Instructions on how to make an ax with your own hands - a step-by-step description of creation and assembly. Convenient do-it-yourself ax handle Do-it-yourself ax handles of different shapes
The ax is actually a very important tool. Of course, if you are a real carpenter, you should definitely know how to make an ax that is perfect for certain tasks. Professional carpenters usually use several axes at once. Nevertheless, this type The tool is also necessary for people living outside the city, or simply for city residents who occasionally travel to their summer cottages. After all, the bathhouse needs to be heated with wood, and you can chop it only with an axe. And so that no misunderstandings arise in the process, and the tool does not let you down, you should know all the subtleties of how to make an ax with your own hands, as well as how to prepare it for work. The ax itself can be completely different in shape. But the ax must be properly mounted, wedged, and sharpened at a certain angle.
Choosing the cutting part of the ax
When you are faced with a choice in the process of purchasing a piercing part, be sure to pay attention to the metal from which it is made. There must be a GOST inscription confirming execution in accordance with the norms and requirements. You should be wary if you see a sign like: OST, MRTU, TU. In this case, the metal production technology could be changed by the manufacturer. If we talk about choosing a good Soviet ax, then it is better to buy it on the regular market.
You can test the quality of an ax the old-fashioned way, by striking the blade of one against the blade of another. If one of the products is made poorly, then it will be on it that marks from the impact will remain. Also, if you hang the ax, you can knock on it and listen to the sound. He will be characteristic.
Please note that if the blade is good, there should be no dents or flaws; the eye should be cone-shaped; also the eye and blade must be coaxial; and there must also be at least a small thickness of the butt, and its ends must be perpendicular to the blade.
If you were unable to find a product that meets all standards. Do good ax you can do it yourself. Even if some misunderstandings are discovered in the purchased product over time, they can be eliminated by sharpening the burrs, boring the lugs, and giving the butt a symmetrical shape.
Select a workpiece. Make an ax handle
Based on your height and strength, you should choose the length of the axe. The quality of the wood is also very important. For example, for lightweight products weighing up to one kg, the length of the handles is 40-60 cm. If we talk about a heavy ax - up to one and a half kilograms in weight, the length of the handle will be 55-65 cm.
You should approach the question of how to make a wooden ax correctly. For example, not every tree is suitable for its handle. Most suitable options– the root part of the birch, as well as its growths; maple or oak, ash and other types of wood. It is very important to dry the preparations well, and always in natural conditions and for a considerable time.
You choose a tool template in advance, and your template should be outlined on the workpiece. The end part of the handle should be thick so that the master can brake with his hand if the ax slips. Excess wood (beyond the contour) should be removed with a knife, an ax with a perfectly sharpened blade, or other similar tools. After this, you need to make sure that the actions are correct. For fitting, place the ax on the ax handle using a mallet. Make sure that these parts fit very tightly together. After that you can begin further cleaning. To scrape, you should use glass, and to grind, use fine-grained sandpaper. Knowing how to make an ax out of wood is already half the battle. But that's not all.
“Planting” the ax on the handle
This process can be done, for example, in this way:
- The top of the ax is adjusted in accordance with the eye. Unnecessary wood should be removed with a knife.
- The ax handle should be placed horizontally on a flat, hard surface, and the ax should be placed on top. On the handle you need to mark with a pencil the place to which it needs to be inserted. Having divided the segment in two, you should put a second mark.
- Use a vice to clamp the ax handle so that the wider end is positioned upward. Use a hacksaw to cut to the 2nd mark directly under the wedge.
- The wedge can be from a store, or it can also be made from wood by hand. Its thickness can be 5-10 mm, the length is the same as the depth of the cut, and the width is equal to the eye of an ax.
- You need to put a board on the table, and put an ax on it, upside down. The ax should be put on the ax handle, tapping it on the board. Next, you should turn it over and tap it with the handle while inserting it. This should be turned over and tapped several times in a row. As a result, the ax handle should fit into the eyelet.
- After this, the ax handle must be placed vertically, and a wedge must be inserted into the cut and hammered in with a mallet.
- Oil should be applied to the ax handle, the excess will drain off, and the tool will be left to dry. After everything, use a rag to wipe the ax and handle.
In addition, you can watch a video on how to make an ax, with the help of which the essence of making the tool will be clearer to you.
