Steam Bending Handles for Broadaxe (Bloody Knuckle)

[2bitaxe]

Hello gentleman,

Does anyone have any luck steam bending an s-curve into a broadaxe handle?  I picked up a new handle from the Hickory Handle Store on eBay that is a straight dog leg, so to speak, but I like to hold the axe right up by near the axe head. My handle has a very slight bend here, not enough clearance for my knuckles... so I end up holding it further back than I'd like. I really want to get right up on it, and hold the axe right near the head. So, I'm thinking of steam bending a more pronounced curve.

Just wondering if anyone has done this and if you have any tips for me. I'd like to do it the way the old-timers did it. My barn doesn't have electricity so old school methods would be appreciated.

Tom

[2bitaxe]

Also adding this to simulate what might happen if I kept going.

[beenthere]

You might try the steam bending on the handle in the axe now. Some steam boxes have been shown on the forum.

Better to select some ash wood, hand split the handle, pick the piece with the natural grain bending where you want it, and shape it to fit the axe.  But that is a lot of work.

Sometimes you can find a handle in the handle bin at the store that has the right bend (rejects if for a straight axe application). But the stars need to align just right to make that work too.

Or keep plenty of band-aids if continuing to use the handle and method you have. ;) ;)

[Brian_Weekley]

For those interested (since it's often hard to find reasonably priced broad axe handles)...I've purchased a few pre-bent broad axe handles from the House Handle Company for about $8.00 each.  They also have a nice assortment of handles for other axes and tools.

http://www.househandle.com/

[jimparamedic]

I bent mine with a plywood form and lots of clamps before it was hefted. Once you have the form made you can do left and right handed handles. I would post pics but I loaned my form to a friend need I say more.

[2bitaxe]

For those interested (since it's often hard to find reasonably priced broad axe handles)...I've purchased a few pre-bent broad axe handles from the House Handle Company for about $8.00 each.  They also have a nice assortment of handles for other axes and tools.

http://www.househandle.com/

I didn't see any s-style ones on their website. Just the dogleg curve I got on mine.

I heard you can wrap a towel around it and slowly vice it. Making a jig sound like a good idea Jim. Anyone have advice or experience doing this?

Do people put s-curve bends in broad axe handles? The other vintage broad axe I have has a severe bend straight out to one side. Maybe an s-bend is not traditional? So many questions.

[clww]

I've never heard of an S curve on one, just the bend to one side.

[Satamax]

2bitaxe.

I've never done axe handles, but my fair share of guitar sides. Do you have an old style presure cooker?  Seb type with the rotating valve on top. Just remove the valve as you would normaly once cooked, put a tube on the end of this, i use a bit of plastic hydraulic tube which seems to cope with the heat, and feed this into a big tube like four inch or something, with both ends plugged with newspaper, and your axe handle inside. Few hours of steam, and you have about two minutes of working time, to get it in the frame or mold. Old guys use to use their ladders for the bending frame.