What tree are the pens for the ax made of. DIY ax (67 photos) - create a combat, decorative and working tool

The ax is rightly considered the "king" of a carpentry tool. A true carpenter, professional in his craft, knows how to make an ax, perfect for a particular operation. The master, as a rule, has several axes, always ready to work. However, this tool is needed not only by carpenters, but also by ordinary people who live in private houses outside the city, as well as citizens who travel to summer cottages for the summer or at the weekend. Each wood owner has to chop wood to melt a stove in a house or in a 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, you need to be able to properly prepare this tool for work and maintain it in “combat readiness” throughout the entire life cycle. The shape of an ax can be different. It is important to properly mount the ax, to wedge, and then sharpen the blade at the right angle.

When buying an ax, or rather its piercing part, it is worth paying attention to the quality of the metal taken for the manufacture of the tool. Look for the GOST sign on the ax, which confirms the compliance of the metal with state standards and requirements. Be on guard if instead of this sign there will be TU, OST or MRTU. In this case, the manufacturer may make changes to the technology. Axes of Soviet times, characterized by high quality metal, can be purchased at the flea market.

The quality of the metal can also be tested empirically by taking two axes and striking the blade of one of them on the blade of the other. On a lower-quality product, notches will remain after impacts. Also, the quality of the metal is checked by the characteristic sound that is made when the ax is tapped. In this case, the tool must be in a suspended state.

You should also focus on the following points:

on a well-drawn blade there should be no bends or dents;
conical shape of the eye;
alignment of the eye and ax blade;
small thickness of the butt and perpendicularity of its ends to the blade.

Do not be upset if you can not find an ax that meets all of these requirements. Indeed, 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:

The selection of blanks and the manufacture of axes

The length of the ax is selected based on the growth and strength of the master. An important role is played by the quality of wood. 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 impact force depends on the length of the ax. The longer the handle of the ax, the easier it is to chop wood chocks. The strength and growth of a person also matters

Not every wood species is suitable for making an ax handle. For this purpose, the true master proceeds the whole forest before he finds a suitable tree. Most often, a blank for an ax is made from the basal part of birch, and better from growths on its trunk, which are distinguished by a special twisted and very dense wood. Instead of birch, you can use maple, oak, acacia, ash and other hardwood deciduous trees. Billets must be well dried in natural conditions, which will take a lot of time.

On the prepared blank, the contours of the future ax are drawn according to the selected template. At the end of the handle of the ax, a thickening should be provided, designed to "brake" the hand in case of slipping of the tool. Then the excess wood 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 completing the fitting nozzle of the ax on the ax with a mallet, and making sure that these parts are snug, you can continue further finishing the tool handle. Glass is used for scraping, and fine-grained sandpaper is used for grinding.

Above is a drawing of an ax (a) that meets the requirements of GOST 1400-73, and below is a handle of a camping ax (b) with an undisturbed fiber zone of 40 mm

Important! If the ax easily enters the eye, then this means that the master made a mistake in the calculations and incorrectly drew a template. In this case, even a wedge-in wedge will not correct the situation, providing a short tight landing of the ax on the ax.

How to put an ax on the handle?

Below is an algorithm for conducting operations, showing how to plant an ax on a machined and polished ax. This is one of the possible ways:

Fit the top of the ax under the ax eye. In this case, cut the excess wood with a knife. You should not use a file, as it “swings” a tree.
On the ax, placed horizontally on the table, put the ax on top, and with a pencil, put on the handle a mark to which it will be mounted. Divide the line in half and put a second mark.
Hold the hatchet upright in a vise so that the wide end is at the top. Take a hacksaw for metal and cut it to the second mark under the wedge.
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 the ax with your own hands should be equal to the depth of cut, and the width should be equal to the size of the eye of the ax.
Put the board on the table and place the ax on it, placing it upside down. Put the ax on the ax and start tapping it on the board. Then turn over and knock on the board with the handle of the ax, while the process of planting continues. Turning over and tapping should be done several times. As a result, the ax will go into the eye.
Next, put the ax vertically and insert a planed wedge into the cut, hammer it with a mallet to half or almost to the end. Saw off everything that remains to stick out from above by a hacksaw.
Put the oil (motor, linseed, sunflower, etc.) on the ax, allow the excess to drain and leave to dry. Wipe the ax and handle with a rag.

