How to make a good ax handle for an ax - step-by-step instructions and drawings. Detailed instructions for making a taiga ax - tips and rules

“Come on, give me back my stone axe” - there is probably no person in our country who has not heard this song. Yes, the first axes were made of stone. But this time passed many thousands of years ago, and now they use quality wood and steel.

During the development of civilization, many varieties of this tool have appeared (construction, throwing, etc.) which have not yet lost their relevance. Moreover, on the market you can find many varieties of this product, which are designed to solve certain problems, for example, those facing a hunter or tourist.

Classification of axes

In practice, many types of axes are used, which are designed for working with wood. Conventionally, they can be divided into three types:

• cleavers;
• for logging;
• construction or universal.

Accordingly, there are various designs, designed to solve certain problems, for example, a firefighter is equipped with a pick, with which you can pull beams and other structures away from the source of fire.

In addition to this classification, we can offer another one - according to the size of the blade, or more precisely, according to the size of the butt:

• wide;
• average;
• narrow.

The first ones are used in logging, the second ones solve many problems in construction and in everyday life, and the third ones have found their application in carpentry. These tools are also distinguished by the length of the ax handle. That is, the larger it is, the stronger the swing and, accordingly, the blow. There is a difference between the width and shape of the blade. That is, if the tool has a direct sharpening, then it is intended for chopping blows. If the cutting part has a curved sharpening, then it can both chop and cut.

Steel, wood, polymer materials. But as experience shows, nothing better than a wooden (birch) handle has yet been invented. Other materials do not always cope with vibration damping.

The list of existing and widely used tools can be listed for quite a long time, the following can be mentioned:

• Tourist, it has small overall and weight characteristics, its weight is just over half a kilogram, and its length is 350 mm. With its help you can prepare dead wood, perform simple work, for example, to put together a ladder or a raft.
• Hunting. It is used for cutting dead wood and butchering harvested carcasses.
• Scandinavian. This tool is intended for professional woodcutters. It weighs 1.2 kg, with a length of 640 mm.
• Cleaver-sledgehammer. Its use allows you to split any log.

GOST 18578-89 normalizes the main dimensions of the product, maximum tolerances, and roughness parameters of the cutting part. According to the requirements of this document, each product must be marked. This GOST defines the procedure for acceptance and shipment of finished products to the consumer.

Download GOST 18578-89

Work on cutting out an ax handle

This tool is used in almost any household. It is in demand for housework, construction and many other tasks. But, you need to understand that not all tools of this type that are in use have decent reliability. And therefore, some craftsmen make an ax handle with their own hands.

Making an ax is a very responsible task. The comfort of performing work, and most importantly the safety of the worker and the people around him, depends on the parameters of this part.

A stick with a section of a certain shape is far from the best option. When using such a handle, a person quickly gets tired, and work can become unsafe. Therefore, a curved handle with an oval cross-section is used for the tool. The tail part must be widened and bent down. Such an ax handle holds it securely in the hand, even when delivering a sharp blow.

The process of making an ax looks like this:

Material selection

The following grades of wood are used for the handle:

• birch;
• maple and some others.

In order for this detail to turn out High Quality, wood must be harvested before frost. After the workpieces are ready, they need to be dried. They should lie in a ventilated area for about a year. But, some craftsmen claim that the drying period should be about 5 years. In fairness, it must be said that in emergency You can also use an undried workpiece, but this is a temporary option; the handle will quickly wear out.

Cutting out the template

To obtain an ax of the required size, you must use a template made from cardboard. As a sample, to obtain it, you can use the tool that is convenient to work with. That is, you need to put it on a sheet of thick cardboard and outline it with a pencil.

By the way, the size of the ax can be determined based on the height and physique of the person who will work with it.

Making a blank

A block is hewn out from a block that has been dried. Work must be carried out along the fibers. The size of the bar must be 100 mm larger than the size finished product. The size of the part where it will be installed, and the blade itself should be 2 - 3 mm larger than the size of the eye.

