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Riven Hardwood Handle Stock
Tool handles take shock along their length, so handle makers split them from straight logs of tough woods such as ash and hickory: a split follows the grain, and a handle whose fibres run end to end does not snap where sawn grain runs out. Rive the blanks green, shave them roughly to size, and let them dry before final shaping.
Beginner
Half a day, plus months drying
Instructions
1
1
Cut a billet
Cut a billet
Saw a straight, knot-free ash or hickory log to the handle length plus 5 cm.
Materials for this step:
Hardwood Logs1 pieceTools needed:
Crosscut Saw
Tape Measure2
2
Split it
Split it
Split the billet in half with the splitting axe, then into quarters and eighths with the froe and mallet, until each blank is a little larger than the handle.
Tools needed:
Splitting Axe
Froe
Wooden Mallet
Safety Glasses3
3
Shave to rough size
Shave to rough size
Clamp each blank in the shaving horse and remove the bark and the pith edge with the drawknife, following the grain.
Tools needed:
Shaving Horse
Drawknife4
4
Seal and dry
Seal and dry
Seal the ends and dry the blanks indoors, spaced apart, until the moisture meter reads close to the room's level.
Materials for this step:
End Sealer (paraffin wax)0.1 literTools needed:
Moisture Meter5
5
Final shaping
Final shaping
When dry, true the blanks with the spokeshave and store them ready for handles.
Tools needed:
SpokeshaveShaving HorseMaterials
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- 0.1 literPlaceholder
Tools Required
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- 1 vendor sell this, none ship to you yetPlaceholder
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