How to make an ax with your own hands

An ax is used not only for chopping wood. It serves as an indispensable tool for carpenters. With an ax they go hiking, hunting, and the ancestors, in general, used it instead of a weapon. There are many varieties of this tool, differing in size, as well as the shape of the chopping blade and handle. Now we will look at how to make an ax for household needs and a case for storing it.

Production of axes of various purposes

 It is easier to buy a carpentry tool or a wood splitter in a store. They are sold already mounted on the handle. If desired, a chopping tool can be made independently. To do this, you just need to purchase a blade.

Making a battle ax

A military weapon is also called an ax. This model is characterized by a narrow butt and a low blade. The main difference between the ax is a long handle – at least 50 cm, as well as light weight – about 800 g. There are a lot of varieties of military weapons: with a double-sided blade, a spike on the butt, etc.

The simplest battleaxe is easy to make from a carpenter’s axe. To do this, cut off the upper part of the blade with a grinder to make it straight. A hook is cut out on the lower part, and the blade is given a rounded shape. A metal blank is hardened in a fire, after which grinding and sharpening are performed. The handle is made of birch with a saw cut at the end. After mounting the head on the ax handle, a wedge is driven into the cut.

Making a wooden ax

A chopping tool can even be made from wood. It cannot be compared with a metal counterpart, but it is ideal for chopping thin brushwood on a hike. For the manufacture of an ax, hardwoods, such as oak, are used. Moreover, the workpiece must be dry, without cracks and knots. The head with an ax handle can be made in one piece or in two parts. This is how you like it. To make a wooden ax, a template is applied to the workpiece, after which you will need to apply carpentry skills. The blade of the finished tool is sharpened, after which it is lightly fired over a fire.

Making a hunting ax

In a hunting chopping tool, the correct balance of the handle is valued, which allows you to accurately strike. Experienced hunters like to use one-piece axes, completely forged from metal. They are convenient to chop animal carcasses. At home, a hunting tool is easier to make with a wooden handle. The head is taken from a carpenter’s ax and a wedge-shaped thin blade is sharpened with an emery wheel with a fine abrasive. It should be slightly rounded, but not semicircular.

The handle is cut from a birch blank. Rowan is good. At the end, a groove for the wedge is sawn. The size and weight of the handle depends on who the person will hunt:

• for small game, a light handle weighing up to 1 kg and a maximum length of 60 cm is sufficient;
• for a large animal, the handle is extended to at least 65 cm, while its weight increases to 1,4 kg.

The wedge for spreading the edges of the handle must be made of wood. Iron over time will begin to rust and fall out of the groove.

Making a taiga ax

Now we will look at how to make an ax for cutting wood or processing logs. Such a tool is called taiga, and it weighs about 1,4 kg. The tool differs from a conventional ax in the form of an ax handle. The handle is made with an elongated beard, which prevents it from breaking when applying strong blows. The blade is sharpened so that its rear edge is almost 2 times narrower than the front. The head of the taiga ax should have a smaller angle of inclination to the handle than that of the carpentry counterpart.

The video tells how to make an ax:

Making an ax handle

Now it’s time to consider how to make an ax handle from a blank of wood. For a light tool, you need an ax handle weighing 0,8–1 kg and 40–60 cm long. For a heavy tool, the mass of the handle reaches 1,4 kg, and its length is 55–65 cm.

However, the length of the handle must be selected so that the self-made tool is comfortable to use. Therefore, it is also important to take into account the height of a person, as well as his physique. For the ax handle, blanks from hard hardwoods are used: birch, acacia, ash, etc.

To make an ax handle, a template is applied to the dried workpiece. Further, woodworking tools are used: a jigsaw, a knife, a chisel, etc. Finishing is performed with sandpaper. The finished ax should fit snugly into the eye of the head. If the handle enters easily, then a marriage has turned out. Wedging will not help here, and you will have to do everything again.

Attaching the head and sharpening the blade

When the handle is ready, make a cut in the upper part with a hacksaw. Its depth is equal to half the width of the eye of the head. Next, there is a process of mounting a metal part on the ax handle. The order of the process is shown in the photo:

• the head is stuffed onto a vertically mounted handle, hitting the bottom of the ax on a wooden surface;
• when the edge of the ax is equal to the upper part of the eye, a wooden wedge is driven in, and its remaining protruding part is cut off with a hacksaw.

When the ax is completely ready, grease the handle with any oil. Let it soak in a little, and then wipe it thoroughly with a rag.

Sharpening the blade of a construction tool is performed at an angle of 20–30^о, and a carpenter’s tool – at an angle of 35^о. It is better to do this on an electric grinder. First, a wheel with a coarse abrasive is used for rough sharpening, then the blade is ground with a fine-grained bar.

Making a case for storing and transporting an ax

For safety reasons during transportation and storage of the ax, you need to make a cover. Consider three simple options:

• A ready-made ax case is easier to make from a leather briefcase or an old bag. To do this, on the material you need to draw the contours of the head with a margin. Next, with the help of a shoe hook and an awl, stitch along the markup. This completes the bag. So that the ax case can be hung on a belt, two loops are sewn on the back side. Alternatively, it is easier to cut two holes and pull the belt through them.

  

• If there are pieces of thick leather lying around on the farm, then it will be possible to carve out an excellent case for an ax from it. To do this, you need to draw a head on the material with a pencil, and then cut out two identical fragments. Next, they will have to be sewn. To prevent the cover from falling off the head, you can use the buttons to fasten two strips of leather. They should cover the butt of the ax in the stowed position.

  

• Having at hand a building hair dryer and a PVC drain, it will turn out to make a good case for an ax. The plastic blank is well heated, after which they begin to bend from the side of the butt. When the product acquires the desired shape, cut off excess pieces of plastic with scissors.

Any considered ax cover will protect a person from injury during transportation.

That’s all the subtleties of making an ax at home. During the process, it is important to remember safety precautions so as not to accidentally injure yourself on a sharp blade.