The template prepared in advance must be laid on the surface of the block. At the same time, leave allowances for processing. From the front its size is 10 mm, in the tail it is 90 mm. This allowance is necessary so that the handle does not crack when pulled onto the ax itself. Upon completion of work, this allowance is removed.

Hewing out an ax

To bring the part to the required dimensions, two cuts must be made in the upper and lower parts of the workpiece, but their depth should not reach the contour of 2 mm. Excess material can be removed using a chisel. After this, using a file with a large notch, the corners, transitions and other surfaces of the handle are leveled. For finishing abrasive sandpaper is used on the surface.

Impregnation with waterproof compound

To increase the resistance of the handle to moisture, special compounds are used. But it is permissible to use drying oil or linseed oil. The handle is covered with this liquid until it stops being absorbed into it.

The handle for the tool should not slip in the hand and therefore, it is not recommended to cover it with any paint and varnish materials or use some kind of pads.

By the way, it wouldn’t hurt to add a coloring pigment to the waterproof coating, for example, orange color. Then the tool with a bright handle will not disappear on the site.

When choosing a piercing part, you must definitely find out what steel it is cast from. Our country has adopted GOST 18578-89. It defines the grades of steel from which it is permissible to make the blade parts of an ax. These are steels - 8ХФ, 9ХФ, 9ХС, ХВГ, У7А, У8, У8А, У8Га, У9, У9А and many others similar in properties to the named grades.

Landing the ax on the handle

Fitting the blade onto the finished handle should be done using markings. To do this, draw a sketch of the eyelet on the upper end. Then you need to mark the length of the piercing part on it. And after that you can begin installing the blade on the handle.

After choosing a tool, the owner is faced with a new task - how to sharpen it. Yes, the manufacturer supplies this tool in a ready-made condition. But sooner or later, the sharpening done in the factory workshops will become dull and the need for independent editing will arise. Practice shows that it is better to spend some time on editing it than to do the work with a blunt instrument. It is advisable to perform turning of a product using a template. It is made independently. To do this you will need a small piece of tin. After choosing the sharpening angle, you need to mark it on the sheet metal and cut out the angle. After this, attach the template to the blade. The angle of deviation from the required one will be immediately visible. Using a marker, mark the cutting edge accordingly.

When sharpening, the master must consider the following factors:

Characteristics of the wood he will have to work with. What kind of work will have to be done, harvesting lumber is one thing, cutting out locks on logs installed in a log house is another. Of course, the material from which the blade is made must also be taken into account.

How to make a battle ax

Not all axes can be purchased in the store; for example, it is impossible to buy a battle axe. And therefore, if you want to get such a product, it’s easier to make an ax with your own hands.

You can take an ordinary construction tool as a basis, see Fig. 2, and use it to make a combat blade.

It has certain disadvantages:

1. It has an irrational form.
2. It has excess mass, which will interfere with manipulations during the battle.

Viking battle ax

It should also be noted that the upper ledge will create difficulties during chopping and striking. That is, it gives the ax an unnecessary torque directed counterclockwise, thus causing increased wear on the ax handle. It won't hurt to grind off the protrusion located below. In addition, straight sharpening is not entirely suitable for a battle axe.

How to make an ax from wood

How to make an ax from wood? To do this, you need to prepare a wedge-shaped blank from which you will need to make a blade. On the surface of the workpiece, you need to draw the outline of the future toy with a marker. Excess material can be removed using an abrasive sharpener.

At the next stage, on the end surface of the workpiece it is necessary to mark the outline of the hole for the ax handle. The technology for obtaining the handle is described above, but it is necessary to correct the dimensions.

Bringing the blade and handle to the required shape can be done using a sharpener or file. In a fairly short time, the children's ax will be ready.

What product does a hunter who spends a lot of time in conditions need? wildlife how it can be done. Yes, no one argues, in specialized stores you can buy a product for every taste. But not all of them meet the needs of hunters.

