I don't want to cry again- help!

[CUTS LIKE A KRIS]

Hello all, I just wanted some advice from those of you more experienced than I. Last year I spent my reading week making this:

for my big baby. This axe is incredible! I have used it for the past 10 years and it makes my woods life much easier (not backpacking though). It has been in Blade Magazine

is better (for me) than a splitting maul, and can shave fuzz sticks better than many knives I have seen people take out camping:

The old handle was getting rough so I thought I would make a new one. With the handle nearing completion I thought I would try it out before final sanding/shaping of the ball/oil. It worked beautifully....



Until this:thumbdn:

No warning, just snap! and a much lighter handle in my hand.
I was warned that this might happen with such figured maple, but the 1" board passed some impacts, I was stubborn, and knew that if it broke I was only out some time and had knife handles that could be worked with the broken pieces.

Reading week is coming, and I would like to redo the handle. Today we went to Windsor Plywood to find some hickory, but they were out, so I picked up some Osage Orange. I know I have seen the Reeves double bit in this wood, and I have heard that it is good for handles, although I did a search and found some had bad luck with it.

If I could get some suggestions about turning it back into a full sized axe with very similar shape to the broken handle, it would be very appreciated. Plus tips on how you would shape the half moon shape to the eye (this is what took all week last time- very slow work). I have never worked with/ utilized osage before, and would like some reassuring that it is a good choice for a 8#, 10 inch bladed axe. (plus how you would finish it to make it look good.

Or should I just leave it like this:

The heavy duty cleaver

 

[Blue Sky]

That has to be the strangest looking break I've ever seen. It looks almost like a brittle fracture, not following grain and no splintering or separated fibers anywhere.

 

[Pipeman]

If you can't get Hickory try a base ball bat with nice straight grain. Nice broad ax OR cleaver. ;-)))

Best regards

Robin

 

[omniviking]

if not Hickory or osage, you may try Ash it works good too. Pat

 

[CUTS LIKE A KRIS]

Pipeman- all of the baseball bats I've seen are not big enough to cover the eye.

Hopefully the osage works better than the maple did.

 

[Raymond Richard]

A couple suggestions. If time is a major factor I'd take the head to a hardware store that carries ax handles and get one that is close to what you are looking for and modify it. Just had an idea about getting the shape of the eye. Plug one end of the eye and fill it up with hot wax. After the wax has had time to harden up, pull the plug and warm up the head enough so the wax plug will slip out and use it as a pattern. This works great inside my head. I'd go with hickory if you can find it.

 

[cybrok]

A couple suggestions. If time is a major factor I'd take the head to a hardware store that carries ax handles and get one that is close to what you are looking for and modify it.

I'd do this just to see the face of the clerk.

 

[Duzzy]

I can't tell from the pictures, but it doesn't look like the grain was running the correct way?

 

[CUTS LIKE A KRIS]

I'd do this just to see the face of the clerk.

Guess what I did before this handle?!? The face is priceless! I used a double bit axe handle, and had to shim the handle a lot. I have a maul/giant pick axe handle that I could grind way down, but it would be a lot of work and would have a straight handle. If I am going to put in the work I might as well make it suit me!

I can't tell from the pictures, but it doesn't look like the grain was running the correct way?

The grain is the proper orientation- I was warned that the eyes would weaken it, I believed to a degree but had to see for myself (I blame my science background).

Ray- thanks for the wax suggestion- I filled the top of the handle with epoxy that was left over (and put a shell and arrowhead into it for decoration).

Time is not much of a concern, and I couldn't find hickory, so I hope I do not get a repeat of last year- but if I do I'll be an expert at fitting this handle

 

[SamuraiDave]

Since a baseball bat is too small maybe it is time to look for something larger. Every once in awhile someone on this board will find an old fence post made of Osage or Oak.
They can be cut up and turned into great handles, although I don't know if you could find a piece that hadn't split that was big enough for your purposes.

 

[catspa]

Osage orange is hard wood to work with - DAMHIKT. I've got a broken off peavey handle I think is hickory, I could dig that out and measure it if you want.

Parker

 

[CUTS LIKE A KRIS]

I bought the osage yesterday so I think I'll try that first- but thanks for the offer catspa (Off Topic- do you have cat massage therapists at your spa?).

Kind of looking forward to the challenge of making it- I hope the end result is worth it (I've decided to use the shape from the broken handle- it worked very well until it broke- hopefully the design did not contribute too much).

