# Ash wood and tool handles



## Davidadew (25 Nov 2009)

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 (25 Nov 2009)

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 (25 Nov 2009)

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. (25 Nov 2009)

waterhead37":15xzv1ru said:


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



:shock: :shock: :shock: What?

Mike


----------



## tulsk (25 Nov 2009)

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 (25 Nov 2009)

Mike Garnham":3vgnz35k said:


> waterhead37":3vgnz35k said:
> 
> 
> > " Ash.... is still used for otter-spears ........ "
> ...



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 (25 Nov 2009)

Davidadew":1c06u02x said:


> ......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 (25 Nov 2009)

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. (25 Nov 2009)

RogerS":1q39mv20 said:


> Davidadew":1q39mv20 said:
> 
> 
> > ......for example with oak some is suitable external grade, some just internal grade ......
> ...



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 (25 Nov 2009)

Mike Garnham":2zvj8po7 said:


> 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 (25 Nov 2009)

Thanks, Mike, for the clarification.


----------



## Davidadew (25 Nov 2009)

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


----------



## disco_monkey79 (25 Nov 2009)

> 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 (25 Nov 2009)

kenf":25q1tc5h said:


> 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 (25 Nov 2009)

frugal":1evnnduj said:


> 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 (26 Nov 2009)

RogerS":30iu64md said:


> Davidadew":30iu64md said:
> 
> 
> > ......for example with oak some is suitable external grade, some just internal grade ......
> ...



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 (26 Nov 2009)

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 (26 Nov 2009)

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 (27 Nov 2009)

kenf":1bprnfes said:


> 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 (27 Nov 2009)

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


----------



## squib (27 Nov 2009)

Great link,interesting to see him hitting the right end to seat the head .


----------



## zapofrog (7 Dec 2009)

Hi all, 
Just decided to make a new handle for an old pound axe blade my landlord gave me. I am not a woodworker. Found a few tips online, well in fact I found everything I know about it online, including this forum.

Bryony Driver recommends using green wood to shape the handle before seasoning (link below) and I have conveniently found a fallen ash branch nearby. 

Branch is 3-3.5'' in diametre (9cm). Is this big enough to start?

Can I use the heart wood or should I try to only use the wood where the grain runs in parallels? 

Thanks
http://members.lycos.co.uk/handforged/handles.html
Great video here 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6XVva3BYVE


----------

