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Some questions on hewing axes

Started by trailmaker, June 29, 2011, 12:07:16 AM

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trailmaker

  I'm interested to try hand hewing some logs but I'm a bit confused by the number of different types of axes.  It seems like many people use a regular felling axe to score the log,  but then I came across this beautiful  axe by Mueller that seems to be specifically designed for scoring.
[img width=600 --Photos MUST be in the Forestry Forum gallery!!!!!--.com/albums/tt149/trailmaker_photos/Scoring-Axe-lg-1.jpg[/img]

This scoring axe is 6.5lbs with a 10.5in face.  Has anyone used this axe?  What is it that makes it well suited to scoring compared to other axes?  If this head geometry has a big advantage it seems like it might be worth getting.

Mueller has a few different broad axes that can be seen here  ://www.traditionalwoodworker.com/Broad-Axes/products/526/ 
They're all beautiful axes and I'd love to have all of them but I'm not sure which ones are necessary minimal equipment for hewing.

   I'd be interested to hear from any hand hewers out there.  How many different types of axes do you typically use to hand hew?

trailmaker

Sorry about the dead links,  I'm not yet familiar with how this forum works.  I'll try to get those active.

Jim_Rogers

Trailmaker:
Welcome to the forum.
There are some forum rules about posting links to off site pictures. Basically they are not allowed. If you want to show a picture you have to create an album of your own here on the forum and upload your pictures to it. Then place a link to that picture in your post.

That's the way it works, here.

You links will never be active as they are not allowed. An administrator removed the active part of your links, I'm just a moderator.

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

Dave Shepard

I use a simple 3 1/2 pound axe for scoring. It's probably got a 4" wide face. I have a 36" handle on mine. For hewing, I use an 8" broad axe hung for right hand use. Broad axes can have a single bevel cutting edge, which would be hung either right or left handed, or double bevel, which could be used either way.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

frwinks

welcome aboard trailmaker..

IMO, I would invest my $$ in a nice finishing axe (broadaxe). 
I like the European style over the massive N/S axes for that.  I use a goosewing axe, just like that sweet Mueller axe in your links 8)


trailmaker

Quote from: Dave Shepard on June 29, 2011, 07:27:02 PM
I use a simple 3 1/2 pound axe for scoring. It's probably got a 4" wide face. I have a 36" handle on mine. For hewing, I use an 8" broad axe hung for right hand use. Broad axes can have a single bevel cutting edge, which would be hung either right or left handed, or double bevel, which could be used either way.

  Thanks for the response.  I was secretly hoping that you guys would tell me I need an axe for scoring and two or three for hewing.  I love a good axe and I'm always looking for excuses to get more.

trailmaker

Quote from: frwinks on June 30, 2011, 09:26:23 AM
welcome aboard trailmaker..

IMO, I would invest my $$ in a nice finishing axe (broadaxe). 
I like the European style over the massive N/S axes for that.  I use a goosewing axe, just like that sweet Mueller axe in your links 8)



Thanks.  That looks like a beauty,  I must have one!  Hewing away in your shop or in the forest with a finely crafted axe sounds like a great way to pass some time.

logmason

I always used an adze. Mostly a carpenters adze and sometimes a heavier ship builders one for hogging. Would have loved to use the broad axe with curved handle but could not find handles back pre internet days. My experience is with oak both fresh and old. I quickly learned to work with the wood grain.

Hewing oak logs turns you into Popeye, then later just tired and sore.

krusty

I hewed the logs for my house with my Gransfors and loved it. Someday I will get an update photo posted maybe...also had Gransfors custom make an axe for me too and have yet to try it. You need to be in pretty good shape to hew logs for 4+ hours straight!

Magicman

What my Granddad and Great Granddad used.


Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

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WildDog

 



I find this old bearded axe made in Glasgow easier to manage than my other 12inch broad axes like the one below. The table and stool I have the axes resting on were 80 yr old fence posts that I adzed down. I really like the old adze and have a few of them.



If you start feeling "Blue" ...breath    JD 5510 86hp 4WD loader Lucas 827, Pair of Husky's 372xp, 261 & Stihl 029

trailmaker

Quote from: krusty on July 22, 2011, 10:01:41 PM
I hewed the logs for my house with my Gransfors and loved it. Someday I will get an update photo posted maybe...also had Gransfors custom make an axe for me too and have yet to try it. You need to be in pretty good shape to hew logs for 4+ hours straight!

  I'd love to see some photos of your custom Gransfors.  What features did you want that the standard Gransfors hewing axes didn't have?

trailmaker

Quote from: Magicman on July 22, 2011, 10:26:06 PM
What my Granddad and Great Granddad used.




  I see similar hewing axes come up on e-bay quite often.  The ones in good condition usually go for $150 or more which is still quite cheap compared to any currently  produced hewing axes.  It's interesting that at one point that "pattern" was very popular but no one currently produces it,  as far as I know.

Dave Shepard

That type of axe, especially with the long handle, is most likely for hewing railroad ties. It would have been used for both the scoring and the hewing of the face.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

krusty

Hey trailmaker....

