Axe Shaft

[Hodge]

Dos anyone make Ash axe handles? I need my Elwell re shafting, I would like a nice handmade Ash shaft for it. Does anyone do this type of thing?

[mark_goldfinch]

I watch a lot of Ben Orfords videos on line he's a fantastic crafts man I'm sure if you contacted him he would help. He's on face book.

[arbmark]

its really easy. when i had more time i used to make mine. you need a straight grained piece of ash, a drawknife and a spoke shave. enjoy - fitting the head is the tedious bit. takes ages and you need one of those little steel wedges with the teeth on to hammer into the wood in the axe head.

[Dan Earp]

Buy a helco splitting maul. If the handle snaps it just unscrew to bolts and fit another in its place.

Great maul well worth the ££

[Breezeblock]

have a bash at making one if it goes pear shaped its more firewood you know you want to:thumbup:

[Stubby]

A bit of hickory would be nice ? ....

[difflock]

I have always shafted my own spades, shovels, sledges, billhooks/slashers, hammers and hacthets.

Not shafted an Axe yet.

I keep by likely lengths of Ash in a variety of lengths.

I was lazy the last time and used a power planer, followed by a belt sander.

Seemed to work OK.

I oil the shaft when it starts to get a snug fit, prevents it getting prematurley wedged, I figger the oil will soak into the grain and be unlikely to render the shaft any more likely to slip out in use.

Use hardwood wedges (glued in) or an old fashioned nail, or suitable shaped scrap of steel as a wedge.

Suck it and see as they say.

I actually like the slight irregularrity in hand shafted tools as it allows ones "muscle memory" to learn the correct alignment, after a bit of familarization.

I know what I am trying to say, but perhaps expressing it poorly.

PS

All that said, I appreciate an Axe shaft is trickier due to the more 3D nature of most of them