Hand made tool handles

[Mr. Pushups]

 I am curios if anyone makes their own tool handles especially for hammers, hatchets, axes, etc. If so I am interested in knowing what tools you used to make them and if the are particularly interesting styles possible pictures.

 

thanks

Mr. P.

[ThomasPowers]

I've done it for special tools.  Tools used: cross cut saw and axe---felling tree. Sledge and wedge---splitting billets, dry storage---seasoning with melted wax soaked ends. Carving axe, drawknife and spoke shave---shaping billet into handle. Rasps, broken glass and sandpaper---smoothing handle.

When available Bader belt grinder with 36 grit belt to shape into handle after rough shaping with carving axe.

[Stash]

I trace a handle that feels good to me, or a standard style onto heavy card stock/ posterboard to make a template. Trace onto the wood, cut it out on a bandsaw, leaving the line. Then I shape it with drawknife, spokeshave, rasp, 1/2 round file, sandpaper and scrape with a knife. Any one of those tools, some of them or all of them, depending on how goofy the grain is and what I feel like at the time. Sometimes I might also use a angle grinder with a flap disc or even my 2x 72. Whatever mood I'm in.

Steve

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

I have some hickory that I split up with a shingle froe after they have dried for a year or so. Then chuck em up in the wood lathe and turn them down to a close size and finish up on the belt sander.

[Red Shed Forge]

I made 2 different handles recently. For a tomahawk: I used a chunk of hickory from broken axe handle, cut to size with a miter saw. I was struggling with a cheap store-bought drawknife so used a wood chisel and brass hammer and formed a rough shape; refined with a small 1" belt sander: 36 grit, 60 grit, finished with 120 grit. I did the same for the second handle on a machete, but that was with a chunk of white oak salvaged from an old bed frame. I posted them on the forum the other day if you would like to see the pictures.

[BsnNFrnt]

Red oak handle for a “boy’s axe”.
 

2x6 cut down and shaped by draw knife then sander. B.L.O. Applied with 5 day dry then one coat of light stain followed by two coats of shellac. 

[elmoleaf]

Made handle for the ball pein on the right in the photo. Oak split from log with a froe, then shaped with drawknife and sanded.

[Mr. Pushups]

Does anyone still use shaving horses? I recently built one and found it to be very useful. Just curious.

Thanks

Mr. P.

[Duncan M]

My dad has a couple that he built awhile back and the work great! 

[ThomasPowers]

If I did traditional woodworking I'd definitely have one---or more!  Since I do general blacksmithing I don't have enough room in the shop for all my metalworking tools!

[Mr. Pushups]

2 hours ago, ThomasPowers said:

If I did traditional woodworking I'd definitely have one---or more!  Since I do general blacksmithing I don't have enough room in the shop for all my metalworking tools!

 Yes i know what you mean about not having enough space. I dont even have a shop so I do all of my smithing outside