Axe Handle Lathe

Here's an uncommon machine.. axe handles, baseball bats, wagon spokes can all be made automatically with it. Lots of fine-tuning yet to do.

[@russwabuda1556]

thank you for taking such an interest in our older brothers' machines. with you, and men like you these treasures are one step closer to lasting forever. i wish you lived next door.

[@janetcohen9190]

Very interesting. Kudos for saving and reviving vintage machinery. You are also saving knowledge, talents and skills whilst doing so. 🎉🎉🎉

[@42lookc]

Man, that is one impressive machine. Such ingenuity. Thanks for saving it! Looking forward to more applications of it. Canthook handles, splitting maul handles, wagon wheel spoke repair, staircase railing spindle reproduction, Queen Anne or Queen Victoria chair or table leg reproduction... The possibilities are endless!

[@rexmyers991]

These duplicating cutter machines are amazing. For many years the business next door to ours manufactured wooden aircraft propellers using this type machine. The master propeller templates were only half of a propeller. The machine would carve half of the propeller blank then the operator would reposition the blank end for end - reinstall it in the machine and run the master template again. This insured that both blades were carved to the exact same twist (or pitch). They usually made only a 1/4” depth of cut on each pass so it would take about an hour to produce one propeller. That are out of business now but a company here in Florida is still manufacturing wooden propellers for small aircraft and for airboats.

[@coldspring624]

Great example of old iron.

[@RustyInventions-wz6ir]

Very interesting. Never seen anything like it. Love old machinery. I would love to have one like it

[@johngibson3837]

Always wondered about copy lathe's and how barley twist spindles were made so was super interested having this video pop up, got to the bit when you said it needs stuff doing and was then disappointed thinking have to wait for more episodes and then suddenly it's working, excellent job mate and thanks for sharing appreciated

[@lv_woodturner3899]

A fascinating machine. The cutter take a BIG bite. It would be scary if one of the cutter edges flew off. Thank for sharing.

[@tobhomott]

This is making me want to dust off and repair my old hatchet head patterns... What a cool machine!

[@allangibson8494]

Copy lathes were also used for making rifle stocks. Traditionally the prototype used for mass production was significantly larger than finished product to ensure they were rigid in a production environment.

[@angosadic5520]

Keep up the great videos Very interesting machinery Thanks

[@timdyer6196]

Thank you for sharing. Looking forward to the next video

[@jsvallee567]

that machine is awsome a other great learning video

[@BrianRust89]

Very very cool!! I have always wanted to find one of the old aluminum patterns some of the old lathes would use. Amazing machine! I hope to find one one day!

[@stevenowell]

If I could make money doing that I would happily keep that machine busy whenever I felt like it

[@wesbrackmanthercenthusiast4695]

Engle coach shop of jolliet Mt built one of these to duplicate axles and spokes for horse drawn equipment except his uses an angle grinder to really hog off the material at a good pace

[@johnwolf4023]

A shop I used to work in had a similar machine. The frame and carriage were of wood with some cast iron pieces, legs cast iron. The cutter was a very thick circular saw blade, about 8" diameter. A stack of them came with the machine, they did not leave as nice of a cut surface as yours. The cutter head was mounted in front, so as to be even scarier, the feed was by a drum and cable that winched the carriage through the cut. It was thought to be from the 1850's, there was no clue as to who had made it.

[@tractorrescueranch3682]

Thanks for sharing with us I always wondered how they made ax handles before CNC machinery

[@plainnpretty]

It’s a cool old lathe . Now there isn’t an excuse for having a bad handle in your axe . I hope we get to see this one hooked up in the line shaft shop . Thanks

[@garymucher4082]

I always like see such interesting machines and how they work. Looking at this I get the feeling that it could also duplicate rifle shocks as well. Still would have to channel them out but the outsides would be shaped... Thumbs Up!

[@richardcarlson5189]

You have quite a shop! May God bless

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

Very cool! You can remove that chain and take it to a Fastenall or other chain supplier (for size/pitch matching) and get what are called "half links" that allow you to take up slack of less than a full link; very inexpensive. You may not need to build a tensioner for that.

[@smaggies]

Amazing historical machinery, Thanks, do some more research and will be happy for future operations. :)

[@mrploppy73]

loved seeing this. just a thought if you position both blank and handle off center it may have better clearance

[@burninpwder76]

I have also heard these generically called tracer lathes also. you can make anything you can make a pattern for. hatchet and hammer handles. decorative railing pieces. we had one that someone made a more pointed tracer bar and cutters and used it for furniture pieces and also probably of more interest to you...They are excellent at making flat belt pulleys just make a pattern with the correct crown and you can easily duplicate it :)

[@Thevintagemachinist]

Very good, I used to make rifle stocks this way in highschool

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

Modern wooden airplane and airboat propellers are made on dupli-carvers *very* similar to this machine.

[@larrykerr7712]

Wow very interesting Keep up the good work

[@jwhayes1965]

Duplicating lathe… They had one at Silver Dollar City which was powered by steam. Used it to make baseball bats, rolling pins, and numerous other items. Unfortunately there was a fire a few years back and I don’t think they were able to save it but I’m not positive.

[@odiesclips7621]

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing.😊

[@danielboughton3624]

I'd probably look at making a pattern and running the blank through a bandsaw so the lathe doesn't work so hard. It should allow for one pass with a much smaller cut.

[@scottkarjala]

like you shop setup, I want one!

[@peterputnam3804]

Used a similar machine to turn out gunstocks at a gun manufacturing company.

[@demolitionman9307]

That lathe probably can copy rifle stocks too ..

[@grumpyg9350]

Wow. Great video.

[@rogerhodges7656]

I have seen one of these before. Interesting machines.

[@job38four10]

Interesting, I didn't know there was such a machine.... Where do you getting 110 and 220 volts? That was long gone in ME 40 years ago, we no have 120 and 240 volts......

[@napalmholocaust9093]

Got a sledge head in front of me now. Didn't like the price of handles so It is my riveting anvil now. Putting walnut scales on a little bucksaw blade patch knife with brass pins. I like the copier. Did anyone ever have two axis panel copiers before 1900?

[@RustyorBroken]

Are those horseless carriage wheels original to the machine as well?

[@rack1850]

A belt to a pto turned the axe handle very fast . No one stood there and turned the wheel to make it work.

[@movingforward6099]

pretty cool !

[@scottkramer7431]

Cool machine. Where can I get one?

[@stevenowell]

yes, uncommon for sure

[@napalmholocaust9093]

Flat left or right hewing axes have bent handles but they are green cut and tied to a heavy shingle of wood, then wedges are pounded where the crook needs to be below the head. It isn't much, just enough to not shred your knuckles flattening a log cabin wall or floor and cut flat comfortably.

[@castironmachines]

@@napalmholocaust9093 thanks! Never knew how that was done

[@AdamBechtol]

Thx.

[@jimthesoundman8641]

Anyone else think he looks like a young John Lennon?

[@marttimattila9561]

I have seen copy lathe that made wooden Leg protes wery much needet after the war.

[@Millhouse24]

Brilliant production copy machine! Copying what was originally done by a skilled hand.

[@art1muz13]

20:09 Why dinnit you oil the zirks?