$25, 4-1/2lb Harbor Freight Axe

[Coldfront]

LOL - I have a mechanic's hammer with a wooden handle that I have used for longer than that. And it was my Grandfather's.

LOL and I'm sure you beat things with it every day like I do for a living.
You can laugh but a hammer is probably my most used tool working on heavy equipment and dump trucks.

 

[dancan]

Thanks for the pictures, those are very nice. I'm looking to get a draw knife to do the shaping.

A draw knife helps to square up you piece of wood and start some of the basic shaping then I used a knife for the rest .
Since these are tool handles , I get them comfortable to the hands but don't get them to retail store smoothness until I get a lot more practice in getting a few made .
Here is a basic tutorial Robin Wood: how to make a new axe handle .

 

[Chris-PA]

Thanks for that link - interesting that he used ash. I was planning on hickory, which is part of what is slowing me down - I don't have that many and I don't want to cut on any of them. But ash I got lots of - for now. Gonna hunt for a nice piece and slab it so I can dry it out.

 

[dancan]

Ash is a good handle material , have no fears about using it .
Riving the wood makes a stronger product than sawn wood because the grain follows .
Green wood it easier to work with and shape , I'd rough out my handle and leave it oversize to finish when dry . The handles I made were shorter so the hatchet one went into the microwave for drying and the longer went into the oven while the wife was baking banana bread LOL.

 

[dancan]

Here's a how to video

[video=youtube_share;boQAls1QJB8]http://youtu.be/boQAls1QJB8[/video]

 

[zogger]

Here's a how to video

Cool vid, like it! What is that first tool he used called, that splitter tool? I need one, and a draw knife.

I've done quite a bit of wood work, but mostly in furniture and cabinet/display shops, so I am more used to using power tools. Example, for final shaping I would have used a balloon (some call it a drum) sander.

 

[dancan]

The first tool he used is a froe .
Here's a description Froe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia