To those who live in own home, a tool such as a taiga ax is often needed at the dacha and on hikes. Work tool good quality is expensive and hard to find.
An ax from the market is not always of good quality. Therefore, we will make our own ax using improvised means.
Types of axes
Let's look at the variations of axes:
- A cleaver is a heavy cone-shaped axe. Due to its heavy weight, it is well suited for cutting large, hard wood.
- Carpenter's - light in weight and size, has a pointed blade. Used for careful, precise, careful work with wood.
- Taiga - suitable for cutting down trees, harvesting trees, building a hut, removing bark and branches.
- Tsalda – designed for clearing the area of bushes.
- Kitchen (cook's) - intended only for chopping bones. It is a small hatchet with a short handle and a large “blade”.
- Lumberjack - used only for cutting down trees. Consists of a long ax and a wide, sharp blade.
Of all the above types, the taiga ax is the most necessary and useful.
Distinctive features of the taiga ax:
- Light weight.
- Small piercing surface area (makes it possible to drive it as deep as possible into the wood).
- Specific sharpening of the blade (the back edge is much smaller, thinner than the front.
This feature is made in order to use this type an ax like a cleaver (if the blow is delivered correctly. A regular ax has a blade of the same shape for precise work with wood).
Making a taiga ax
Handle material
The functions of an ax are primarily affected by its shape and length. The handle must be curved shape, and the cross-section is oval.
The best types of trees for the handle are maple, oak, ash, and birch. Since these types of wood withstand vibration well upon impact.
Wood harvesting begins in autumn
Dry in dark place. Before use, wood must be stored for about one year, or better yet, five.
It is not advisable to use felled wood as it will dry out over time and will not stay in the eye.
Making a Cardboard Template
On a large cardboard sheet, outline the shape of the handle and apply it to wooden blank. The template will help us make a more accurate ax handle.
Preparing material for the handle
A block of one-year-old wood is hewn parallel to the grain. The blank for the handle should be longer than the template. We make the place that is inserted into the eyelet wider than the main part.
We outline the attached drawing on both sides, and do not forget to leave allowances. After inserting the upper part into the eyelet, we remove the excess wood.
Steps to carve an ax handle
Before cutting out the ax handle, you need to make transverse cuts, but so that they do not reach the line of the future handle by approximately 4-5 mm. Using a chisel, remove any remaining wood and excess allowances.
Ore transitions and corners are made by turning with a rasp. After the workpiece is made, sand it until smooth.
Buying a piercing part for a taiga hatchet
It is impossible to make a blade in a domestic environment. In this case, here is a list of what you need to focus on when buying it at the market or in a hardware store:
- Availability of GOST marking (indicates the quality of the steel);
- The hole for the handle (eye) should be cone-shaped;
- The blade is smooth, without defects;
Collecting an ax
- We cut the upper part of the handle lengthwise and crosswise.
- We cut five pieces from hard trees.
- We wrap gauze soaked in resin around the top of the handle for better fit into the hole of the blade.
- Using a hammer, hammer in the handle.
- We hammer the prepared pieces into the cuts at the top of the axe.
- After the structure has dried, cut off the protruding parts of the wooden pieces.
Note!
Sharpening the piercing part of the taiga ax
Excellent performance of the hatchet is ensured by a properly sharpened blade. The sharpening angle depends on the activity you will perform with the axe.
The taiga ax is sharpened at an angle of 30-35 ̊. If they will be working with fresh wood, then we sharpen it at an angle of 25 ̊.
If used for sharpening grinding wheel, then the ax handle must be held at an angle of 40-45 ̊. We reproduce the sharpening slowly and carefully.
If you have everything in stock necessary tools, photo step-by-step production ax, then its creation will not take away large quantity time, effort and money, and in return you will receive a high-quality ax made by yourself.
But do not forget that with a piercing part made of high-quality metal, the ax will last much longer and if the handle is treated linseed oil, then it will not rot and deteriorate.
Photo of ax with your own hands
Note!
Note!
The taiga ax is a special type of tool that has many differences from ordinary carpentry tools that can be found in every owner’s home. Good tool It is very difficult to find and it is expensive, so we will make the best ax with our own hands from ordinary materials. Next, we will consider the main differences, features, characteristics of the product and step by step instructions its manufacture.
