The result of activities - whether economic or industrial - depends not only on the perfection and quality of the tool used, but not least on how convenient it is for a specific person... As for the handle of a purchased ax, it is often it that becomes the source of a number of problems - intensive dulling of the cutting edge, regularly flying off the piercing part, rapid fatigue, and so on. Experienced craftsmen recommend making an ax with their own hands, preferably for certain technological operations. The main thing is to know how to do it correctly, "for yourself", so that it is suitable for any household work.
Preparatory activities
Choice of wood
The fact that not every breed is suitable for making an ax is understandable. It is advisable to focus on ash, oak, maple, hornbeam, acacia, mountain ash (always old), beech and even an apple tree. But the best option is still considered to be birch, namely, the root part of the tree or growths on its trunk. Such wood is characterized by maximum density. Consequently, the durability of the ax is also guaranteed. It is more correct to harvest lumber in late autumn. At this time, the movement of juices practically stops, which means that the wood is relatively "dehydrated".
It is more correct to harvest lumber in late autumn. At this time, the movement of juices practically stops, which means that the wood is relatively "dehydrated".
Exposure of samples
Even experienced master the first time it may not make a high-quality hatchet. Therefore, it is necessary to stock up on several blanks for the handle of the ax. Opinions on the shelf life before the start of processing differ, but they all agree on one thing - drying should be done for at least 3-4 years. And to speed it up artificially it is forbidden. The process should proceed naturally, and it is advisable to choose a dark and dry place for storing raw materials.
It is pointless to put fresh wood on the ax. As a result of shrinkage of the material, it will begin to deform, which means that the handle will have to be constantly wedged, otherwise the metal will fly off. Not dried wood is used only as a last resort, as an exception to the rule, when there is an urgent need to make an ax, at least for a while.
Preparing the template
A good hatchet should have a well-defined shape. Trying to withstand it "by eye" is a futile business. The same applies to linear dimensions - they should be as close as possible to the recommended values.
Axes have different purposes. As a rule, a good owner has at least two of them. Cleaver and carpenter are a must. The size and shape of the handle for each are clearly visible in the figure.
What to consider:
- The "tail" is made somewhat larger in cross section than the gripping part. This ensures that during operation hatchet will not escape from the hands of the master.
- Since we all possess different heights, the length of the arms, then the linear parameters of the ax are not the standard. They vary within certain limits. This primarily refers to its length (in cm). For a cleaver - from 750 to 950, for a carpentry tool - about 500 (± 50). But it is necessary to leave the so-called allowance, first of all, from the side of the butt attachment (8 - 10 cm is enough). After it is firmly planted on the ax, without splitting the tree, the excess is easy to cut off.
If the household has an ax that is convenient in all respects, then it is enough to transfer the contours of its handle to a sheet of cardboard and cut a template along them.
With a sample, this is easy to do. The main stages of work are as follows:
- workpiece marking;
- sampling of excess wood (electric / jigsaw, carpenter's knife, etc.);
- finishing, grinding of the hatchet.
Advice:
- One should not rush to fine-tune the fixing part. In the process of processing the hatchet, you need to constantly monitor how tightly it fits to the eye of the butt. Even a small "shuttle" is undesirable, since such a handle will have to be wedged immediately. Taking into account the specifics of the use of the tool, it will not last long. Therefore, grinding the hatchet should alternate with its regular fitting in place and fitting within the required limits, with a small margin (about 2 mm). The work is painstaking, requiring time and accuracy, but the result is worth it.
- When processing a workpiece under an ax, it is undesirable to use files. Such a tool loosens the wood, so it is unlikely that it will be possible to accurately maintain the dimensions - you will have to constantly remove burrs, which means choosing wood. For fine finishing use it more correctly sharp knife, glass shards, sandpaper with different sizes grains. The recommended direction for stripping and sanding is along the grain.
- It is also necessary to choose the correct angle of the butt nozzle. For universal tool used for economic purposes, 75º is enough, a cleaver - about 85 ± 50. This is also taken into account when finalizing the fastening part of the hatchet.
