High Five to the forehead!!!! :'(

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

OK so two summers ago I bought a pipe tomahawk head from RE Davis and a 22" "drilled handle" from a famous wood provider at Dixon's.  I finally got around to cleaning up the head and today I fit it to the haft...following some good advice from a couple of members. I ordered some thin sheetmetal for decor and thought wow! this is going to be nice.... then I looked through the bore........no light at the end of the tunnel!!!  So I stuck a rod down it and found that it was drilled from both ends and the rod would not go through!!!  Both holes are 13"  so they overlap.  I can blow air through, so there is a connection somehow between the two holes and I suppose the pipe will work......pretty hard to clean though

Am I missing something, or is this the way a pipe hawk handle should be??  I am shocked that it was sold this way for $20.00 if I remember correctly.  

Lesson learned: Inspect the merchandise...

[LRB]

  Any predrilled handles I have bought were a clean hole drilled from one end only, but the blank handle was a true 2"x2", giving you room to adjust the handle shaping to what would work out for you.

[B.Barker]

Dr I've only bought one predrilled handle and it was a sigle hole. I drill al my own now for years. I like the size 3/16" hole but the drill likes to follow the grain so I only use it for shorter handles. I use a 1/4" for longer and curly maple handles it does'nt wonder like the smaller bit. I have a very simple jig made for drilling a 2" by 2" blank.

[G. Elsenbeck]

Tim I'm sure if you contacted the seller they would surely replace your handle.  I'm surprised this one didn't pass their quality inspection and I'm sure they would be surprised too.  Hopefully they'll recognize the error and make it good to you as this shouldn't have been in their inventory to begin with despite your work on the wood.  Good luck.
Gary

[Ken G]

Tim,
Most of the predrilled handles you get will misaligned some.  The guy for Davis and the guy for Dunlap both drill them that way on the preshaped handles.  I haven't seen one so bad you could not see light through it though.  I think I'd be swapping that one out.  It will be extremely weak in that area. 

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Well, you know, I can't see light but It does smoke fine!! so it cant be too far misaligned..... Funny that I couldn't put a long piece of music wire through it........    Now all I need is some Kinikinic (Sp?)   

If I were going to do anything with it other than put it on the wall I would probably send it back......but it sure is pretty!!

[Acer Saccharum]

....I can't see light but It does smoke fine!!

Oh, man, I could have some fun with this line.......

Tom

[Chuck Burrows]

Tim - take a metal rod of smaller than the drilled hole (a coat hanger or 1/8" rod will work) heat the end to red hot and try burning through from both sides to the other - had one that sounds like yours a while back and it wasn't off center so much as they just barely broke through the web in the center - like yours I couldn't see daylight but it would draw smoke like yours - worth a try anyway

[Tim Crosby]

 While the subject is out here; is there a good/better way to drill a handle blank?
I have used an 18" jobbers bit and a home made spade bit working slowly from both ends with OK results, may be 85+%. Tried starting with 1/8th and then going to 1/4 but I think the 1/8 wanders way to much. So far the 1/4 spade works best but I think it is pretty big. 

 Thanks In Advance, Tim C.

 

[bob in the woods]

I use a 1/8 inch brad point.  I clamp the handle to the bench, and support the bit with a channelled piece of wood; similar to drilling a ramrod hole. I found that the long bit needs that support. Go slow and it should work out OK.

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

Careful Acer, you will be giving away secrets!!

Chuck, I will give that a try. Thanks