Sharpening an ax blade
This issue is very important so that working with the tool does not cause inconvenience and hassle. In accordance with GOST, the sharpening angle should be from twenty to thirty degrees. If you are a professional carpenter, then sharpening should be done at an angle of thirty-five degrees.
Upon completion of the work done with an ax, it is recommended to put a cover on the blade. Be careful!
An ax is such a simple but useful tool that most home craftsmen have in their arsenal. It is applicable both in dacha conditions and in many professional work, where you can’t do without good tools. If you treat the ax with care and do not forget to prepare it correctly, the result of the work will certainly please you and will not cause disappointment. Today we will figure out how to make this tool with our own hands.
Features of a homemade ax
An ax is a simple and common tool that is difficult to surprise anyone with. However, thanks to it you can cope with many complex jobs and ultimately get great result. On sale you can find both simple versions of axes, as well as more interesting and original ones, for example, with decorative inclusions. If you don’t want to spend money on already ready-made option or it was not possible to find a suitable one among those, you can make it yourself.
Many home craftsmen cannot find it on sale the right tool, they undertake to do it with their own hands. Such work cannot be called impossible or extremely difficult, but even here it is very important to act according to all the rules in order to get good result. It should be borne in mind that there are several types of axes that you can build on your own.
For example, there are special cleavers that are very popular today:
- mechanical;
- with electric drive.
Of course mechanical option is the simplest and easiest to implement. It is equipped with a manual drive. Making such a model with your own hands is not difficult. The drawings of mechanical tools are quite simple and understandable, and the principle of their operation lies in simple mechanical manipulations. This device consists of the following basic elements:
- metal wedge;
- spring mechanism.
When working with such a tool, the master spends a minimum of effort and time, especially if you compare this cleaver with a standard simple ax. As for the even more advanced electric cleaver, it contains one main part, which, after activating the engine, begins its movement - constantly rotating. The master only needs to add a new batch of firewood for splitting.
You should also know about other options for axes, which many craftsmen can make on their own.
- Carpentry. This tool is light in weight and size, and has a sharp blade. It is used in cases where the most precise and accurate work with wood is needed.
- Taiga. This ax can also be made with your own hands. It is perfect for cutting down trees, removing knots and bark.
- Tsalda. This tool is made to clear an area of bushes.
- Kitchen. Such tools are made exclusively for chopping bones. A kitchen ax is a small device with a short handle and a large blade.
- Lumberjack. Suitable for cutting down trees only. Made from a long ax and a sharpened wide blade. It also has other names, for example, felling.
The taiga types of axes are recognized as the most popular and practical. They are distinguished by the following features:
- little weight;
- small area of the stabbing area;
- unusual sharpening of the blade (the edge at the back is several times smaller and thinner than the front).
Certain tree species are ideal for making a home ax. It must be taken into account that materials suitable for such purposes can easily withstand significant vibration loads that occur at the moment of impact of the tool.
Any homemade ax is distinguished by the fact that it is ideal for the master who works with it. By making this instrument with your own hands, you have the opportunity to adjust it to suit yourself, to suit your hand. The result is the most convenient, practical and easy-to-use devices.
Tools and materials
The ease of use of an ax largely depends on the correct manufacturing of its handle. One of the following types of wood is ideal for this part:
- maple;
- ash;
- birch.
You definitely need to know what steel the piercing component of the future tool is made of. Acceptable materials are marked 8ХФ, 9ХФ, 9ХС, ХВГ, У7А and many others. You just need to avoid markings MRTU, OST and TU on these parts.
Tools that may be useful:
- abrasive sharpener;
- file;
- marker for marking;
- chisel;
- magnetic corner;
- clamp;
- sandpaper;
- sharpening disc for sharpening the blade;
- Bulgarian;
- Some jobs may require a welding machine.
DIY making
You can make any type of ax on your own. It can be simple, hunting, Scandinavian, camping, intended for throwing (throwing) or simply decorative - there are a great many options. It is also possible to update the tool and build a completely new and convenient tool from an old axe. In order to carry out such work yourself at home, you will first need to make an accurate drawing with all the indicators of the planned tool. It is important to indicate the dimensions of all parts, as they can vary greatly. For example, the handle of an ax is not only quite large, but also medium or small, as is the blade.
From a spring
A small hatchet can be made from an old spring. It can be not only working, but also original decorative tool, similar to a Viking axe. You need to do this thing as follows.
- You need to take an old spring from a car with a width of 10 cm and a length of about 40 cm. Using a previously prepared template, draw the contours of the planned device on the springs using a marker.
