[Alexander Ren]

I just recieved an axe and war hammer from Albion's moat page. I need haft them and want to know what type of wood I should use. I did a search but could not find a previous topic about this. If there is one that has already covered this I would appreciate the information.

Thanks... Alex

[Gary Grzybek]

[Jesse Zinn]

[Alexander Hinman]

Alex,

Ash and Hickory (primarily hickory nowadays) are the usual options, but there's also another wood called Hornbeam (commonly called 'ironwood') which works very well. It depends on how much effort you want to put into sculpting the haft, because Hornbeam is rather hard.

Oak tends to not have the grain density necessary.

Oh, forgot to mention: How are you going to attach your axe/hammer? Are you going to wedge them or use the basic 'top bigger than the bottom'?

[Alexander Ren]

Thanks for the advice. I will try to get it done in the next week or two when my classes allow and also borrow a digital camera to post a few in progress pictures... Alex

[Alexander Ren]

[Kevin Toomey]

I think if you read carefully what the author( I did look for his name, but missed it) on the FHWA website is telling us is that he is a soaker, or his wood wedges, like mine work loose when it’s dry.

Really all you can do is make the tenon the same size as the bottom of the eye. When the eye is larger at the top, you wedge. This usually takes two. (the eye of the double-bit is fairly unique) The author complains of splitting caused by the second wedge. He rips a slot for the first. Well, you just do the same for the second, cut diagonally across the eye. Both wedges should be wide enough to span the full width of the eye. Wood will work for both. Then when it loosens you can add metal to the diagonal with much less risk of further splitting.

Obviously I’m not much of a researcher so I was very pleased to hear Peter J. describe his findings regarding Viking axes with iron wedges in a distant thread. I don’t know why I assumed a through the top tomahawk mount, but could never reconcile it with functionality. Your mileage may differ, but to me it is a futile exercise that is only complete when you drive the handle through the bottom of the eye. The tension that holds the head in place is so perilous, always working loose with head sliding down the helve. So, through the top is for throwing only imo, with its high expectation of breakage. Speaking of breaking, using either method, beat to fit is hard on the eye.

On the other hand I don’t care if soaking in oil works, I don’t know why.
Usually the wedges will come loose when it gets dry. The first one is split by the second and those chunks sometimes fall out soon after you feel the wobble. (add to or make new) I didn’t cut the diagonal back then, used narrow wedges, which caused splits at the top but never propagated down into the handle. With the two Viking axes I’ve done I tried to be more sophisticated, just so it looks better, then I mushroom the top just a little.

I don’t think grain orientation is so cut and dry either. With growth rings perpendicular to the edge, the shaft is more flexible and spring like, which of course stores and releases energy in a heavy stroke. The tendency of the parallel-to-bit ringed handle is to bow right or left of center line of swing- dangerous for felling, battle axes, etc, handy for hewing, while the perpendicular ring will bow above or below, yet inline with the center depending on the sapwood orientation. There are trade offs either way. I can also accept that for a battleaxe, maximum rigidity may be best, but for felling, chopping, some whip in the haft is appreciated. I realize this is arms and armour, not kev’s woodtalk, but armies do have to build things and were intimate with their options. Such may be a non issue for most but I’d like to learn more about what has been found but I don’t know where to look.

good luck with your projects.

[Alexander Ren]

Kevin,

Thanks for the explaination. I actually just got a hold of a hickery shaft for the axe. I still need to find one for the hammer since I am planning on having a shorter shaft on it. The bottom of the edge on the axe needs a little work on a grinder so I will be working on that before I haft it.

I just took a few pictures with a friend's camera and will be getting them up in a few days when I have some time.

Thanks everyone for your help... Alex[/url]

[Alexander Hinman]

Ah, one thing I should mention. I'm in the process of making an axe after a pattern found in an archaeological excavation. Now, when talking to a much more experienced friend who was helping me make the axe, he discussed the use of a drift, used for shaping the eye. Now, it's important to note that the inside of an axe head can be shaped one of two ways. It could have an hourglass shape, which is always seen on hammers, or a funnel shape, which is the 'tomahawk' kind.

The hourglass is basically a rather gentle incline on the inside of the head, because the drift has gone halfway through the head both ways. This kind of head requires wedging, because the haft's curvature fits into the bottom part of the hourglass, and the wedge spreads out the top.

The funnel shape is basically held by friction.

I heavily advise against hafting a funnel-eye with a wedge, or a hourglass-eye with friction. Your hammer, most likely, is the latter, (since all hammers are made this way) but the axe may well be the former.

Here's a poorly drawn diagram to explain a bit more visually. Mind, the details of the eyes are quite exaggerated.

[Alexander Ren]

Actually, both eyes are straight as far as I can tell.

[Kevin Toomey]

[Alexander Hinman]

Sure thing, Kevin.

To put it simply, it's either not going to fit or you'd have to do ridiculous amounts of wedging, which wouldn't be very 'stable' if you will. I think another illustration would explain it better. My artistic talents are once again called upon.

Now, the details are once again exaggerated. Anyway, there are two possible handles that you've got for wedging.

The kind I've seen most commonly is type A, but that's on blacksmith hammers, so that's quite possibly not the norm. The problem with type A is that, assuming the lower part of the 'funnel' head fits snugly around the top of the tenon, it won't progress very far at all, making it relatively worthless. If the funnel fits snugly about the bottom part of the tenon, then you've got to use big ol' wedges the cause alot of their own problems. Type A, however, is ideal for the hourglass-shaped eye because the curve fits into the bottom part of the hourglass, and wedging fills the top.

Type B, on the other hand, has the problem of needing a lot of wedging, or relatively big wedges to accomodoate the funnel head, and these pop out more easily because of a lack of tension from the wood that surrounds them, since it's been spread so much.

Now, since the hammer and axe eyes are straight, use wedging, probably with a type B handle.

I don't think you should be too worried about the head sliding down, Kevin, unless you intend to thrust with your axe, which you may very well want to...

What I plan to do with my axe is heat up part of a piece of wire and wrap it around the wood directly under the head. The wire burns into the wood, affixing it in place by making a notch, and when it is fully wrapped, it creates a barrier to keep the axe up. If the handle breaks, just cut the wire with a cold chisel an take the head off.

[Kevin Toomey]

Thanks for taking the time Alexander.
I think you could call the hourglass shape swaged. On some old hammers there is actually a bit of a shoulder where both ends have been widened. In one way the kerf for the wedge allows the handle compress more, to be driven on, then two wedges swell it. Another might only be swaged parallel to the faces, and straight walled front to back, which requires no wedge at all when careully made as the wood recovers from being compressed.

On my Albion Type L the eye is straight. The Hanweii short is a funnel that is 1/8 inch larger at the top. On the L I tapped the lugs closed at the bottom and wider at the top. So you see the wedges are not that large. Hopefully you will get alot of compression from very dry softer wood wedges, which are always trying to swell back. eventually it gets really wet and smahes everything beyond recovery, in the cold by the fire it gets really dry and wedges fall out. If you drop the handle through the top like a pick-axe, then jarring from impacts will work it loose. If you don't tamp it tight every few strokes then like a pick axe the head threatens to loose and slide down the handle.

It was funnel by friction only I was questioning and your caution against doing it.For the above reason. I wondered what I had overlooked, because fitted through the bottom, with a bottom shoulder and wedges I have found to be much better.I feel comfortable with it.

Alex Ren, what axe did you get?