Handle wood protection
Any tree is subject to rotting to some extent. For a hatchet, linseed oil and drying oil are considered the best impregnations. It is impossible to use varnishes and paints to protect the material from moisture. Otherwise, it is not a fact that the handle will not systematically slip out of your hands. The consequences are known.
The application of the compounds on the ax is carried out in several stages, while each layer must dry well.
Experienced craftsmen mix dyes into drying oil or oil bright color... It is very useful if you have to work with an ax in dense bushes, in areas with tall grass. A tool with a handle that is clearly visible will definitely not get lost.
Available for sale ready-made hatchets... If you decide to purchase a pen, and not waste time preparing wood and making it yourself, then it is advisable to have its approximate dimensions with you (shown in the figure above). And choose a workpiece, focusing on them. At home, it will only be necessary to slightly adjust the handle "for yourself".
An ax is an indispensable tool in the household. Especially for those people who live in a private house or spend a lot of time in the country. You can make an ax yourself. If you follow all the rules of this work, then the tool will turn out to be reliable and will last a long time. Before making an ax, you need to study the recommendations of professionals.
You can make a handle for an ax in almost any shape. It depends on what the tool will be used for. The manufacturing process includes several stages:
- choice optimal options blanks;
- making a hatchet;
- nozzle and wedging;
- sharpening.
How to choose the piercing part?
When choosing a piercing part, first of all, you need to pay attention to the quality of the metal used for its manufacture. It is recommended to choose blanks with the GOST sign. At large selection different models you can choose an ax empirically. If you click the blade of one ax on the blade of another, then the metal is more High Quality will leave jags on the less reliable version.
You can check the instrument by tapping it while hanging. In this case, the quality of the metal is determined by the nature of the sounds.
- there should be no defects on the surface of the blade;
- the eyelet must be tapered;
- the blade and eyelet must be aligned;
- the butt end should be perpendicular to the blade;
- butt should not be too thick.
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Features of making a hatchet
The length of the hatchet should be selected based on the convenience of further operation. This takes into account the growth and strength of the master. For a relatively light tool, you will need to make an ax handle 40-60 cm long, heavier models can be 55-65 cm long.
The quality of the wood plays an important role in the choice of the timber. The ideal option is the root part of a birch or growths on its trunk. It is permissible to use oak, maple, ash, acacia and other deciduous tree species.
The handle should be provided with a thickening at the end, which will prevent the tool from slipping out of the hands. On the workpiece, it is necessary to make markings along the contour of the future handle and turn off the excess wood with an electric jigsaw. After the initial processing, the blade and the handle are measured against each other using a mallet. If the parts fit tightly to each other, then you can proceed to finishing the wood surface.
The scraping is performed first. This requires a piece of glass. Next, you need to sand the surface with sandpaper.
If the handle is easily inserted into the eyelet of the blade, then it will have to be completely redone using another blank for this. Simply inserting a wedge to seal the joint will not work. Back to the table of contents
Blade attachment on a hatchet
This stage is very important. Safety depends on it homemade tool... This work is carried out in stages:
- The upper edge of the handle is fitted to the eyelet. All excess is cut off with a knife.
- A mark should be made on the handle to which the blade will fit. To do this, the ax is laid horizontally on the table, and a blade is placed on it. In the middle of the distance from the edge of the hatchet to the mark, you need to put another one.
- Clamp the handle in a vise in an upright position. In this case, the wide part should be directed upwards. In a narrow one, you need to make a cut with a hacksaw to the upper mark. A wedge will be installed in it.
- A wedge should be made of wood the same length as the cutting depth and the same width as the eyelet. Its thickness can vary between 0.5-1 cm.
- Place the blade upside down on the table. Install the hatchet in the eyelet and perform a few taps, when the hatchet begins to enter it, you need to turn it over and tap with the lower end of the handle. This should be done until the blade is completely seated on the handle.
- Next, a wedge is inserted into the cut. It must be driven in with a mallet almost to the end or at least to the middle. The part that remains sticking out must be cut off with a hacksaw.
