I saw your craftsmanship. methinks i need to spend more time on my projects!

we even have similar style head, even-- but a norlund. but i digress-- I ought to keep working towards perfection-- because it looks pretty damned good. what did you use to shape the wood?
 
hey thanks , first i started to sketch out the shape . then went at it with a hatchet (crappy cheap husky brand ) and got closer to the profile .
i have a few old spoke shaves that i used but i guess mostly a small stanley spoke shave with a slight round sole , seemed to be my go to tool .
ill put some more pics
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Noticed the relief hole you drilled to finish the wedge cut . Common stunt for keeping many things (glass/cast iron) from cracking/splitting further but have never seen this done on an axe handle. Good idea! Myself always try to ensure that a wedge is slightly shorter than the cut and that the tip is only slightly thicker.
All you guys are getting me thinking more and more about having a go at making a handle from scratch. Store-bought handles used to be quite acceptable around here until about 10 years ago when they started making them entirely out of 3/4 inch material instead of 1+ inch and that has riled me no end.
 
Love the shape of that head. What did it weigh? Nothing but good to say about the handle shape, how long is it?
By the way I use files like the one in your second picture, on occasion. Not sure what there intended use was for but I did get replacement blades years ago at a automotive paint store.
 
hey garry 3 , i did weigh it i think it was about 5lb ? im out of the country right now so cant check exactly .
i have a pic of the head with a tape measuring it at about 6 1/2" front to back , witch would make the handle about 27'' long .
hope thats usefull .
yeah that file thing is pretty good for some tasks (seemed to work really well across the grain ) i think its called a "float "? i might be wrong there ?
ive been woodworking for years and that was maybe the 2nd time ive ever used it . kinda takes just the right angle and grain direction for it to really work well .
 
Nice axe! That was their top-of-the-line back in the day, so you've got a good user there. I just gotta say: that purple heart wedge is KILLER.
 
garry3 said:
By the way I use files like the one in your second picture, on occasion. Not sure what there intended use was for but I did get replacement blades years ago at a automotive paint store.
Click to expand...

Made for filing aluminum without plugging up.
 
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