A Handmade Life: Carving Enduring Wheelbarrow Handles From Black Locust Wood

Replacing our wheelbarrow handles with storm-fallen black locust— one of the strongest woods in North America—as we continue building a handmade life in NC. When we met, one of our strongest connections was that Wheeler and I both wanted to try to live a “handmade life.” What that means for us specifically seems to be a bit of a moving target throughout our thirteen plus years together, but I think that if we had the resources (time, money, materials… did I already say time?), we would love to make everything that we use use in our daily lives. I feel this most significantly as it relates to the tools on which we rely. Even though I could probably find replacements at the nearest hardware store, having the opportunity to make and replace our wheelbarrow handles in our very own woodshop, in some ways, feels like the epitome of a of life well lived. Moreover, I am able to use wood from a locust tree that came down on our property several years ago during a storm, and I milled this log to create lumber for moments just like this. I admire and appreciate all of the crafts, but I am particularly drawn to woodworking, and in part for this reason. Wood has to be one of the most accessible mediums for making functional objects. I am deeply grateful for this access as we endeavor to build our life together. We are surrounded by trees here at the farm. Each species has distinct characteristics in its wood that make it an ideal candidate for a certain application. Locust is a very tough wood. It is difficult to mill, difficult to dry, and even harder to carve. It is one of our densest and strongest wood species in North America, and it is also extremely rot resistant. All of these properties make it an ideal material for exterior use, such as handles for a wheelbarrow- an outdoor tool. So, while I might struggle to use the drawknife of Locust, once finished, there is very good chance that I will never need to replace these handles again. I am curious to see if the steel does not rust through before the handles fail. If I am lucky, my daughter will be the one to find that out. I started woodworking when I was 22. My first job in the craft was working for a chairmaker name Brian Boggs. He hired me against his better judgment, and I am so lucky that he experienced a momentary lapse of reason. I as I have continued to explore the craft for over fifteen years since working for him, he remains one of the most talented craftspeople I have ever encountered. He was a huge part in establishing my foundation in understanding the material, methods, and techniques of working wood. In this video, I am using many of the same processes that we would use to make chair legs. The most important of these comes early, as chairs and handles both rely on proper grain orientation to ensure that the finished product will hold up to use… and occasionally, abuse. Brian is the designer of all of the spokeshaves that I use in this video, as well as the shave horse that I employ for holding the handles while carving. The man is a living legend. I probably haven’t said it enough, so thank you for everything, Brian. In terms of finishing the handles, I am not certain that there is an ideal product for outdoor applications. There are more protective solutions on the market, but it seems that everything breaks down under the sun eventually. I am mostly relying on the material to provide the longevity in the situation, but it still seems a good ideal to try and keep the surface hydrated. For that reason, I just used something that was super easy and already around in my shop. The water-based stuff (Rubio Monocoat Fumed) that I use first is just something that I like for woods that are going to stain anyway, which is true for pretty much all species that have a lot of tannins in their heartwood. This product engages the tannins right away, changing the color of the wood to something similar to where it will end up on its own. I think that the result simply helps the handles age more gracefully, but this whole step is just an aesthetic preference. #woodworking #traditionalcraft #handtools