- Next, the tool is coated with oil. You can use linseed, sunflower or motor oil. The excess should drain off, and the surface should dry out a little. After that, the handle is wiped.
V recent times there is a real boom in blacksmithing. Young people become blacksmiths. Knives and axes made by their hands are real works of art.
Nothing is impossible
Looking at the work of blacksmiths, the thought comes that there is nothing difficult in making an ax. But in practice, it turns out to be much more difficult.
In addition to a piece of metal for forging an ax, you need: a forge, an anvil, holes for an eye. Not everyone has such a set of tools. Of course, you can make a forge and breakdowns, but you can also try to make an ax in a different way.
Making an ax by the locksmith method
Ideas on how to make an ax outside the forge lead to the plumbing method. The ax consists of three parts:
- ax blade
- hatchet
If everything is clear with the materials for the manufacture of the hatchet and the wedge, then the question of what, the main thing is how, to make the canvas is puzzling. Knowing that the blade consists of a blade and a butt, you understand what is needed to make an ax:
- metal strip for blade
- a piece of pipe for a butt
Blade
The full size drawing will show the quantity required material... The blade requires a hard metal, such as a car spring.
We transfer the outline of the drawing to the spring and saw off all unnecessary ones. We also make descents with the help of a grinder. It is important here not to overheat the metal so that the edge remains solid and holds the sharpening well.
Butt
For the butt of a medium ax, you need a pipe with an inner diameter of 38-40 mm. It is better if it is thick-walled. Cut the pipe to size from the drawing. Then we heat, for example gas burner, and squeezed in yews, for a more rectangular shape.
Assembling the canvas
We connect the blade and butt by welding. It is important to boil the metal with high quality so that the ax does not crack during operation.
Then we grind the seam with a grinder, if necessary, boil the shells, grind again. For extra strength, you can rivet the butt and blade with strips of metal.
Hatchet
A good ax requires a well-made ax. To the question of what the handle for an ax can be made of, there is a simple answer - from hard wood.
The most common wood for making an ax handle is birch. But, if you make an ax not only for chopping wood, but for the soul, then you should look for a wood species with a more expressive texture.
Ax tree
An ax handle made of ash, elm, hornbeam will look very beautiful. It is only problematic to buy boards made of such wood species in some regions, especially in the outback. Of course, you can take advantage of online trading.
The tree for the ax must be well dried and free of knots. At home wooden plank dried at room temperature within six months
The longer the wood dries, the stronger the handle will be. According to custom, timber was dried for years in the attics of houses.
Action plan
Drawing up instructions on how to make an ax with your own hands allows you to break the process down into elementary steps. The compiled list of actions will help to avoid mistakes and improve the quality of the result. This is especially important if you are doing something for the first time.
Note! 
The step-by-step process on how to make a pen at home will look like this:
- sketching the hatchet and template
- wood processing
- ax attachment
- topcoat.
Hatchet sketch and pattern
For comfortable work, an ax handle is made about 50-70 cm. Having drawn a sketch in full size, it is easier to imagine the proportions of the future ax. Next, transfer the drawing to plywood or thick cardboard and make a template.
Roughing
Using the template, we outline the contour of the handle on the tree and cut out the workpiece. We give a more rounded shape to the handle. For these purposes, you can use a plane, chisels or a small hatchet.
Fit
The next stage in the manufacture of the hatchet is the adjustment of the shape and ergonomics. We grind the wood to give it the correct shape and a comfortable grip.
For these purposes, a large rasp is perfect, as well as a power sander. The main thing here is not to loosen the place of the ax attachment on the hatchet.
Note! 
Grinding and assembly
After rough processing, we grind the handle with sandpaper and make a slot for the wedge. We put the ax on the handle and drive in a wedge. Many people advise placing the wedge on glue or epoxy. The choice is yours.
Finishing
The assembled ax is carefully sanded with fine sandpaper. The wood can be stained or left as it is. The protective layer is applied with oil or varnish.
For greater exclusivity, the ax can be decorated with carvings, inlays or wire engraving. On the canvas of the ax, a pattern etched in a saline solution will look beautiful.