In order to make the cutting part of a product for hunting, you need to use a solid piece of metal. But somehow it’s more common to hold an ax with wooden handle. For the manufacture of the blade, grade 1040 steel is used, this is a structural alloy steel, Russian analogue– 40G.

You can make the cutting part by ordering it from the village smithy. The master is able to forge the necessary blank for the blade. He is also able to make and install a steel handle. If such a handle does not suit you, then you can install a wooden one. When making it, you need to take into account some simple rules:

The handle cannot be varnished - the hand will slip.

When choosing its shape, it is necessary to take into account the width of the grip of the palm; it is necessary to make stops that will allow you to hold the ax in your hand.

How to make a taiga ax

Before you make a taiga axe, you need to understand how it differs from a traditional one? It has a different blade shape and ax handle parameters. That is, you can take an ordinary ax as a basis. Change the shape of its sharpening, remove excess material in the upper part, by analogy with the combat one.

You can use an angle grinder to remove excess material.

The ax handle can be made from birch. To secure it more securely in the blade, you can wrap a bandage impregnated with epoxy resin around its end. It makes sense to soak the handle itself with linseed oil.

The ax is actually a very important tool. Of course, if you are a real carpenter, you should definitely know how to make an ax that is perfect for certain tasks. Professional carpenters usually use several axes at once. However, this type of tool is also necessary for people living outside the city, or simply city residents who occasionally travel to their summer cottages. After all, the bathhouse needs to be heated with wood, and you can chop it only with an axe. And so that no misunderstandings arise in the process, and the tool does not let you down, you should know all the subtleties of how to make an ax with your own hands, as well as how to prepare it for work. The ax itself can be completely different in shape. But the ax must be properly mounted, wedged, and sharpened at a certain angle.

Choosing the cutting part of the ax

When you are faced with a choice in the process of purchasing a piercing part, be sure to pay attention to the metal from which it is made. There must be a GOST inscription confirming implementation in accordance with the norms and requirements. You should be wary if you see a sign like: OST, MRTU, TU. In this case, the metal production technology could be changed by the manufacturer. If we talk about choosing a good Soviet ax, then it is better to buy it on the regular market.

You can test the quality of an ax in the old-fashioned way, by striking the blade of one against the blade of another. If one of the products is made poorly, then it will be on it that marks from the impact will remain. Also, if you hang the ax, you can knock on it and listen to the sound. He will be characteristic.

Please note that if the blade is good, there should be no dents or flaws; the eye should be cone-shaped; also the eye and blade must be coaxial; and there must also be at least a small thickness of the butt, and its ends must be perpendicular to the blade.

If you were unable to find a product that meets all standards. Do good ax you can do it yourself. Even if some misunderstandings are discovered in the purchased product over time, they can be eliminated by sharpening the burrs, boring the lugs, and giving the butt a symmetrical shape.

Select a workpiece. Make an ax handle

Based on your height and strength, you should choose the length of the axe. The quality of the wood is also very important. For example, for lightweight products weighing up to one kg, the length of the handles is 40-60 cm. If we talk about a heavy ax - up to one and a half kilograms in weight, the length of the handle will be 55-65 cm.

Approach the question of how to do wooden ax, should be correct. For example, not every tree is suitable for its handle. Most suitable options– the root part of the birch, as well as its growths; maple or oak, ash and other types of wood. It is very important to dry the preparations well, and always in natural conditions and for a considerable time.

You choose a tool template in advance, and your template should be outlined on the workpiece. The end part of the handle should be thick so that the master can brake with his hand if the ax slips. Excess wood (beyond the contour) should be removed with a knife, an ax with a perfectly sharpened blade, or other similar tools. After this, you need to make sure that the actions are correct. For fitting, place the ax on the ax handle using a mallet. Make sure that these parts fit very tightly together. After that you can begin further cleaning. To scrape, you should use glass, and to grind, use fine-grained sandpaper. Knowing how to make an ax out of wood is already half the battle. But that's not all.

“Planting” the ax on the handle

This process can be done, for example, in this way:

• The top of the ax is adjusted in accordance with the eye. Unnecessary wood should be removed with a knife.

