Ax made of metal. How to make an ax: the technological process from ax handle to sharpening

Among carpentry and garden tool the ax is always one of the most sought after. A more versatile tool, most likely, will not be found. For several hundred years, since the transformation of the ax into a modern ax, a whole tradition has developed on how to make an ax with a special sharpening, how to prepare and correct an ax for a certain type of work.

How to make an ax an effective and versatile tool

There are several options for modern execution:

For your information! On a special account is a cleaver with a very strong massive butt and a short blade. It is difficult to perform a full-fledged blow with such a cutter, so it can be attributed to auxiliary types of tools.

How to make a universal ax for yourself

The main problem that needs to be solved when designing a tool for your tasks and needs is to make the right choice of blade when buying.

How to choose the right metal

It is believed that only good springy steel with deep hardening of the blade can make such a sound. In fact, for the cutting edge, it is the toughness and elasticity of the steel that is important, and not the ability to sharpen the blade to the state of a razor. Just the latter speaks of overheating and supersaturation of the metal with carbon. With such an instance, two or three demonstrative blows can be made to demonstrate sharpness, sharpened on the fourth blow. cutting edge will split.

Much more successful will be an ax made of viscous manganese steel 50XGA. Such a tool is more difficult to manufacture, but it will serve much longer, and it is much more convenient to work with it.

Universal version of the ax

If you are not professionally building log cabins, where most of the wood needs to be made with a carpenter's ax, buy yourself a good quality product made in the Republic of Belarus. Some of the enterprises still produce conversion models of axes with excellent characteristics. It remains only to decide how to make an ax handle. The best option would be a wooden handle, choose elm or old acacia. From scraps you can make a wooden case for an ax.

A forged blade is considered the best, but finding a decent Soviet copy is not so easy. Most old blades have a lot of hidden cracks, so if you find a suitable one, feel free to give a few hard blows to the nearest stump. Traces of cracks will definitely come out on the cutting edge.

The easiest way to make a choice, focusing on the presence of a brand on the cheek. The label must be legible. Good tools were made on the forging equipment of old post-war factories.

How to make an ax handle comfortable

The position of the handle depends entirely on the individual structure of the hands, and above all the palms. There are three ways to perform the correct grip on the handle:

1. To work with one hand in a carpentry manner, the grip must be done 2/3 from the end of the ax handle. With this grip, the instrument in the hand must be completely balanced and balanced. To work with a carpenter's block, the length of the ax must be chosen based on the length of the arms;
2. The width of the handle at the point of grip with the palm should be such that the thumb and the remaining four fingers almost touch in the grip;
3. The angle of inclination of the blade to the ax handle must be made at 70-75 °, if you have to work in a vertical cabin, and 90 °, if you need to hew or chop horizontal surfaces.

How to make an ax case correctly

Most simple option is a cover made of leather or wooden lining with a fastener on the butt. Thus, the cutting edge is closed, which allows you to safely carry the tool.

More stylish, you can make an ax case in the style of a holster to simulate military weapons. Most often, such options are made of leather or its imitation with rivet and ornament trim. This option even involves wearing a tool on a belt. The more complex the blade configuration, the more effort must be put in to design the ax case.

The ax is one of the oldest tools used by man in his activities. He has come a long way, accompanying the evolution of man from a stone great-grandfather to a modern product made of steel itself. High Quality. The scope of this tool has the widest range both in all kinds of industrial production, and in home use. The need for its use will not decrease in the near future.

Tool classification

Depending on the application, they may have different shape designs and size.

The specialization of this tool can be classified as follows:

1. Lumberjack ax.
2. Large and small carpenter's ax.
3. Cleaver for cutting firewood.
4. Tourist or hunting camp hatchet.
5. Hatchet for the kitchen.
6. All kinds of souvenir axes imitating ancient military weapons.
7. Sports tomahawk for throwing at targets.
8. Firemen's axe.
9. Butcher's ax.

Some design differences

Specialization may give rise to some design differences between axes, but basically any of them consists of two parts: a working chopping metal part and a handle attached to it, called an ax handle. The hatchet is mainly made of wood.

Some tourist and kitchen designs can be made entirely of metal with wooden or plastic overlays to give the flat metal handle the desired shape.

