Splitting Choice Axe Handle Blanks From An Oak Log & Shaping Wooden Wedges
Splitting an oak log into billets, staves or "rails" for axe handles, bowstaves, and other projects. Traditional and Green woodworking often starts with splitting wood for further processing rather than sawing it. It is possible to split most logs with one axe and disposable wooden wedges.
Link for the Council tool boy's axe, the red one in this video: amzn.to/2WMy6ta. The black headed axe that I use the most in this video is the forest service version of the council tool boy's axe, available only from Omaha Knife. There is another new model out now and 4 versions on the market in total. The red one is the cheapest and when you get a good one they are good axes but there are occasional quality control issues with the tempering resulting in soft edges. I think they are all pretty similar in the long run.
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Splitting logs with wedges is generally easy, but a few things to know will help quite a bit. First assess the grain by looking at the bark. The bark lines will usually reveal the general run of the grain beneath and will show some buried knots as well. Wood can sometimes be split contrary to the grain to an extent, but generally the grain is followed. One problem though is that they split will not always follow the grain when you want it to. It is safest to split wood into equal parts, so splitting a 1/4 of a lot into 8ths is easier than splitting it three ways into 12ths. Some types of wood split much more easily and reliably along the grain than others. For logs prone to grain runout in splitting, you can still sometimes split smaller staves off of larger pieces by approaching the split gradually and moving the wedges frequently.
I always learn something valuable from you. I may not always put it to practice but its stored in the ol memory bank. Cheers! Wade
Sometimes I stop midway through a video, just to click the like button in case I forget. This was one of those times..
Thanks, love it :)
That was prety impresive actually. Skills count sometimes ;) Thanks for sharing.
Awesome lesson, I'm now realizing how much there is to learn about the right way to use wood along with learning the proper way to use an ax. Thank you for the video!
I absolutely love your videos, Steve! They contain high quality information, and they are presented in a very intelligent, yet friendly way. I particularly appreciate your soul and sensitivity as a person, and your respect for old friends and traditions. I'm an amateur luthier and a guitarist, getting ready to make my first instrument from western red cedarwood that I want to split and season myself. Thanks for your contribution to my project and greetings from Hungary!
Hi Attila. I have an interest in guitar building and have been stashing old wood for a while. I'll probably never get to it though ;)
Great video! Using that military armored vehicle interior paint.... classy...
We used to split a lot of logs. Fence posts, tomato and tobacco sticks, short tool handles- all from locust, hickory and oak. Long tool handles from maple- hoes and rakes. Dogwood wedges are awesome, about the only good use for Dogwood. Used them for felling and splitting wedges. I used thicker "chocks" to position log and keep it from moving. Since we did so much of this, we made really good mallets and wedges. I used linseed oil to keep my wedges in good shape. I found a cheap axe with very thick eye walls, after thinning the cheeks, this became my "wedge on a stick". and was great for starting a split in a large log.
Fun, I have lumber envy. So many straight nice hardwoods back east. I have a couple wedges kicking around somewhere made from durable hard woods. We do have a species of dogwood, but I don't have access to it. There are only so many species that have the combination of toughness and hardness that makes really good wedges. Thanks for commenting :)
It always a good thing when people show the skills they have learned in the past. You sir have learned a lot in the past and you are not shy about teaching other people. Thank you
Really enjoyed this video👍
Making a red oak bow right now. Fell a mighty oak at Home Depot.
Hope it turns out good.
Why are wedges so incredibly satisfying to use, or watch someone use? Splitting wood, or making a wedged tenon, are some things that just make me happy. I occasionally fit a brand of aluminium gutter, and my favourite part is that it uses a wedge clip to pull the downpipe brackets together really tight. I suppose the pleasure of using a sharp tool is the same thing.
It really is. I love the sound of wood splitting apart too. Maybe it's because they are so simple, but effective.
Excellent stuff, Steven. I have been messing with splitting logs a ton since I saw that splitting video you made but I still learned some tricks.
Cool!
Happy to see you not using your knife to "batton" like some of these wanna bees ! All these new fangled abused words (battoning, survival, tactical, EDC, bushcrapt, and others) really frost my punkins ! Made a shave horse by splitting an oak log like yours. Turned out nice too. No glue or metal either. Just a few splinters in the seat area that I had to deal with . Thanks. Old school wisdom is the best !
