Hand Hewing Oak Staves For Axe Handles #2 of 2: HAND HEWING TIPS, Broad Hatchet, Seasoning Strategy
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- Опубліковано 11 сер 2019
- Hand Hewing Oak Rails Into Billets for Axe Handles etc, using broad hatchet, boy's axe and froe. How to Hew, techniques, scoring wood for axe carving. Seasoning & curing strategies for even drying.
ORIGINAL VID OF SPLITTING THE RAW RAILS: • Splitting Choice Axe H...
PART #1 OF THIS VIDEO: • Hand Hewing Oak Staves...
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I really appreciate you not editing out all the chopping, seeing you correct your angles and change directions helped me troubleshoot some issues I was having.
Never heard of or seen tan oak before but it looks awesome
It's hard to know what to leave in or edit, but I'm glad it worked for you. I try not to leave in excess fat, but it's always too much for some people.
When shopping for planks I often take the ones left behind by others, planks with long splits in them. These I use in furniture making after following the split as my new straight edge. With long, straight grain the jointer and hand plane leave better, smoother results and if stained the color is more even.
Any idea on when you’ll get back to these blanks Steven? Would love a series of making axe handles from scratch
gosh, soon? never? ....
I am glad you brought up slicing cuts; a super useful technique I use as a spoon and handle carver and I wanted to expand on that for viewers interested in carving or just beginning and to clarify since "context is king". It is very hard to efficiently perform a slicing cut with a flat edged axe such as that American pattern hewing hatchet you were using. The straight handle on those also adds to the awkwardness and you end up fighting the tool geometry, which looked like you were doing while trying to demonstrate.
I use slicing cuts frequently while carving to: 1- save energy , 2- deal w/ difficult grain, and 3- gain fine control when reaching my desired billet shape and size. Because of this I am not a big fan of this style of hatchet in use for carving for extended periods. They are top heavy and not well balanced unless you modify them, adding a curved handle can also help.
Something like a viking style axe with a curved handle, longer curved cutting edge, and a beard to choke up on keeps the mass of the metal much closer to your hand excels at this task which adds a kind of rocking motion to your swing. Of course in the spirit of Skillcult, you don't need an expensive hand forged viking axe to perform efficient slicing cuts but rather use that as a guide to try modifications on some garage sale axe heads if you are interested in this technique. I obviously have a lot to say about this topic as I love to experiment and delve into the finer details of hand tools so I am on the nerd train with you all the way. Love this Video by the way and glad to see you preserving some of that beautiful Tan Oak. I've never seen it up close like that before and its stunning. Keep doing what you do, its always entertaining, and enlightening.
Thanks for typing that out. Good stuff. When I do a long version of hewing technique and strategy someday, I'll get deeper into some of that stuff. In fact, i need to outline that now while I'm thinking about it after putting this one out. I rarely use curved handled hatchets anymore, so I can't really speak to that. The angle relationship of the edge to handle really is a factor though. I used a perfectly flat edged hewing hatchet one time and didn't like it at all. I think this one has just the right amount of curve for this work. I rarely use it for what I would call carving though, and it's often frustrating and sometimes to the point where it's not just annoying, but ineffective. You're totally right though, it doesn't do pull cuts very well. With the right angles,, it just sort of wants to happen. I find my regular hatchet totally adequate though for almost anything I want to do. But that is also because I've used them for so long and have barely used a carving hatchet. My recommendation for most people is to get a regular multi-use hatchet and learn to carve with it. If I have to do any kind of inside curves, I bust our my small hatchet. For making wide flat faces though it's worth bringing the broad hatchet out I think. Even for making flat faces though, I still don't want the edge 100% flat. I am able to do pull cuts with this one, but it's awkward and sometimes not that effective. The concept of using delicate, low pressure slicing cuts is super important sometimes, to make sure there is no splitting effect, just slicing cuts. With that essentially parallel relationship though, it's never awesome. Cutting across, or partially across, the grain is a similar effect, because it changes the angle of the grain to the edge, like cocking a plane sideways. it's still not the same as slicing by pulling the cuts though. maybe I should do a vid on these tools and why and when I do and don't use them and recommendations. To me its a normal small belt hatchet like the one I show here as the #1 tool. It can do everything if you learn to use it. Second I'd add the broad hatchet for this type of squaring up and rough shaping of certain work. Unless someone is super into carving or wants to do production carving, I'd forgo any specialized carving hatchets until proficiency is achieved with a standard hatchet. the skills will translate better (pretty much instantly) in that direction than from a specialized tool back to a less specialized tool. Versatility and multi-use over specialization and more extra tools. That's my minimalist thing talking though :). If I were designing a hatchet from scratch I might very well use a higher toe to create just that tiny bit of extra sweep back for working with the tip area effectively. I wouldn't favor toes that stick way out the top though, or that heavily swept back toe and curve you see on carving hatchets. I get why it's there for carving though.