The lumberjack tool is distinguished by a rounded blade and an elongated ax handle. It is most often used for harvesting brushwood from branches. To harvest firewood from logs, a special type of cleaver ax is used. Its metal part is more massive than that of conventional axes, and has a more obtuse angle of the pointed chopping part.

A longer ax handle also has a firefighter's gun. In addition, similar axes can differ significantly and backside a metal part called a butt. For conventional tools, it is simply flat, while for firefighters this part can be made in the form of a hook or a sharp narrow wedge.

The butt of a kitchen ax is usually made in the form of a hammer for beating meat, and an ax with a round cross section made on a lathe.

carpentry axes

This type of ax is probably the most used in the world. Even with modern technologies no construction can do without such an ancient tool. Its versatility is unique.

Carpenter's axes are large, they are used for cutting logs, for making all kinds of notches during construction wooden houses and other structures.

Small hatchets that are used for smaller jobs.

The chopping blade of a carpenter's ax is usually straight and very sharp.

The hatchet is of various types. Its shape as a whole depends on the personal preferences of the owner, aimed mainly at the convenience of working with such a tool. Often good ax- the face of a carpenter, as a specialist. good master cherishes this instrument more than any other. Therefore, he never uses a purchased ax handle, but makes it personally for himself. However, in skillful hands it is very rare to change it.

Manufacturing methods

For an ordinary person, it is necessary to use an ax most often when working in a summer cottage. Here, along with the work inherent in such a tool, not very skilled workers are used for various works. Therefore, ax handles, as a rule, do not withstand prolonged use, and they have to be changed quite often.

The most suitable material for the handle is birch. It is a durable, relatively light and smooth material to work with. For zealous owners, it will be useful to place birch bars to dry. Birch should be dried for a long time, at least 3-5 years, and always out of direct sunlight. For the manufacture of good ax handle you need a well-dried birch. Otherwise, it will dry out in the ax itself, the handle will begin to dangle, which can lead to significant inconvenience in work and injury.

There are several various ways how to make an ax correctly. But all of them can be divided depending on the technological equipment:

1. With the help of electric woodworking mechanisms ( a circular saw, planer, different kind polishing).
2. Manually from finished boards using a planer, rasp, and so on.
3. Handmade from birch logs.
4. With a minimum of tools.

Technological production of an ax handle

First of all, the necessary workpiece is cut on woodworking machines. All its dimensions (width, thickness and length) are made with a small margin for further adjustment.

The thickness and width are determined by the dimensions of the inlet of the ax, which is called the eyelet and is located at the bottom. It must be remembered that the upper outlet is much wider than the lower one, and it is impossible to confuse them when making measurements.

For the convenience of further processing, it is advisable to plan the workpiece on planer to make its section close to a triangular shape with an acute angle at the bottom of the future ax handle. Using a cardboard template, a drawing of an ax handle of the selected shape is applied to the workpiece. A template can be made by making a drawing according to the dimensions of an old broken tool, or you can find a suitable shape for an ax handle in specialized literature or on the Internet.

It is most convenient to cut rounded places using electric jigsaw. Next, smooth all the corners with a wide chisel and do a preliminary grinding of the product. It is not worth processing it completely to working condition, because with a direct connection to the metal part of the tool, when significant efforts and impacts are applied, the tree can split, and all work on final fine-tuning will be done in vain.

Mechanical grinding should be done on a flat surface. It is not effective to use an ordinary stone grinding disc. It is better to make a special disc, with the same hole in the center as the corresponding grindstone.

The material for the circle is best used from solid electrically insulating plastic, at least 5 mm thick. Sandpaper is glued on it with PVA glue. You should know that paper should only be used waterproof. A simple one will quickly break. In addition, a circle pasted over with waterproof sandpaper can be washed from wood dust deposits with hot water. Therefore, if such a circle is made of plywood, then washing it will be problematic. Plywood can warp when exposed to water.

On such a circle it will be convenient to grind even and convex parts of the ax handle, especially the part that is inserted inside the ax. This must be done very evenly so as not to weaken the thickness of the wooden part.

For grinding internal roundings, it is good to have a vertical grinding. Equipment for it can also be made independently. To do this, you need to turn a wooden cylinder on a lathe with a through inner hole corresponding to the shaft of the engine used, and glue it on the outside with waterproof sandpaper.