Conclusion
It is very easy to purchase an ax for chopping wood, and there is no need to make it yourself for this purpose. Homemade axes are more used as an object of creativity, but he is capable of performing his direct duties.
Some independent copies will give odds to industrial designs, give the owners a reason for pride and pleasure in the work done.
Photo of a homemade ax
Note! 
Selection the right material is very important for an ax, it is impossible to make a reliable ax if the wrong wood is chosen for the ax.
Only hardwood from deciduous trees can be used for the ax.
The wood must be well dried: standard drying of sawn timber to 8-12% moisture content is not enough, it is advisable to take wood dried in special chambers or hold the workpiece long time in a very dry place - on radiators or on a stove. Additional drying allows you to avoid loosening of the ax due to drying out with loss of moisture in conditions with variable temperature and humidity - winter / summer, damp forest / heated apartment.
Choosing a tree species for making a hatchet
Ash
Ash, in our opinion, is one of the the best materials for the manufacture of a hatchet. Ash wood is quite affordable: well-dried ash lumber of the required quality is used for finishing and making furniture. In a large wood-selling organization, it is usually possible to select a block of the required size and quality.
Ash's durability is beyond praise. In terms of wood density, hardness and durability, it is close to oak, but at the same time it is quite elastic. The spear shafts and battle-axes were usually made of ash. At present, handles of the instrument and gymnastic bars are made of ash.
Ash wood is beautiful and can vary greatly in appearance. In one tree there is wood that differs in color and grain pattern. When making hatchets, we focus not on the beauty of the pattern, but on the arrangement of the fibers, which ensures the greatest strength. We can only suggest choosing a darker or lighter hatchet from those available in stock.
Jatoba
Hatchets made of jato and ash
Jatora wood has high impact resistance and is well suited for making sports equipment and handles of tools, suitable for the manufacture of bent with steaming parts and is often used in furniture production... The wood is very durable, hard, viscous, surpasses oak in strength. Jatoba is beautifully processed and has an unrivaled appearance... Perhaps this is the most beautiful wood from which it makes sense to make hatchets.
Jatoba is great for making hatchets, especially if the ax requires not only functionality, but also high aesthetic data.
Hickory
Hickory, also called American walnut, is widely used to make the handles of axes, hammers, pickaxes, and other tools in America and Canada. The wood is strong, resilient, durable enough.
Oak and beech
They have a beautiful structure, are strong, durable, easily processed, and available. Unfortunately, both breeds have drawbacks when making hatchets. The oak is too hard and dries the hand when cutting. However, when we planted a felling ax on a long (about a meter) oak ax, the recoil was no longer transmitted to the hand - the length of the ax absorbed the blow. The beech is excellently cut, has beautiful surface but very hygroscopic. To protect against moisture for a beech ax, a simple oiling will not be enough.
Birch
The most widespread in Russia are the birch ax, although it is difficult to name birch wood the best option... Perhaps, if you use chipped dies of the butt part of twisted birch, cut and dried in a certain way, you can get an excellent product. But the availability of such material leaves much to be desired: even if it is possible to choose a birch trunk of the required quality cut down in winter, there is a place for drying with the required parameters, the drying time will still be more than a year. In addition, birch easily absorbs water and deteriorates by microorganisms, therefore, in addition to a thorough initial impregnation, it is required further care during operation.
Making a high-quality birch hatchet can be recommended only to those for whom the process is valuable. self-made and who is willing to spend considerable time and effort on wood preparation.
The quality of the mass-sold birch axes is extremely low, and the sold birch lumber is not suitable as material for the axes.
Maple axes
Maple showed itself good stuff for the manufacture of hatchets. In addition to sufficient strength and elasticity, maple has a beautiful texture and polishes well. The hatchet made of maple has a wonderful appearance.
Ax strength
The strength of the handle to break is ensured by the arrangement of the fibers along the handle and the strength of the wood. Slanting is unacceptable, with the exception of blanks made from chopped dice of twisted wood, in this case, significant strength can be achieved during manufacturing, given the location of the layers.
