Growing axe handles...

[peds]

Howdy,

 

I'm about to replace a shaft on an axe, and I got to thinking about something a colleague was telling me a while ago about a little used and, possibly, rather pointless technique of replacing handles on various bits of kit, whereby you slot the hole in the metal over an appropriately-sized branch or sapling and wait a few years. I'm just going to replace the shaft on the axe as usual, but I'm going to give it a try on a few other old things I've got lying around: an old cheap fork that deserved to break, a rusty little hatchet I found, a forked hoe, a Fermanagh potato spade, and a forestry planting spade that had a bad day. I don't or didn't use these things on regular rotation, so I'm not that bothered if the end result isn't rock solid. It's just to have a go really, and see what the results are like.

 

Anyone heard of this technique, anyone tried it, any obvious problems that you might encounter and what you could do to solve them? Obviously after waiting for the wood to fill the gap, harvesting, and leaving to dry there would be a bit of shrinkage, but wedging as usual should fix that, right? The oval hole in the little hatchet would take longer to fill out than the round and tapered holes of the garden tools, but that might actually result in a stronger finish... maybe?

 

Probably going to use ash as I've got a fair few candidates available, but I'm going to keep an eye out for a decent bit of hawthorn as well, although that might take a good while longer to fill out.

 

Interested to hear any opinions or advice about this.

[AHPP]

Good idea but surely the head will go loose when the wood dries.

[peds]

If it were left on for long enough the growth below the head would form a natural shoulder. Then you could wedge in from above same as a normal axe handle. Maybe.

[gobbypunk]

I seen a company growing chairs once ,dont see why it wouldnt work but a bloody long time for a new handle 

[AHPP]

If it were left on for long enough the growth below the head would form a natural shoulder. Then you could wedge in from above same as a normal axe handle. Maybe.

I concur.

[peds]

16 minutes ago, gobbypunk said:

dont see why it wouldnt work but a bloody long time for a new handle 

True, but the hatchet has sat unhandled for over a decade, the Fermanagh potato spade probably at least twice that. They can sit and wait a while longer without causing too much hassle.

[Rough Hewn]

Photos please 🤣[emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]