West Woods Handles

[rjdankert]

You are the appropriate poster. You didn't mention 10+ lb. Pieces of wood, Bob, but you did mention shipping cost on a hickory blank/billet. A blank for a full sized handle is going to weight around 10 lbs., and from past experiences, shipping is exorbitant.

quinton, I think I now see what you are getting at. I frankly didn't realize how much wood is taken away from a blank to get to a handle. I never really gave it any thought in projects I've done.


Bob


readers continue at your own risk

THE WEEDS​

I calculated the following for a Hickory blank 36" x 2" x 4":

Hickory weighs 4.16#/bf
36" x 2" x 4" = 2 bf
4.16# x 2 = 8.32#

On Amazon a Link single bit 36" handle is listed at 1.5# (36" double at 1.8#). So, if I were to use that blank to make the Link SB handle, my son would end up with 6.82# of Hickory for his smoker.

I also used the USPS Postage Price Calculator for the blank dimensions. The cost for Priority Mail 2-Day for 9# was $17.10 and for 2# it was $8.65.
EDIT: The above rates were based on shipping from my zip code in SW Michigan to a zip code in Missouri. YMMV (literally ).

 

[quinton]

quinton, I think I now see what you are getting at. I frankly didn't realize how much wood is taken away from a blank to get to a handle. I never really gave it any thought in projects I've done.


Bob


readers continue at your own risk

THE WEEDS​

I calculated the following for a Hickory blank 36" x 2" x 4":

Hickory weighs 4.16#/bf
36" x 2" x 4" = 2 bf
4.16# x 2 = 8.32#

On Amazon a Link single bit 36" handle is listed at 1.5# (36" double at 1.8#). So, if I were to use that blank to make the Link SB handle, my son would end up with 6.82# of Hickory for his smoker.

I also used the USPS Postage Price Calculator for the blank dimensions. The cost for Priority Mail 2-Day for 9# was $17.10 and for 2# it was $8.65.

Bob:
Your calculations are spot on, except for distance shipped.

 

[Square_peg]

Curious development with regard to increased global trade. I'll be very curious to hear how commercial hickory that is native to China stacks up against 'yer good ole' Shagbark Hickory. Over the past 25 years I had already noticed inexpensive Chinese claw hammers that feature some really durable relative of our White Oak.

What will likely happen is that some exotic hickory bug will ride ashore with some Chinese handles and spread through the east wreaking havoc on our hickory stands. It's happened many times before.

 

[rjdankert]

Bob:
Your calculations are spot on, except for distance shipped.

quinton, you are correct, I did forget to mention in that post that I arbitrarily picked my zip code in SW Michigan to ship to a zip code in Missouri. As far as comparing cost for different shipping distances, I'll leave that to someone else to contribute. I will edit that post.

Thanks,


Bob

 

[Hacked]

That does suck, and I understand the frustration. Even with these options I can't get what I want. That's what lead me to making my own handles. There's no denying that it's a lot of work but I encourage anyone to try it.

So, does West Woods know about this thread? You think they would be interested in selling blanks? Based on the other thread that Steve just started it's pretty clear to me that not everyone wants to spend a bunch of time on their handles, so obviously it's not like everyone is interested in blanks or rough turned handles. All the same, a few of us are. I don't personally have a problem paying $12 for a blank so long as it's a pretty consistent product.

And the offer to create a pattern stands. I can make it from the Locust I have on hand.

I sent him the link, and I believe he looked at it. Didn't get much of a response from him other than his primary focus for the handles was more the bushcraft market at the moment. The whole thing sort of started off from not being able to find decent handle options for smaller lighter camp axes in the current market. Thus the sizes that became available first. Not sure where it will go from there, or if he'd consider selling blanks. You could always send him a message through eBay or on BCUSA his user name is batmancwa.

Another option I'm not sure if you've looked into is Thrane axe & Sawmill. He sells blanks, though every time I've tried to look for what was available I got frustrated with the website and just left. It is at least another option.

 

[300Six]

I wish I could buy it at those prices. Over here in Holland its about €22,-- ($25). To get you one in 1 size only: "36. As for the grain: if your in luck, it'll be good, most of the time it isn't, it is about 2 inches thick though, as the handles are shaped like a club. Hand picking isn't even an option over here, as well as different sized hickory handles.

You need patience, and foresight, with regard to handles. I made an arrangement many years ago with the owner of my local Home Hardware store in Manotick (near Ottawa) to alert me whenever tool handle orders arrived. When there are one or two dozen newly arrived handles in front of you and you're the one that gets 'pick of the litter' (first choice) the likelihood of having something decent on hand when a handle breaks improves considerably! There was a 20 year period of time where Canadian-made handles were flat sided (ie 7/8" (2 cm) thick) and I 'turned my nose up' at these but as of 3-4 years ago whoever supplies handles has gone back to conventional dimensions, and I've come across some really nice ones. First order of business if you like axes is never to walk through any hardware store without going past the tool handle section!
If there's something specific you'd like to have let me know and it'll give me an excuse to continue looking. You can get hold of me at bertvaningen53 at gee mail dot com. The unfinished (no varnish and entirely unmarked) curved handles at Home Hardware are going for about $12 Cdn these days and could use some thinning/sculpting but the wood quality (especially if I select one) is certainly there.

