Thread: Axe handles

I put a new spotted gum handle (krugers i think) that had a fair bit of sap wood in it, into a unbranded old axe head (nice hard steel that really holds a edge), for our son.

I said lets go and cut that dead limb (150mm diameter) off his spotted gum, he started hoeing into it and said to me "sh^t" it jars a lot", I said it shouldn't, its supposed absorb the shock?

So silly me had went to town, F.F.S.S it jarred alright, you could hardly open your hand when you finished chopping, he was the same after finishing the limb off.

So was it the sap wood handle or just the old hard spotted gum limb, perhaps the axe handle wasn't spotted gum?

No such trouble in the cypress - yer different softer tree, thank f^&% we didn't try the dead manky "Yate" or 'Bald Island marlock" nearby, that stuff is like concrete.

A lot of variables here. Was it spotty? What make the head? How long the handle?
Sapwood in an axe handle is not good for several reasons: Shrinkage and grain maturity being the main ones. Both strength and spring will be lacking in sap wood.

Hey Rusty, it was a S.G tree, in my post it says "Unbranded axe head" , handle 800mm

You have enlightened me now - in regards to the sap wood in the axe handle.

So next time I'm in the shop I will NOT buy a handle with F%$@&! sap wood in it

Cheers
Stevo

My questions were relating to the axe itself. I can understand that a well seasoned spotty limb would be less than pleasant to bash away at.
If it was a Kruger handle it should be sap wood free. A picture of the head would help and weight.

Originally Posted by rustynail

Sapwood in an axe handle is not good for several reasons: Shrinkage and grain maturity being the main ones. Both strength and spring will be lacking in sap wood.

RN

There was a time when I would have completely agreed with you on this one, and I hasten to add that I am now referring only to Spotted Gum. When I supplied Spotted Gum to Heely Bros I initially cut it free of sap and on delivering the timber for the first time proudly announced that it was completely free of sapwood. Michael immediately said that I should include sapwood. He said,

"We make very good handles using the sapwood."

However, if another timber other than spotty is being used, Iagree it should indeed be free from sapwood. As to why the handle performed below expectations, I don't really know.

Regards
Paul

Some advice passed on to me years ago and some personal experience.....

The handle should be cut from the timber closest to the sapwood as this is younger and more flexible. The grain should run vertically through the handle. Don't use curly or short grained timber and make sure you minimise grain run out. Pick a flexible species.

Cheers
Steve.

Young wood makes a good springy handle, but not sap wood.
An easy test is to cut a thin piece of sap free outer wood, an equal piece of all sap wood and a piece of mature inner wood. Now bend em. They will all perform very differently to each other.
Bushmiller, you didn't mention what type of handles the sap wood was destined for.

rustynail

No, I can't say exactly what they were for except that the request was across the board. The sizes I cut were:

2" x 2"
3 1/4" x 2 1/4"
3" x 1 1/2"
1 1/4" x 1 1/4"

I think only the last size would have been for a handle that did not involve impact such as hoes, broom handles etc..

As I said, nobody was more surprised than me. As Spotted Gum has a very thick sapwood (up to 40mm) it meant that the recovery from a log significantly increased for me. I appreciate that this use of sapwood is quite contrary to the norm in timber milling.

Regards
Paul

Now I'm wondering why on earth one of the most susceptible Lyctus timbers would be used for handles. Lyctus borer absolutely loves spotted gum sap wood. In a pile of logs, spotty is usually the first attacked. Only the sap wood is attacked, not the true wood.
I guess it would make for a nice light axe handle