After trying on an ax to the ax, shown in figure (a), make its nozzle (b) and wedge the handle (c): 1 - ax, 2 - ax, 3 - wedge

How and at what angle is the ax blade sharpened?

So that the tool does not cause trouble, it is necessary to sharpen the blade of the ax correctly. According to the requirements of GOST, the sharpening angle of the construction ax should be 20-30 °. The tool for carpentry is sharpened at a slightly larger angle equal to 35 °. The recommended angles must be maintained, as thinner blades will bind in the wood. To pull them out will have to make additional efforts. On knots, a thin blade can easily bend. A blade sharpened at an angle of 35 °, breaking the wood chips that can be separated from the main log, does not bind in the wood.

First, a “rough” primary sharpening of the ax is performed, during which it is possible to eliminate all the crests, minor damage and large potholes with a rotating grinding wheel. At the same time, a new sharp cutting edge of the ax is being formed. Then the sharpened rough blade is subjected to “fine” sharpening. Grinding is carried out along the entire length of the blade on both sides with a fine-grained block, which removes all burrs.

Three ways to sharpen an ax blade: a) a grinding wheel; b) whetstone, moistened with water; c) editing with a donkey moistened with machine oil

Important! The sheen of the ax blade and the absence of burrs on the cutting edge indicate that the sharpening process was successful.

How to store an ax?

After work, it is recommended to put on a hat blade made of thick leather, birch bark or other material. You can’t leave an ax stuck in a log. A true master takes care of his instrument, because an ax is an “extension” of his hands.

Having tried to chop firewood with a homemade ax at least once, you will not be able to work with a store tool. If you doubt your strength, then use the services of masters who know how to make a convenient hatchet for an ax from a selected and dried workpiece.

The 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 work processes, resulting in an excellent result. You can not only buy an ax ready in a specialized store, but also make it at home. It will not take much time, effort and money. Today we will understand in detail how to do the hatchet with our own hands.

How to pick up and prepare wood?

Many work is impossible without a well-sharpened and strong ax. This tool is often needed in both domestic and larger-scale works. In retail outlets you can find many different models of such tools, because there are quite a lot of ax types themselves. It is possible to choose the perfect option in accordance with 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 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 a hatchet it is very important to choose the right material.

Not every wood species is suitable for creating this ax detail.It is believed that a true master will go around the whole forest before he finds the same tree from which he can make an ax. In most cases, the specified element of the ax is built from the basal section of birch, and even better, if you put in the growths that are present on its trunk. These parts are distinguished by a very dense and twisted structure.

Birch is not the only tree that can make a good hatchet. Instead, it is permissible to refer to such trees as oak, maple, acacia, ash and other deciduous trees related to hardwoods. According to experienced craftsmen, the most reliable, comfortable and durable high-quality handles are obtained from beech, oak, larch, walnut and elm. But it’s not enough to find the perfect material for making an ax. It is also necessary to properly prepare it for the upcoming work.

Billets must be dried well.This is done only in vivo, and it often takes a lot of time - on average 3-4 years, or better even longer (5 years will be enough). The wood should be dried exclusively in a dark and dry place, where there is good ventilation. Precipitation, dampness and water must not enter the space where natural material will be prepared. Otherwise, there will simply be no sense from such drying, and you won’t be able to make a good hatchet.

How to make a template?

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

It is important to take into account the fact that there are quite strict rules governing the shape of an ax based on the main type of device. So, light tools, the weight of which usually ranges 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. We must also take into account the fact that all existing types of axes are divided according to their main functionality.

