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1st August 2020, 10:54 PM #1New Member
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Draw Knife for making axe and hammer handles
Hi, would like to make my own handles from my blacksmithing work, any advice on types of draw knives would also be appreciated. Planing on using ironbark. Thanks Ross
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2nd August 2020, 01:17 PM #2
Hi Ross
you may have more success using Spotted gum (Corymbia maculata) for your handles as the wood is "springy" enough not to jar your arm when hammering.
Ironbark (Eucalyptus paniculata) is perhaps not as suitable as while tough it tends towards being a bit brittle.
Rather than a draw knife, you may (and I stress may) find some of the chair maker's tools -- e.g. spokeshaves and similar -- more useful.
Let us know how you go.regards from Alberta, Canada
ian
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2nd August 2020, 02:39 PM #3.
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I've made several draw knives
This straight one is made from a tempered file.
Mild steel arms welded on.
Handles on this one are jarrah.
Brass ferrules are from old taps.
allwithcover.jpg
I have in the past given this one a fair old work out, mainly removing bark and preshaping blanks for turning- still going strong have only ever resharpened it once.
I have a quirk that I go by whereby I try to get each tool I make participating in it's own making so the blade on this one was used sans wooden handles to rough shape the jarrah turning blanks for the handles.
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2nd August 2020, 04:16 PM #4GOLD MEMBER
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Hey Bob, do you epoxy the handles in or something to stop them sliding off during use?
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2nd August 2020, 04:25 PM #5.
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5th August 2020, 11:42 PM #6
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6th August 2020, 03:55 AM #7
Funny you should mention that
the handle of a blacksmith's hammer is somewhere between 10" (250 mm) and maybe 20" (500 mm) long, maybe 25-38 x about 22 (inch to 1-1/2" x 7/8") oval shaped, with a belly along its length, with the hammer head weighing between 3/4 and 16 or perhaps 20 lbs. Maybe a bit heavier.
The hammer head would conventionally be attached using wedges.
The wood selected for the handle should be "springy" to absorb the recoil after striking the anvil, rather than rigid which would transmit vibrations back into the smith's arm. American Hickory is perhaps the best choice, but I understand that Spotted Gum (Corymbia maculata) and European Ash (Flaxinus sp.) are also more than suitable. I'm unconvinced that Ironbark will make a suitable "springy" hammer handle.
Given all of that, I'm not convinced that a draw knife is the most suitable tool to turn a 1-1/4 x 7/8 stick into a hammer handle. To my mind, draw knives are primarily a peeling tool. A spokeshave, on the other hand, can be set with a canted blade so that the same blade can take a thick or thin shaving just by varying where the shave's mouth sits on the stick being worked. Also, having a mouth, allows a more control over the shaving reducing somewhat the skill required to use the tool.regards from Alberta, Canada
ian
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6th August 2020, 09:16 AM #8
What you say may be true for a beginner but for someone who knows how to use a drawknife and a shaving horse it doesn’t apply.
Must admit I was of your opinion until recently having been making octagonal handles for metal shaping hammers in hickory. Holding the handle in a vice or similar and using a spokeshave of which I have a few.
At the Sydney’Lost Trades Fair’ last year I sat and watched Glen Rundell shape delicate components for the Windsor chairs he makes.
I stopped to watch as I’ve used a drawknife in the past for hogging off and a spokeshave for Fine shaping.
Ive been able to vary the depth of cut easily enough off the bevel on the knife unlike some who espouse using a knife upside down, like those who pull rather the push a shave.
Glen had absolute mastery of shaping the spindles to the point where sanding wouldn’t be required.
Using a shave horse with the work being rotated easily by foot control made it very quick.
Ive been shaping stuff for a while now and this was an eye opener for me.
I was so impressed I invited Glen to do a chair making workshop up here in Sydney this year but the virus has stopped that.
Got to keep those Mexicans south of the border, or they’ll be stealing more Wadkins off us.
H.Jimcracks for the rich and/or wealthy. (aka GKB '88)
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6th August 2020, 03:10 PM #9
You surprised me, Ian. Like Clear Out, I use a spoke shave as a serious hacking tool, especially on green timber and softer timbers. Really removes wood quickly, and fairly controlled. Less succesful on dried timber which splits more readily, so must be less ambitious with the cuts. Also, quickly becomes hard work on really hard timbers with interlocked grain (eg Tas blue gum - E globulus). Once hacked, I then follow your spoke shave regimen.
But then, wouldn't it be boring if all WW did things the same way!
PS: Agree with your comments on springyness. Down here, handles were traditionally made from horizontal - Anodopetalum biglandulosum - but now that all the small hardware stores, stock & station agencies and country general stores have disappeared, available handles are commonly american hickory or (occasionally) spotted gum, because that is what B* and M10 stock.
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14th August 2020, 11:47 AM #10
message primarily for Ross
I've just finished watching a nearly 1-1/2 hour long webinar where Peter Galbert discusses using spoke shaves and to a much lessor extent draw knives.
Highly recommend the webinar which will be up on the Fine Woodworking website for free for two weeks from tomorrow (North American time) before going behind Fine Woodworking's paywall.
Of interest to this thread, Peter Galbert demonstrates how a metal shave cuts with the grain and discusses how important it is to roll the shave backwards when finishing a cut. Peter also makes the point that he uses a draw knife on green wood, but switches to a shave when working with dry material.
If you have a chance in the next two weeks -- say between Saturday August 15 and Friday August 28 Sydney time -- watch the webinar with Peter while it's located outside the paywall.
For ClearOut (Henry) and Greame, whilst a draw knife might be a very useful tool in an experienced person's hands, I still consider that the spoke shave to be the superior tool for fine shaping of dry wood.regards from Alberta, Canada
ian
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18th August 2020, 07:14 PM #11
I too have used both drawknifes and spokshaves for chair and handle making. I use either depending on the job and the wood.
I am learning, slowley.
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20th August 2020, 11:21 AM #12GOLD MEMBER
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I sure do hope that you can find what you need. They are very quiet tools to use while you can almost think your own thoughts.
I like to use an elbow adze of Pacific Northwest First Nations design for knocking the corners off carving wood for story poles.
I plane down that roughness with a Stubai 8" draw knife.
Next, I have 2 Samona adjustable spoke shaves, one to cut thick and one to cut thin for kissing off the ridges.
They are the most satisfying to use on split staves which follow the wood grain.
You can hear them, spoke shaves in particular, "sing" in the dry wood.
Fresh/wet/green wood? Adze and draw knife for the most of it.