I baton occasionally, but I'm not a big fan and I don't get the obsession. I find little use for it and it's slow and uncomfortable. Of course I usually have a hatchet. I need to make a shaving horse, but I won't until I have a place to put it under cover.
When splitting rails for the chopping platform in the cordwood challenge, I had to thin my wooden gluts due to bouncing out of the split. I ended up with two sets. One very acute compared to the other set. Some wood tends to run out more than others I've found. I plan using rails of pine for my cabin rafters. This will take less trees and give me a somewhat dimensional rafter. Great demo. I appreciate the way you give tribute to those gone before us.
Tan oak seems especially prone to run out. I've had endless trouble with it. Makes me wonder how durable it will really be. Locust is awesome. I cut out a little bit about a few different woods that split really reliably for brevity's sake. Usually better safe than sorry as far as pursuing a sort of best practices approach anyway. I know what you mean. That fattest glut there from the round stick didn't come in handy until the end. I've used really small thin stuff, almost like chips, to hold open and get splits started for increasingly larger wedges. Pretty consistently though, I think most beginners will make wedges too fat and not planed enough on the sides. I did. Hope you're doing well buddy. Such a cool project you've had going over there with the cabin.
My grandfather left me an American-made ax. and I'm keeping it as a very valuable keepsake. ash wood is an optimal choice for the ax handle. This video gives me many experiences. Thanks the author
Really enjoyed the video, brought back memories from long ago. My dad and I use to walk the woods hunting Black Gum trees that were rotten in the center to cut down and split to make livestock feed troughs. We used an old axe to get most of the rot out and then an adze to clean the trough up nice and slick. Great memory from long ago, thank you.
I maybe regret a little not making a drum or beehive or chest out of that log. It was pretty neat with that hollow. There will be more though. There might be a section I could still make a small drum out of though
That would be cool. I found out yesterday one of the Black Gum troughs is still in my Dad's old barn. Someone else owns it now but it's still in use. I ask the guy if he ever decided to get rid of it to let me know, he said I could have it. Now to go back across Texas and get it. LOL
Neat.
it looks like fun, im jealous. good work, great lessons, nice to watch it happen.
Yes Sir great tutorial on wood repurpose, particularly in light of how much a new handle costs. Is oak an ok wood to use for handles? Apparently you got the metric down to a science You deserve praise for the remembrance of Joe D. We typically face mortality barehanded, at least you give the guy a axe to handle on the journey.
This video tutorial is required viewing for those who believe they are expert with an axe. You have two attributes which many do not. You can "read" the wood and you have intuition. Respect sent to you and to your friend Joe who is on the other side.
Agreed great work right here. Thanks for posting.
Haven't listened to verbal abuse in years! Love your vids man
🤘
Not sure how I stumbled across your video SkillCult, but it was very informative and refreshing. I cut and split firewood so seeing the care you take and how you make this "rotten" log usable is great. I'll check out your other videos as well. Thanks.
Hi Tim. Welcome and thanks for commenting. I try to make timeless content mostly, so there's lots to watch.
With a log splitter in the vertical position, And a wedge on ram setup, its easy to get a split started by feeding in the ends of the log
Thanks Steven, This motivates me to do like to a Big Ole Hickory that's got the top blown down. The tree had been struck by lightening several times and was on the watch list, now it's on the cut list, about a 14 feet tall Tenn. Hickory stump, with the last big limb broke half over. I've got visions of handles coming out of it. I'll be working on getting this on down safely first, then work on the billets second. But you video is a good motivator. Thanks man, and God Speed,,,
Hickory and some other woods get damaged by standing around too long dead, so if it's green, better get on it. You'll get there handles where the wood looks fine, but it snaps across like chalk. I'm pretty sure it's from either being standing dead, or too slow seasoning.
Steven, Thanks once again, got that Tenn. Hickory on the ground, and was a still living tree, with that narly limb. Found the nails near the base and mark them avoiding that hazard, it split into some very useful staves and billets. Your videos are very appreciated teach points, thank you sir. Take care, Son of Liberty ( I change tablets, and just put me name on the Utube account) Thanks again,,,
One man, six axes. Never go down on axes!
yeah, and I used two. I'm not really sure why I grabbed so many lol. They look neat though.