Your competency in this arena is enthralling, thanks for all the info.
Also, I don't think that I have ever read EVERY comment on a UA-cam video before. Your audience is an amazing cross section of folks and adds considerably to the informative discussion of your topics. A reflection of yourself I believe.
Yeah, I love you guys, you're awesome!
huge respect for all that axe work, had to make handle for blunt fighting axe, and luckily found good branch that has aged, lucky me there was no spliting since.....but not ideal... so all that stuff you do with axe, damn hard and cool and fun to learn
Great channel. Thanks for putting these videos together. I am new to collecting green wood for use in my wood working projects. Appreciated the drying tips to avoid cracking and splitting.
Thinking about it in woodworking terms pre notching while hewing is equivalent to the chip breaker on your plane. It is letting the chips come off without tear out. Also it is a great practice for using as a depth stop in some cases. Love the videos keep them coming!!
Yeah, I know, old comment, but notching controls the way the fibers pull out. It's the difference between riving and hewing. You still get the more water resistant face vs sawing, but much better control.
Beautiful hewing
a lot of good interesting tips there
Love learning how to do things man I could watch this all day
Love these axe videos😬👍🏻
I appreciate the hewing tips throughout the videos.
That being said, I’d be happy to see a hewing specific video as well.
Yeah, I would like to do that sometime. I'm sure there must be some good ones. Max at woodsman's finest has some good stuff on carving.
Great work.. would love to see some new content this winter about Axe work in the winter and snow 🇺🇸👍🪓
We get only occasional snow, often just once a year, sometimes not at all. Rain is more our issue here.
The one unlike is so cute. This guy is a treasure. Barely any like him on youtube. Awesome instagram too. Highly recommend.
:)
two now, pair of knuckle heads
Man this is such valuable info on Hewing. Thanks so much!
You're welcome :)
Man, it would be fun spending a weekend axe shopping with you. I'm a novice, sadly.
I wish I had access to more flea markets and stuff. I still find them though even barely going to town.
Very informative. Therapeutic also. I can see myself getting totally lost in a project like this. Think I'll try it.
Yes, that's a trapezoid. Great video, thanks.
ha ha, thanks, I thought so.
That froe does it's job nicely! Well done to the viewer who sent it!
I sadly lost track of who that was. Too many people to keep track of for someone who is unsocial by nature :) I lost access to my old emails, so unfortunately I can't thank him. He's a blacksmith that does demonstration work in the State parks. Very generous of him.
LOL...been following you for years (my BiteMe grafts are starting 3rd yr?) and just got to part about resting your hands/wrists. I spent about an hour today hewing a beam for my first REAL project....OWIE! Even got a blister, I guess that fits with being an IT project manager. So, I feel ya.
I've had a lot of repetitive stress injuries in the past. I finally learned my lesson!
Years ago, I released the inside of a 4" dia. Eastern Red Cedar branch for the most beautiful Bow Drill Bow ever. The pinks and salmons were gorgeous! I had seen others use notching to remove material, but chose not to. Big mistake. The diving grain and run out were very frustrating. All I knew to do was turn the piece 180 degrees every time it got too bad. Yes, I finally hacked through it all and cleaned everything up using my Mora, but I worked 10 times harder than I needed to. Thank you!
