Questions about making an hatchet handle

[Curtis Niedermier]

So I have this little hewing hatchet, and it needs a new handle. I figured I'd make one instead of buying one, and since I have a hickory in my yard that's about to come down and I'm planning to rive some leg blanks for a few small stools from the log, I figured I'd go ahead and keep a piece for the hatchet handle.

So I have three questions about this:

1. Which way should the growth rings be oriented? If you're looking at the top of the handle, where it comes through the eye of the bit, should the rings run from the cutting edge to the heel/back, or should they run from side to side the "short" way?

2. If I make it from green wood, can I go ahead and seat the bit, or do I need to let it dry first? I watched a cool video of a fella making an axe handle, and he went straight from shavehorse to install. Will it shrink enough to cause a problem as it dries?

3. Let's say I want to shape a curve in the handle. Are most hatchet or axe handles that are curved made that way by steaming and bending? Or can you just shape it and not worry about the runout? I assume with a hatchet with a 16-inch-long or shorter handle (not sure how long I'll make it yet), the issue of a little runout isn't too big a deal since it's so short and there won't be a great deal of curve anyway. But in a longer axe handle I'm not sure, and I'm curious.

Thoughts?

[Robert Hazelwood]

1. Usually the rings go from cutting edge to heel.

2. In my experience shrinking can be a problem, even if you let the blank dry for a while. For my last axe, I shaped the handle and got the head 80% fitted, then stuck the head-end of the handle between the fins of an electric radiator heater for a day or two to gently dry it out and let it shrink as much as it ever will, so that it can only expand in use. The rigged the handle up so it didn't touch metal and scorch. After drying, I immediately completed the fitting and installed the head and wedge.

This is basically what Windsor chairmakers do with leg tenons in my understanding. It worked well for my axe.

3. I don't think steam bending is typical; it is carved to shape. Ideally you can select a blank with a curve that matches your design, but I think you are basically correct about a short handle on a smaller head being able to tolerate a little run out, especially if it occurs towards the back end of the handle. Breakage usually occurs near the head in my experience. Hickory is pretty resilient.

[george wilson]

The most important thing in making a hatchet handle is to NOT accidentally mount the hatchet head on the wrong end. This causes bruising of the user's fingers,and possible lessening of the cutting ability of the hatchet in general. An often unconsidered aspect of having the hatchet head on the wrong end of the handle is the emotional aspect: The mounting frustration of the user may result in a total disconnect with reality,and sometimes triggers attempts to use the hatchet as a spoon. This bizarre condition is not yet understood by the scientific community. Some major scientists have labeled the unusual behavioral pattern as an attempt by the user to return to childhood since he has become unable to cope with the frustration encountered.

[Stew Denton]

George,

Your comments are much appreciated, and may explain frustrations I have encountered over the years. As a young fellow I replaced the handle on my boy size hatchet. My woodworking skills were none too good at that point, and I may have accidentally installed the head on the wrong end. I believe that now, many years experience trouble shooting industrial problems gives me tools to evaluate this situation. If I have indeed mounted the head on the wrong end I can correct the problem and thus solve many serious emotional frustrations.

I am thinking that I can pull up some photos on the net, and compare my hatchet to the photos. I am hoping to find a photo that has one end of the hatchet as being labeled "up" so that I can hold the hatchet the correct way for the comparison, as friends have said to me that I don't know which end is up. Knowing which end is up strikes me as being important in a case like this one.

I can say, though, that many years experience with the hatchet has shown me one very important factor. It cuts much better if you point a particular end of the head toward what you are trying to cut. People may not have noticed, but I have found that most hatchets have an end that is somewhat flat with the other end terminating in what looks kind of like a knife edge. It has been my experience that the knife edge seems to cut better than the flat end. I am now to the point that I remember that much of the time when I use the hatchet. I hope my experience with this observation will help some of the more junior members of this site.

Stew

[steven c newman]

tool tubs.jpg
Might find something in here?

Will try to dig up a photo of a Official Scout Camp Axe that is sitting in the tool tote. Made by Plumb, and has the BSA logo . Uses a screw to tighten the wedge.
IMAG0002.jpg
Handle shot...
IMAG0004.jpg
It does indeed have a brass woodscrew to tighten the wedge with. Flatbladed screwdriver was needed.