Better to have and not need lol
Awesome job my friend! Keep going
Nice axe control, and great lessons as you go. So easy to forget to keep your feet out of the arc. Great staves you split out there. Bet you slept well. 😴
Just thinking "don't hit yourself with the pointy end" can actually be pretty effective if we are paying attention.
Great Episode!
Thanks for this! Really awesome footage and good to see your energy levels are up!
This is the highest level of axe science attainable. You are my hero.
Good video brother. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Been meaning to pick back up with this content. Never fails to impress! Always enjoy watching.
Probably one of my favorite videos yet. Very informative.
I've only recently started splitting wood manually with hand tools, just the past month. This is motivating. I've got several 1-year cut pine and birch log lengths of 3' - 4', 16" - 26" diameter. No idea if those will be valuable for axe handles but I'm sure I can fashion some handles for vintage hammers and other tools to keep them going strong. Regardless, will be great practice and extremely therapeutic making wedges, splitting some lengths by hand, and fashioning some handles...all fairly new to me. Appreciate your style. I learned a good deal. Thanks.
Birch has been used, but I don't think it's probably the best wood. It might be more that it was the best available maybe. but it might work out. Pine I would avoid, but you could try splitting some boards out or something.
@@SkillCult yes, I figured that was likely so I’ll consider them practice pieces for now. Thanks
I just recently found your channel. I've gone through at least 10 of your videos and wanted to let you know I'm really enjoying your content. I'm glad I found your channel.
Thanks Derek :)
Can’t tell you enough have much I enjoyed that and how much I learnt. Thanks 😀
Enjoyed your video and thanks for all the great info.
Great! Really enjoyable. Also I love how easy and routine it is for you, through, obviously, years and kilojoules of refinement. Whereas for a piker like me it's "Yay I hit it in the same spot three times." More pls.
Wow most excellent. Really like the maul / mallet ..
Made my first bow at my first Wintercount with Joe a decade or so ago. A unique individual to say the least, They don't make them like him anymore.
He told me about how he got into primitive skills way back. He used to hunt to feed his family and just got really into being out there in the central california mountains South of Big sur, making bows and hunting and trapping. He actually used those skills and learned a lot on his own. Around the same time he was also an alcoholic and a cross country runner at the same time. He told me he used to drink liquor while he was running lol. I'm not sure I've known anyone so energetic in my life. He mellowed out as time went on, but he was usually on 10. I have a sinew backed Osage Orange bow that he made, which I traded him some buckskin for.
Really good vid with very useful information. Took what might seem a rather daunting task and explained the "how to" quite nicely. Well Done!
Supper fun and again I am learning a lot cheers
Useful info, thanks!
Greetings, Inspiration that is without action is meaningless. No tools other than a bucksaw and some elbow grease, one more visit to the location and the piece of trunk will be cut from both ends (I have already cut one and very close to the other one, slow process and not much free time), then starts the splitting according to this amazing video. Regards, Christos
Great video!
The long, thin grind on the Opinel is, I find, ideal for food prep.
Yeah, it's very much like a kitchen knife. I love kitchen knives like that actually.
@@SkillCult They are good for green wood, maybe not the best as a hunting knife as the belly was very hard to sharpen in knives from the past. They can do much more than peel apples or cut sandwiches. What else can you get for that price except a knife shaped abomination from China? They take a good edge and will do plenty of work and will do so for years.
@@vinniesdayoff3968 Mora is a more competent cheap carry knife, but probably a little more expensive and not folding. I may redesign this knife to be just all around better versatile carry knife.. Shouldn't be that hard.
@@SkillCult I'm not trying to be an a-hole Steven, I have enormous respect for you as an extremely knowledgeable, true outdoorsman. I think Moras are very overrated and don't slice green wood like an Opinel. I built a shelter in one of my videos with an Opinel, and for the slicing type of cutting I was doing I would choose an Opinel any day of the week. I grant you a Mora would be stronger but how strong does a knife have to be to cut with? I never broke an Opinel by cutting with it (I broke the tip of an Opinel using it as a screwdriver on a rather large flat head screw when I was 10 or 11)
You guys probably have more experience with the Opinel than I do, but I find that it damages easily on anything even substantially hard. But any time I go camping it’s in my kit for food prep. Nothing cuts so clean as a long flat grind. The Mora Eldris is actually a good little carving knife. It has a secondary bevel, so isn’t as weak as some of Mora’s other full-scandi’s.
