Thread: Grain alignment for an adze handle

I might be wrong (it happened once before), but I think if you had an old one to check, you'd find it was made from a curved piece of timber. Much more robust that way. And the curved timber would be almost worthless otherwise.

Cheers,
Joe

I'm with Joe
the timber should be curved and ideally riven and shaped with a draw knife or shave rather than sawn and sanded

Maybe something 'whippier' than Mtn Ash would be advisable; Fraxinus or Willow?

Originally Posted by rsser

Maybe something 'whippier' than Mtn Ash would be advisable; Fraxinus or Willow?

What I was thinking.
Cheers,
Jim

My research when I was rehandling my adze suggested that the traditional timber for adze handles in Oz was Spotted Gum.


Screwing up in new ways every day

Originally Posted by rsser

Maybe something 'whippier' than Mtn Ash would be advisable; Fraxinus or Willow?

locally, Crows Ash and Spotted Gum are noted as useable for tool handles
Imports would be Hickory or European Beech

Curved grain and spotted gum makes a pretty good handle. Pecan is also an option.

Spotty would be good. Now being sold in some garden supplies places in the form of sleepers I'm told. Could be hard work to bend.

Crow's ash: smooth grain, good oil content, lovely colour.

Spotted Gum is certainly used a lot for handles, but I don't like it at all! It can be lethal if it decides to splinter, which it does frequently & with gusto. I reckon many of our wattles make far better handles They finish to a nice, smooth surface, which is much kinder on the hands. Because of their growth habit, it's also easier to find one with curves of about the right dimensions so that you can get continuous grain through your axe or adze handle. I believe "Hickory" Wattle or Lightwood (A. implexa) was much favoured for handles where it occurs in trees of suitable sizes...
Cheers,

Good point.

Plenty of Myall a day's drive from Adelaide!

http://www.fpc.wa.gov.au/content_mig...ern_myall.aspx

usually the curve of the handle is not huge and its fine to orient the grain so its parallel to the length of the head ie, the direction of travel when you swing it, though if the wood is green then the handle may get a slight sidways curve. Either way you don't swing and adze like an axe, so in the grand scheme of things it won't really matter.

of course you could rive and steam bend one but not really worth the hassle.

I agree with Steve. My spotty-handled adze has remained unsplintered and wholesome to use despite not really having grain following the handle exactly.

Spotted gum can be quite variable dependant upon soil type and aspect. A slow growing tree on hard, drier country usually has a much tighter grain. I have two adzes, both with spotted gum handles from very tight grained timber. I fitted the handles about 25 yrs ago. They are as smooth as an infants posterior.

Olla Fella,

i just picked up a restored adze from Sneddens Rural Fencing Products for Farm Fence Australia Quality Fencing Products Australian Made at a field day, and the grain ran the same way as i does in an axe ie? from cutting edge to pole.

indecently if you want to cheat (like me ) you can very much still buy one

Cheers,

Matt