[Stew Denton]

Steven,

Thanks! I could make the comparison directly to your hatchet. I am EXTREMELY relieved, because my handle fits my hatchet in the same way your appears to fit the head. I was able to figure this out with only about 10 minutes of comparison time!

The bad news is that now there is no easy fix for the emotional issues. Maybe it's possible, however, that even accidentally considering installing the hatchet head on the wrong end, in my youthful inexperience, could have caused some less severe otional scarring. Even so, in my current mental and emotional state I have never tried to use my hatchet for a spoon, but my psychological problems have been more like trying to use a pocket knife blade for a screwdriver.

I think I will sleep well tonight. It is good to work though these problems and issues that could cause deep seated emotional problems, and I feel better. These problems could leave a person extremely scarred for a lifetime, and in addition cause a more serious problem....blisters.

Stew

[John K Jordan]

1. Which way should the growth rings be oriented?...
2. ... green wood...
3. ...shape a curve...

Curtis,

A blacksmith who makes reproductions of Viking axes told me the handle was strongest if orientated so the rings are long ways in the head, from cutting edge to heal. He likes to use ash.

The old time farmers way to make handles was with riven hickory segments to guarantee the strongest grain alignment. Put the blanks in the barn loft to dry and in three years you are ready to go. I did this a long time ago and now have a bunch of dry handle blanks.

I personally would hesitate to make one from green wood because of the shrinkage. If in a hurry, the microwave drying method could work if the hatchet handle is short enough. However, the power distribution inside a microwave is NOT uniform but has hot spots (the reason for the rotating platter) so just because the wood might fit diagonally it might not work well since the stationary wood would likely be heated unevenly.

When I made an adz handle I used a split blank, bandsawed the general outline, then shaped with a drawknife and spokeshave. I picked a piece of wood that after splitting had a bit of natural curve to closer match to the shape I wanted. I have no idea about steam bending - does heating reduce the strength? But I wouldn't worry about the absolute strength of a short handle as much as I would a long handle on something with high impact, like a big sledge.

I have also turned an axe handle on the lathe, using an off-axis method to get the general cross-section shape then did the final shaping with a very aggressive drum sander. I made a froe handle the same way. Shovel and hoe handles I just turn round. (all these from dry wood) The hand tool method was a lot more relaxing and healthier than the power sanding method.

BTW, I've heard for years that you should use the hickory sapwood for handles, not heartwood. However, more recent reading indicates this may well be a myth.

You ever get down to TN? I'm north of Knoxville and I'm pretty sure I've got some dry hickory that will work for your handle.

JKJ

[Stew Denton]

Hi John,

In addition to the factors you mentioned, I believe running the growth rings "front to back" rather than from "side to side" makes the handle more impact resistant should, perish the thought, you accidentally hit an object with the handle just below the head, rather than with the head itself. A lot of hammer handles and sledge hammer handles have been broken that way.

Stew

[george wilson]

It is correct that the growth rings should be vertical in the handle,and not side to side. Though I made some very small hammer handles of ash with the rings going across. They are very tight ,small rings,and I wanted them seen. In chasing hammers,or very small ball peins, it should not matter. And the wood is old and bone dry. And,actually, in a chasing hammer handle, where the cross section of the handle is quite small, the handle is stronger with the rings going sideways.

About trying to use a microwave: Years ago when the "Great Oak" tree that David Rockefeller swung on in Williamsburg fell, The wood was,of course,all green. I was asked to make him a present from the oak wood. Knowing the wood would shrink, warp and crack, I puzzled about what I could make him. I settled upon a fountain pen, as much as I hate all those pages of pen making stuff in catalogs.

The big problem was how to get the wood dry in the as usual short delivery time that was expected for this gift. I sawed up some little billets about 9/16" square and 6" long, and began trying to microwave dry them. At first I got pieces burned to charcoal in their hearts. Then,I began to experiment with short bursts of microwave, opening the door, and checking how hot the wood was getting. By thus being very careful of the heating times, I was able to produce some bone dry billets. Remarkable how much they could shrink when suddenly dried!

I turned the dry billet, finished it and put it in a nice little rosewood box that I didn't make (there wasn't enough time!) The gift was a big success. I have a letter from Mr. Rockefeller. The pen was a reminder of his beloved tree that he could keep in his pocket and use every day. What else can you make for a millionaire anyway?