It can really help with that, at least in the first part to just get rid of most of the material without any serious mishaps. I don't think I even really mentioned that you have to come at the grain from different directions. To me that is so self evident I was just talking around it. There's other stuff I left out to since that was just sort of off the cuff. The chopping across the grain instead of with, even at complete right angles can be really useful. You see people hewing logs doing that a lot.
SkillCult Yeah, I saw you chopping cross grain when you was trying to show us the beautiful mottled coloring of the wood... I don’t know if I could take a blank twisting or cracking beyond use after all that loving care and attention!!!
I have an old Finnish collared axe I need to make a handle for, I've been drying some birch staves under my house for a year now and am ready to start cutting the handle out now. I watched this inspiration to get started. I sure wish we had ash or hickory to work with in Alaska but alas birch is the best we have.
That axe may very well have been designed around birch or similar handle material, so I'd not worry about it. In fact, hickory might prove a little stiff for that large eye.
@@SkillCult You are spot on, Birch was the only good hardwood available to the Finnish woodsman.
I really like that your channel goes from primitive stuff to modern-ish woodsmanship and homesteading, keep it up!
Do you think black locust would be a good choice for a walking stick which would double up as a Hungarian shepherd's axe (the head would be attached wedge-less, like in a tomahawk) handle? What are better wood options? Hickory probably does not grow in my area, it is mostly locust, common hackberry, poplar, some maple and oak with the occasional linden, walnut and birch.
Yeah, should be great. Very heavy though. It is hard, tough and stable.
Dude--thank you. I haven't been so educated and simultaneously filled with questions. There are two that I have to ask: 1, is your maple (bigleaf?) cross grained and does that affect the behavior during seasoning? 2, in a perfect world would this all be done the same day the wood was split?
There is actually a lot I didn't cover about all of those topics, but it was long enough :) I actually haven't worked up any of that Big Leaf maple yet, because I have a whole large tree waiting at my neighbors place and that's the next wood project. I don't think of cross knit grain as being a major factor in seasoning, but I might be wrong. Around here most trees are cross knit sometimes, but not all the time, so depends on the tree and age and growth, like more at the bases, or in leaning trees sometimes etc. It doesn't matter so much as that when you do it. But those beetles sometimes find wood very fast. They are actually a problem in my firewood even when the wood is peeled and put in the sun immediately, sometimes they still find it before it 's seasoned and I'll get piles of beetle frass in the woodshed.
@@SkillCult thanks :)
Those hewing hatchets are amazing but yeah whole different type of axe, that pa'ting sound either your attack angle was to high or it naturally wanted to shed off.
Nice ring on that hewing axe. Excellent control skills also. Not as easy as it looks. Do you use curved handles or straight on your hewing axes? Thank you!
They are quite hard, and that kent type design is prone to ringing anyway. If I make a handle, it's usually straight.
Steven, do you prefer the handles on these hewing hatchets straight or offset? I just go a nice one similar to yours maybe just a little more heavy and the handle is pretty crappy so I will make a new one. I cannot decide whether to make it straight or offset. Maybe it does not make sense to do a offset as I will mostly be doing the kind of work you demonstrate here and not in working on beams or other kind of carpentry work
Just straight. You could consider tipping the handle back to open the handle to blade angle for more shear, but I've never done that. sideways offset is just to prevent debarking your knuckles on wide timber. It would be a real disadvantage for small work.
Hello Sir. Is the axe at 14:00 a concave profile? I've been wondering about the purpose of a concave geometry axe. Hewing seems to be a good use. Thanks!
That's a council tool boys axe. Pretty standard. Most of them have a low point between the eye and the bit, but I don't know that I'd call that concave really.
I am doing similar with a 7 inch diameter, 20 inch long somewhat curved piece of Brazilian Pepper. Dried for 18 months. Very little cracking at the ends. No knots. Seems to be quite dense and about as hard as oak but I can't find a density spec anywhere. I plan to make two axe handles with it. Using a broadaxe/hewing hatchet to trim it down. Comments?
I would dry it throughly first. Especially if it is small diameter and already somewhat curvy. Even more so if the grain is spiraled at all. It is not just about density, but toughness as well. Many very hard dense woods are not super resilient and tough. I'm not at all familiar with that wood.
