Make a battle ax with your own hands. How it's made, how it works, how it works. Steps to cut an ax handle
“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 high-quality wood and steel are used to make this product.
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 is designed to solve certain tasks, for example, which stand in front of 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.
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 details to required sizes, 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. Abrasive sandpaper is used to finish 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 waterproof coating, coloring pigment, 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 there will be a need for self-editing. 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, apply to cutting edge corresponding labels.
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.
As a basis, you can take an ordinary construction tool, see Fig. 2., and make a combat blade from it.
It has certain disadvantages:
- It has an irrational form.
- 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 a wooden handle. For the manufacture of the blade, grade 1040 steel is used, this is a structural alloy steel, the Russian equivalent is 40G.
You can make the cutting part by ordering it from the village smithy. Master, able to forge necessary preparation under 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 palm grip; 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 do taiga ax, we need to understand how it differs from the 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. It makes sense to soak the handle itself with linseed oil.
DIY decorative ax aslan wrote in November 25th, 2018
I found an old hatchet in the village, with a broken part, and decided that there was no point in wasting it. Plus I wanted to test my level of handcraft. Here, on my own, I’m laying it out for your consideration.
There was no original photograph left, since the desire to capture it appeared already in the process, but approximately everything looked like this.
First, a grinder with a cutting and grinding wheel, as well as emery, was used. Result of the mechanic.
Further, in order to protect places that should not be exposed to electrolysis ( knowledgeable people, don’t kick me if I named the process incorrectly), a “mask” of nail polish was applied to the entire axe, thanks to my wife, I donated two old ones.
Here I even thought about leaving it like that because I was amazed by such beauty, but still decided to finish the drawing to the end.
Then there was etching. I mixed three kilos of regular water into a bucket of water. table salt. The car battery charger was set to 5 amperes. Plus - for the part, minus - for any bolt that was found in the garage. There is an opinion that the “minus” and “plus” should be approximately the same size, then the process goes more evenly.
The process is in full swing. The bolt “boiled” very quickly. There are bubbles, that means everything is as it should be. Periodically I took it out and checked the degree of readiness, but it was difficult to determine with an inexperienced eye, so I relied mainly on time. In total, the ax bathed in the salt bath for 75 minutes.
In the end, I decided to remember the burning class at the children's camp and add a small ornament to the handle, fortunately the device turned out to be in working order. Afterwards I sanded it again, even a little overdoing it. Wedged it with oak wedges. Soak it in linseed oil and you're done.
Here are the results. It took 4 pm in total. Hoping to make it by Friday. I did it mainly for the sake of gaining experience. I consider the goal achieved. Criticism is welcome.
The ax is the same the right tool V household, during a camping trip or hunting, like a knife. It is not always possible to take it if you are planning a light hike, but in this case there are different varieties of this tool. You can learn more about how to make an ax from wood, metal, a tourist, or a hunting ax.
A battle ax is characterized by the presence of a narrow butt and a narrow, low blade. This is a relatively light homemade ax weighing up to 0.8 kg on a long handle (from 0.5 m or more). There are one-handed and two-handed, double-sided, with a spike on the back.
In order to make a battle axe, you need to use an ordinary carpenter's blade. The top part needs to be cut so that it forms a straight line. The lower edge of the chopping head is cut out with a hook, and the blade itself is rounded downwards. After this, the surface of the instrument is cleaned to a shine and hardened over fire. The head of the battle ax should be such that the lower edge of the blade and the end of the ax are connected parallel line, this will avoid additional loads on the handle. Ideal material The butt of an old birch tree will be used to make an ax handle. On the ax handle, where the head loop will end, you need to drill a hole obliquely, and then cut a slot under the wedge parallel to the hole made. After this, the head is placed on the ax handle, and a wedge coated with glue is driven into the gap.
How to make an ax from wood
A wooden ax cannot compare to the effectiveness of an iron one, but sometimes it is necessary. Thanks to its light weight, it can be taken on a hike to chop thin branches, and it can also be used as a training weapon or at home. How to make a wooden ax? The ax handle and head can be made either separately or as a one-piece structure. The material must be durable, dry, non-fibrous. It is better to use oak or maple. To make the blade and the ax as separate elements, you will need two lumps, sawn in half, onto which a template is applied. Then they are well glued and joined together. The blade of the tool must be sharpened and fired over a fire, or wrapped in a steel plate cut to fit its curve.