The finished cylinder should be tightly put on the shaft of a vertically mounted engine. For grinding the ax handle, the diameter of the cylinder is not so important, but the wall thickness from the inner hole to the outer surface should be quite massive, at least 10–15 mm.

Ax head

The upper edge of the ax handle, which should be inserted into the ax, is made slightly tapered so that it fits tightly enough. Before that, perpendicular axial lines are drawn on the end, so that in the process of work, focusing on their location, do not mow the workpiece in any direction.

Before the final planting of the ax, a wedge cut is made. Its depth should not exceed the width of the ax itself.

How to properly put an ax on an ax is shown in the figure:

It is permissible to make a wooden wedge from another, softer wood species, which is more susceptible to compression than birch. So that the wedge does not jump out of the ax handle even with the slightest drying out, it is advisable to lubricate it waterproof glue. This is necessary in case the ax falls into the water.

After the wooden one, you can additionally wedge it with a metal wedge. Such wedges are specially forged in the forge, making notches along its edges for better grip with the tree.

It happens that the upper hole of the ax is larger than the lower one, not only in thickness, but also in width. Small gaps remain on the side of the inserted ax handle, into which additional wooden wedges also have to be driven.

If the connection of the ax with the ax handle went well, they proceed to the final finishing of the tree with the help of finer-grained sandpaper. This process is done manually.

Making an ax by hand

With the seeming complexity of this process, it is quite possible for a more or less master owner to make an ax handle without the use of electrified equipment. Especially if there are boards of the right size available. If there are no boards, then the blank on the ax handle can be pricked out of a birch log. A log for these purposes should be selected, if possible, without knots and with a straight-layer structure.

To grind an ax with a sandpaper, it must be fixed in a vise. From emery material cut into narrow rather long strips. It will be very convenient for them to carry out the grinding process by winding the strips around the ax handle and moving the ends of the tape back and forth. In this position working surface sandpaper fits snugly to the workpiece without special efforts from the side of man.

Working with purchased ax handles

If a person does not want to bother with making an ax handle on his own, there are always ready-made samples on sale. Of course, serious manufacturers of such parts are well aware of how to make an ax handle correctly. But still, when buying it, you should follow some rules so as not to make mistakes. First of all, you should very carefully measure the inlet of the existing ax. Differences in size for different axes are sometimes very significant and individual, especially if this tool was taken from grandfather's stocks. The main condition is that the dimensions of the acquired ax handle should not be less than the required values.

You should also pay attention to the quality of the wood of the finished ax handle. The density of the structure, the presence of cracks and the possibility of chipping during its installation.

Working with a purchased ax handle will be limited to fitting its end part, which directly enters the eye.

Sharpening and operation

Carpenter's axes require the most thorough sharpening. It's okay if the sharpness of these tools allows you to sharpen a pencil or even make a toothpick.

Before sharpening the cutting edge of the ax, it is necessary to check the hardness of the metal and, if it turns out to be too soft, it will be necessary to additionally harden the ax with high temperatures. It is best to do this in the forge, trusting a professional specialist.

The tool blade is sharpened after it is connected to a wooden handle.

Like an ax, the figure below explains.

Useful Instruction

Proper use of an ax can be described by following some basic rules:

1. Try not to cut metal products.
2. Carefully check the treated wood for the presence of foreign solid objects in its body.
3. Do not use the tool in a capacity that is not inherent to it: as a lever, chopper or shovel.
4. Do not drop the tool on a hard surface, especially from a great height.
5. Do not store it for a long time in an open place exposed to sunlight or in a very humid place.

With a careful attitude, the ax and its wooden handle will serve for a long time and please its owner.

Axes are indispensable tools for working in summer cottages, vegetable gardens, when going on a picnic, etc. How to make an ax convenient to use? There are many technical solutions to this question. The choice of a specific solution depends on the tasks that the tool must solve. Recently, there has been a demand for a battle ax from historical reenactors. Miscellaneous tasks for this tool require a different approach for their manufacture. Below, the emphasis will be placed not on making an ax from scratch, but on reworking common models and creating a convenient ax handle for your hand.

