fitting a new axe handle

[Rogelio L.]

Hi guys,
I am planning to fit an old axe's head with a new handle. I know I have to season the wood before fitting it as otherwise it will shrink but I am worried that the log will split while it is seasoning. Any recommendations on how to avoid this? Also, would you recommend carving the helve while the wood is still greenish leaving meat at the top, and then doing the final fitting once it is seasoned, rather than carving the seasoned wood all the way through?
Many thanks.

 

[robin wood]

making a handle http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38767
fitting a handle http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=38842&highlight=axe+handle

 

[Muddypaws]

If you take a log and split it into sections, avoiding the central pith , the they will tend not to split as they dry out, but will warp and shrink. If you do the rough shaping on green timber it will be much easier to work, but remember to leave it oversize to allow for shrinkage. A section of timber will not shrink much in length, but will shrink across the grain, and by different amounts depending on the way the grain runs (for example a round section green handle will shrink to an oval cross section) Another advantage of doing the bulk of the shaping on green wood is that by reducing the size of the wood it will dry out quicker (an can be speeded up by putting in an airing cupboard or similar place)
Hope this is of some help.

 

[garethw]

Why not just buy a preseasoned, precut handle in hickory or ash for £5...
I saw an ash handle that looked just great for 5€ in my local hardware store.

sorry if I missed the point and you want to make your own...

cheers
Gareth

 

[Hugo]

You have missed the point, making your own is all about being a woodsman/ bushcrafter.
Nice tutorial Robin, I have not seen the Fitting handle one before but have used the making one to great advantage over the last couple of years.

 

[garethw]

You have missed the point, making your own is all about being a woodsman/ bushcrafter.

Yes sorry I did indeed miss the point. While I'm into the outdoor country life (we live in a very rural area of France); backpacking, hiking, camping, cooking, fishing and various other aspects, I've yet to embrace the carving, knife & tool making side of things, tending to use things I've bought.
Guess I might give it a go though...
cheers
Gareth

 

[Hugo]

Cheers garethw.
After joining this forum I have been fascinated with the things people on here make, the skills they use are precious and should not be lost. it has helped me progress into making things for myself in wood metal and soon leather, I hope.

 

[Rogelio L.]

thanks guys. Just one question: would it be a disadvantage if the wood was slightly ellastic?

 

[ged]

thanks guys. Just one question: would it be a disadvantage if the wood was slightly ellastic?

All wood is slightly elastic. That's one reason why we use it for handles.

But there are some woods that are (arguably) better than others for this purpose, and there are some woods which are practically useless for handles.

If it seems reasonably dense and strong, and if the grain is reasonably straight, and the piece that you use is reasonably free from defects, and if it doesn't split horribly when it dries, it will probably make a reasonably good handle.

Do you have a particular type of wood in mind?

 

[Rogelio L.]

Yes, the problem is that I live in southern spain so there are no hickories, ash trees (not where I live) or other northern trees often spoken of by bushcrafters. So I have to decide which of the woods available will best do the job. I'm thinking of a tree we call "almez", its latin name is Celtis australis. I read that it is often used to make tool handles and that its wood is strong and flexible.