How to Make an Ice Ax

An ice ax is a tool used in mountain climbing. The ax cuts through ice and snow on frozen peaks. The ice ax also features an adze for digging into hard snow. A spike on the ax is used like a piton. The spike gives the climber added support.

Things You'll Need

• Iron or steel bar
• Short wooden pole
• Forge or other source of high heat
• Anvil
• Hammer
• Files
• Lathe
• Chisels
• Gouges
• Spike or large nail

Instructions

1. To make an ice ax you need to begin with the head. The head consists of a blade at one end and an adze at the other. The blade is toothed to allow it grip and chop ice and snow. To fashion the head you will start with a small iron or steel bar. The bar should be the approximate length of the head. You will need a forge, or hot furnace, to heat up the metal. You will also need an anvil or similar metal block on which to shape the heated metal. A hammer will be used to pound the head into shape.

2. Heat the bar on your forge. Iron is red hot at approximately 700 degrees Celsius. The temperature will be slightly different if you are using steel. Steel is actually the stronger of the two forms of iron. Most commercially manufactured ice axes are of steel or titanium. Red-heat makes it possible to bend and shape the bar. When your bar is red hot take it off the forge and place it on the anvil. Beat it with a hammer until it obtains a roughly crescent shape. The finished head will bend slightly downward over the handle. Each side will stick out several inches beyond the handle. The blade part will stick out about twice as far as the adze. The blade will also curve much more noticeably.

3. Hammer each side of the head into its proper shape. An adze is chunky and flattens out into an ax-like blade. You need to beat the blade end almost flat. In between the blade part and the adze part, hammer part of the bar into a cylinder that stands out perpendicular to the rest of the head. This will be the part that fits into the top of the handle. It should point downward. Make small holes on both sides to receive screws. Next try to shape teeth into the blade of your ice ax. You can use a thin hammer and chisels to beat the blade against an edge that will shape the teeth. Dip the head in water. Let it cool. You can use your files to further shape and sharpen the teeth. You can also use the file to sharpen the edge of the adze.

4. Begin to make your handle of your ice ax. Take the wooden pole and place it on a lathe. Use your chisels and gouges to cut and shape the pole into a handle. Basically you want to flatten it out somewhat. Make it fit well in your hand. Try it out as you are working on it. When the handle is the right shape you want to take it and carve a depression into the top. Take the handle off the lathe. You can use gouges to shape the depression. Sand and finish the completed handle. Next you need to put a spike into the base of your handle. Drive a spike or large nail into the middle of the base of the handle. Make sure the spike or nail is not so large that it splits the wood. If possible, find something you can actually screw into the base of the handle. It will hold better this way.

5. Attach the head to the handle of your ice ax. The cylinder that projects downward from the head should fit snugly into the depression at the top of the handle. If the head does not fit deeply enough extend the depression into which it fits. You will also want to fasten it with screws. Drive screws through it on both sides. The head must be secure on the handle. Make sure it is properly balanced.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure the head of your ice ax is secure. You do not want it to fly off when you use it.

Resources

• Climbing Gear Super Store