I thought I posted a pic of it here way back when I got it. The user search does not seem to be working at the moment for me.

It looks like their regular broadaxe as I did like the form of the one they stock normally. This one has either a 3# or 5 head...cant recall and the handle was a couple inches longer.

if I can dig up the photo I will send it but you would not be able to tell them apart from their std model unless they are side by side.

montreal

Wilddog thats some nice looking work!i havnt done much on the broadaxe yet but like yourself really enjoy the adze,im wondering if the reason you find the bigger coventional one trickier to use maybe because it looks like its done a lot of work opposite[i cant remember if u have it l* or R*}to how u have it set,it may be just the photo but it looks fuller in the heel than the front which i would think make it trickier to use ??but as i say im still green on the hewing so i may be wrong?TRailmaker i think there is an aussie co still making the more conventional style B axe,if youd like i could find out?

WildDog

Quoteit looks like its done a lot of work opposite[i cant remember if u have it l* or R*}to how u have it set,it may be just the photo but it looks fuller in the heel than the front

Good pickup montreal, both of my broad axes were mounted left to suit a friend, that was last to use them, he like myself is inexperienced with these larger axes, my occasional use hasn't accounted for much wear :)
If you start feeling "Blue" ...breath    JD 5510 86hp 4WD loader Lucas 827, Pair of Husky's 372xp, 261 & Stihl 029

montreal

thanks W D,another thing i know makes a big dif is on some of the oldies when well worn they can be sharpened past the edge curve,that is if u look along the edge it should have a slight curve towards the center,i can explain it better but i wont bother in case u know what i mean??Mon

trailmaker

Quote from: montreal on August 17, 2011, 08:39:46 PM
Wilddog thats some nice looking work!i havnt done much on the broadaxe yet but like yourself really enjoy the adze,im wondering if the reason you find the bigger coventional one trickier to use maybe because it looks like its done a lot of work opposite[i cant remember if u have it l* or R*}to how u have it set,it may be just the photo but it looks fuller in the heel than the front which i would think make it trickier to use ??but as i say im still green on the hewing so i may be wrong?TRailmaker i think there is an aussie co still making the more conventional style B axe,if youd like i could find out?

  Thanks I've actually been collecting hewing axes off e-bay since I started this thread.  I've got 5 or 6 from Germany and Austria and one from the US.  I'd post some pics but I still can't figure out this system,  all the other forums I'm on I just paste from --Photos MUST be in the Forestry Forum gallery!!!!!--.

trailmaker

https://forestryforum.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=19343&pos=1

 Giving it another try.

  Oh finally,  I'm not great with the computers.  Anyway here is my latest arrival.  I believe it is Austrian or German the stamp says "HERKULES".  It is symmetrical with an eight inch cutting edge.  I think I've seen this style referred to as a "roughing broad axe".  Can anyone tell me how these would be hafted traditionally?  Were they used standing on the log or to the side?

trailmaker

  Wow.  I successfully uploaded to the picture gallery,  got them to show momentarily in this thread and now they are gone from the picture gallery and the thread. 

Jeff

I think what may have happened is that I have been working on creating a new function, being able to send a photo to the Forestry Forum by email. I had a temporary directory I was working with that I was testing with. Rather than creating your own album, you probably uploaded the photo into my test folder called mobile uploads. I created and deleted that album several times during the evening and late into the night, and if that is the album you chose to put photos in, they would have been deleted.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

Jeff

Also, the link you posted is not to a photo, it  is to the last uploaded photo in its temp location. You took the address of the photo page during the upload process, not from a photo placed in an album.  If you look at it you don't see a file name or a jpg extension.
Just call me the midget doctor.
Forestry Forum Founder and Chief Cook and Bottle Washer.

Commercial circle sawmill sawyer in a past life for 25yrs.
Ezekiel 22:30

trailmaker

  Thanks Jeff,  that was helpful info.  I'll try again.

montreal

that looks like the goods Trailmaker, I assume it has a beveled edge? I've never even had one of those flash looking goose-wings in my hands before but I would be very surprised if you weren't meant to use it while standing next to the log, to get your knuckles away from the line the edge follows our aussie axes always had a bend outwards in the handle so your knuckles don't get skinned up, generally the handles were set in the head in a manner that had the handle coming out of the head so they weren't parallel to the edge too. This was mostly done so you didn't have to bend over so much while working, I'm not sure if you can follow my description? It's a pity we can't combine the technology of the net with a mud-map drawing in the dirt!

trailmaker

  Yes I know what you mean.  I've seen some single bevel goose-wings of a certain style with an angled socket, and I've seen a certain single bevel style with a curved handle.  My axe isn't a single bevel, it's symmetrical.




My axe isn't really a double bevel,  it just sort of tapers to a point.  It actually looks like it may never have been used or sharpened.  I guess I could put an offset handle for hewing from the ground or a long handle for hewing from above.


montreal

yep it looks as tho it hasn't seen a lot of work ..yet. Magicman if your still poking about online I was curious about the handle on your granddads? axe? is that the original handle or similar to the orig, it looks in the photo like its similar to a pick or mattock handle especially where it goes into the head[socket], is that a common style over there?? Mon

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