So, the following types of these tools are distinguished:

carpentry;
lumberjack;
delimbus;
cleaver;
butcher.

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

In the manufacture of the template should take into account a number of important features.

In order to prevent the ax from slipping out and jumping out of the hands at the moment of swing, its “tail” needs to be made a little wider than the place of capture.
When making an ax for a cleaver, a part 0.75-0.95 m long should be made. Carpentry tools are made short. Their handle basically reaches a mark of 0.5 m.
To the parameter of the length of the handle, the butt must be added an additional 8-10 cm for 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 a cardboard sheet.

Step-by-step manufacturing instructions

It’s not difficult to prepare an ax with your own hands. For this, it is necessary to adhere to a not very complex technology of work. Get to know her:

mark the workpiece using a template;
after that it can be gently cut out 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 of important rules that must be followed during the course of work.

The processing of the securing area of \u200b\u200bthe ax 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 place. It is better to try the handle periodically on the eye, so that in the end you get a small margin (no more than 2 cm).
Do not put the file in the process of fine-tuning the part. This will lead to the inevitable loosening of the tree. Because of this, further work with him will be more difficult. It is better to use not a file, but a fine abrasive sandpaper with a grinder. You will need to move the tool along the wood fibers.
It is necessary to give the final, correct and beautiful shape to the sticking place of the handle, taking into account the angle of the nozzle of the butt. As for the cleaver - for him, the specified angle should be approximately 85 degrees. For a standard ax - 75 degrees.

With the independent manufacture of ax you need to act very carefully. Do not rush. If you wish, you can decorate the tool handle with patterns and carved decorations (for example, you can wrap it with jute lace - it will also be more reliable to hold the blade). When the ax is ready, it will be necessary to correctly install the cutting part on it.

Consider how to do this.

Adjust the top of the part under the blade eye. Remove excess wood 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 be driven in. Divide the line and set another mark.
Lock the handle in an upright position using a vice. The wide detail should be at the top. Prepare a hacksaw for metal. Drill exactly to the second mark under the wedge.

In a specialized outlet, pick up a metal wedge or make it yourself from a tree.
Put the board on a separate countertop. Put the blade on it. Put it upside down. Throw a prepared hatchet onto this part by tapping it on the board. Now turn over the fixture and tap the board with the handle. The part will continue to be planted. Repeat these steps repeatedly. As a result, it will turn out to drive a hatchet into the eye.
Then set the part upright. Set the cut wedge. Drive it with a mallet. Saw off excess sticking parts

How to protect from rot?

The tree from which the ax is made, like other similar materials, is subject to decay. Such problems always arise over time or under inappropriate storage conditions of the instrument. It is important to take care of a homemade ax in advance, protecting it from decay. It is strongly discouraged to use formulations 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 the performance of certain works. The reason for this will be a glossy smooth texture.

The best solution for protecting the ax from rotting will be other suitable impregnations. You can cover the handle with linseed oil or good old drying oil. There are other highly effective antiseptic agents that will extend the life of a natural tree. But we must take into account that they will need to be applied periodically. Do not forget about this procedure.

Some masters add red pigment to antiseptic protective agents. They turn to such tricks not at all to give the instrument a more interesting appearance. After this coating, the ax will be much easier to find in the grass, because its color will become more vivid.

Note that the ax should be made so that its section has a characteristic oval shape. Only observing this condition, it will be possible to successfully hold it, without greatly straining the hand. Hitting with an ax will be more accurate and easier. It is recommended to do wood preparations for creating an ax in the late fall. It is during this period that the movement of juices is minimized (practically stops), and this means that the tree becomes as if dehydrated.

Many inexperienced craftsmen neglect drying wood for the construction of an ax. In the end, this ends with the handle changing in size, and the metal part with the butt on it holds very poorly. It is permissible to turn to un-dried material exclusively in special situations, when the handle needs to be built in urgent mode, and this spare part is made as temporary.