- Draw the contours of the ax using a grinder with cutting wheels. Then carefully sand the cut piece, giving it the desired shape.
- For especially complex work For metal, it is permissible to use a drill.
- You can use an old chair leg as a handle. Drill 3 holes in the spring for fastening to the handle.
- Cut a piece of the desired length from the leg. Saw this part into two halves. Drill 3 holes in each of them. After this, you need to assemble the handle, fixing it with bolts and screws. Draw the shape of the part on a grinding machine.
- Finally, sharpen the blade. The result will be a beautiful mini hatchet. It is suitable for outdoor recreation or in a summer cottage.
From reinforcement
You can make a good cleaver from this part. This is how it is done.
- Take two reinforcement parts with a length of 50 cm and 8 blanks to make the lower and upper squares.
- Using fittings, weld a couple of squares. Then weld the posts.
- For the cleaver blade, it is advisable to take steel 8–10 mm thick. Weld the knife to the reinforcement bases.
- Now start sharpening the angle of attack. Place the knife in the middle part of the structure.
After this, a simple homemade cleaver can be considered complete. It can be a good alternative to a mechanical or screw device.
From a circular saw
A good ax can be made from an old disk circular saw. To produce reliable and durable tools in in this case You only need a carved disk from a circular saw. Let's look at how to make an ax from such a part (there is no need to harden the disk, since it is already hardened).
- Make a drawing of the future instrument on cardboard or paper. Cut out the resulting template. Transfer it to disk.
- Cut out the required part using a turbine.
- Heat the resulting part using a burner. Drill 2 holes to attach the wooden handle.
- Trim off any excess residue from the bottom half of the piece.
- Clean the hatchet thoroughly using sandpaper.
- Cut a handle from wood. Lubricate adhesive composition two halves of this element separated from each other, install a pair of screws.
- Clean the handle. Apply varnish. This will complete the work.
From stone
You can make an ax using stones. This material makes good blades. However, it must be borne in mind that their production is a rather labor-intensive and time-consuming process. The following types of stones are suitable:
- granite;
- quartzite;
- sandstone.
For such an instrument, it is advisable to make the handle from oak. This material is reliable and sufficiently rigid. Take a pre-made blank. It should be free of knots and other wood defects. Make a cut, moving along the fibers under the anatomical structure of the handle. To do this, use a jigsaw with fine teeth. At the tip of the handle, make a slight slope, “looking” down. This is necessary so that the planned ax does not slip in your hands as you work.
Next, you can make a hole in the stone specifically for the cone, using a drill or bench machine. After this, you will need to hammer the prepared handle into the wedge. If you are making a classic stone ax, then you should attach the blade to a special Kevlar tape of large width. Such parts are famous for their reliability and durability, so working with homemade instrument it will be safe.
These rules should be followed when making a stone axe.
- Grind the stone so that it fits as closely as possible to the end of the handle. This is the only way to tie him down.
- There is no point in using very expensive specialized devices and machines in the manufacture of this tool. Just take it off the stone upper layer. It would be enough.
- Never make a handle from raw wood. If you do not follow this rule, then over time you may encounter the fact that this part will dry out and noticeably decrease in size. It will be impossible to use the tool.
If you do everything correctly, you will get a reliable, durable and wear-resistant tool that will solve many problems that home craftsmen face in the country.
“Come on, give me back my stone axe” - there is probably no person in our country who has not heard this song. Yes, the first axes were made of stone. But this time passed many thousands of years ago, and now they use quality wood and steel.
During the development of civilization, many varieties of this tool appeared (construction, throwing, etc.) which still have not lost their relevance. Moreover, on the market you can find many varieties of this product, which are designed to solve certain problems, for example, those facing a hunter or tourist.
Classification of axes
In practice, many types of axes are used, which are designed for working with wood. Conventionally, they can be divided into three types:
- cleavers;
- for logging;
- construction or universal.
Accordingly, there are various designs designed to solve certain problems, for example, a firefighter is equipped with a pick, with which you can pull beams and other structures away from the source of fire.
By the way, the size of the ax can be determined based on the height and physique of the person who will work with it.
Making a blank
A block is hewn out from a block that has been dried. Work must be carried out along the fibers. The size of the bar must be 100 mm larger than the size finished product. The size of the part where it will be installed, and the blade itself should be 2 - 3 mm larger than the size of the eye.