The ax is one of essential tools in the countryside. It can be made completely from scratch, or you can upgrade an old tool.

Axes: types and differences

The ax is one of the most ancient human tools, which has many varieties. Many archaeological finds indicate that the ax was an integral tool and weapon of man.

They performed a huge amount of work: felling trees, scraping dense animal skins, trimmed wood and, of course, killed their own kind. With the development of mankind, axes began to develop. Their development followed the directions of their activity, they began to have a narrow "specificity". To date, there are a huge number of varieties of axes, however, we will focus on the most common types:

1. Carpentry. Today, this species is the most widespread. This is due to the fact that with such a tool you can perform up to 90% of all possible work. The mass of such products can range from 800 grams to 2 kg. The most common axes weighing about 1.5 kg. It is convenient for them to chop small trees, cut logs, butcher carcasses of animals ... In addition to everything else, this type of tool is most often produced by various enterprises, which significantly reduces its cost.
2. Taiga ax. This is a rather heavy ax (about 1.0-1.2 kg), a kind of cleaver. The difference is a long (about 0.5 meters) handle. The main purpose is felling and cutting wood. It is very popular among hunters, fishermen, tourists, geologists, etc. You can easily make a taiga ax from a carpenter's ax.
3. Cleaver. The sectional shape of such a tool is a triangular wedge. It is designed for cutting wood. Quite heavy (about 2 kg).
4. Battle axes are relatively light (about 0.5-0.8 kg) axes, which are mounted on a long shaft (handle) from 0.5 m or more. Thanks to historical clubs, there was a demand for them. There are several varieties of such products: two-handed / one-handed, double-sided. To date, they are made to order, and most often they remake carpentry axes to look like old battle axes.
5. Various tourist small hatchets. These are very dubious devices with short and not always comfortable handles. It is problematic to fell and cut a tree thicker than 30 cm in diameter with them, and in addition, most companies (including branded ones, such as Fiskars) make plastic ax handles, which are almost impossible to replace in case of breakage. Some manufacturers (mostly Chinese) make the handle disproportionate to the hand of the average person, which leads to hand fatigue after 5-7 minutes of operation. In conclusion, the small mass of the ax itself (up to 0.8 kg) requires significant physical effort during work. Such products can often be found in stores, they are often advertised, but it is not recommended to purchase them due to their low ease of use.
6. Stone axes. These are homemade products made of stone according to the technologies of the "ancients". Practiced among bushcrafters or just lovers of antiquity. It is quite simple to make them from improvised materials with your own hands, if silicon is available.

In addition to the purpose, all types have their own design differences:

1. The main structural difference of the carpenter's ax is that the toe has the same shape and size as the heel. If we conditionally draw a line from the middle of the width of the butt to the middle (along the height) of the blade, then both parts will be symmetrical. The toe and heel are rounded at a certain angle (often the angles do not match for different models and manufacturers). It is this design that is convenient for “fine” work with logs. For convenience, the handle (axe) is made relatively short.
2. The toe and blade of the cleaver usually form a right angle (this is also true for the taiga). This solution allows you to split the tree without getting stuck in it. For felling and cutting large logs, the cleavers are made quite wide. This increases their mass and makes them non-transportable in long non-transport crossings.
3. The main difference between the taiga ax and the cleaver is the mass. To reduce it, the "taiga" is made narrower in cross section, and in addition, they try to "cut off" all unnecessary metal. So make a cut from the heel to the beginning of the butt along the arc.
4. Battle axes have a low and narrow (in cross section) blade. Often there is a spike on the back side. The butt is also made narrow.

Choosing and altering an ax

Before purchasing a tool, you should clearly define the tasks that the ax will solve.

Even in the absence desired type in stores, you can always make it yourself by buying and redoing a carpenter's ax.

It’s worth starting with the choice of a carpenter’s ax. The first thing to determine is the steel from which it is made. Today, Damascus steel is considered the most "cool", products from it are made by both private lone blacksmiths and some firms.

Domestic manufacturers most often use 65G steel for the manufacture of their products. It is a fairly hard (about 55 on the Rockwell scale) spring steel that performs well in woodworking jobs. As mentioned above, almost 90% of all axes are made for carpentry.