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

It is permissible to start sharpening an ax blade only after installing it on an ax.

It is very important to use the finished ax (both home-made and bought in the store) correctly. Experienced craftsmen strongly do not recommend trying to cut various metal parts with such a device. Even if you plan to chop wood, it is better to make sure that there are no solid inclusions inside it that can harm the tool.

It is strongly discouraged to throw the finished tool on hard surfaces, especially from high heights. It is not recommended to leave an ax in the open. Rainfall or aggressive sunlight can adversely affect the quality of the wood. Keep this tool in a dark and dry place. Only under such conditions will the ax serve you for many years.

Tool with ready-made hatchets is always on sale. But what is offered in specialized stores is not always suitable. The length of the ax should be such that it is convenient for the master to work. But each person has his own growth and strength. Therefore, it is better to make an ax with your own hands.

Do-it-yourself wood harvesting for ax

In order to make a hatchet with your own hands, you must first select the appropriate material. It is better to do this in the late autumn: at this time of the year the sap flow practically stops and the wood will be as dense and dry as possible. The following wood species are suitable for ax:

hornbeam;
mountain ash (old tree);
ash;
acacia;
apple tree.

The highest density is characterized by birch wood taken from the basal part of the trunk. The ax of it will last a long time.

Tip: for the manufacture of hatchets, it is necessary to stock up on wood in such an amount that several blanks are obtained. During operation, some workpieces may be damaged or discarded.

Hatchet blanks

Drying blanks for hatchets

Do-it-yourself ax hatchet should be made of dry wood. Drying of blanks in vivo should be carried out for 3-4 years. Drying conditions: dark and dry aired room, protected from precipitation.

Important: making an ax with your own hands from insufficiently dry material will not give the desired result. Further drying of the wood will lead to its warping and deformation.

Do it yourself do-it-yourself template for an ax

There are strict rules governing the shape of an ax depending on the type of tool. For light axes (0.8 - 1.0 kg), the handle is made 0.4 - 0.6 m long, and for heavy axes (up to 1.4 kg) - 0.55 - 0.65 m. Axes also differ according to its functional purpose:

lumberjack;
carpentry;
delimbus;
cleaver;
butcher's ax.

Types of axes depending on the functional purpose

How to make a hatchet with your own hands: drawings of various models.

In the manufacture of the template take into account the following.

In order to prevent the ax from popping out of the hand with a wave, its tail section is made a little wider than the gripper.
The ax for a cleaver with its own hands should be made in the range of 0.75-0.95 m long. The axes of carpenters with a shorter ax - about 0.5 m.
8–10 cm per allowance should be added to the length of the ax. It can be cut after planting the butt. It is important that the wood does not crack.

What is necessary to leave an allowance, making an ax with your own hands - a video for your attention.

Note: the template can be obtained by attaching to the workpiece and outlining an already finished hatchet of good quality. In this case, do not forget to add an allowance.

Hatchet manufacturing technology

To understand how to make a hatchet with your own hands, you should familiarize yourself with the technology. The whole process consists of three stages:

marking the workpiece using a template;
cutting the workpiece with a jigsaw or other tool;
grinding and grinding.

There are several rules that must be observed in the process.

Processing of the fixing section of the ax should be done carefully so as not to remove excess wood. Otherwise, the butt will not sit snugly in place. The hatchet must be periodically tried on to the eye, in order to ultimately leave a margin of about 2 mm.
It is not recommended to use a file when finishing the part: this loosens the wood and complicates its further processing. The best way is to use fine abrasive sandpaper with a grinding machine. The movement of the tool is along the fibers.
The final shape of the securing section of the ax should be finalized taking into account the angle of the butt attachment. For a cleaver, this angle is chosen equal to 85 °, for an ax - 75 °.

Ax wedging

DIY making an ax: video for those who use ordinary tools in their work.

