Handmade Maul Handle

[Infidel]

About a month or so ago I picked up a couple of axe heads from a local antique shop figuring I could clean them up and rehandle them. When I went looking for handles for them I found out that no one locally carries a handle that would fit the eyes. The eyes are almost 2 3/4" long and all the handles are between 2 1/4" and 2 1/2" at the eye, that will never do the heads will flop all over the place. So I decided I would try my hand at making handles for them. Stopped into the local lumber yard and talked to a young guy there. Told him I was looking for some hickory for axe handles. When I told him how big of a piece I needed he told me he couldn't see charging me for one piece of hickory 3"x4"x8' long so he says "I'll give you 2 of them and you make me a handle for my maul". Told him this was my first time making a handle but I was sure I could handle making a maul handle and it would be a good place to start rather than jump right into a complex single bit handle. So I've been working at it here and there for about a week or so and here's what I've come up with so far:

Here's the stock that he gave me, I surprised the mill owner when I got it into my Altima:
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc492/stu925/Maul%20Handle/Stock_zpsso3wdn0g.jpg (http://s1214.photobucket.com/user/stu925/media/Maul%20Handle/Stock_zpsso3wdn0g.jpg.html)
2 beautiful (at least to me) pieces of hickory

And the handle:
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc492/stu925/Maul%20Handle/Top%20end_zpsqdeasuqd.jpg (http://s1214.photobucket.com/user/stu925/media/Maul%20Handle/Top%20end_zpsqdeasuqd.jpg.html)

http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc492/stu925/Maul%20Handle/Handle2_zpsgotoxwwm.jpg (http://s1214.photobucket.com/user/stu925/media/Maul%20Handle/Handle2_zpsgotoxwwm.jpg.html)

http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc492/stu925/Maul%20Handle/Handle1_zpsfbpk0hgj.jpg (http://s1214.photobucket.com/user/stu925/media/Maul%20Handle/Handle1_zpsfbpk0hgj.jpg.html)


And a shop of how the grain runs, almost perfect grain orientation:
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc492/stu925/Maul%20Handle/end%20grain_zpsbtuihyfz.jpg (http://s1214.photobucket.com/user/stu925/media/Maul%20Handle/end%20grain_zpsbtuihyfz.jpg.html)

It's not quite finished yet but I want the guy to tell me how thick he wants it. He's a pretty big guy and it may fit his hands a bit better if I leave it a bit thick. Thinking of leaving the sides just below the head a bit flat, I kind of like the transition from the round to flat. Still need to draw on the eye but will need the maul head for that and then I'll start shaping that part of it. I'm going to try and get him to give me the head and then I'll hang it on the handle for him and make him a leather mask for it while I have it here, I figure that's the least I can do for him.

This is the first handle I've ever made and I did it all with a minimum of tools, I would not hesitate to do another one. In fact I'll probably never buy another handle again. Tools used were a circular saw to cut the stock to length, a table saw to rip it down to size, a draw knife (another antique store find) for rough shaping, a low angle block plane and a spoke shave for final shaping. Just what I needed was another hobby.

-Infidel

[Inor]

Nice work! Don't forget to rip a slot to drive a wedge into the head. Hint: a thin kerf bandsaw works best for ripping the slot. They look MUCH better with a wooden wedge rather than a stupid metal one.

I make all of my tool handles now except for my chisels. It is quick and easy to do and I get a tool that fits my hand perfectly.

Edit: See if you can find a little 3 inch scrap of black walnut to make the wedges out of. The contrasting colors of the walnut and the hickory looks really nice.

[Infidel]

Nice work! Don't forget to rip a slot to drive a wedge into the head. Hint: a thin kerf bandsaw works best for ripping the slot. They look MUCH better with a wooden wedge rather than a stupid metal one.

I make all of my tool handles now except for my chisels. It is quick and easy to do and I get a tool that fits my hand perfectly.

Edit: See if you can find a little 3 inch scrap of black walnut to make the wedges out of. The contrasting colors of the walnut and the hickory looks really nice.

I'll cut the kerf after I cut down the eye section, I don't have a band saw but I do have a think bladed dovetail saw, that should work pretty well. I need to get this over to the guy so he can check it out and tell me what he thinks and I can see about getting the head for it. It just so happens I lucked into some black walnut that a guy at work gave me for knife handles, I'm sure I can manage a wedge out of one of them. Haven't decided whether or not this will get a step wedge, that will be up to him I suppose.

-Infidel

[Arklatex]

Great job Infidel!

I did my first one last year. An old man gave me an ancient hand forged ax and the handle needed to be replaced. I look online but could not find what I needed. It was the old straight handled style. I ended up ordering a straight hickory handle for a double bit and just cut it down and reshaped it so it would fit. It was the first time I'd hung an ax as well and managed to get it right. Next time I'm going to make it all on my own. By the way, straight handled axes are much more efficient and accurate in my opinion. You may consider it for yours.

If you or Inor need a little black walnut in the future I have some laying around out here. I intend to make a fireplace mantle out of part of it.

[Infidel]

Great job Infidel!

I did my first one last year. An old man gave me an ancient hand forged ax and the handle needed to be replaced. I look online but could not find what I needed. It was the old straight handled style. I ended up ordering a straight hickory handle for a double bit and just cut it down and reshaped it so it would fit. It was the first time I'd hung an ax as well and managed to get it right. Next time I'm going to make it all on my own. By the way, straight handled axes are much more efficient and accurate in my opinion. You may consider it for yours.

If you or Inor need a little black walnut in the future I have some laying around out here. I intend to make a fireplace mantle out of part of it.

That's very generous of you. I've got a guy at work that makes furniture as a hobby so he's always got some scrap pieces laying around. By the way his idea of a scrap piece is more than enough for any project I plan on doing with it. Going to use most of what I've got for knife handles and maybe a pair of new grips for my Blackhawk. I'll still have a bunch of it left I'm sure.

-Infidel