Bill hook, axe handle treatment

P

Philip Barbour

Joined
Jul 23, 2018
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I have a Finnish bill hook with a handle that has a very shallowly grooved handle for grip. Gransfors Bruks does this on a few of their axe handles. Gransfors only told me that the grooves are made by hand with a machine. I would like to replicate this technique but don’t know how. Any ideas and help would be appreciated. I have photos but don’t know how to upload images.
Philip Barbour
Sidon, MS
 
Ahhhh I see! If I was going to do that I’d probably use a rotary burr. Or possibly a round file.
If I had a wood lathe, I’d mount it in there and then turn it by hand while using the rotary burr...
I’m no expert though, I’m sure someone has a better idea!
 
I've never done something like that but if I were to this is how I would do it:
1) draw lines with a pencil. The line will be the deepest part of the grove
2) Cut a pilot grove with a 3-squire file, V-cutter or other way to get a grove close to the dept I want to have it.
3) mark the grove with a pencil. That way when you make the final grove you know that there are no scratches from the pilot grove when all the pencil is gone
4) cut the grove. Since it will be a hard thing to do and hard to have control over I'd use a half round (bastard) file and sandpaper afterwards. Let the file follow the pilot grove.

Like I sayd I've not done this the way you are asking but I did flute this (6mm thick) bronce bolster. The steps are simular
IMG-20160726-_WA0016.jpg
 
If you want that uneven hand cut appearance, I suggest using a lathe or other method to index & rotate the handle and simply cut with a round file. Cutting as corase or fine ”screwthreads” as desired.
Without a lathe or something,you could sprial wrap a narrow adhesive tape taking care to leave a gap for a pencil to scribe a line to follow.
Or if you dont have tape of desired narrowness. You can still sprialwrap, to whatever overlap desired, then pencil mark along as tape is peeled back off.
 
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All interesting thoughts on this. I don't have a lathe so that option is out for me.
Yes. I actually wrapped the handle with leather lace to create a more non-slip grip.
Use a frapping technique I taught in Boy Scouts or now Scouts!
 
I would use the 1/4" wheel on my horizontal grinder and just work my way around.
 
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