How to protect the ax from decay

The wood of the ax under the influence of moisture gradually becomes worthless. Protect the tool from damage. For processing the handle, you can not use covering means, which include paints and varnishes. In this case, the tool may slip out of the palm of your hand. For protection, it is recommended to use drying oil or linseed oil. There are other antiseptic agents that are absorbed into the wood.

It is necessary to process the ax in several stages. Each new processing step should be carried out after completely absorbing the previously applied product.

Treatment of an ax with a protective agent

Tip: You can add bright red pigment to the tool for processing axes. As a result, the tool will be clearly visible in the thick grass and can easily be found in case of loss.

At the end of the article on how to make a hatchet with your own hands - a video where the wizard clearly demonstrates the basic techniques of work.

Those who live in their own home often need such a tool as a taiga ax in the country and on hikes. A good quality working tool is expensive and hard to find.

An ax from the market is not always benign. Therefore, we will make our own ax with the help of improvised means.

Varieties of axes

Consider the variations of axes:

The cleaver is a heavy cone-shaped ax. Due to its high weight, it is well suited for cutting large, hard woods.
Joiner - of small weight and size, has a pointed blade. Use with careful, accurate, accurate work with wood.
Taiga - suitable for felling trees, harvesting trees, building huts, removing bark, twigs.
Tsalda - designed to clean the area from shrubs.
Kitchen (cook) - is intended only for cutting bones. It is a small hatchet with a short handle and a large "blade".
Lumberjack - used only for cutting trees. Consists of a long hatchet and a wide, sharp blade.

Of all these species, the taiga ax is the most useful and useful.

Distinctive features of the taiga ax:

Light weight.
A small area of \u200b\u200bthe stitching surface (makes it possible to drive it as deep as possible into the wood).
Specific sharpening of the blade (the rear edge is much smaller, thinner than the front.

This feature is made in order to use this type of ax as a cleaver (if the blow is delivered correctly. A regular ax has a uniform blade for precise work with wood).

Making a taiga ax

Handle Material

The function of an ax is primarily affected by its shape and length. The handle should be curved and the section oval.

For the hilt, species of trees such as maple, oak, ash, birch are best suited. Since these types of wood well tolerate vibration upon impact.

Harvesting begins in autumn

Dry in a dark place. Before use, the wood must be stored for about one year, and preferably five.

Only felled wood is not advisable to use as it dries out over time and will not stay in the eye.

Create a cardboard template

On a large cardboard sheet, we outline the shape of the handle and apply it to a wooden blank. The template will help us make a more accurate hatchet.

Handle material preparation

A one-year-old block of wood is cut parallel to the fibers. The workpiece for the handle should be longer than the template. The place that is inserted into the eyelet is made wider than the main part.

On both sides we outline the attached drawing, and do not forget to leave allowances. After that, they inserted the upper part into the eyelet, remove excess wood.

Ax Handle Cutting Steps

Before cutting the ax, you need to make transverse cuts, but so that they do not reach the line of the future handle by about 4-5 mm. Using a chisel, we remove the remaining wood and excess allowances.

Ore transitions and corners are made thanks to turning with a rasp. After the workpiece is done, bring the emery cloth to smoothness.

Purchase of a piercing piece for a taiga hatchet

It is unrealistic to make a blade in a domestic environment. In this case, here is a list of what you need to focus on when buying it in the market or in a hardware store:

GOST marking (indicates the quality of steel);
The hole for the handle (eye) should be conical;
The blade is smooth, without defects;

Ax picking

The upper part of the handle is cut along and across.
We cut five pieces of solid trees.
Gauze soaked in resin, wrap the top of the handle for its best entry into the hole of the blade.
With a hammer we drive in the handle.
Hammer the prepared pieces into cuts at the top of the ax.
After the structure dries, we cut off the protruding parts of the wooden pieces.

Note!

Sharpening the taiga ax

An excellent hatchet performance is provided by a properly sharpened blade. In accordance with the activity that you will perform with the help of an ax, the angle of sharpening depends.