Homemade ax for hunting
Indian battle ax A hunting ax must have a good handle balance to deliver accurate blows. It is best to use an all-metal tool, since the ax handle is less likely to fall off when cutting up a carcass or when cutting the bones of an animal. If it is not possible to forge such an ax, you can make it yourself from a blade and a wooden ax. Before you make an ax with your own hands, intended for hunting or fishing trips, you need to make a thin wedge-shaped blade. The tip is processed with a disk with a fine abrasive, trying to give it a rounded shape (but not close to a semicircle) and not to overdo it with sharpness. After this you need to harden the iron. To make an ax handle, butt birch, rowan or elm are used. To determine the correct length of the axe, you need to take it by one end, while the part with the ax attachment should touch the ankle. When attaching the blade to the ax handle, its end must be wedged for secure fixation. In this case, a cut is made obliquely, after which a wedge is driven in. It is better if the wedge is made of the same wood as the ax handle. It can be placed on glue, and if it becomes loose inside the butt, the problem can be easily solved by soaking the tool in water. It is not recommended to use a metal wedge as it will rust and damage the wood. For hunting birds and small game, the ax handle is made light, weighing up to 1000 grams, and up to 60 cm long. For hunting large animals, its length should be at least 65 cm and weight 1000-1400 grams. In this case, you need to focus on the height and weight of the hunter himself.
Taiga ax
The taiga ax is characterized by a rounded blade and light weight, making it easy to carry. The total weight of the ax and head is approximately 1400 grams. It is designed for cutting down trees, rough processing logs, construction of huts, working with firewood. Therefore, it differs from a regular ax in the presence of a long beard, which protects the ax from breaking during strong blows; special sharpening of the blade, in which the rear edge is twice as narrow as the front, as well as a smaller angle of inclination of the head in relation to the ax handle compared to a carpentry tool.
To make a taiga axe, you need to follow the instructions:
- You need to take an ordinary carpenter's tool, from which you only need a metal head, with which the front part is cut off so that it is level with the end of the butt.
- The back part is cut down until a rounded shape is achieved using a grinder or grinding disc with medium grain.
- A semicircle is cut out on the inside of the chopping head for a comfortable grip on the ax and for carrying out precise work.
- To make the tool lighter, you can saw off the upper corners of the butt.
- Sharpen the blade with an emery machine or a medium-grit grinding wheel on both sides until a moderately sharp edge is obtained.
Next, the ax handle is made. It should be comfortable and made of durable wood. Birch, maple or ash are best suited for this. For comfortable use, the handle should be 50-70 cm long. Before making a taiga ax, you need to select a suitable piece of wood without knots or rotten areas, with a diameter of at least 12 cm. The selected lump needs to be split in two and dried for a couple of months at a temperature of +22 degrees. After this, the desired shape of the ax handle is given according to the template. Excess wood is removed with a small hatchet, knife, and then processed with a chisel. All that remains is to attach the butt and fix it using epoxy resin. Finishing The ax handle includes sanding and varnishing.
How to make a good, reliable ax with your own hands at home?
By remaking an ordinary ax, you can give it special properties necessary for work. Such an ax will serve much longer and is of better quality than a regular store-bought one. A hunter in the taiga cannot do without a reliable ax, which should be as universal as possible. There are many axes on sale: from large and medium-sized construction and carpentry axes to small axes suitable for various economic needs. But the taiga ax must have special properties, which can be given to an ordinary ax by remaking it. 
An ax with “dry” steel should be preferred to an ax with soft and weakly hardened steel. When the blade chips, this defect can be easily eliminated by sharpening it sharper. The sharpening shape should be parabolic, but not razor-like or straight (Fig. 1). An ax with this sharpening does not jam in the wood, splits wood well, and is less dull. If sharp enough, such a blade is quite suitable for carpentry work. Much in the understanding of rationality is given by the forms of old Russian axes, as well as the axes of the lumberjacks of the Carpathians, North America, in which the upper edge of the blade never forms an angle of more than 90° with the axis of the axe. All commercially available axes have a wide blade and a protruding top edge (Fig. 2). The shaded part sharply reduces the efficiency of the axe, since at the moment of impact this part tends to straighten the axe, creating a hole in it. unnecessary vibration, and thereby dampens the impact force. To eliminate this shortcoming, the shaded part is removed. The easiest way to do this is to drill a series of touching holes along the cut line, and remove the hardened part with an abrasive.