Ax service life
The durability of a properly made ax is determined by the resistance of the wood to impact and compression. The part of the ax handle located in the eyelet experiences very significant loads, over time it can wrinkle and the ax head loosens. The service life is determined by the type of wood (the harder the better), drying (a poorly dried hatchet will "grind" very quickly), the density of the nozzle: precise fit and tight nozzle (by blows or pressing) significantly increase durability. Well-made hatchets can work under heavy loads for years without requiring repairs.
If a correctly made and planted ax loosened, its repair is possible. In the case of a straight attachment (when the ax is placed on top of the tapering end of the ax and then wedged), the ax should be upset and an additional hardwood wedge should be driven in. It is also possible to use a flat or round metal wedge.
When the ax is mounted backwards (the hatchet is passed through the cone-shaped eyelet from top to bottom), loosening does not occur, since during operation the loads are directed to the expanding end of the hatchet and the ax only fits more tightly.
It's no secret that the ax is an irreplaceable carpentry tool. In addition, the ax is especially useful in the household: from chopping wood to repairing a home.
This article considers issues related to the manufacture of a taiga-type ax, because to find such useful tool the market is quite difficult, and it will cost a lot. The article provides additional useful information, which will tell you which ax is better to choose for certain needs.
What should be a taiga ax?
Such an ax, due to its special parameters, which are fundamentally different from the characteristics and sizes of "classical" axes, is irreplaceable assistant when performing many tasks such as:
- Felling of trees. Whether it's carpentry or simple blank firewood for the winter - taiga ax will help to complete the task quickly and efficiently;
- Rough processing of logs - removal of branches, other similar work;
- A tool as a way of “survival” - any catalog of axes will confirm the assertion that the taiga ax is ideal for hunting, preparing kulemka and traps;
- Creation of a hut and flooring, construction wooden house as soon as possible;
- Procurement of firewood.
In cases where the work requires special precision, a forged ax with a long blade remains the best option. Chopping trees with such an ax is not very effective, but accuracy plays an important role.
Distinctive features of the taiga-type ax
Most people do not see the difference between a taiga and an ordinary ax at all. So what are the differences between these two types of axes?
- The length of the roundness of the blade - the taiga ax is lighter in weight;
- Long beard - additional protection from deformation and breaking. Typically absorbs up to 60% of impact force;
- Special sharpening - allows you to use the ax as a standard cleaver when choosing the right blow. In this case, the leading edge of the blade is twice as wide as the rear. The edge of a regular ax has the same thickness;
- Special angle of inclination of the handle - reduces hand fatigue, increases the overall efficiency during work.
Making the head of a taiga ax
It is worth purchasing an ordinary carpenter's ax, the head of which will weigh 1400-1500 grams.
In front, we cut off the protrusion of the blade flush with the butt. We form the roundness of the back of the blade - the grinder will help us with this. It is necessary to cut off all the metal so that no corners remain.
Moving on to the inside of the blade - carefully cut out a semicircle, which is necessary for a more comfortable grip. In addition, this manipulation can significantly reduce the weight of the head. To further reduce the weight and increase the maneuverability of the ax, it is necessary to cut the upper corners of the butt.
Sharpening is done using an emery machine. For better result a large circle with medium grain is set. In addition, sharpening should be done on both sides.
Making an ax for a taiga ax
It should be noted that choosing the right wood is the key to success in making a quality taiga ax. Ideal options will become maple and ash. The simpler options are birch and pine. The latter is perfectly polished and sharpened, but it is extremely unreliable due to its fragility.
Below is the instruction:
Chock selection - no knots, defects. Processing and drying - the tree is stripped of bark and splits in the middle. Drying of wood should be carried out at + 25 °, while the moisture content should be 15%. The aging lasts two months.
Creating a shape - we need a hatchet or a large knife to remove the main wood. In addition, do not forget about a chisel and a small hammer - these tools will be needed for smaller jobs.
How to plant an ax? You should use gauze, and epoxy resin... After three days, the taiga ax will be ready for use.
The last step is sanding and varnishing. The ax will become not only useful, but also beautiful, such as in the photo from the advertising catalog!
Photo of axes with your own hands