Sharpening the taiga ax is performed at an angle of 30-35 ̊. If they will perform work with fresh wood, then sharpening is performed at an angle of 25 ̊.

If you use a grinding wheel for sharpening, then the handle of the ax must be kept at an angle of 40-45 ̊. We reproduce sharpening slowly, accurately.

If you have in stock all the necessary tools, a photo of the step-by-step production of an ax, then its creation will not take a lot of time, effort and money, and in return you will receive a quality ax made by yourself.

But do not forget that with the piercing part made of high-quality metal, the ax will last much longer and if the handle is treated with linseed oil, it will not rot and deteriorate.

DIY ax photo

Note!

The ax is one of the oldest tools used by man in his work. He has come a long way, accompanying the evolution of man from stone forefathers to modern products from steel of the highest quality. The scope of this tool has the widest range both in any kind 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 can have a different design shape and size.

The specialization of this tool can be classified as follows:

Ax lumberjacks.
Large and small carpentry ax.
Firewood cleaver.
Tourist or hunting camping hatchet.
Hatchet for the kitchen.
All kinds of souvenir axes imitating ancient military weapons.
Sports tomahawk for throwing targets.
Firefighters ax.
Butcher's ax.

Some design differences

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

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

The lumberjack tool has a rounded blade and an elongated ax. It is most often used for harvesting brushwood from branches. For the preparation of firewood from logs, a special type of ax cleaver 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 has a gun and firefighters. Moreover, such axes can significantly differ and the back side of the metal part, called the butt. For ordinary tools, it is simply flat, and for firefighters, this part can be made in the form of a hook or a sharp narrow wedge.

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

Carpentry Axes

This kind of ax is probably the most used in the world. Even with modern technology, not a single construction can do without such an ancient tool. Its versatility is unique.

Carpentry axes are large, they are used for cutting logs, for the device of any kind of nicks in the construction of wooden houses and other structures.

Small hatchets that are used for smaller jobs.

The chopping blade of carpentry axes is usually flat and very sharp.

The hatchet is of various types. Its form as a whole depends on the personal preferences of the owner, aimed mainly at the convenience of working with such a tool. Often a good ax is the face of a carpenter, as a specialist. A good master values \u200b\u200bthis instrument more than any other. Therefore, he never uses a purchased ax, but makes it personally for himself. However, in skillful hands it is very rare to change it.

Manufacturing methods

For an ordinary person, you have to use an ax most often when working at a summer cottage. Here, along with the work inherent in such a tool, not very skilled workers are used for various jobs. Therefore, axes, 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 durable, relatively lightweight and smooth to work with. For careful owners it will be useful to place birch bars for drying. Drying the birch should be a long time, at least 3-5 years, and always outside the influence of sunlight. To make a good hatchet, you need exactly 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 injuries.

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

With the help of electric woodworking mechanisms (circular saw, planer, various types of grinding).
Manually from finished boards with a planer, rasp and so on.
Manually from a birch log.
With a minimum of tools.

Technological production of hatchets

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

Thickness and width are determined by the size of the ax inlet, which is called the eye and is located below. It must be remembered that the upper outlet is much wider than the bottom, and you cannot confuse them when taking measurements.

For the convenience of further processing, it is advisable to plan the workpiece on a planing machine to make its cross section close to a triangular shape with an acute angle below the future ax. Using a cardboard template, a hatchet drawing of the selected shape is applied to the blank. The template can be made by making a drawing on the size of the old broken tool, or you can find a suitable hatchet shape in the sources of specialized literature or on the Internet.

Cutting rounded places is most convenient with an electric jigsaw. Next, smooth all corners with a wide chisel and do preliminary grinding of the product. It is not worth working it all the way to the working state, because when directly connected to the metal part of the instrument, when significant efforts and blows are applied, the tree may split, and all work on the final fine-tuning will be done in vain.