Great job on this video. Never heard of tan oak, google tells me its an evergreen link between chestnuts and oaks, how interesting! Love the Bowyers Bible series, great info, after making over 20 un-backed self bows from oak, I can say you are right, its "Meh", not bad but not great, hickory is my favorite bow and flexible handle wood. Have you done a video on axe handle grain orientation? I learned from Roy Underhill to orient grain as bark to edge heart to pole, which is exacly opposite to most modern ideals, yet this has worked very well for me, and I think it makes sense from a bowyers perspective if you want very thin and "whippy" axe handles, that actually flex into the cut, but I would like to know your thoughts on this. Josh
Yes, tan oak is some kind of weird link. It's similar to something called the Japanese stone oak and I remember hearing a theory that it was an immigrant, rather than a left over. It was quite a successful tree until the oak plague hit. Soon they'll all be gone. What do you think of locust for a handle wood, or have you used it? It seems about the most similar to hickory to me, but possibly less tough, though also possibly a bit harder in terms of resisting denting or compression. A good piece of locust is like a freakin' rock, but then hickory is similar. I have not done anything on grain orientation really in depth, but I have outlined a video on what matters and what doesn't in axe handles to try to bring some thoughtfulness to that and similar topics. Also, to raise or highlight questions. it just got so big and turned into too much of a project to finish lol. I'm still inclined to think that grain separation is more likely with the grain running perpendicular to the eye, but probably not by a lot. As far as flexibility goes, I actually looked that up and there are not huge differences as I recall. There could be other unlooked at or intangible factors though involved in feel v.s. some lab coats pushing on pieces of wood and measuring deflection. I've used both, but always pick or make handles with the parallel to the eye grain. I actually did do one video on that kind of stuff, but just cursory. It's a series called axe buyer's check list and one is on handles. A point I think is important is that a skilled user can mostly nullify a lot of minor vulnerabilities and an unskilled or incautious user can break a great handle. I think user competence and plain wood quality and integrity trump a lot of other things. Instability is a huge problem, especially with a lot of low grade wood being used. The hardware store that has handles here sells mostly crooked handles. One thing on the bows and axe handles comparison is that Tim Baker recommends making bows to one growth ring on the back when bows are made "flat sawn" style, or go to more of a vertical grain orientation. That points out a vulnerability in ring separation v.s. separation along the radial planes. Probably one reason that I still favor vertical grain, is that theory. He did a lot of testing. I know him personally and got to see him at work. he would sometimes make multiple bows in a day trying everything and just extreme testing them. He didn't care about the bows, just what he could learn. I wish I could take the time to make that axe handle vid, but it will have to wait a while.
Mr. Chickadee I also use this method with grain perpendicular to the blade, there are several good reasons.
SkillCult Thanks for posting this beautifully shot and informative film, it will remain canonic as long as KZhead endures, all the best, Lucas.
@@LucasRichardStephens Would you clarify your desired orientation please, where would the bark side of the tree be for example in a single bit axe? I would also love to hear your thoughts on the good reasons for this.
@@MrChickadee Yes of course I am coffeed up so here goes; having used axes for timber-house building for a long time I have had quite a few handles. The merit of the transverse grain is, for me two fold, there is a noticeable decrease in short-wavelength shock and an increased durability when prying sideways, which I do a lot when hewing. I also make hammer handles like this to increase shock absorption, but such hammers can not be used to draw nails at all. I have a video that shows rehanging my bearded axe, if the link can be posted; kzhead.info/sun/qJ2dcqx_sWSjgI0/bejne.html . Notice how I use wood that has the desired curve naturally in the growth, this mitigates fibre runout and maximises the strength of the handle, despite the transverse growth rings. The back of the handle is the inner trunk in this instance but only for that reason, if the curve suited the reverse I would do it. I study the wood fibres and allow it to function how I think it's best suited based on experience, which is always growing/changing. I don't have very much experience using felling axes or generally cutting wood across the grain with an axe. In this second (attempted linked) film I re hang a felling axe, but with the year rings the same way as the blade and very inexpertly fell a frozen spruce. kzhead.info/sun/iNtthdCErpyMap8/bejne.html I don't have the confidence of experience to try a transverse hang but your comments here tempt me to try, I still have a couple of these Norwegian pattern felling axeheads to hang, all the best, and both you and Steve are making great films so thanks for that!