• The ax handle should be placed horizontally on a flat surface. hard surface, and put an ax on top. On the handle you need to mark with a pencil the place to which it needs to be inserted. Having divided the segment in two, you should put a second mark.

• Use a vice to clamp the ax handle so that the wider end is positioned upward. Use a hacksaw to cut to the 2nd mark directly under the wedge.

• The wedge can be from a store, or it can also be made from wood by hand. Its thickness can be 5-10 mm, the length is the same as the depth of the cut, and the width is equal to the eye of an ax.

• You need to put a board on the table, and put an ax on it, upside down. The ax should be put on the ax handle, tapping it on the board. Next, you should turn it over and tap it with the handle while inserting it. This should be turned over and tapped several times in a row. As a result, the ax handle should fit into the eyelet.

• After this, the ax handle must be placed vertically, and a wedge must be inserted into the cut and hammered in with a mallet.

• Oil should be applied to the ax handle, the excess will drain off, and the tool will be left to dry. After everything, use a rag to wipe the ax and handle.

In addition, you can watch a video on how to make an ax, with the help of which the essence of making the tool will be clearer to you.

Sharpening an ax blade

This issue is very important so that working with the tool does not cause inconvenience and hassle. In accordance with GOST, the sharpening angle should be from twenty to thirty degrees. If you are a professional carpenter, then sharpening should be done at an angle of thirty-five degrees.

Upon completion of the work done with an ax, it is recommended to put a cover on the blade. Be careful!

IN Lately There is a real boom in blacksmithing. Young people are becoming blacksmiths. The knives and axes made by their hands are real works of art.

Nothing is impossible

Looking at the work of blacksmiths, the thought comes to mind that there is nothing difficult in making an ax. But in practice, this 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 the eye. Not everyone has such a set of tools. Of course, you can make a forge and punches, but you can also try to make an ax in a different way.

Making an ax using the metalwork method

Ideas on how to make an ax outside the forge lead to plumbing method. The ax consists of three parts:

• ax blade
• ax handle

If everything is clear with the materials for making an ax and a wedge, then the question of what, and most importantly how, to make a 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
• piece of pipe for 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 the excess. We also make descents using a grinder. It is important here not to overheat the metal so that the edge remains hard and holds an edge well.

Butt

For the butt of a medium ax you will need a pipe with internal diameter 38-40 mm. It is better if it is thick-walled. We cut the pipe to size from the drawing. Then we heat it up, for example gas burner, and compress it in a yew to give it a more rectangular shape.

Assembly of the canvas

The blade and butt are connected by welding. It is important to weld the metal thoroughly so that the ax does not crack during operation.

Then we grind the seam with a grinder, if necessary, boil the shells, and grind again. For additional strength, you can rivet the butt and blade with strips of metal.

Toporische

A good ax requires the presence of a properly made ax handle. To the question - what can an ax handle be made from, there is a simple answer - from hardwood.

The most common wood for making ax handles is birch. But, if you make an ax not only for chopping wood, but for the soul, then you should look for a type of wood with a more expressive texture.

Wood for an ax

An ax handle made of ash, elm, or hornbeam will look very beautiful. It’s just difficult to buy boards made from such types of wood in some regions, especially in the outback. Of course, you can use online trading.

The wood 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 ax handle will be. According to customs, wooden blanks dried for years in the attics of houses.

Action plan

Drawing up instructions on how to make an ax handle with your own hands allows you to break the process into elementary steps. A compiled list of actions will help you 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:

• drawing up a sketch of an ax and a template
• wood processing
• ax attachment
• finishing coating.

Sketch and template of an ax

For comfortable work, the ax handle is made about 50-70 cm. Having drawn a full-size sketch, it is easier to imagine the proportions of the future ax. Next, we transfer the drawing to plywood or thick cardboard and make a template.

Roughing

Using the template, we outline the outline of the handle on the wood and cut out the blank. Give the handle a more rounded shape. For these purposes, you can use a plane, chisels or a small hatchet.