The straight blade of the ax must be changed to a convex one (Fig. 3), if the hardening width of the blade allows. A straight edge is designed only for carpentry work, and when such a blade cuts, it simultaneously touches the entire edge and hits the wood at a right angle, and has poor penetrating power. Each point of the convex edge enters the wood under acute angle(Fig. 3), a cutting effect occurs, as a result of which the penetrating ability of such a blade increases sharply. Despite the fact that the weight of the ax will decrease after processing, its efficiency will increase. The author offers two options for axes (see Fig. 4 and photo). One of them is lightweight, designed for walking hunts, short trips, and also for commercial hunting with a saw. The total weight of such an ax is 800-1000 g, the length of the ax is 40-60 cm. The other is heavy, for commercial hunting and long trips, during which significant work has to be done. Its weight is 1000-1400 g, the length of the ax is 55-65 cm. The choice of the length of the ax is determined by the quality of the wood, the height and strength of the hunter.
Of course, axes made by hand by blacksmiths are better in terms of steel, angle and balance, but there is one very capricious detail - wooden ax handle. This part must be made according to special technology. Making an ax handle, a wedge and the fit of an ax is much longer and more difficult than forging an ax (even, probably, a Damascus one). Checking how well the ax handle and fit are made is much more difficult than checking the quality of the ax itself. In addition, the ax handle requires special daily care and certain maintenance conditions. If all the points are not met, then the result is always the same: Either the ax flies off, or the ax handle breaks. Having properly prepared the ax, you can begin making the ax handle. It should be thin. The smaller its weight relative to the weight of the ax, the stronger the blow. The ax handle should be flexible: a rigid ax handle “dries out” your hand. In cross-section, it has an ovoid but flattened shape with a sharper front and rounded rear edges. It is best to make an ax handle from the butt part of ash, maple, or elm. You can also use thin-grained birch. The most suitable thickness of the butt for preparing ax handles is 35-40 cm. The raw butt must be split, then dried with the ends sealed. 
An ax handle with longitudinal layers (Fig. 5) is stronger. Before attaching the ax to the ax handle, find the center of gravity (Fig. 6). Typically this point (C) is located at the base of the eyelet. Then determine the center line of the ax AB, passing through the middle of the butt and the top of the edge of the blade. This line is the tangent along which the ax will move upon impact. 
If you place the blade at point B perpendicular to the midline AB on a plane, then the end of the ax will have to touch the same plane at point C. This is done midline ax handle (PR), point P is located on this line and is 3.5-4 cm away from the NE plane. The cutting of the ax handle is clear from Fig. 5, where the shaded parts of the workpiece must be cut off. The distance from the lower edge of the eye (point K) to the point of maximum bending of the ax handle (point O) is 10-11 cm. At point O, the hand holds the ax during carpentry work. In this place, the circumference of the ax is 12-13 cm, and the thinnest place at the end of the ax is 9-10 cm. The final thickness is adjusted according to the hand. The ax handle ends in a “fungus-shaped” thickening that fixes the hand (clearly visible in the photo). This ax handle is indispensable in the cold and rain, when you have gloves or mittens on your hands. The “fungus” allows you to relax your hands while working. The strength and accuracy of the blows of a “relaxed” ax cannot be compared with the blows of an ax that you have to hold tightly, for fear of letting go of it. On the workpiece for the “fungus”, thickening is provided in advance; it is processed last to prevent chipping when attaching the ax. When starting the nozzle, you need to place the workpiece. When adjusting the ax handle, you should constantly check the landing angle by applying the ax to the plane (in Fig. 6 this is line NE). In the ax handle, adjusted to two-thirds of the depth of the eye, a cut is made to the same depth under the wedge (Fig. 6), after which seat finally adjusted. Before driving the wedge, it is useful to dry the ax handle with the mounted ax for two to three days.
Immediately after fitting (or after drying), the ax is removed from the ax handle, the fitted parts are generously lubricated with BF-2 glue and the ax is finally mounted. Glue is also applied to a pre-prepared wedge made of hard wood (ash, maple, elm, apple, pear) and the wedge is driven in. To prevent the wedge from breaking when driving, it is made short. For the glue to dry completely, the ax needs to be dried for 24 hours on a radiator or near a stove. Finally, the ax handle is processed by hand, sanded and impregnated with drying oil or linseed oil. 