Characteristics of the taiga ax and what it should be like
Since the parameters of the ax and blade are very different from the usual sizes of “household” axes and will seem unusual to many, you first need to decide what problems can be solved with this miracle device:
- Tree cutting. Felling in a sawmill, sanitary felling or preparing firewood for a log house - this is exactly what this ax was made for.
- Rough work with logs (that's right, rough!). Suitable for removing branches, making grooves, removing thick bark and similar work.
- Ax for survival. A lightweight hunting tool, suitable for quickly creating bags and animal traps.
- Construction of huts, decking, wooden houses « instant cooking" A hut will not be built without an axe, but with its help you can do it 4 times faster than when working with a carpenter's ax blade.
- Working with firewood. If accuracy is a secondary concern, then this tool is perfect for the job.
If you would like to make a tool for precision work, then it would be better to consider forged axes with a straight, long blade. They are of little use when cutting down trees, but the accuracy is very high. In addition to the quality of the “cut,” there are many differences between a taiga ax and a regular one.
Shorter rounded blade . The ax is much lighter than a regular one, and small area work surface allows you to bury it much deeper into the wood, suitable for cutting wood across the grain. The tool is much easier to carry (the ax and head together weigh no more than 1400 grams).
Presence of a long beard
. Its main task is to protect the wooden part from breaking under strong impacts. Up to 60% of the impact force is absorbed. But it does not protect against impacts against logs - this is a misconception, since the special shape of the blade already performs this function. 
Special ax sharpening
. The rear edge of the blade is almost 2 times thinner than the front. This is done for the purpose of using the ax as a cleaver (if struck correctly). IN ordinary instrument the edge has the same thickness for high precision work. 
Special angle of inclination of the ax
. The head of the taiga ax forms a much smaller angle with the ax handle. This allows you to increase work efficiency, relieve hand fatigue and increase productivity when cutting trees. The impact becomes much stronger than that of a carpenter's axe, where the head and blade are placed at an angle of 90 degrees. All taiga axes self made they try to do it with an angle of 75-65 degrees - this is their main difference. 
They use ordinary sharpening wheels, since they can be very diverse. The main thing is to observe the difference in the thickness of the leading and trailing edges, since it is this that affects the productivity of the forester.
Do-it-yourself taiga ax - making the tool head
Forge or pour metal part It won’t work at home, so let’s take the simplest route and in a few steps make a taiga ax out of an ordinary carpenter’s axe.
STEP 1: we take an old metal head from an ax, the weight of which is approximately 1400-1600 grams ( best option) and cut off the front protrusion of the blade flush with the butt. Protrusion of 5-8 degrees is allowed, but it's better to remove it if you need the right axe. 
STEP 2: we make the back of the blade round, we cut off the metal so that the entire touching surface is without corners. This can be done using an ordinary grinder or emery wheel with medium grain. 
STEP 3: cut out a semicircle in the inner part of the blade. It is necessary for a comfortable grip of the ax when it is necessary to trim something or for more precise work. With this form of an ax you can pull up small logs or hang the ax on a tree branch. In addition, you can reduce the weight of the head by 150-200 grams. 
STEP 4: cut off the upper corners of the butt. This will reduce weight and increase the maneuverability of the tool. This operation can be omitted if you are satisfied with the axe. 
Now all that remains is to choose how to sharpen the ax. It is very important to use a low-speed tool (a grinder cannot be used!). Sanding machine with large wheel and medium grit - perfect option. The sharpening must be double-sided and have a moderately sharp edge (a very sharp one will die on the first tree).
Making an ax handle with your own hands
You should not neglect the ax handle, since it is this that affects the comfort of work. The holder must be balanced, comfortable, well polished and with the correct geometry so as not to injure the worker’s hands.
The first thing you need to do is choose the right wood on an ax handle. The first and simplest option is pine. It is very easy to sharpen and polish, but is unreliable due to its high fragility. You can use birch - the best option and very affordable wood that is quite easy to find. Maple and clear - ideal option, but making a handle from such wood is very difficult in some latitudes.
The size of the ax can be at your discretion; a handle with a length of 50 to 70 centimeters (universal size) for the cleaver is recommended. A hiking option is 40 centimeters, but cutting down trees and chopping firewood is quite difficult with it. If working with an ax only involves splitting logs, then the handle can be increased to 120 centimeters - excellent impact power and productivity, but you lose in comfort of use. Next, let's look at step-by-step instructions for making an ax handle.
STEP 1: We select a wooden blank. The log should be 20 centimeters longer, and its diameter should be at least 12 cm. Without knots, rotten areas, deformations and other defects that may be present on the tree. 