Fit

The next stage in making an ax handle is adjusting the shape and ergonomics. We grind the wood to give it the correct shape and comfortable grip.

A large rasp, as well as a power grinding tool, are perfect for these purposes. The main thing here is not to loosen the place where the ax fits on the ax handle.

Note!

Sanding and assembly

After rough processing, sand the handle with sandpaper and make a slot for the wedge. Place the ax on the handle and drive in a wedge. Many people advise placing the wedge on glue or epoxy resin. The choice is yours.

Finishing

The assembled ax is carefully polished with fine sandpaper. The wood can be covered with stain or left as is. The protective layer is applied with oil or varnish.

For greater exclusivity, the ax handle can be decorated with carvings, inlays or wire notches. A pattern etched in a saline solution will look beautiful on the ax blade.

Conclusion

It is very easy to purchase an ax for chopping wood, and there is no need to make it yourself for these purposes. Homemade axes are used more as a creative object, but he is capable of performing his direct duties.

Some independent specimens will give industrial designs a run for their money, giving owners a reason for pride and pleasure from the work done.

Photo of a homemade ax

Note!

He is the real “king” of carpenter’s tools. He is a true salvation for those who are lost in the forest. He - faithful assistant, if you need to chop firewood for a bathhouse, build a house or butcher game. A well-sharpened ax can be used in dozens of other situations, but the fact remains. The tool will be useful on any country farm.

The only difficulty that a business person may have is buying a good, high-quality ax. More and more often you are convinced that it is much easier and more reliable to build an ax handle with your own hands. So let's look at the entire manufacturing process, starting from preparing the ax and ending with sharpening.

Making an ax handle step by step

The process of creating an ax with your own hands always takes place in strict sequence. First, the handle of the tool, called the ax handle, is made. When the length and shape of the handle are chosen correctly, the tool literally “burns”, demonstrating high performance and ease of use.

Try taking a stick with a regular one round and install an iron base. You will quickly get tired, because holding such a tool for a long time puts a lot of stress on your hand. It’s another matter when the ax handle has a curved shape, the tail part is widened and slightly bent down. Thanks to this design, the axes are firmly held in the hands even with strong blows.

A traditional ax tool consists of wedges (2 and 9), a blade (3) and a butt (1), a toe (4), a chamfer (5) and a heel on the blade (6), a beard (7), and the ax itself (8). The number 10 indicates sharpening.

Prepare the material and cut out the first template

Since you and I need to make an ax handle from wood, we will take this material as a basis. The best proven structures are those made from birch and oak, ash and maple.

A wooden ax can be made at any time of the year, but it is better to prepare the material for it in the fall, even before frost sets in. The blanks are stored in the attic for at least a year; some experts advise drying them for five or even more years.

It is clear that if the taiga ax given by your grandfather was broken with your own hands on an impenetrable log, you can take fresh wood. This option will still be temporary, because after drying the volume of wood decreases. The ax head will begin to wobble and hold less tightly.

To prepare a good template, drawings of the future product are desirable.

When you have a cardboard template, it is much easier to transfer the contours of the designed product onto wood. The basis is a ready-made ax handle that you feel comfortable working with. It is traced with a simple pencil on cardboard and cut out.

Preparing timber for work

From the blank block to the careful hewing of the ax

• Before making an axe, you need to cut a block out of dried wood. Keep in mind that the length of the piece of wood should exceed the planned size of the finished product by about 10 cm. As for the width in front (placed on the canvas), ideally it exceeds the diameter of the metal eye by 2-3 mm.
• Place the finished template on the block and transfer its contours. Leave an allowance of 1 cm in front, and 9 cm in the tail part of the workpiece. Before you place the ax on the ax handle, you will strike more than a dozen blows on the handle. An allowance in the “tail” is needed to avoid splitting. When final assembly will be finished, you can cut it off without any problems.
• Let's begin the main part of the work with the ax handle. In the upper and lower parts of the block, transverse cuts are made with a depth not reaching 0.2 cm from the contours. A chisel is used to chip away excess wood along the cuts; the final cut is made with a rasp.
• Use a regular file or rasp to round corners and create smooth curves and transitions. Sandpaper will help with final sanding.
• It is too early to install the steel sheet - the wood is impregnated with a good waterproof compound. Flaxseed oil is suitable; drying oil has excellent properties. Apply a small amount of the substance to the ax handle and let it dry. Then the next layer is applied. The procedure is repeated until the instrument you personally made no longer absorbs it.
• The biggest mistake is to coat the wooden base with varnish or oil paint. However, nothing prevents you from adding a little dye to the drying oil (red, yellow). A bright instrument will never get lost in thick grass.

