Time for the handle. First off, I cut out the piece I'm going to use from the main block. The first layer in the handle is Filipino ebony.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiljkamnU3iFziegZGbe1CFEIpw6NM-EZcWSy8uUwcsgNOMHUh00MqEefn4SRS6P8y-mMGIefdzyOM__hRxhpc93YiqrFCKIP_rEY8KUiyGdc_jz4oiMsLW8imbEFevzmLUMmfBerH_wCe8/s400/badeaux24.JPG)
Then I smooth up the sides and get everything as flat as I can. I use a variety of tools for this, but primarily use wood rasps and my belt grinder. I did try this Harbor Freight mini-plane for the first time. It actually did all right.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGXPhc4jMhxwFFAOqPTO2F2BEpuWAqP2t4gbCGblI1pnQrHX3URr0n5TVn94gh4hGE8zRw-K_fzI5XJYfJzck3BgPG-GlsVrNtm_METQ6T9l3GTnXhRCWMdc8RAqjKZ4O-ClmveIKMMGL/s400/badeaux25.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiblpBRF4Ap1f6Mj_tcvGzanGtUBaQdw8HlHq0AA3YQtdvtNH9TkVdyagBfMhCq7iNrN7ahgeAEPlnJjBWocBd3dHtXv59mRUNpzcAm-_-ApqEOo6J395WhW30ba57YT0czR-N_fr-fKmc/s400/badeaux26.JPG)
After the ends are flat, I drill the hole for the tang and widen it out with a mortising chisel I made form a hay rake tine.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3OioL2GKPFBa2W2foD2tWX8AzwvUV-dDKkaFyCGpdTZlOTfJBqUPjZpkkbl3YY6P-3fDNZd_s9KemDS_U5zJBUR7eCru1yrzRwph_JKYgybY4lbYv-TUG9cWbqPQVyk5fSoT40nvuzU-n/s400/badeaux27.JPG)
Once it fits right, on to the next layer: osage orange, a.k.a. bois d'arc or the Texanized "bodark". You can see that it starts lemon yellow and ages to a burnt orange.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbReg_Tn4GjipRKG3rimXUyOnP9Kf214w2H77spwPlkhVo8UDBjS9SdA86lhE3xH_fs5IjirSXnb8X6hSTSggKWilkg2z3oMxifWU4A3PqfxxDdm0tX5xRgQVoJ7Xij0_ERr7KlPcsj0EV/s400/badeaux28.JPG)
The same process is followed. Afterwards, I fitted two stainless steel spacers, which was all kinds of not-fun. I finally got them to work out, though, and moved on to the end piece, some desert ironwood. This is very hard, dense, beautiful, and on the expensive side. I think I actually ended up using a piece out of another chunk that I had, but this gives you some idea.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsAOVlagF67Jos9xMkh4HbmQwkj0GQCB6FGLvyvo60cd9Zy7h6acAeI7H8VCDOLeU-PguUixQgwzan_n21qyrXeq0xpeOTXYSIJSRtHMJBqmIzSK-djrz6Jw5THb2eufgcGp1MeHLFL3P/s400/badeaux29.JPG)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpf92wv2ITPdY2rCkoeiP84mdkHmlonegYIBS2XUaDksEh3y7-y5v-B3qV_zQR5nxRgk_0wYqZHUIC7m5S3zKWq1XnuXPhGYWi369iWKIh-JrefXYzYXWKP4pCrDXdU2vJnP8nVwS9OATb/s400/badeaux30.JPG)
After some initial shaping to cut down on the work needed done after the epoxy has set, here's everything dry-fitted. I am working with the angled saw cut on the ironwood. It's coming out a bit differnt of a handle shape than I drew, but it'll be nice and comfortable once I've shaped it down.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBvHr9VqZnVdzmr3VJreKLJnef4cGpxVKXQvJLsndjWzuP_RUMefa2B02mmaRy5TQGsiwiQLleLaPUt-iwytRfiwVOjXvpD7k-kekMprj3qyymH5m2zdSWtDw0RfivkmkK7DX5zkowGCv6/s400/badeaux31.JPG)
I went ahead and rasped down some of the bulge on the Filipino ebony with a rasp.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJdbSqFICNgSmPo505l4srsEZXwDx70CZrdQrDfC6BM32GwWusPSlkRqk477NxawYGk6S6mVD6LyCN8qSpZQnrCHdj2hkoGBXxiMdBALiFn9lj8I0mUMI_9wk-9XTF-0QeASiEysc6KSAc/s400/badeaux32.JPG)
Then I took everything apart and cleaned it with rubbing alcohol. I roughed up the tang with a file, giving plenty of surface area for the epoxy to stick to.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCbiFZ_WlLKEwgV77iAm-QIwCTyYVVJXDi5ub5Lh4GXUbeGB60nyLhB6aDIAn3ETVVSzXJIX9Op6FhJRS3iVVN4E9b4ItC1MPq9gZezsOu7JyR-yIl5uDt6KlKSLsPZxxbVEvgu4SkigYg/s400/badeaux33.JPG)
I mixed the epoxy on a slick piece of paper (actually a left-over invitation to an art show for one of the artists at the Hausmann Millworks where my shop is located - it was his suggestion) with a little piece of wood I cut. I made sure that each surface was well-slathered with epoxy, applied epoxy to the tang, and let the epoxy run into the tang-holes of each piece of wood. I popped air bubbles in the epoxy of the end-piece, making sure it was filled before I stuck it on the end of the tang.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8f577ZhpAxF5o0BdrTYyf89m3f3CVNOD7MCCWtC9biqECNWZ_vdXRug15URmDXeRKKD9g-JE446Xtwj3sBxb-697NimuipXgtXu1QM3uTAo6UpAglxdJGlfp5b-5u7Oa9JBkn6zwiPO0l/s400/badeaux34.JPG)
Finally, I used two blocks of wood and the cross slide table of my Grizzly benchtop mill/drill to compress everything together and hold it overnight. I've never tried this before. I think I like this approach, although a carpenter's clamp might be easier. I actually saw someone post a picture recently doing the same thing using a caulk gun and a block of wood to clamp.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIguJo4AOXU5CTqU6Ua6hhGKHG0u5OSmRZuqUE9hp2tUc7jmuZ9ntSmnpK2pzgCulE_VBySSXnEqwyRfMln-TWU9HFWIE-J52zkFaIyu617cGMrboZe6g6jmigaE6uA-IunYNe_MOwP1Em/s400/badeaux35.JPG)
Alcohol-soaked paper towels helped clean up excess epoxy. Tomorrow I'll work on shaping the handle.