Seeking advice.

[witchscauldron]

Today I bought a piece of fairly thin red oak, with the intent of starting the process of making my own wooden athame(s). I know the wood is hard and fairly difficult to carve, but I think I have the blade fairly well figured out - I need a scroll saw and preferably a belt sander, but sandpaper'll do fine as well. I have used all of those things before, so I won't be in too much physical danger. If I had access to a Dremel tool life would be gooooood.

No...what I'm concerned about is finding a way to make a handle, and how to attach it to the blade. I want one of those nice handles - wider in the center than the ends, smooth and round, as on most athames. I am also thinking possibly of one blade without a crosspiece, and two with. How does one put a crosspiece on separately? How does one attach the blade period? O_o

Again, Dremel would make life gooood. I will want to put some symbols on these athames. And then there's staining the handles, and the blades...not sure if I'd clear-coat them, or stain them a different tone from the black handles. This is a major investment I'm starting, I think.

Not sure where I'll get access to any of this stuff. Wonder if I know any teenage boys who are good at woodshop. Hell...if I could just find one who could let me into the woodshop, I could probably figure this out for myself. I do know how to use most of the tools.

But - I really have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to handles. Any help?
-M.

Comments

[misslynx.livejournal.com]

I have a wooden athame - you've probably seen it - and I didn't have to attach anything, I just carved it as one pice. Blade, handle, and tang, are all one piece of wood. I had my stepfather cut it into a rough cross shape and then I did all the rest by hand-carving, mostly with a utility knife. So you don't necessarily need a whole lot of tools to make a wooden athame, or any complicated attachment techniques.

But I do have a Dremel tool, and a woodburner, should you ever happen to want to use them when you're in town.

[morgandria.livejournal.com]

Mmm. There's an idea. This wood is fairly thin, tho - it would feel sort of flat, to me. I should have a look at yours more closely before I start.

Always have to do things the hard way, I do. >_< I have uncles and other relatives who could help me out with this - they carve and woodwork for a living/hobby sort of idea. I almost asked if one of them would do it for me, but it felt like cheating.

Oooo!! Lynna has crafty tools! Now I really wish I lived closer! >_<
Mm. Trying to convince Jason he needs to do arts and crafts on the 25th...

[starfallz.livejournal.com]

The tang of the knife is the part that extends into the handle, so there would be no attaching it to the blade, you just carve it as one peice. I was thinking you could take some other, perhaps softer, wood, and carve two halves for the handle and fit them around the tang and fasten, either with bolts or pegs through (simple enough to start with a drill) or glue with wood glue and/or wrap leather cords around to hold together. My intial thoughts on the idea any way.

[morgandria.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about much the same thing as I fell asleep last night. :p