The template prepared in advance must be laid on the surface of the block. At the same time, leave allowances for processing. From the front its size is 10 mm, in the tail it is 90 mm. This allowance is necessary so that the handle does not crack when pulled onto the ax itself. Upon completion of work, this allowance is removed.
Hewing out an ax
To bring the details to required sizes, two cuts must be made in the upper and lower parts of the workpiece, but their depth should not reach the contour of 2 mm. Excess material can be removed using a chisel. After this, using a file with a large notch, the corners, transitions and other surfaces of the handle are leveled. For finishing abrasive sandpaper is used on the surface.
Impregnation with waterproof compound
To increase the resistance of the handle to moisture, use special compounds. But it is permissible to use drying oil or linseed oil. The handle is covered with this liquid until it stops being absorbed into it.
The handle for the tool should not slip in the hand and therefore, it is not recommended to cover it with any paint and varnish materials or use some kind of pads.
By the way, it wouldn’t hurt to add a coloring pigment to the waterproof coating, for example, orange color. Then the tool with a bright handle will not disappear on the site.
When choosing a piercing part, you must definitely find out what steel it is cast from. Our country has adopted GOST 18578-89. It defines the grades of steel from which it is permissible to make the blade parts of an ax. These are steels - 8ХФ, 9ХФ, 9ХС, ХВГ, У7А, У8, У8А, У8Га, У9, У9А and many others similar in properties to the named grades.
Landing the ax on the handle
Fitting the blade onto the finished handle should be done using markings. To do this, draw a sketch of the eyelet on the upper end. Then you need to mark the length of the piercing part on it. And after that you can begin installing the blade on the handle.
After choosing a tool, the owner is faced with new task- how to sharpen it. Yes, the manufacturer supplies this tool in a ready-made condition. But sooner or later, the sharpening done in the factory workshops will become dull and the need for independent editing will arise. Practice shows that it is better to spend some time on editing it than to do the work with a blunt instrument. It is advisable to perform turning of a product using a template. It is made independently. To do this you will need a small piece of tin. After choosing the sharpening angle, you need to mark it on the sheet metal and cut out the angle. After this, attach the template to the blade. The angle of deviation from the required one will be immediately visible. Using a marker, mark the cutting edge accordingly.
When sharpening, the master must consider the following factors:
Characteristics of the wood he will have to work with. What kind of work will have to be done, harvesting lumber is one thing, cutting out locks on logs installed in a log house is another. Of course, the material from which the blade is made must also be taken into account.
How to make a battle ax
Not all axes can be purchased in the store; for example, it is impossible to buy a battle axe. And therefore, if you want to get such a product, it’s easier to make an ax with your own hands.
You can take an ordinary construction tool as a basis, see Fig. 2, and use it to make a combat blade.
It has certain disadvantages:
- It has an irrational form.
- It has excess mass, which will interfere with manipulations during the battle.
Viking battle ax
It should also be noted that the upper ledge will create difficulties during chopping and striking. That is, it gives the ax an unnecessary torque directed counterclockwise, thus causing increased wear on the ax handle. It won't hurt to grind off the protrusion located below. In addition, straight sharpening is not entirely suitable for a battle axe.
How to make an ax from wood
How to make an ax from wood? To do this, you need to prepare a wedge-shaped blank from which you will need to make a blade. On the surface of the workpiece, you need to draw the outline of the future toy with a marker. Excess material can be removed using an abrasive sharpener.
At the next stage, on the end surface of the workpiece it is necessary to mark the outline of the hole for the ax handle. The technology for obtaining the handle is described above, but it is necessary to correct the dimensions.
Bringing the blade and handle to the required shape can be done using a sharpener or file. Through quite a short time the children's ax will be ready.
What product does a hunter who spends a lot of time in conditions need? wildlife how it can be done. Yes, no one argues, in specialized stores you can buy a product for every taste. But not all of them meet the needs of hunters.
In order to make the cutting part of a product for hunting, you need to use a solid piece of metal. But somehow it’s more common to hold an ax with wooden handle. For the manufacture of the blade, grade 1040 steel is used, this is a structural alloy steel, the Russian equivalent is 40G.
You can make the cutting part by ordering it from the village smithy. The master is able to forge the necessary blank for the blade. He is also able to make and install a steel handle. If such a handle does not suit you, then you can install a wooden one. When making it, you need to take into account some simple rules:
The handle cannot be varnished - the hand will slip.