 

[300Six]

What will likely happen is that some exotic hickory bug will ride ashore with some Chinese handles and spread through the east wreaking havoc on our hickory stands. It's happened many times before.

SOB, I hadn't thought of that! And if upgraded rules regarding international trade requires sterilization against foreign pests then the wood will have to be kiln dried, which is also not so good. Emerald Ash Borer tunnels just under the bark (in the cambium) and is relatively easy to guard against but Asian Long-horned Beetle larvae (which arrived in n. America about a decade ago) tunnel right through maples like a 1/4" bell hanger bit or a 308 rifle bullet.

 

[Steve Tall]

What will likely happen is that some exotic hickory bug will ride ashore with some Chinese handles and spread through the east wreaking havoc on our hickory stands. It's happened many times before.

A news article from earlier this year, about log furniture imported from China that had beetle larvae (including longhorn beetles). Interesting that the so-called "hickory" wood was actually walnut.

"Rustic log furniture imported from China into Minnesota and Wisconsin has been found to be infested with invasive insects that could damage native trees. Both states’ agriculture departments on Tuesday confirmed multiple incidents of two different species of Chinese bugs hitchhiking on rustic, whole-log furniture in 2016. The brown fir beetle was found in rustic pine log furniture imported from China, while the velvet longhorned beetle was discovered in rustic walnut log furniture, wrongly described as hickory, also from China."
http://www.twincities.com/2017/01/1...s-bugs-that-could-threaten-trees-in-minn-wis/

 

[300Six]

A news article from earlier this year, about log furniture imported from China that had beetle larvae (including longhorn beetles). Interesting that the so-called "hickory" wood was actually walnut.

"Rustic log furniture imported from China into Minnesota and Wisconsin has been found to be infested with invasive insects that could damage native trees. Both states’ agriculture departments on Tuesday confirmed multiple incidents of two different species of Chinese bugs hitchhiking on rustic, whole-log furniture in 2016. The brown fir beetle was found in rustic pine log furniture imported from China, while the velvet longhorned beetle was discovered in rustic walnut log furniture, wrongly described as hickory, also from China."
http://www.twincities.com/2017/01/1...s-bugs-that-could-threaten-trees-in-minn-wis/

Those revelations about incorrect tree ID and discovery of potentially invasive pests scares the feces out of me. Goods like this have to undergo a supervised fumigation, heating or irradiation process before they ever get on the boat. Finished furniture is a minor problem though when you consider the millions of rough-sawn throw-away packing crates, skids and pallets that traverse the oceans every day.

 

[garry3]

I remember a trade I made many years ago for some southern grown white oak and the strange sounds coming from them staves.

 

[Kevin Houtzager]

X

 

[Agent_H]

I remember a trade I made many years ago for some southern grown white oak and the strange sounds coming from them staves.

I believe that Garry.

That was burned pretty quick.

*Sorry, can't follow a discussion today.

 

[300Six]

That sounds Dutch

Potverdorie, my cover is blown!

 

[Kevin Houtzager]

X

 

[300Six]

Hahahahahahahah That just made my day

I see that Google translate and a bunch of others have sort-of-got-it-right, but when you grow up in a Dutch household with parents that don't want to curse in front of their small children it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what it's all about and what it really means.

 

[Kevin Houtzager]

X

 

[Square_peg]

Finished furniture is a minor problem though when you consider the millions of rough-sawn throw-away packing crates, skids and pallets that traverse the oceans every day.

This is what scares me most. It's lunacy to let this stuff in from China. And it actually helps China to infest our forests and corner the market.

 

[300Six]

This is what scares me most. It's lunacy to let this stuff in from China. And it actually helps China to infest our forests and corner the market.

"Our" (European and American) pallets and crates arrived on Asian shores centuries ago but transport (and overall volumes of goods) was much lower and slower as well was their (Asian) huge gene pool (genetics and evolution has always favoured larger populations of organisms) that mostly put the kibosh on unintended bug invasions. Much as we would like we haven't remotely seen the end of this. When politicians talk about 'global melting pot' with regard to human immigration it much more so applies to mother Nature. Oceans and climate no longer separate the continents, at all, and critters (plants and animals) of all stripes, that have evolutionarily become successful in one arena are suddenly given unfettered access to untapped markets elsewhere.

 

[Square_peg]

Ships bilge water is a huge probllem here, too. They bring all kinds of things into port.

 

[300Six]

Ships bilge water is a huge problem here, too. They bring all kinds of things into port.

How quagga and zebra mussels managed to infest the Great Lakes during the past 25 years. I would think shipping now requires changing of freshwater ballast at sea before entering another port but there are always humans in the equation that are chintzy, lazy or careless.