 

[fly.]

oh...to tell the turth,urglly.
how about burn the wood handl eand make a new one?

 

[762 shooter]

Hickory would be superior to Ash for your purpose. Hickory has a bit more flex to it and will absorb shock better. The break that you experienced is indicative of maple. Maple is very brittle and should not be used in such a way (obviously). Ash will suffice, but if you are chopping with that axe, the shock of the blows will be transferred to your hands and arms.

 

[thompsonblades]

Hickory works best. One source that I found, and was very surprised to find, was the bottom panels of crates used to ship MTD brand lawnmowers. Actually, they use both walnut and hickory scraps that probably wouldn't work on other projects. You can find them in scrap piles behind places like Lowes, Home Depot, and farm supply stores. Anyplace that sells lawnmowers. Anyways, they build the bottom panels with 1x2 pieces that are long enough and strong enough for what you want. Not to mention that its free. Most places that have these crates have to pay extra for them to be taken away by whatever trash collection service they have, so anybody who will take them for free is usually welcome to them. You may want to ask first though, just in case.

BTW, that break looks like you were smaking the handle on something. Were you choping and it just broke, or did you hit the handle?

 

[Butcher1]

Sorry this is off topic, but what is the knife that is second from the left in second pic? SRK?

 

[catspa]

CLAK, catspa is a combination of two words, but it's cats'-pa. Although I do massage them fairly often, especially the big 'ol Maine coon, he's very friendly. I wear carhartt doublefront work jeans, so he can climb up and sit on my shoulder. It's kinda disconcerting to someone wearing sweats or shorts.

That peavey handle stub will be here if you want it, not going anywhere.

Parker

 

[CUTS LIKE A KRIS]

oh...to tell the turth,urglly.
how about burn the wood handl eand make a new one?

Joking??? The thread is about me making a totally new handle reminiscent of the one that broke. Plus with the price that that specialty kiln dried birds eye maple cost me it is most assuredly NOT going to be burned- knife handles here it comes!

Hickory works best. One source that I found, and was very surprised to find, was the bottom panels of crates used to ship MTD brand lawnmowers. Actually, they use both walnut and hickory scraps that probably wouldn't work on other projects. You can find them in scrap piles behind places like Lowes, Home Depot, and farm supply stores. Anyplace that sells lawnmowers. Anyways, they build the bottom panels with 1x2 pieces that are long enough and strong enough for what you want. Not to mention that its free. Most places that have these crates have to pay extra for them to be taken away by whatever trash collection service they have, so anybody who will take them for free is usually welcome to them. You may want to ask first though, just in case.

BTW, that break looks like you were smaking the handle on something. Were you choping and it just broke, or did you hit the handle?

I was just chopping and the handle came apart in my hands- no warning, not a sound from it- and worst of all it was working beautifully- absolutely no negative reverberations or anything. It touched my hands, the knives used to shape it, and the light coat of tung oil to enhance the color. The thing that I have found with the big axes is that they are so heavy (8# head on this guy) that the head absorbs much of the impact. I have had it on longer handles (this will be the 4th handle that has been on it- I have only broke it once) and thought that the 26" OAL was the best for manouverability and power chopping. The free wood would be nice- I'll look in the spring when new mowers come in!

Sorry this is off topic, but what is the knife that is second from the left in second pic? SRK?

Old SRK is right. I used it a fair bit until the handle came loose and then retired it until I put a nice wood handle on it someday (I'll be retired in about 30 years).

CLAK, catspa is a combination of two words, but it's cats'-pa. Although I do massage them fairly often, especially the big 'ol Maine coon, he's very friendly. I wear carhartt doublefront work jeans, so he can climb up and sit on my shoulder. It's kinda disconcerting to someone wearing sweats or shorts.

That peavey handle stub will be here if you want it, not going anywhere.

Parker

My cat is a shoulder cat too- at only 25 pounds! I know what you mean about people in shorts when a 10 pound cat is trying to run up their front to get to their perch. I asked about the name as I am in massage studies and I have never petted animals- always massaged them, and people wonder why animals love me so much. To be honest I did not know what a peavey was until I looked it up- and it seems like it would not be wide enough at the eye to span 3", plus I am broke and shouldn't pay for the shipping (especially after the wife let me buy the osage), but I really appreciate it.