Axe,Tomahawk and Hammer handles

[eric sprado]

I see some of you mention things in passing about splitting out handles etc..Is there a thread or tutorial somewhere on making tomahawk,axe,and hammer handles? Sure would like to learn more.

[bigfootnampa]

I do not know of any specific tutorial Eric... but I and some others on this site do make lots of handles. I can tell you that my prime tools (not counting the chain saw for harvesting) are the froe, the shaving horse, the drawknife (a partner with the shaving horse), and a convex surform tool. If you have each of these and some decent timber you can get handle production going right away and with practice you'll get faster and better. A good big old-fashioned looking drawknife is important... smaller carvers models just waste time. Antique froes are the best but you can make your own easily too. Great woods are oak, hickory, pecan, mulberry, osage orange, ash, locust, hackberry, elm, maple is not one of the best but certainly serviceable.

[NRunals]

This is a pretty good how to video. http://www.youtube.com/v/boQAls1QJB8?fs=1&hl=en_US

[bigfootnampa]

That video does give a basic idea of what to do... but don't study it too hard. He works WAY too hard at it. He is not very skilled. When you split (rive) the blanks I will just keep driving the froe on through or use an axe or glut (wooden wedge) to run the split through. Sometimes I use two froes. Notice that little drawknife he is using... that is just what you do NOT want! You need one with at least a ten to twelve inch blade. The weight, length and rigidity of the larger drawknife makes it work SO MUCH FASTER. You lose mighty little when it comes to finesse with the larger drawknives so why waste time chewing away with a baby blade? All that axe work that he does is mostly wasted time. I will use one to split off the pith and maybe a couple of corners... after that the drawknife is faster, safer and more accurate.

I have found that it REALLY helps to have your blanks over length enough to allow clamping room and drawknife clearance at the ends. Maybe a foot extra for an axe handle like that one. Most smaller handles I like to work off the end of about a 4 foot blank and just work the last two as a joined pair until most all the shaping is completed.

Where the surform file really helps is when you are using wood that has a few small knots or curly grain. I like those handles because they have interesting "character"... but they are harder to shape and smooth. The surform file is very fast for shaping the ends too.

[fciron]

That video does give a basic idea of what to do... but don't study it too hard. He works WAY too hard at it.

...

Very true, good advice in the rest of that post.

Hmm, he starts by driving the handle into his froe from the top. It may be an American affectation, but I was always taught that froe handles should go in through the eye from the bottom so working with it drives it onto the hammer. I would also make that froe longer so that it would be easy to drive the froe all the way through with the club rather than wrassling around on the ground with a sharp chunk of steel. I almost had to quit watching during that.

[ThomasPowers]

Yes it's *amazing* how many people with little experience put up "How To" videos on the web. Some of them are so bad they get "laughed off" like that knife forging one a few years ago where the fellow basically was making every mistake in the book; but had put it up as "this is how you do it!"

[eric sprado]

How about plans for a shaving horse? Everybody is knocking the link that NRunals put up,but so far it is the ONLY place that I've seen the process from start to finish... If the link is so bad-- does anybody have a better one? Doesn't need to be a UTube-pictures would do.... thanks, Eric

[jimbob]

A good spoke shave works really well if one does not have a draw knife. as for plans for the shaving horse I know Mother earth news had plans also Roy Underhill the Woodwrights series had plans I think even foxfire series had them.
here a google search http://www.google.com/search?q=free+shaving+horse+plans&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

[NRunals]

I was very grateful when I found that video, it really helped me. It may be true that there are problems with the way he works, but still I am grateful. There is such a shortage of teachers these days, I find in most things I'm left to figuring it out by myself. Now experience is a great teacher please don't misunderstand me, but sometimes it's nice to see a skilled craftsman at work. So, if any of you do a better job at making handles or anything else, please feel free to make a video and help out.

Here is another cool video on the topic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcfwlfz_tGs

[fciron]

Bigfootnampa and I both offered suggestions for improvements. Given the average behavior on the internet I would say that this response has been quite measured.

It has also been my experience that for the beginner who just needs a handle or two the specific techniques are less important than having a clear idea of the finished product. Both videos show guys carving axe handles; as you can see from the second one the guy got the job done with a pocket knife. The important stuff is not discussed: where does it need to be thick or thin and why; how do the curves help your swing; stuff like that.

My learning process has been to modify a factory handle to suit my needs and then to use that as a pattern to make my own handles. The factory handle gives you something to play with to see how the parts work.

I learned what I know about riving and draw-knife work comes from watching a guy make chairs. I applied his wood shaping techniques to my ideal handle shape. There are lots of sources of information out there.

[bigfootnampa]

I'm NOT knocking it... just think you should be aware that the skills shown are far from ideal. That shaving horse he has in the video is VERY simple... you ought to be able to copy it with just the video as guide. I use a Swiss pattern "dumbhead" shaving horse but I think I would like one more like the one in the video even better. Details are very important in shaving horse design but they vary a lot depending on what exactly you make with it and on you and your dimensions. It's pretty hard to come up with an ideal one and so most all of us are just working with whatever we have. The key thing is that even a poor shaving horse is an amazingly effective tool! You could fill a pickup bed with shavings in a good days work on the shaving horse! Assuming that you are not too old to put in such a thing... which I have to admit that I AM.

[NRunals]

The key thing is that even a poor shaving horse is an amazingly effective tool!

That is so true, it seems that few things are as well designed as a good shaving horse. Has anyone seen Brian Boggs design?

[son_of_bluegrass]

That is so true, it seems that few things are as well designed as a good shaving horse. Has anyone seen Brian Boggs design?

I've seen Mr. Boggs design on "The Woodwright's Shop" with Roy Underhill. It looks like a good design, I'd like to get a copy of the plans for that one.

ron