His family had a business, part of which was making hurdles & gates in Dorset, so assume it was for splitting chestnut & similar. I also still have, & occasionally use, his draw knife, which again was probably also used in that line of business. Lured by the bright lights & big cities he latter traveled east & became a carpenter/joiner in Hampshire. I also have some of his planes & chisels from that trade, which are still a pleasure to use.
Froe
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pe2dave
Established Member
True you don't
, as I said earlier, a small bit of firewood ( dried out beam like that ) a little single hand axe ( what we call a hachette ) would do the job, and be faster.It's what I use to split stuff less than 30cm high when it is dry, unless it is also over 30cm or so diameter.Ever thought of wooden wedges like Inspector said, save you eventually mushrooming your froe, you can hit them ( wooden wedges ) to your heart's content, with no danger of a bit of metal chipping of and hitting you in the eye, I've seen that happen to someone hitting a bolster chisel to split wood ( si..si .. ) , it wasn't pretty, he lost the eye.
Jacob
New Luddism. Wake up and resist.
Hatchet not so good on wider pieces, the froe does a long neat split. But I'd use my carpenters axe on smaller stuff.True you don't
It'd take many years of bashing to "mushroom" a froe, if ever, as they are only used for splitting wood.
Cold chisels used on stone is different - they take a beating and do mushroom. The well known safety advice is to grind off the sticking out bits or they can break off when hit, presumably what happened to your mate.
I think the idea of only hitting a froe with a mallet is just another "meme" going the rounds. If it works it's fine, if a bit more force is needed so is a lump hammer.
Woodwork is full of memes, just think of the "torsion box"!
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Nothing good on the radio this after' Jacob..I'll not bite
I own neither a plane , nor a carpenter's workbench, A hairy butted sculptor is I.Ps..The guy lost an eye banging with his lump hammer on a chisel in wood ( which I agree should have been ground off regularly ) , take care of your eyes, much harder to sharpen if you only have the one.
dannyr
Established Member
If you're very lucky with a broken leaf spring and don't mind a slight curve, you may be able to make a froe with an angle grinder, no blacksmith.
the longest leaf of an old car/truck spring has a loop at the end - use this for the handle - cut off and some shaping with the angle grinder then 'sharpen' with a grinder, making sure it doesn't over-heat. Spring temper should be OK for a froe (fairly hard, but tough).
Last week I found such a (very rusty) half spring leaf lying in a fly tip area, and aim to do the above (don't hold your breath) - just hope it's never been in a fire, or it'll be soft, - easier to shape, but then I'd have to heat treat (quench then temper as for plain carbon steel)
the longest leaf of an old car/truck spring has a loop at the end - use this for the handle - cut off and some shaping with the angle grinder then 'sharpen' with a grinder, making sure it doesn't over-heat. Spring temper should be OK for a froe (fairly hard, but tough).
Last week I found such a (very rusty) half spring leaf lying in a fly tip area, and aim to do the above (don't hold your breath) - just hope it's never been in a fire, or it'll be soft, - easier to shape, but then I'd have to heat treat (quench then temper as for plain carbon steel)
G S Haydon
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I don't think there's much controversy Jacob. It's your froe, you may use it how you like. It sounds as if you have the perfect solution for you and your basement firewood store. Good to know you're warming yourself twice!
Jacob
New Luddism. Wake up and resist.
I only posted it up because I thought it was neat how precisely and easily it was to spit if I did it radially. Obvious really - the knots are also radial and a radial split will go around one side or the other of the knot. Split it the other way and you have to go through the knot which tends to be tough and resinous.
I did a lot of this stuff, left over from chapel conversion, but with hindsight I wish I could have used more of it. It seems to be spruce with a lot of straight grain and could have made music instrument soundboards? Only small ones between the mortices, nails etc. 100s of ukeleles?
Postage to Polynesia or Hawaii would be a bit steep.100s of ukeleles?
G S Haydon
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Rather you than me! I don't think I'd get a musical instrument working well.
It does go against the grain to waste good stuff. But if we're not careful we drown in all the bits a pieces that have potential. Nothing wrong with keeping warm.
I'm trying to use up my "that'll come for something stock" at the moment.
It does go against the grain to waste good stuff. But if we're not careful we drown in all the bits a pieces that have potential. Nothing wrong with keeping warm.
I'm trying to use up my "that'll come for something stock" at the moment.
Jacob
New Luddism. Wake up and resist.
I've got piles of stuff. Over the years it tends to divide into two categories; too good to use, or useless but too good to burn.
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Inspector
Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck!
Two and
Pete
Pete
This is what I use to split wood
Not quite a hand tool - but with a chain saw, I can have a years firewood in less than a day.
Not quite a hand tool - but with a chain saw, I can have a years firewood in less than a day.
Jacob
New Luddism. Wake up and resist.
A battered looking froe here. F-it Get a Froe
"My froe after 10 years of beating the rubbish out of it with a sledge. A metal sledge. Yes, you have to pay to troll me."
Schwarz obviously hasn't been told the "correct" way to use one!
Not a subscriber but I'd be interested in reading the article - is it accessible anywhere?
"My froe after 10 years of beating the rubbish out of it with a sledge. A metal sledge. Yes, you have to pay to troll me."
Schwarz obviously hasn't been told the "correct" way to use one!
Not a subscriber but I'd be interested in reading the article - is it accessible anywhere?
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Adam W.
A Major Clanger
Yesbut, Schwarz wears a bottle opener hanging from his trouser belt when he's surrounded by useable bottle openers all the time.
Jacob
New Luddism. Wake up and resist.
Well nobody is perfect!
kinverkid
Established Member
I have the same one. It's twelve years old and still going strong. We have a Swedish wood splitter similar to this one too. Great for the smaller pieces and kindling. Works like a smaller froe. Also handy when you want a piece for spindle turning to split along the grain. Both have hugely gone up in price.
I thought a beetle was for hitting a wedge. The wedge would be smaller than the face, so not struck by the metal ring. Apart from felling, the main use of the wedges was to split the trunk along the grain much as a froe, but on a much larger scale. The resulting beams would be both stronger and quicker made than pit sawing.
Jacob
New Luddism. Wake up and resist.
Just watching the vids. Excellent!
Having a go at legs for my rustic piece of wood Rough timber for table top?
Citracal
Established Member
Used a froe to cleft the fronts for this cabinet. The amount of dung I got from people telling me not to use a steel hammer. You try splitting 3 inch dried ash with a wooden mallet and see how long it lasts
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