How did our ancestors choose the canvas for the ax?

Several hundred years have passed, but the purchasing method good canvas hasn't changed. Our ancestors knew how to make an ax out of wood and what kind of metal base to use. They always paid attention to:

• Steel quality. By the way, today this issue is resolved simply. Look for the GOST badge on the product - this will be an indicator of excellent quality. No OST and TU!
• Blade. An ideal blade has no cracks or dents, and is very smooth.
• Butt ends. They are strictly perpendicular to the blade.
• Eyelet shape. It is better when it is made in the form of a cone.

How to place an ax on an ax handle (video)

When the blade has been chosen, a completely logical question arises: how to properly place an ax on an ax handle and achieve a “dead” fastening? Start by drawing center lines at the end. There will be two of them, perpendicular and longitudinal. The groove to the depth of the eye must be cut exactly along the contour of the longitudinal line. The cut will be useful for wedging the ax handle.

Having placed the butt to the end, outline the contours of the eye on it - the center lines will be a guide. To trim the landing part of the ax, use a knife or plane. It is important that the ax handle does not protrude beyond the edges of the eye by more than 1 cm.

It is convenient to install the blade using hammer blows. Do this accurately, with effort, but without unnecessary pressure. You don't want your blows to crack the wood, right? As soon as the end goes beyond the boundaries, we check the strength of the fit and see how the canvas sits. It shouldn't slide off.

Knock out a wedge with a wedge or wedging method

You can strengthen the fastening of the metal part if you wedge it. To do this, a small wedge made of hard wood, such as oak, is driven into the end. Because of this, the dimensions of the landing part increase, and it is fixed “tightly”.

Some craftsmen use not one, but two or even five wedges. But as practice shows, even one additional fixation is quite enough.

Wedging an ax. Drawing

A proven way to sharpen an ax blade

Sharpening an ax is the initial task after your tool is made and ready for use. Only in this case will the product perform its main function.

To work with freshly cut wood, the sharpening angle is the ideal instrument is 20 degrees, dry wood - from 25 to 30 degrees. The width of the chamfer is equally important.

Sharpening an ax by hand

How to properly sharpen an ax on a regular electric sharpener

Prepare in advance a container in which you will cool the metal. Next do this:

• Hold the product in such a way that the blade can be directed towards the rotation of the disc. We hold the butt at an angle of forty-five degrees. This is the optimal sharpening angle, regardless of the type of tool and its features.
• To sharpen the axe, it moves smoothly along the circle. The chamfer is ground and the sharpening angle is sharpened.
• The final sharpening of the ax is always performed with a special sharpening stone. From time to time it needs to be moistened with water to cool the metal.
• If it is not possible to sharpen the hatchet with a block, it is replaced with a piece of plywood, which is covered with sandpaper.

Don’t forget that working with a sharp tool is always pleasant, while a dull ax means more additional and completely unnecessary effort, quick fatigue and not the best result. After the work on manufacturing and sharpening the ax is completed, a cover is put on the blade. This will extend the life of the product, and it will not need to be sharpened as often. The cover is made of leather, birch bark, or any other suitable material.

Case for ax

There is an opinion that the tool can be stored stuck in a log. This is a big misconception. Consisting of strong steel and an ax made by hand, the ax becomes an “extension” of the master’s hands. Try chopping wood homemade instrument– and you will no longer want to return to store-bought products.