What a paint in the axe :). Nice work with the wedges
No it's ruined foreva!
just brilliant! Please more axe related content. thank you
If I can get people to watch it, I'll keep making it, but I have to get my views up or I'm going to have to do something else with my time. Watch it and share it, that helps. I might do a follow up on this project, since this video is showing signs of performing well.
@@SkillCult It's amazing content. Even if it does not pay well it does gain new followers from a different area I think and then that will translate into more views on content they would not have usually come for perhaps, Good luck your axe science is better then anyone elses would be a shame not to do more.
@@5StringaSlinga I just have very limited personal resources, so at this point it's not a matter of if I want to, or if it will work in the long run, just whether I can stay afloat doing this type of open content instead of maybe packaging it all and selling it somehow. I'm still hoping I can get in the good graces of the A.I. and start getting enough views to pull this off.
When done many times most things stop being as dangerous. Take driving for an example, it's unreasonably unsafe to drive without knowing what you're doing, but when you know what you're doing it isn't unsafe anymore 10:45 . Cheers lads :D
top rate info. fellow craftsman passing on the root of mankind. thxs for teaching while doing & not just babbling like most do.
To me all these type videos are opportunities to hit talking points. I cut quite a few out for brevity's sake lol.
Got a video of you making a handle from this log? Love to see you go for it! Awesome video as always and thanks for sharing.
I've tried to do the follow up vid, just to get them put away and seasoning 4 times I think. Just can't make it happen. There are probably beetles in them by now.
@@SkillCult ahh damn! Ok thanks man for the video. Still awesome to see you splitting one.
Greetings, Your video is very rich in details, a complete walk-through and very inspirational. I don't have power tools to cut down trees, or the land to do it freely. However, I noticed an uprooted ash tree of decent size nearby that is still green, so there may be good wood in it. I do have a bucksaw, a cheap axe and a couple of axe heads I want to haft. After watching your video I have learned enough to believe I can try to make my own handles. Regards, Christos
Another Fine Skillcult Video! Thank You Steven. Expect a Sassafras package soon, on its way. Some root and bark. Enjoy! DaveyJO in Pa.
Thanks, looking forward to it in my morining tonic teas.
Very very helpful thank you😀😀😀😀
You are welcome :)
That was great training! Thanks!!! Now I know why my wedges pop out...too convex!
Could be. Those two factors, convex and thickness, which are partially the same thing, are first to look at. I was thinking when editing that maybe rubbing some dirt into the wedge faces could help with grip, because just lack of adequate friction is another major issue. If the wedges are dry, that should help. Also, you can use more wedges and if you can get them to stick at all, try just tapping each alternately a little and just keep working your way along them.
Great video, thanks Steven. I must admit I was getting a bit burnt out on all of the apple tree stuff. (Then again being a renter the only fruit trees I grow are self-grafted potted dwarf citrus and a couple dwarf peach / nectarines.)
Tis the season for fruit tree stuff :). Probably not much more of that coming along anytime soon.
I got yelled at once for showing a video and in the video I used a wooden mallet to drive a hatchet into a bolt of wood to split it. Wood on metal is okay. Speaking of things falling into the gravel driveway..... I had a couple cedar logs stuck up on a snow bank, well snow melts and it did, the cedar logs rolled down and into a very muddy gravely driveway, coated them like a powders doughnut, had to peel the before sawing, winter cut and the bark didn't come off very well at all. Great points on the fingers, been yelled at for showing Bad form in splitting kindling too, albeit the same style you show when splitting the wedges. I can see grain orientation running with the eye because of the condition of the log. I typically run the grain the other way, but not with that log. Sweet log, too. Wouldn't that punky wood also work to smoke a brain tanned hide?
I agree obviously that wood on poll axes is 100% okay. I suppose there could be some odd situation, like a giant two handed locust hammer driving the axe into side grain ironwood, but I doubt it lol. That's just newbs. Almost all poll axes are mushroomed, like it has to be over 80% have been hit enough to tell, and distended eyes are rare in my experience. most of them have been beaten on with the backs of splitting mauls or sledge hammers too. Yeah, that's why I said that on splitting the wedge, because it looks like I'm still holding it. You almost have to slow it down to tell. I'm still inclined to think the rings separate more easily at the shoulder if the grain is oriented across the eye, but if so, it's not probably that much and a good user will nulify that in most cases anyway. I dont' recall having used tan oak punk to smoke hides. I've used a lot of different stuff, but maybe not that. I should save some. I actually have a pile of hides to smoke and some to soften too. I hardly get around to braintanning anymore.