Choosing an ax for a carpenter is not difficult. The first thing to do is to decide on the mass. For precise and “fine” finishing work, you need to take an ax of about 0.5 kg, for coarser ones - about 1.5 kg.

It is important to remember that the handle of a purchased ax is factory-made and in 99% of cases it will be uncomfortable. How to make an ax handle will be described below.

If you want to taiga ax, but it’s not on sale, it’s quite simple to remake the carpentry into the desired design. To do this, carefully select the ax by weight. Since during the alteration excess metal will be cut off, then, accordingly, the mass of the ax will decrease. The acceptable weight of the taiga is 1-1.2 kg (without an ax handle). Therefore, in order to achieve such indicators, one should take a carpentry of the order of 1.3-1.5 kg. To remake a carpentry tool, you need to cut off the toe so that it forms an almost right angle with the blade. Also, to make it easier, all the metal under the heel is cut off.

To do this, it is necessary to apply markings - an arc from the lower end of the butt to the heel. If the cut is made in a straight butt-heel, then this will worsen the strength of the ax.

You can cut the metal with a grinder, while it is important to constantly water the cut points with water for cooling.

Otherwise, there is a very high probability of overheating the blade, which will significantly reduce hardness and strength.

Similarly, carpenter's axes are used to make battle axes.

When the ax is ready, you should make an ax handle and connect them.

How to make an ax

The most convenient are curved ax handles, with an oval cross-sectional shape. This form allows you not to strain your hand when working, which will allow your hand not to get tired. For different types ax handles differ only in the size of the bend and length.

For the taiga, the length should be from 0.5 to 1 m, the bend should be such that the lower end of the ax handle is in line with the middle of the blade and the toe. Carpenters have a short (up to 0.5 m) handle, which has a small bend angle. Battle axes are mounted on a long and almost even ax handle. The cross section is selected based on the hole in the butt of the ax. Despite the differences in the sizes and shapes of the handles, the technology for their manufacture is almost the same.

To make an ax handle, you need to pick up a blank right size. It can be a board or a log. Next, markup is applied and all excess is cut off, after which it is carefully sanded with sandpaper and varnished. From the mounting side of the ax in the made ax handle, cuts are made along the section for driving in wedges-spacers. After that, the ax is planted on the handle and burst with wedges.

most popular and universal tool for processing wood - an ax.

In addition to the main task, to chop wood (across the fibers) and chop wood (along the fibers), with an ax you can perform almost any joinery and carpentry work. For this, the following types of axes have been developed and produced:

1. Lumberjack. The length of the handle implies holding the tool with both hands, so the ax belongs to the class of two-handed. The main purpose is the cutting of vertical tree trunks, although such an ax can successfully chop firewood;
2. Woodcutter. A common household tool for chopping firewood for the winter. You can cut not too thick tree trunks. The handle is rather two-handed than one-and-a-half;
3. A carpenter. It is convenient to hold the tool with both one and two hands. The main purpose is the roughing of wooden blanks, mainly logs. You can chop wood, cut down a powerful bush;
4. Central Russian. A long two-handed handle and a powerful blade, with such a tool they chop large logs, butcher carcasses of animals. On expeditions, such an ax was used as a machete - they can cut through clearings. Its second name is taiga;
5. Yermak. Universal ax of medium size. The single handle does not create a lever, so you have to make great efforts when working. Relatively small weight allows you to take it with you on hiking trips, for example, for chopping firewood;
6. Robust. A compact tool with a light ax handle is a favorite tourist assistant. Hewing a tree trunk for making a hut, chopping dead wood for a fire, butchering a small hunting trophy - an ax is indispensable as a tool for survival in the forest.

Of course, there are many other classifications, but for a non-professional who does not know, the name of the ax handle - the list gives an idea of ​​​​the variety of the tool.



Special axes

The tool is intended for the manufacture of wood products, as well as the construction of premises from logs (log cabins).
In addition to skills on how to sharpen an ax, you need to understand the names of its constituent parts. See illustration:

IMPORTANT! The possibilities of this seemingly primitive device should not be underestimated. In the old days, with the help of an ax, two, and even three-story structures were erected without a single nail.

Big carpentry.
It is intended for giving to a piece of a tree of a form of preparation. Roughing, trimming, transverse separation of the trunk.


