Ash wood and tool handles

[Davidadew]

I am soon to be making some tool handles out of ash which need to be strong for high impact tools such as hammers etc. - I don't want the handles to break obviously.

I have some nice ash wood in store but am not sure if all ash wood is suitable for tool handles or just some - for example with oak some is suitable external grade, some just internal grade and was wondering if same applied to ash? If I cut a piece seem very resilient to knocks, breaking, bending etc. but want to make sure that it really is suitable as it is for a paying customer.

Any comments about direction and quality of grain apart from the obvious - i.e. it needs to go along the direction of handle and be knot free?

 

[BigShot]

http://www.africanarcher.com/axeCraft.html

Have a look at Figure 6 for a bit about the grain in a handle - straight isn't all it needs to be - the lines should run parallel to the stroke of the tool too... it'll be clearer from the image on that page though.

 

[Chris Knight]

Ash is one of the very best woods for tool handles. Either fraxinus excelsior or fraxinus americana will do fine. The latter is used for baseball bats in the USA and you will find this said about excelsior here.

"As a timber tree, the Ash is exceedingly valuable, not only on account of the quickness of its growth, but for the toughness and elasticity of its wood, in which quality it surpasses every European tree. The wood is heavy strong, stiff and hard and takes a high polish; it shrinks only moderately in seasoning and bends well when seasoned. It is the toughest and most elastic of our timbers (for which purpose it was used in olden days for spears and bows and is still used for otter-spears) and can be used for more purposes than the wood of other trees. "

 

[MikeG.]

" Ash.... is still used for otter-spears ........ "

:shock: :shock: :shock: What?

Mike

 

[tulsk]

The best stuff to use for tool handles is fast grown Ash, with as few growth rings as possible: e.g Coppiced Ash. More mature wood and especially Olive Ash is supposedly less desirable for the purpose.As stated above, select stock that allows the grain to run parallel to the shape of the finished handle.
Cheers John

 

[frugal]

" Ash.... is still used for otter-spears ........ "

:shock: :shock: :shock: What?

Mike

You know. You take your otter, insert the ash shaft. Then you stab the otter end into the river until it catches a fish for you. It is a well know west country past time, like yoghurt weaving.

 

[RogerS]

......for example with oak some is suitable external grade, some just internal grade ......

???? Am I missing something? Oak is oak is oak, isn't it ?

 

[kenf]

The last episode of Ray Mears series on Canada included a sequence of him making an axe handle in the wild from a split log of poplar. He did quite a good job with only another axe and his culy knife. The technique was quite interesting.

 

[MikeG.]

......for example with oak some is suitable external grade, some just internal grade ......

???? Am I missing something? Oak is oak is oak, isn't it ?

No.

American Red Oak is porous and non-hardy. It can only be used inside. Turkey oak is brittle, unstable and weak and is only any use for fencing. American White Oak is, frankly, a bit dull, but useful indoors or out. English oak is the prince of all timber........

Mike

 

[frugal]

American Red Oak is porous and non-hardy. It can only be used inside. Turkey oak is brittle, unstable and weak and is only any use for fencing. American White Oak is, frankly, a bit dull, but useful indoors or out. English oak is the prince of all timber........

What about European Oak? Is that the same species at English Oak?

 

[RogerS]

Thanks, Mike, for the clarification.

 

[Davidadew]

Been out in workshop - many thanks for all your responses, this is excellent and many thanks for all your helpful comments.

 

[disco_monkey79]

You know. You take your otter, insert the ash shaft. Then you stab the otter end into the river until it catches a fish for you. It is a well know west country past time, like yoghurt weaving.

Genius! That's dinner sorted, then!

 

[TheTiddles]

The last episode of Ray Mears series on Canada included a sequence of him making an axe handle in the wild from a split log of poplar. He did quite a good job with only another axe and his culy knife. The technique was quite interesting.

I've also watched him make a spoon in a similar way, cutting the branch with a saw, splitting it with an axe, shaping it with a knife, forming the bowl with a gouge and finishing with sandpaper, yet he hadn't got a spoon! :roll:

Ash is perfect for tool handles, straight is nice just don't varnish it, it goes like pine

Aidan

 

[Richard Findley]

What about European Oak? Is that the same species at English Oak?

As I understand it, Euro is the same species but is more "Farmed" and so grows into straight tall trees, which makes nice straight but bland and boring wood. English stuff tends to be less managed and allowed to grow as it does and so is far more interesting.

Richard

 

[Benchwayze]

......for example with oak some is suitable external grade, some just internal grade ......

???? Am I missing something? Oak is oak is oak, isn't it ?

Up to a point Roger, yes.

As an example, bole wood is superior to bough wood, and usually, the nearer the heart of the bole the better the timber; given proper drying/kilning practices.

I had a set of 'Indian Clubs' made from oak. They took a hammering over the years, but apart from dings, no trouble. I gave them to an RN 'Club-swinger'.

Regards
John

 

[Richard T]

Ash is the only wood I consider making impact handles from, I don't know why every decent manufacturer seems to think that Hickory is the best, I've shattered a few hickory maul handles to date.
And my Pa in law's neighbour recently did the same with his axe. I've just finished this ash replacement.

At no point does the grain pass through the length of the handle at a sharp angle, and some of the grain runs from end to end so that the shaft can't break diagonally. This is very important and quite difficult to find in a long piece - much easier to find a good short handle within a piece of wood.

 

[matthewwh]

That's a really nice piece of work Richard, very impressive.

Just the thing for preparing a fire to cook your otter speared fish with watercress salad and freshly woven yoghurt dressing in fact!

 

[bugbear]

The last episode of Ray Mears series on Canada included a sequence of him making an axe handle in the wild from a split log of poplar. He did quite a good job with only another axe and his culy knife. The technique was quite interesting.

But the whole thing was entirely deceptive - the wood was butter-soft (hence the handle will be useless) and the edits made it look like it took ten minutes!

BugBear

 

[llangatwgnedd]

My grandfather always re legged his own colliery tools, mandrel (small pick) sledge and axe all out of oak, I still have his axe.

Cracking video of an old gent legging a axe with a penknife and smoothing with glass.

Link