After this microwave experiment, I would NOT ADVISE you to attempt drying the hatchet handle in this way. It is just too large, and probably too long to fit into the microwave's rotating platter anyway. And, if it can't rotate, you are in big trouble as the oven does not heat evenly, and will pick out a spot and burn it black. Likely it will catch fire too.

Since Winter is coming, you could try splitting out SEVERAL handle blanks (and,make them WELL OVERSIZE!!!!!). Wrap them in aluminum foil and bury them in a metal 5 gallon pail of sand. Put this pail of sand up against your wood stove for the winter. Wrapping them is very important: It keeps them from drying too rapidly and splitting to pieces.

I am not certain that this will work without splitting your wood, but it is the best LOW TECH way to deal with the problem that I can think of. DO YOU have a lumber yard with a kiln nearby? You could ask them to include your handles when they are drying a load of HARD WOOD. Kilns are heated differently for different types of wood.

Failing all these measures, a year of NATURAL,AIR drying would likely be good enough,and really the BEST way to dry your handles. I'd leave the handles in an outdoor shed for 6 months,then bring them indoors for 6 months. Too rapid a drying time would cause a lot of splitting. Don't forget to paint the ends heavily,or coat the ends with lots of glue.Several coats. Beeswax works well also,and is gooey enough to move as the wood changes dimension. But,don't use it if you try drying near the wood stove.

Actually,right now I am letting several 3" to 4" diameter dogwood branches dry in my shop. They had been under my back steps,out of the rain for about a year. I have a customer who likes 18th. C. thread spools made from dogwood. Every time she buys another small tape loom, she wants a bunch of spools as they are always missing.

Stew, I am very pleased that you found my post useful and enlightening. It was,after all, written for literati such as yourself, and for those who still may suffer from a mis spent infancy of sucking on a hatchet handle,and the attendant dangers therein. Deformed mouths have resulted from the most severe cases of handle sucking. I work very hard and have have asked Hillary set up a trust fund to help the victims of oral deformity. No word back as of yet. I have thought of sending money, as that would provoke a rapid affirmative, I am sure.Mr. Trump has responded however, with a strong message that he will make deformed mouths great again. I am indeed chuffed.

[Prashun Patel]

Make two if you just can't wait. Make a green one and mount it immediately. If it fails, you can use the second, which you can roughly shape, then wax the ends, and let it dry.

To the other guys, is rift-sawn stock fine to use in hammers and hatchets?

[george wilson]

Indeed,commercial handles seem to always be made of rift sawn wood. But,this is not the correct way to orient the grain. But,if the wood is good and dry,not a big problem.

You are guaranteed failure if you make a green wood handle. Rough shaping is good, as it reduces the thickness of the wood that must be dried. But, do make sure to leave plenty of extra thickness. As I mentioned, it is quite surprising how much wood shrinks by the time it is dry. It is a vegetable,after all. Or,more likely classed as a weed.

[lowell holmes]

I always liked the feel of a hatchet handle in my hand. It seemed like the balance was just right.

[Stewie Simpson]

This post reminds me I have an early made Robert Sorby No.2 Shingling Hatchet that I need to make up a new handle for.

This type of Shingling Hatchet was listed in the Robert Sorby & Sons, 1907 Tool Catalogue.

[lowell holmes]

You can buy hatchet handles on Amazon for less than $10 plus shipping.

[Tom Stenzel]

George,

(in part)
I can say, though, that many years experience with the hatchet has shown me one very important factor. It cuts much better if you point a particular end of the head toward what you are trying to cut. People may not have noticed, but I have found that most hatchets have an end that is somewhat flat with the other end terminating in what looks kind of like a knife edge. It has been my experience that the knife edge seems to cut better than the flat end. I am now to the point that I remember that much of the time when I use the hatchet. I hope my experience with this observation will help some of the more junior members of this site.

Stew

One day I was working away in the kitchen when SHMBO came in. She told me - and I am not making this up - that kitchen knives are made in the the EXACT SAME MANNER. Imagine my surprise! You could have knocked me over with a soft Arkansas stone. Afterwards the food wasn't anymore edible than previous. But the work was much easier.

Then again, detecting the difference in the sharp side and the not sharp side on my kitchen knives is somewhat dubious at my house.

-Tom