Speaking on using axe handles as a prying lever I found that using my Norlund Tomahawk (2.5lb) axe with a 24in handle as lever proved to be fatal for the axe as there was a complete horizontal split at the point where the bottom of the eye of the axe met the hickory handle. The only diagnosis for the break I found was 1. Though the eye of the head had good taper for a nice seating, (the hanging of the axe went well and there was hardly if any gaps throughout the matchup of wood to steel, the eye was relatively small 2. The handle had little to no oil applied besides a thin layer of mineral oil leading to a brittle handle that was more likely to crack and less likely to flex. If anyone has any other comments on potential reasons why the handle failed under such stress I would love to hear it, thanks for another great vid!
That's very common, that's why I was warning to be careful. There are factors that could increase it, but it's largely a matter of learning that limits. I"ve broken one handle learning what I can get away with and I"m very careful.
@@SkillCult i totally agree im gonna be shaping some more straight grain hickory soon to replace the handle. On amazon now they are selling Plaza double boiled linseed oil (100% chemical free). This might be the best source for a lot of your viewer's to get pure linseed oil for soaking handles
@@haydenfox3116 That is interesting that they are actually selling a product that is pure linseed that is actually heated, but without the driers. I prefer just raw oil for penetration and slow drying, but that stuff is cool for other uses. It is probably similar to stand oil, which is partially polymerized, so it dries quicker.
@@SkillCult good to know ill keep that in mind!
Really enjoyed this lesson. Yes, it was fun and informative. Hope you are well.
@15:32 The split halves looks like smoked brisket. Pink smoke ring and that blackened crust.
Loved the vid, always enjoy working with wood, making handles etc. Hope ya find a good belt knife, I'm saving up right now for tooling to start making knives, been working on some designs in the mean time.
If I cared a lot about having a good knife I'd probably have one lol. Sounds fun.
You're the man
But you're the mann!
Hi Steve! Guitarbuilding is a very nice and rewarding job, especially if you want to play your unique instrument. It is a lot of work though and you'll need specialized tools and knowledge. And sometimes, even with the greatest care, the tone might not turn out as well as you would expect. I"ve been doing guitar repair jobs for 15 years, but still, I need more confidence to start building one from scratch. Good luck!
Yeah, I would prefer to hook up with someone that already has the skills and try out some ideas. I want to hand carve and experiment with electric guitar bodies.
You don't need to be Thor to use an axe like a hatchet. I use my 3.5 and my 5lb axes just like a hatchet... But I've also been a blacksmith for 15 years lol. Loved the video.
Just a Sasquatch?
@@SkillCultself loathing helps too. "My arm is tired from using this axe... So this arm must be punished for it's weakness"
Hey what’s going on I just found your channel great video thank you for sharing..💪☮️ well I must have been here before I was subscribed 👍
great video, nice shirt!
Society hates me, that's o.k I don't like society anyway I blew their world up in their face Just because it's a fucked up place Destroy whatever's in your way I infect society everyday If you wanna scream better scream it loud Or else you'll just get lost in the crowd I'm a social insect I bug society I infect the world they live in But they won't exterminate me! Society's getting worried now Just because they can't figure out how Something went wrong with their system No one's suppose to oppose them None of them had better get in my way 'Cause if they do they'll really pay Why do you let me bother you I'm just doing what the fuck I wanna do I'm a social insect I bug society I infect the world they live in But they won't exterminate me! kzhead.info/sun/a8qBlbFwrXaGfq8/bejne.html
Oak is a very hard and durable wood but isn`t it a bit heavy for handles? Thank you very much for this excellent tutorial vid.
I wouldn't say so. the most commonly used handle material in the US, Hickory, is denser than at least the average oak. so is locust. I'd guess that out of the woods commonly recommended in older literature, oaks are going to be just about average. Ash is noticeably lighter than most of them and some will claim that is a reason to use it in preference to others, but it is an uncommon opinion.
Come to the Wales. We got the goood ash here
I'll be there tomorrow.