That oak looks pretty similar to evergreen oak (Quercus Ilex)....here in centre Spain there's a lot used specially as firewood. I'll try to make a handle but probably will be heavier than other wood like hickory....
People plant Q ilex a lot here as an ornamental. It makes a lot of acorns. I've never messed with the wood.
cooool
Can you recommend a fro? I want to buy one and want to avoid junk or overpriced ones.
Sorry, I can't I only havce the one
@@SkillCult who makes the one you have? Looking for a quality fro to buy, not yours. Thanks skillCult for the quality content of your videos.
I just picked up an axe marked warranted. I believe it’s an ww2 era collins
Here we have a man with vast amounts of knowledge, who really knows what he is talking about and who also has the hands to use the knowledge. Very rare on a UA-cam full of fakers
Thanks Vinnie. I appreciate your hands on approach to gear and testing. I think it's important to on some level be more about what we don't know than what we think we do know. Socially, we are kind of obsessed with authority and expertism.
you seem like a guy who likes to use all parts of stuff so what is the best use for the chips from doing this (besides fire starter)
I actually have a video on that :) ua-cam.com/video/211y9eXVbL0/v-deo.html
Too hard to file??? The whole head???
I recently bought a broad axe head at a flea market for $30. I didn't have a file when I bought it, but when I got home... same thing -- too hard to file. I assumed the previous owner had thrown it into a fire to get the old broken handle out, and then poured water over it. The colour of the surface rust is a bit copperyish, which I think might support that.
Yours is obviously fine. I'm going to stick mine in the over for a bit just to make sure.
But I wonder if there is a good way to find out if a hewing axe head is tempered correctly. Anybody know?
I wouldn't mess with it. They are just too hard to file. It's like taking a wood chisel and trying to file it, not gonna happen. They are made for clean wood on the bench, so I think they just prioritized edge holding over ability to take grit and abuse and the hard slams a field tool is exposed to. They are a pain to sharpen, but the upside is that they hold an edge. It sux when you get a nick in the edge though. If it's in bad shape, maybe use a belt grinder carefully if you have one to get it back in shape, but you can do a lot with coarse stones if you're patient. What brand is it? If it's a reputable brand it is probably just how it was designed to be.
Two parts white vinegar, one part water solution. Soak the axe head for at least a few days - will eliminate the red rust and coat the surface with black rust. Hardened steel will develop a thicker layer of black rust. Warm the solution to make it work faster.
@@mobieus7 I've used vinegar a lot, but never diluted like that. It always strips off all the rust and leaves a matt silver finish for me. A commenter though said that it can damage steel. Something about hydrogen and forming micro-cracks. I've also used tannin, like oak bark, which can either just turn existing rust black, or soaked long enough, strip it all off.
What is twss
that's what she said lol. I don't remember what the reference was though. probably something about hard wood.
Anyone making a good for the money hewing hatchet these days?
I doubt it. When I moved here about 15 years ago I think the hardware store at the bottom of the fill still carried quality Plumb hewing hatchets. I would defiinitely go used on that. There are tons of them out there. No name heads on ebay are probably affordable enough. I'd recommend putting a straight handle on it, about 16 inches.
My earlier comment disappeared. Strange.
I didn't delete it, maybe it will show back up. I've had weird stuff happen before and comments sections all over the net are notoriously buggy.
Oh I know. I’ll re-type a short version.
Might have a little marketing opportunity with this series.
1) Send a handle or complete axe with one of these handles for another UA-camr to plug. Maybe Buckin BR or Essential Craftsman or such.
Or
2) Perhaps some sort of subscriber give away. Generate a little excitement. Choose a winner who in turn has to use it in ACWC or some such thing. Maybe evaluate one yourself for a few months and compare notes with the subscriber on performance.
@@nateb8245 I'm not saying it was aliens, but...It was aliens.
Those seem like good ideas. I definitely need to do some kind of collaborations this year.
they are probing his poor comment right now, but maybe they'll return it. It will never be the same though....
I cheat and use a table saw...but dont tell anyone 😊
Axe is the wrong tool for the job there boss
useless intentionally vague comment.