new axe handle

[Peter_t]

im in the process of fitting a new handle on a kent pattern axe so thought i would share it. im useing a peice of birch which isnt the best wood for the job but its all thats avalable atm and i desperately need to retire my cheepo pocket size axe. this is my second atempt, i was useing a peice of ash but it had a nasty knot in it and it wasnt going too well so i decided to start again. this is where iv got to so far,

iv roughed out the basic shape but i still need alot of work

the tools i used, silky saw, mora, and my cheep and nasty axe. also the old handle and the axe head im useing

any comment or advice would be great

thanks
pete

 

[bushcraftbob]

Good luck with it, my axe needs re-handleing but too scared to give it a try!

 

[clcuckow]

I Pete,

Which way it the grain running? It looks like its across the cross section not down it to me.

E.g.

But it might just be my eyes.

 

[Peter_t]

I Pete,

Which way it the grain running? It looks like its across the cross section not down it to me.

E.g.

But it might just be my eyes.

the grain is more or less the best as on your picture the wood was taken from a 10inch diameter log so the grain isnt too curvy, another mistake i made with my last atempt taken from a much smaller peice of wood.

bushcraftbob - i didnt have much choice whether to rehandle it or not, the head was quite loose and the wood was a bit roten neer the head. maby your axe just needs a good soak in linsead oil to fix it? i cant wait til its finished as i havnt used the axe yet. i like the idea of making the axe my own and its a good thing to know how to do in case i break it again also im quite enjoying it too

im still working on it and its looking a bit slimmer now, i will post some more pics later when my cameras bateries are charged.

thanks guys
pete

 

[clcuckow]

the grain is more or less the best as on your picture the wood was taken from a 10inch diameter log so the grain isnt too curvy, another mistake i made with my last atempt taken from a much smaller peice of wood.

bushcraftbob - i didnt have much choice whether to rehandle it or not, the head was quite loose and the wood was a bit roten neer the head. maby your axe just needs a good soak in linsead oil to fix it? i cant wait til its finished as i havnt used the axe yet. i like the idea of making the axe my own and its a good thing to know how to do in case i break it again also im quite enjoying it too

im still working on it and its looking a bit slimmer now, i will post some more pics later when my cameras bateries are charged.

thanks guys
pete

I said it might be my eyes Either that or a dirty Laptop Screen

 

[bushcraftbob]

I have tried the linseed oil, which has improved it quite a bit, but it still has a slight wobble (maybe 1mm or so), so i think inevitably it will have to be re-handled eventually.

I have access to quite a bit of ash so might pluck up the courage to give it a try, interested to see how you get on!

 

[Peter_t]

i got a chance to do do a bit more to it today, the head fits on now and the handle is a bit slimmer

thanks
pete

 

[Hedgehog]

Nice project, I have a couple of Kent pattern heads that need re-handling & have been on the lookout for some stout Ash I can harvest while doing conservation work (read decimating one environment in favour of another).

Is the Birch you are using green or seasoned?

I look forward to seeing your progress.

 

[robin wood]

Looking good. I tend not to fit it to the head until the handle has dried. So I rough it out make it say 15% over the size I want it then leave it indoors for a week or two before shaving down to fit the head then bang a wedge in.

 

[Hedgehog]

Looking good. I tend not to fit it to the head until the handle has dried. So I rough it out make it say 15% over the size I want it then leave it indoors for a week or two before shaving down to fit the head then bang a wedge in.

That's just the sort of info I was fishing for, thanks Robin.

 

[Peter_t]

yeah its been about a week since i last worked on it when it was green so i gess its dried. birch sure is alot easier to work with, the seasoned ash i was useing was rock hard and blunted my mora in no time.

pete

 

[Peter_t]

fitted the handle today i think it went quite well, it is very tight and has no give in it at all i havnt used it yet thow, it is soaking in linsead oil atm and needs a sharpen (i reprofiled the edge but i left it blunt while i was working on it) the head alignment isnt great and there is a small split in the handle which i will have to keep an eye on but for a first attempt im happy with it

spliting the top with knife and batton

fitting the main wedge

first wedge fitted and sawn off flush

second wedge fitted and sawn off, there was going to be a 3rd wedge 2/3rds of the way down but it wouldnt fit in. there is still a small gap at the front on the eye

there is a small split below the head, this is because the handle wasnt a tight fit in the eye lengthwhise

any comments would be great
pete

 

[mr dazzler]

Excellent job, its a damn site better than my first attempt ever was, I used a piece of pitch pine floor board which was so badly fettled by me that the whole thing split apart while I attempted to wedge it up I wouldnt worry too much about that little split, but keep an eye on it like you said, to see if it gets longer. Maybe consider wrapping it with rawhide like wayland does IIRC?
I love seeing how people do these tasks. Before you know it you'll have box full's of axe heads "just waiting to be fitted up...." I must say you and Robin are brave men clacking the knife into the handle to make a split so close to the head, I am so heavy handed it would result in an edge with 2 dings in it

 

[Peter_t]

thanks mr dazzler

Before you know it you'll have box full's of axe heads "just waiting to be fitted up...."

iv already got another 2 1/2 pound kent axe head, and another similar sized axe head and a big felling axe that needs a new handle lol wheather there get done or not is a diferent story, i will probably never need to use them as they are a bit heavy duty for bushcraft but they were impulse buys from car boot sales

pete

 

[mr dazzler]

PS Pete, once or twice I have had a small gap which wouldnt close up even after wedging. I simply fashioned a small dry oak or ash wedge with one side rounded to match the inside of the axe head, and drive it in to fill the gap. French labourers used iron pegs like small pitons to acomplish the same task