Pour me a beer, or whatever you guys drink :)
@@SkillCult 50/50 River water and sheep piss but we give the guests a proper cup of tea. Also do ya wanna see my staves? There dam sexy
Wanna have some fun with handles? Try west coast Manzanita. All over my properties, but what a job to shape. "Is manzanita the hardest wood? Manzanita hardwood is widely recognized as the 8th hardest wood in the world. We harvest sustainable non-endangered Manzanita from the beautiful foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California."
I've worked with several species of Manzanita. I would never think to choose it for an axe handle. It's hard, but that isn't very useful in an axe handle. Axe handles are about resilience to dynamic stresses. In my experience, manzanita is hard but not tough. when you bend it, it doesn't fail slowly, it blows out and shatters. A friend made a bow with it once and it just exploded on him.
@@SkillCult lets send a hickory handle and a manzanita handle to the hydraulic test channel and see how they compare. I have done hammer handles but not an axe. I have not seen any sudden failure issues in Manzanita branches placed between blocks and jumped on. One advantage of manzanita is that one uses chosen limbs of entirely straight grain and not in need of sawing that may come with runout.
This may be already covered in some of your other videos but are you going to film drying these staves?
Probably not. I need to move on to more marketable videos for a while. That's the plan anyway. I would otherwise. I might shoot a little footage to use later somewhere.
I tried this on hickory. Destroyed my wedges but learned a lot. I need to do a few more more carefully. It reads like you split it green and will age the staves. Do you coat them or just leave the staves as they are?
@@porkcheeks Green wood wedges just won't really hold up. They are totally disposable, especially if hit with an axe poll. You can make more durable wedges, but a really tough piece of wood can screw them up with knots and crossed grain. I think there is probably big climatic difference when it comes to seasoning wood. Here, the ends will always check on large staves or billets unless they are coated with something. The rest is variable. Sometimes it will, sometimes it won't. It's about drying speed mostly. If the outside dries quickly while the core is still static in size and swollen with water, high stresses form. Coating the entire stave with something to slow drying is the safest, but certainly not always necessary. You can also just control the drying speed, like I might stack up the rough hewn billets to season on a shed floor and toss a tarp over them loosely to increase humidity, block air circulation and generally just allow the moisture to leave the wood more evenly. Depends on the species and individual piece of wood too.
I'll be interested to see how oak performs for handles & bowstaves. It's not usually the first wood recommended for these applications, but it seems like I come across oak way more often than hickory, yew, osage orange, lemonwood, etc. Ash seems to be available from trees killed by the emerald ash borer and I'm curious as to how well it will work out for similar applications. Your content is always rich in information.
Oaks can be very different to one another. From the little I've worked with it, our Maul oak, which goes by several other names, seems better than tan oak. I'm also curious about garryana oak, but I'm pretty sure black oak would not be too great for handles. I think any could work for a bow with good design and execution, but bows have more leeway in how they are designed. You'll see white oak recommended as an axe handle sometimes. I have an ash bow (our western ash) and ash tool handles are second only to hickory on the market.
Did you ever make and use stone axes? I think it would be cool to see how you would have to change your technique and methods to work with them effectively
might as well gnaw the tree down with your teeth at that point
@@schlomoshekelstein908 might be okay for small stuff but from what I understand fire was used to burn down bigger trees
I have, but I haven't used them a lot, because the suck so bad. You have to hit straight into the grain pretty much and the bits are so fat that they just sort of nibble the wood out. No big chips lol. I have some heads around that I made and have thought that it would make a good vid. Actually, there is a cool channel on old American life called townsends that did a sort of comparison video like that.
How wonderful. I'll try this as soon as I find a suitable log. How long do you expect the drying process to be, before the billets can be worked into axe handles?
That's the beauty of using true riven heart wood a year would be great but if you're desperate for a handle you can use it right away seeing you're not using the pith or the sap wood where most of the movie is anyway. And because no you reaved it out where it would naturally either want to split or whatnot anyway it's very stable. Generally depending on how you cure them you can leave it in your car or your attic for a month or two and it should be perfectly fine
@@horseblinderson4747 Thanks, that's very helpful.
What would you save the bark for? You mentioned it at 21:09Tip. I always use a stick to steady anything I'm chopping that won't stand on it's own. Moving my hand away before the blade hits rarely worked out for me. I've chopped plenty of holding sticks but never a finger.BTW.... Thanks for this video
Tanning leather. This tree is called tan oak, because it was used in the leather industry.
Have you ever tried to make an Adirondack style double bit handle? I've recently been looking into the history of that style handle And am very intrigued by them
Is that basically like a single bit handle?