When choosing its shape, it is necessary to take into account the width of the grip of the palm; it is necessary to make stops that will allow you to hold the ax in your hand.
How to make a taiga ax
Before you do taiga ax, we need to understand how it differs from the traditional one? It has a different blade shape and ax handle parameters. That is, you can take an ordinary ax as a basis. Change the shape of its sharpening, remove excess material in the upper part, by analogy with the combat one.
You can use an angle grinder to remove excess material.
The ax handle can be made from birch. To secure it more securely in the blade, you can wrap a bandage impregnated with epoxy resin around its end. It makes sense to impregnate the handle itself linseed oil.
The ax is rightfully considered the “king” of carpentry tools. A real carpenter, who is professional in his craft, knows how to make an ax that is ideal for a particular operation. The master, as a rule, has several axes, always ready for work. However, this tool is needed not only by carpenters, but also ordinary people, living outside the city in private houses, as well as city dwellers who go to their dachas for the summer or on weekends. Every owner has to chop wood to heat a stove in a house or bathhouse. In order for this process to go faster and not cause troubles in the form of a flying ax, a dull blade or a broken ax handle, you must be able to properly prepare this tool for work and maintain it in “combat readiness” throughout its entire service life. The shape of the ax can be different. It is important to properly mount the ax, wedge it, and then sharpen the blade at the desired angle.
When purchasing an axe, or rather its piercing part, you should pay attention to the quality of the metal used to make the tool. Look for the GOST sign on the ax, which confirms the conformity of the metal state standards and requirements. Be on your guard if this sign is replaced by TU, OST or MRTU. In this case, the manufacturer can make changes to the technology. Axes from Soviet times, different high quality metal, can be purchased at a flea market.
The quality of the metal can also be checked experimentally by taking two axes and hitting the blade of one of them with the blade of the other. A lower quality product will have nicks after impacts. The quality of the metal is also checked by the characteristic sound that is produced when the ax is tapped. In this case, the tool must be suspended.
You should also pay attention to the following points:
- a well-drawn blade should not have any bends or dents;
- conical shape of the eyelet;
- alignment of the eye and the blade of the ax;
- small thickness of the butt and perpendicularity of its ends to the blade.
Don't be upset if you can't find an ax that meets all the above requirements. After all, the identified deviations can be eliminated by sharpening the burrs, boring the eye and giving the butt a symmetrical shape.
Material on how to make a device for carrying firewood will also be useful:
Selecting a workpiece and making an ax handle
The length of the ax is selected based on the height and strength of the master. The quality of the wood also plays an important role. Lightweight axes, weighing about 800-1000 g, have handles from 40 to 60 cm long. For heavy tools (1000-1400 g), the length of the ax varies from 55 to 65 cm.
The force of the blow depends on the length of the axe. The longer the ax handle, the easier it is to chop wooden logs. The strength and height of a person also matters
Not every type of wood is suitable for making an ax handle. For this purpose, a true master searches the entire forest before finding a suitable tree. Most often, a blank for an ax handle is made from the root part of a birch tree, or better yet, from growths on its trunk, which are distinguished by their special twisted and very dense wood. Instead of birch, you can use maple, oak, acacia, ash and others deciduous trees hard rocks. The workpieces must be dried well in natural conditions, which will take a lot of time.
On the prepared blank, the contours of the future ax handle are outlined according to the selected template. There should be a thickening at the end of the ax handle, designed to “braking” the hand in case the tool slips. Then the excess wood that is outside the contour is removed with a knife, an ax with a perfectly sharpened blade, a chisel or a jigsaw, which is much faster. After fitting the ax on the ax handle using a mallet, and making sure that these parts fit tightly, you can continue further finishing of the tool handle. Glass is used for scraping, and fine-grained sandpaper is used for grinding.
Above is a drawing of an ax handle (a) that meets the requirements of GOST 1400-73, and below is a marching ax handle (b) with an area of unbroken fibers of 40 mm
Important! If the ax easily fits into the eye, this means that the master made an error in the calculations and drew the template incorrectly. In this case, even a driven wedge will not correct the situation, ensuring a short, tight fit of the ax on the ax handle.
How to attach an ax to a handle?
Below is an operation algorithm showing how to place an ax on a turned and polished ax handle. This is one possible way:
- Fit the top of the ax handle to the eye of the axe. At the same time, plan off the excess wood with a knife. You should not use a file, as it “sweeps” the wood.