Joiner's.
With such an ax it is already possible to give the desired shape to a wooden blank. The semi-circular blade allows you to control the notches and make figured processing. Most of the creations of wooden architecture are created by this tool.



Figured cutting.
The ax handle has a straight toe and a pointed heel. Thanks to this form, you can literally engage in woodcarving. Figured architraves on village houses of the last century are the work of this tool.



Cleaver.
Of course, with this heavy ax you can and should chop thick logs. And yet, its main purpose is to prepare blanks for further fine processing.



Ax for selecting concave surfaces.
An experienced carpenter can make a perfect cut in a log for laying a log house with a carpenter's axe. And yet, for a more accurate fit, it is better to use a special ax handle.



Sculpture axe.
The blade is curved under the left and right hand. The name speaks for itself - sculptures are cut with such a tool and wooden decorations big size. There are questions about how to sharpen the blade complex shape– but the masters have their secrets.



No matter how "confusing" the design of the blade (axe) is, for correct operation tool, you need to know the common truths of a joiner and carpenter:

How to plant an ax correctly?



The illustration shows classic way how to properly plant on an ax handle.

Action A - the ax handle (1) is tried on to the butt (2). The gaps between wood and metal should be minimal and uniform. The shape of the landing site should taper slightly towards the top. A longitudinal cut is made at the tip to install the wedge.

Action B - planting an ax handle. The blade should sit tightly on the butt. If the wooden part protrudes a little - there is nothing to worry about, after wedging, the excess can be sawed off.

Action B - wedging. The most important part of the job. The wedge (3) should have as much sharp corner, and you need to drive it as deep as possible. The wedge is made of metal, or more durable than the butt of wood. The wedge can be moistened with glue.

According to Russian tradition, after planting, the ax was immersed in water. The wedge swelled, and the connection closed tightly. This is not necessary, because after drying, play may occur.
There is alternative way, using cross wedges and gauze with glue.

The size of the seat should provide a uniform gap of no more than 1 mm. The place for landing at the end of the butt is cut in the form of a lattice, for 5 wedges.

IMPORTANT! The depth of cut should not exceed the width of the handle, but not less than 2/3 of its size.

In this case, it is necessary to take into account the part of the butt protruding by 1-2 cm, which will then be cut down.

Cuts are made with a hacksaw for metal. The blade is selected with a large tooth, for work on soft metals.

Wedges are made of solid wood - oak, hornbeam, beech. They can be pricked from old furniture, which was made of these particular varieties. Don't take the advice of homegrown professionals who say wedges and butts should be the same type of wood. It's a delusion.

The handle for an ax in Russia is usually made of ash, birch or maple. And the wedges were always oak or wrought iron.

Trying wedges. At this stage, it is important to adjust the size. The expansion is allowed only along the wedging, the other sides of the wedges must be parallel. Otherwise, when landing, they may split, reducing the effect of the strut.

At this stage, the wedges are only slightly driven into the cuts, no more than 1/3 of the length.

But the butt is dressed with gauze soaked in glue. A good option epoxy resin.

IMPORTANT! Just not polyester!

It will provide the elasticity of the adhesive joint, and is not prone to cracking.

Depending on the width of the gap, one or two layers of gauze are laid.

The hatchet fits tightly on the butt.

Excess gauze is cut off along the very edge of the metal blade.

Before driving the wedges, the cuts should be filled with epoxy resin. It will fill the cracks that inevitably form during installation. Then we hammer in the wedges strictly in accordance with the fitting.

IMPORTANT! You must first install all 5 wedges, then plant them simultaneously.

After the resin has dried for 24 hours, saw off the protruding part.

If you still have questions, watch the video clip, which details how to put an ax on an ax handle correctly and what the ax handle is made of.

How to sharpen an ax correctly?

Many do not know how to sharpen an ax on their own, and turn to workshops, paying for the service. The general geometry is shown in the illustration:

There is such a rule - the formation of a burr. If you master the technique, you will have no problems how to sharpen an ax at home. The scheme of work in the picture:



In this video clip, all the details about sharpening an ax to the sharpness of the blade.

How to harden an ax yourself?