Mechanical grinding should be done on a flat. Using a conventional whetstone is not effective. It is better to make a special disc with the same hole in the center as the corresponding whetstone.

The material for the circle is best used in hard electrical insulating plastic, with a thickness of at least 5 mm. Sandpaper is glued onto it with PVA glue. You should be aware that only waterproof paper should be used. Simple will quickly burst. In addition, a circle glued with waterproof sandpaper can be washed with wood dust from hot water. Therefore, if such a circle is made of plywood, then washing it will be problematic. Plywood can deform under the influence of water.

On such a wheel, it will be convenient to grind even and convex parts of the ax, 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.

It is good to have vertical grinding to grind internal curves. Equipment for it can also be made independently. To do this, it is necessary to carve a wooden cylinder on the lathe with a through hole, corresponding to the shaft of the engine used, and glue it on the outside with waterproof sandpaper.

The finished cylinder should be fitted tightly onto the shaft of a vertically mounted engine. For grinding precisely axes, the cylinder diameter is not so important, but the wall thickness from the inner hole to the outer surface should be massive enough, at least 10-15 mm.

Ax nozzle

The top edge of the ax, which should be inserted inside the ax, is made slightly conical so that it fits tight enough. Before that, perpendicular axial lines are drawn at the end so that in the course of work, focusing on their location, the workpiece is not mowed in any direction.

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

How to plant 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 subject to compression than a birch. So that the wedge does not jump out of the ax even at the slightest drying, it is advisable to lubricate it with waterproof glue. This is necessary in case the ax gets into the water.

After the wooden one can be additionally wedged with a metal wedge. Such wedges are specially forged in the forge, making notches along its edges for better adhesion to the tree.

It happens that the top hole of the ax is larger than the bottom not only in thickness but also in width. On the side of the inserted ax there are small gaps, which also have to drive additional wooden wedges.

If the connection of the ax with the ax was successful, proceed to the final finishing of the tree with the help of finer-grained sandpaper. This process is done manually.

Handmade hatchet

With the seeming complexity of this process, it is quite possible for a more or less master craftsman to make an ax without using electrified equipment. Especially if you have the right size boards. If there are no boards, then the blank on the ax can be chopped out of birch logs. A log for these purposes should be selected as far as possible without knots and with a straight-layered structure.

To grind an ax with a sandpaper, it must be secured in a vice. From sandpaper, cut narrow rather long strips. It will be very convenient for them to make the grinding process, wrapping strips around the ax and moving the ends of the tape back and forth. In this position, the working surface of the emery paper fits snugly to the work plane without much effort on the part of the person.

Work with purchased axes

If a person has no desire to tinker with making an ax on his own, ready-made samples are always on sale. Of course, serious manufacturers of such parts know well how to make a hatchet correctly. But still, when buying it, you should adhere to 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 between different axes are sometimes very significant and individual, especially if this tool is extracted from grandfather's stocks. The main condition is that the dimensions of the acquired ax not be less than the required values.

You should also pay attention to the quality of the wood of the finished hatchet. The density of the structure, the presence of cracks and the possibility of cleavage with its nozzle.

Work with a purchased hatchet is limited to fitting its end part, which directly enters the eye.

Sharpening and operation

The most thorough sharpening requires carpentry axes. In the order of things, 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 harden the ax additionally by exposure to high temperatures. It is best to do this in a forge, trusting a professional specialist.

Tool blade sharpening is done after connecting it to a wooden handle.

Like an ax, the figure below explains.

Useful instruction

The correct operation of the ax can be described in the implementation of some basic rules:

Try not to chop metal products.
Carefully check the treated wood for the presence of foreign solid objects in its body.
Do not use the tool in an inappropriate quality for it: as a lever, chopper or shovel.
Do not drop the tool on a hard surface, especially from a great height.
Do not store it for a long time in an open place under the influence of sunlight or in a too wet place.

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