- On an ax handle placed in horizontal position on the table, place the ax on top, and with a pencil put a mark on the handle to which it will be mounted. Divide the segment in half and put a second mark.
- Clamp the ax in vertical position in a vice so that the wide end is located at the top. Take a hacksaw and make a cut to the second wedge mark.
- Buy a metal wedge in the store or plan a wooden analogue, the thickness of which should be from 5 to 10 mm. The length of the wedge made for an ax with your own hands should be equal to the depth of the cut, and the width should be equal to the size of the eye of the ax.
- Place a board on the table and place the ax on it, placing it upside down. Place the ax on the ax handle and start tapping it on the board. Then turn it over and tap the ax handle on the board, while the mounting process continues. Turning and tapping must be done several times. As a result, the ax handle will fit into the eyelet.
- Next, place the ax handle vertically and insert a planed wedge into the cut, hammer it with a mallet halfway or almost to the end. Use a hacksaw to saw off everything that remains sticking out from above.
- Apply oil (motor oil, linseed oil, sunflower oil, etc.) to the ax handle, let the excess drain off and leave to dry. Wipe the ax and handle with a rag.
After fitting the ax to the ax handle, shown in figure (a), make its attachment (b) and wedging the handle (c): 1 - axe, 2 - ax handle, 3 - wedge
How and at what angle is an ax blade sharpened?
To prevent the tool from causing trouble, you need to properly sharpen the ax blade. According to GOST requirements, the sharpening angle of a construction ax should be 20-30°. Carpentry tools are sharpened at a slightly larger angle of 35°. The recommended angles must be maintained, as thinner blades will get stuck in the wood. You will have to put in extra effort to pull them out. On knots, a thin blade can easily bend. The blade, sharpened at an angle of 35°, breaks the chips being separated from the main log and does not get stuck in the wood.
First, a “rough” primary sharpening of the ax is performed, during which it is possible to eliminate all chips, minor damage and large gouges with a rotating sharpening wheel. At the same time, a new clear cutting edge of the ax is being formed. Then the roughly sharpened blade is subjected to a “finish” sharpening. Grinding is carried out along the entire length of the blade on both sides with a fine-grained stone, which removes all burrs.
Three ways to sharpen an ax blade: a) sharpening wheel; b) a block, moistened with water; c) straightening with a whetstone moistened with machine oil
Important! The shine of the ax blade and the absence of cutting edge burrs indicate that the sharpening process was successful.
How to properly store an ax?
After work, it is recommended to put a cover made of thick leather, birch bark or other material on the ax blade. You can't leave an ax stuck in a log. A true master takes care of his tool, because the ax is an “extension” of his hands.
If you even once try to chop wood with a homemade ax, you will not be able to work with a shop tool. If you doubt your abilities, then use the services of craftsmen who know how to make a comfortable ax handle from a selected and dried workpiece.
Reading time ≈ 7 minutes
One of the tools that has long been used in human activities is the ax. You can buy a handle for it, but experienced craftsmen prefer to make it themselves. In this case, you can be confident in the quality and reliability of this part by making it to suit your needs. To do this, you should figure out how to properly make an ax handle with your own hands, consider drawings with photo examples, as well as instructions and methods for making this product.
Selection and harvesting of wood
Before you start making an ax, you need to find out what kind of wood it can be made from. The most suitable wood for the handle is considered to be the following trees:
- birch;
- ash;
- acacia;
- maple.
It is believed that best density has birch wood, the material of which is taken from the lower part of the trunk.
The best time of year for harvesting material is late autumn. During this period, sap flow in the trees stops, so the wood will have minimal moisture. The number of blanks must be chosen with a reserve, since during the manufacture of the ax some of them may be damaged.
It is important not only to choose the right material, but also to dry it. Drying is carried out only under natural conditions. This sometimes takes several years, but many people use blanks that have been in storage for only a year. The material should dry in a dark and dry place with good ventilation, where the possibility of penetration of precipitation and moisture will be excluded. Otherwise, the whole drying process will go down the drain, and you won’t be able to make a high-quality ax handle.