In order not to have to sharpen the ax too often, the steel must be strong and hard. If you received an instrument from soft material- it can be tempered at home. Blade edge warms up gas burner(or on coals) to a crimson color, and is immersed first in oil extraction, then in cold water. The procedure is repeated 2-3 times.

After reading our material, you will learn not only how to use a popular tool correctly, but also understand how to make an ax with your own hands. The work of the master is afraid!

An ax is one of the most famous and affordable tools in the arsenal of most summer residents and professional craftsmen. If you use it correctly, you can simplify many workflows, resulting in an excellent result. An ax can not only be bought ready-made in a specialized store, but also made at home. It doesn't take much time, effort and Money. Today we will take a closer look at how to properly make an ax handle with your own hands.

How to select and prepare wood?

Many jobs are impossible without a well-sharpened and strong axe. This tool is often needed both in household and larger-scale work. In retail outlets, you can find many different models of such tools, because there are quite a few types of axes themselves. Pick up perfect option possible according to any requirements.

But there are also cases when the consumer could not find a suitable tool for himself. Many people in such situations find a simple way out for themselves - they make an ax on their own. In order for the tool to turn out to be of high quality, reliable and durable, it must consist of good elements. So, to create an ax handle, it is very important to choose the right suitable material.

Not every type of wood is suitable for creating this ax detail. It is believed that a real master will go around the whole forest before he finds the very tree from which it will be possible to make an ax handle. In most cases, the indicated element of the ax is constructed from the root section of the birch, and even better if the growths that are present on its trunk are used. These parts are distinguished by a very dense and wavy structure.

Birch is not single tree, from which a good ax can be obtained. Instead, it is permissible to refer to trees such as oak, maple, acacia, ash and others. deciduous trees relating to hard rocks. According to experienced craftsmen, beech, oak, larch, walnut and elm produce the most reliable, comfortable and durable high quality handles. But it is not enough to find the ideal material for making an ax handle. We still need to properly prepare it for the upcoming work.

The blanks must be dried well. This is done only in natural conditions, and it often takes a lot of time - an average of 3-4 years, and even longer is better (5 years will be enough). Wood should be dried exclusively in a dark and dry place where there is good ventilation. Precipitation, dampness and water should not penetrate into the space where natural material will be prepared. Otherwise, there will simply be no sense in such drying, and it will not work to make a good ax handle.

How to make a template?

If you have the material already prepared and dried to the desired degree, then you should proceed to the next step in creating an ax handle. Next, you will need to competently make a convenient template, which will be a great helper in further work.

Here it is important to take into account the fact that there are quite strict rules governing the shape of the ax handle based on the main type of device. So, light tools, the weight of which is usually from 0.8 to 1 kg, are usually made with a handle having a length of 0.4-0.6 m. As for the more “serious” heavy axes, there is a length of 0.55-0.65 m. It must also be taken into account that all existing species axes are divided according to their main functionality.

So, the following types of these tools are distinguished:

• carpentry;
• lumberjack;
• branchy;
• cleaver;
• butcher's.

Before proceeding with the independent design of such a tool, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the detailed drawings of different models of handles.

When making a template, a number of important features should be taken into account.

• So that in the process of work the ax does not slip out and does not jump out of the hands at the moment of swing, its “tail” must be made a little wider than the place of capture.
• When making an ax handle for a cleaver, it is necessary to make a part 0.75-0.95 m long. Carpentry tools are made short. Their handle generally reaches the mark of 0.5 m.
• To the parameter of the length of the handle, the will of the butt must be added another 8-10 cm for an allowance. It will be possible to cut it off after installing the butt. It is very important to ensure that the tree at this moment does not begin to split.

The template with its correct shape and all sizes will need to be applied to paper or cardboard sheet.

Step by step instructions for making

It is not difficult to prepare an ax with your own hands. To do this, you must adhere to a not very complex technology for the work. Let's get to know her:

• mark the workpiece using a template;
• after that, it can be carefully cut with a jigsaw or other similar tool;
• further, the prepared part will need to be turned on a special machine and polished.

There are a number important rules which must be adhered to in the course of work.