The finished ax remains to be sharpened. An ax will save a lot of effort and time if its blade is always sharpened. For this purpose, it is useful to have with you plywood cut to the size of your chest pocket, pasted on both sides with waterproof sandpaper - coarse and micron. This plywood is enough for a whole season, unless the ax requires serious sharpening.
“It’s not the fur coat that warms a man, it’s the axe,” says popular wisdom. An indispensable assistant on the farm, " right hand"for any carpenter - this is all about a very simple tool called an axe.
Whether it's an ax for the garden or for professional use, the demand for this tool will never go away.
A conscientious attitude towards operation, the ability to properly prepare a tool for work will not only help to avoid troubles, but will also serve as a guarantee of the successful completion of the planned work.
Experienced craftsmen know how to make an axe. Having understood the technology and studied practical recommendations, making an ax with your own hands is not difficult even for a non-professional.
Piercing attachment for an ax
When choosing a piercing metal part for a future ax, the quality of the material deserves special attention. Parts manufactured according to GOST are what you need.
You should avoid markings MRTU, OST or TU on the nozzle, because these designations allow for changes in technology during the pouring process of the part (the addition of third-party substances that affect the quality of the material is possible).
When a blade hits another, there should be no marks left on both. Curvature of the material, the presence of any kind of dents, and a curved blade axis are completely eliminated.
The importance of the handle
You can choose the optimal length of the ax based on the height of the master and the force of the blow. Strength, in turn, directly depends on the length, so when working with a large ax, it will be easier to chop logs of firewood.
Before making a choice, you should decide on the desired result:
- heavy version of the instrument ( total weight 1kg-1.4kg, handle length from 55 to 65 cm);
- lightweight version (weight 0.8 kg-1 kg, with a length from 40 to 60 cm).
The quality of the wood from which the ax handle will be made is of great importance. Not every type of wood is suitable for manufacturing. Often, birch is used for these purposes (parts located near the roots or stem growths).
There are also handles made of oak, acacia, maple and others. hardwood. All selected workpieces require long-term drying.
After wooden blank It dries well, the contours of the handle are drawn on it, according to a pre-made template. To avoid the hand slipping during operation and to increase the convenience of the ax, it is necessary to provide a thickening at the end of the handle.
A knife, chisel, or electric jigsaw will help you cut out the outline.
After trying on the ax head and not finding any signs of a loose fit of the parts, you can safely continue improving the ax handle. Glass will help you scrape the tool, and sandpaper will be useful for grinding.
Attaching the piercing attachment to the handle
Correctly following the nozzle instructions will lead to excellent results:
The eye of the piercing part must be adjusted to top part ax handles, excess wood can be easily removed with a knife.
Make a mark on the ax handle where the piercing part will end. To do this, you need to place the handle lying down to avoid inaccuracies. Divide the resulting segment in half and make a corresponding mark.
Holding the ax handle while standing, you need to make a cut to the second mark. This is done with a hacksaw and used for a wedge.
Plan a wooden wedge similar to a previously purchased metal one. The width is equal to the size of the eye, the thickness of the product is from 5 to 10 mm, and the length is equal to the depth of the cut.
Having placed the board on the table, you need to place the piercing part on it, located upside down. Next, you should put this part on the handle and slowly start tapping it on the board.
From time to time you need to change the method of tapping from the piercing part to tapping with an axe.
As soon as the piercing part enters the eye, you need to place the ax vertically and insert a wooden wedge. A hacksaw for metal will help you cut off everything necessary materials, which as a result of the nozzle will be on top.
At the end, oil is applied to the handle and the product is thoroughly dried. The correct execution can be compared with the photo of the ax for the dacha posted below.
Blade sharpening
To avoid hassles that arise during work, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to sharpening the blade. Standard indicators of compliance with GOST:
- sharpening angle for construction work equal to 20-30°;
- for carpentry 35°.
Compliance with the sharpening requirements is very important. The mismatch between the degrees leads to the fact that when cutting with an ax, the blade gets stuck in the wood.
During initial sharpening, minor damage, nicks and gouges are eliminated. Afterwards, secondary sharpening is carried out. The end of the process is the grinding process, carried out with a fine-grained stone.
A tool made with your own hands according to instructions is always the best ax you can have in your dacha.
Photos of the best ax options for a summer residence