Preparing the template
When in stock ready material, you can begin to create the ax itself. To do this, they think over and make a sketch of the handle, thanks to which the manufacturing process of the product in question is facilitated. The shape of the ax is determined by the type of tool. If a handle is required for a light ax weighing 0.8-1 kg, then its length is 0.4-0.6 m. The length of heavier ones can reach 0.6-0.9 m. Axes are classified according to their purpose:
- carpentry;
- lumberjacks;
- loppers;
- cleavers;
- butcher's
Based on the purpose of the tool, the length of the ax will depend. When making it, you should adhere to the following rules:
- to prevent the ax handle from slipping while working with an axe, the tail should be slightly wider than the handle itself;
- the cleaver's ax handle is made 0.75-0.95 m long, while for a carpenter's ax it is 0.5 m long;
- 10 cm is added to the length of the handle for allowance. This part is cut off after attaching the butt.
The future handle of the desired shape and size is drawn on cardboard, after which the image is transferred to wood and cut out with carpentry tools.
Making an ax
Despite the fact that the ax handle seems a simple product, it can be made different ways, the choice of which depends on the tools and materials available.
Manufacturing methods
Most often, the ax is used by people living in rural areas and on summer cottages. The tool is often used not only for its intended purpose, but also for other work. This leads to the fact that the axes simply cannot withstand such use, and they have to be changed from time to time. You can correctly make an ax handle as follows:
- Electric tools designed for working with wood (circular saw, planing and sanding equipment).
- Using hand tools using an axe, plane, rasp.
There are many fans self made with wood, which is why preference is given to traditional instruments. After all, it is a plane, an ax and a chisel that allow you to enjoy the procedure and enjoy the result.
Tools
To make an ax handle, you need to prepare the following list:
- dry board or block;
- hacksaw;
- axe;
- rasp;
- pencil;
- chisel;
- hammer.
Experienced craftsmen make do with only one ax when making an ax handle.
Step by step process
The handle is made as follows:
You can learn more about making an ax handle from the video.
Finishing and impregnation of the ax
The finishing of the handle is done using fine sandpaper. The wood is sanded, removing small irregularities and bringing the surface to a perfectly smooth surface. Some masters instead sandpaper glass is used. To give the ax handle exclusivity, it can be decorated with carvings or other decor.
Since the handle is made of wood, like any other product, it is susceptible to rotting. Most often problems arise when wrong conditions tool storage. Therefore, after production it should be protected from negative impact external environment.
It is not recommended to use various varnishes and paints as means of protecting the axe, since such substances can cause the ax to slip out of the hands.
The best option is to impregnate the handle with drying oil or linseed oil. The substance is applied to the wood and left to dry. The procedure is repeated until the oil stops being absorbed. It should be taken into account that in order to extend the service life of the axe, such treatment must be repeated periodically.
How to place an ax on an ax handle
The procedure for assembling an ax may seem simple, but this is only at first glance. To do it correctly, you need to know some nuances that are not recommended to be overlooked. Therefore, it is necessary to follow certain instructions.
Preparing the ax
After purchasing or making an ax handle, it needs to be adjusted to the ax hole. The handle is trimmed under the eye sharp knife, achieving a straight or ellipsoidal shape. After this, cuts are made in the form of longitudinal grooves on the upper part of the handle.
The depth of the grooves should be such that they are hidden in the eye of the ax. Otherwise the ax handle may crack.
Making wedges
The reliability of the tool attachment is largely determined by the quality of wedging. The material for the wedges is wood or metal. These elements can be purchased or made yourself. Professional carpenters are of the opinion that the best wedge is the one made from dried birch. Metal element made from a piece of a shovel.
Driving wedges
After preparing the ax and wedges, you can begin wedging. First, the longitudinal elements are driven in and light blows are applied with a hammer or the butt of another axe. There is no need to hit it hard, as the wood may become deformed. Then the transverse wedges are driven in. The protruding parts are carefully cut off with a hacksaw and make sure that the ax attachment is secure. The procedure can be considered successful if the handle cannot be removed from the ax and the groove space is completely filled with wedges.
It happens that it is not possible to completely get rid of the gaps. In this case, you can use regular gauze soaked in epoxy. To do this, the upper part of the ax handle is wrapped in soaked gauze before inserting the ax. Epoxy resin allows you to eliminate any gap or crack, thereby forming a reliable fixation of the ax handle.
Particular attention is paid to sharpening carpenter's axes. It is considered normal if such a tool can sharpen a pencil. Before sharpening the ax, you need to make sure the metal is hard. If it turns out to be insufficient, the material will need to be hardened, for which they contact a specialist.