• The processing of the fixing place of the ax handle must be carried out to the maximum carefully and accurately so as not to accidentally remove the excess part of the tree. Otherwise, the butt simply cannot be tightly fixed in its place. It is better to periodically try on the handle to the eye, so that in the end you get a small margin (no more than 2 cm).
• Do not use a file in the process of finishing the part. This will inevitably loosen the tree. Because of this, it will be more difficult to work with him further. It is better to use not a file, but a finely abrasive sandpaper with a grinder. You will need to move the tool along the wood fibers.
• Give the final, correct and nice shape the fixing place of the handle is necessary, taking into account the angle of the butt attachment. As for the cleaver, for him the indicated angle should be approximately 85 degrees. For a standard ax - 75 degrees.

At self-manufacturing ax handles must be handled very carefully. It's not worth rushing. If desired, you can decorate the handle of the tool with patterns and carved decorations (for example, you can wrap it with jute cord - it will also hold the blade more securely). When the ax handle is ready, it will be necessary to correctly install the cutting part on it.

Let's consider how to do it.

• Adjust the top of the piece to fit the eye of the blade. Remove the excess part of the tree with a knife. Be careful.
• On the handle, set horizontally, the cutting part must be placed on top. Then you need to put a mark on the handle with a pencil, to which it will drive in. Divide the segment and set another mark.
• Lock the handle in a vertical position using a vise. The wide piece should be at the top. Prepare a hacksaw for metal. Make a cut exactly to the second mark under the wedge.

• In specialized point of sale pick up a wedge from metal or make it yourself from wood.
• Lay out the board on a separate countertop. Put a blade on it. Put it upside down. Throw the prepared ax on this part, tapping it on the board. Now turn the fixture over and tap the handle on the board. The part will continue to fit. These steps should be repeated many times. As a result, it will turn out to drive the ax into the eye well.
• Then set the part in a vertical position. Install a wedge in the cut. Hit him with a mallet. Saw off excess protruding parts

How to protect from decay?

The wood from which the ax is made, like other similar materials, is subject to decay. Such problems always arise over time or in inappropriate storage conditions for the instrument. It is important to take care of a homemade ax in advance, protecting it from decay. It is strongly not recommended to use compounds such as varnishes or paints to protect wooden handles. The ban on the use of such compounds is due to the fact that their presence on the handle can lead to its slipping out of the hands during certain work. The reason for this is the glossy smooth texture.

The optimal solution to protect the ax from rotting, other suitable impregnations will become. Handle can be covered linseed oil or good old drying oil. There are other highly effective antiseptics that will extend the life of natural wood. But keep in mind that they will need to be applied periodically. Don't forget this process.

Some masters add to antiseptic protective equipment red pigment. They turn to such a trick not at all to make the tool more interesting. appearance. After this coating, the ax will be much easier to find in the grass, because its color will become brighter.

Please note that the ax handle should be made so that its cross section has a characteristic oval shape. Only by observing this condition, it will be possible to successfully hold it, without straining the hand too much. Ax strikes will be more accurate and easier. It is recommended to make wood blanks for creating an ax handle in late autumn. It is during this period that the movement of juices is minimized (almost stops), which means that the tree becomes, as it were, dehydrated.

Many inexperienced craftsmen neglect the drying of wood for the construction of an ax handle. As a result, this ends with the fact that the handle changes in size, and the metal part with the butt on it is held very poorly. It is permissible to deal with undried material only in special situations, when the handle needs to be built urgently, and this spare part is made as a temporary one.

When making a brand new ax handle yourself, you need to draw up a detailed drawing / template of the future tool. If you have a very handy old ax in your arsenal, then you can remove all parameters from it. This will make it much easier and more convenient. Do not rush to turn the cutting edge of the tool. First you need to make sure that the metal is sufficiently hard. If it turns out to be too soft, then it will need to be additionally hardened under the influence of high temperatures.

It is permissible to start sharpening the ax blade only after it is installed on the ax handle.

A ready-made ax (both homemade and store-bought) is very important to use correctly. Experienced craftsmen strongly do not recommend trying to cut various metal parts with such a device. Even if you plan on cutting wood, it's best to make sure there are no solids inside that could harm the tool.

It is strongly not recommended to throw the finished tool on hard surfaces, especially from a great height. The ax is not recommended to be left outdoors. Precipitation or aggressive sunlight can adversely affect the quality of the wooden part. Keep such an instrument in a dark and dry place. Only under this condition will the ax serve you for many years.