STEP 2: drying wood. First you need to clear all the bark and split the lump in the middle. It is advisable to withstand for a couple of months at +22-25 degrees and 15% humidity. You should not heat it or keep it damp - this will only worsen the properties of the wood after drying, and it may become deformed. 
STEP 3: we shape the ax handle. First, you can remove all excess with a hatchet or a large knife, and all “jewelry work” is done using a chisel and a small hammer. If this is your first hand-made pen and you don’t yet know how to make an ax, then the process will take several hours, you need to check the drawings. A more experienced person will be able to cut an ax handle by eye in 20-30 minutes. You should end up with a handle something like this: 
STEP 4: Now you need to attach the ax handle and secure it. You can use gauze and epoxy resin - a proven option. After 2-3 days the instrument is completely ready for use. To be sure, after mounting the ax you can hammer in a wedge - this will be more reliable. 
STEP 5: sanding and opening with varnish. The ax handle needs to be properly processed sandpaper and open with anti-corrosion mixtures so that the wood is not damaged over time. Now the instrument will also be beautiful! 
Now all you have to do is find out what do-it-yourself sharpening is. You need to sharpen the ax handle on a machine or do it manually and you can go test the tool. True connoisseurs can also make a leather case with their own hands. A piece of leather 30 by 30 centimeters, an awl and nylon threads is all you need. Now the tool will look respectable and you won’t be ashamed to give it as a gift!
Details on how to do it taiga ax You can take a look with your own hands here:
If you have a little free time and an unnecessary spring from a truck or other car, then you can make a rather beautiful and unique knife with your own hands. It may not be completely perfect the first time, but the main thing is that it was made with your own hands. The main charm of this homemade product is that the knife can be of almost any shape, you just need to use a little imagination.
Materials and tools for homemade work:
Bulgarian;
spring from a truck;
needle file;
epoxy resin;
linseed oil.
Knife making process
Material for the blade can be obtained at any car market; sometimes cars can lose springs right in the middle of the road. IN in this case A spring from Kamaz is used. You can take it from another car, in which case the thickness of the blade will be smaller, and it will be unnecessary to reduce it manually.
Step 1. Preparing the material
Using a grinder, the author cut it into three parts, since the part has different thickness and rounded shape, you need to choose the optimal part for of this type knife That part of the spring that is ideal for the blade is sawn in half again, as a result there are two identical blanks.
Step 2. Knife Shape
You need to take the workpiece and approximately divide it into two parts in half, the knife blade itself will be made from one half, the second half will go inside the handle. The part that will be in the handle needs to be trimmed a little on both sides so that it becomes smaller and can fit in the handle.
Since the spring is approximately 8 mm thick, and there are practically no such knives, you need to sand long time reduce the thickness to the desired one. Then you need to shape the blade on the machine, preferably with a fine-grained stone, otherwise the knife will look rough and a little sloppy.
Step 3: Creating the Handle
You need to take a small one wooden block(pay attention Special attention choosing wood for the handle) and turning the handle the desired shape, in this case you need to use your imagination and imagine how you want your future knife. Using a drill and a file, a place is prepared for the part of the blade that should be in the handle. For better fastening you can use epoxy resin.
The author decided to make a combination handle using rubber, birch bark and birch burl.
Cut off the excess and sand...
After completing all procedures, you need to treat the handle. You will need linseed oil, heated in a water bath to a temperature of 70-75 degrees. In this case, the knife must first be hidden in freezer for 30 - 40 minutes. When a cold knife and warm oil are combined, bubbles begin to run along the handle, thus the air leaves the wood, and this place is filled with linseed oil. This procedure must be done several times. After this, the knife handle is placed in oil for at least a day.
Step 4. Making the sheath
You will need a small piece of leather; you need to make a pattern according to the shape of the knife. Using an awl, holes are made (since leather is a very hard material), and then the parts are sewn together with regular strong thread.
Conclusion
A car spring can make a very beautiful and quality knife. In order for the blade to cut well, you need to make an angle cutting edge about 35 degrees, in which case it will work well with wood and chop various small objects.
Since the knife is made from heavy metal, then its weight is not small, but in use this is rather a plus. You don’t need to make a primitive handle; you can show a little imagination and give it unusual shape, so it immediately becomes clear that the blade is truly unique and made by hand. This knife is ideal for hiking.