@@SkillCult pretty much lol. From what I've read, the single bit curved handle was used on a double bit head as a way of determining easier and faster which edge was the keen thinner edge vs thicker splitting side. I guess way back when, when logging was a way of life and a means to support your family speed was important. Also would get the benefit of having both edges on a single tool. I've recently put a beater together on a 28" really thin handle and it sounds counter intuitive and conflicting ideas, but for me it's the perfect multifunction tool
Good to see you out and about. Enjoy these types of videos. What was the first axe you were useing? Looks like it has a thin profile and bites deep! Very sweet!
That is the council tool forest service boy's axe. They made them to FS specs for a while and now are sold by omaha knife. I thinned it out quite a bit. There are at least 4 different boy's axes by them in recent history. I'm not sure they very different really, maybe quality control is better on some or different steel. I think the new line they just released might be similar to this one.
17:00 talking about runout. Over the years I noticed that I get a lot less runout when splitting bottom-to-top. on cut pieces you can often see the original orientation by looking at the knots, but there's also a certain feeling. Especially when the wood is not green anymore, you'll feel a bounciness when gently tapping the top surface with the sharp side of your axe, a different feeling from tapping with the same force on the bottom surface. I think it's because of how a tree grows (generally bottom-to-top haha) where on a long straight piece, the bottom end will have slightly more fibers than the top and thus more dense. Travelling from the bottom to the top, there are no options, but when the split travels from the top to the bottom, it encounters ends of fibres where it will travel slightly sideways to pick a side of that fibre. I believe (but it's a pure guess, not science!) that due to that change in trajectory, the split may snap through adjacent fibres causing the actual runout. I don't seem to find any correlation between wood types and the runout behavior, but there is definitely a big difference between woods wrt how bad it runs out and how often. Short fibred wood types like beech will just runout like you describe here and even more drastically just break out halfway. My "trick" has been useful for me on ash, pine and willow... Especially when splitting tinder from scraps from the saw mill one side will run them into pointy toothpicks, while hitting the other side will shoot the split straight and square through. completely off-topic: my son and I found out the other day that chives make excellent straws for drinking juice or water... =D
That i interesting. Usually wood splits easier from the top for some reason. In basketry, we often split from the tip because there is less tendency to runout and the runout is easier to control. In some cases, it can make a big difference, in others not so much. I remember the first time I found that out I was splitting a bunch of Redbud or Maple shoots and it seemed counter intuitive, but it woked much better and my rough splits were a lot more even and clean. On big wood for some reason, I don't pay a lot of attention., On this one, I didn't pay attention at all. I started on one end and did most of it from the other. I was probably thinking more about camera angles. it might be interesting to take a homogeneous log and do half each way to see if there is a noticeable difference.
@@SkillCult that would be a good way to objectify my impressions... I'll see what I can do :) Since you mention that on sap wood it is the other way around, I wonder if what I found depends on whether my hits were radial or axial wrt the original position in the log... Usually when I split willow fire wood, I only chop radially unless it's a really large diameter. Ah, so many frivolous (yet scientific) challenges =DD
If you are familiar with splitting small stuff for basketry, try splitting some willow shoots both ways. It can be a pretty big difference. It seems counterintuitive for some reason.
Really enjoyed this- it was exactly what I was looking for as I want to split a 6' pine log to make a shave horse. Are there are any types of wood that won't split, or are very difficult to split?
Most definitely. Often it has to do with the individual tree, but some species can be naturally cross grained, with the growth rings essentially spiraling and meandering in different directions from year to year. If you score with an axe along the exact line on both sides and keep working into it slow, that can help keep it on line, but some just won't work out.
Skillcult- do you have to season the rails before cutting the axe handle & if so for how long before it's dry enough?
I talk more about that in the follow up videos. If you carve too early, there is more chance of warpage, but if you rough things out part way and leave some extra material to account for warpage, that can be a good strategy to allow the wood to adjust some before finishing. kzhead.info/sun/p8mBaN2fg6J5e6c/bejne.html and kzhead.info/sun/ntOnZZZ7fpaXnGw/bejne.html
I'm curious to learn about how woods like oak work as axe and tool handles. I live in Oregon and the prospect of finding a large piece of hickory to make a handle out of is a challenging one to say the least. I'd much rather try making my own handles out of more native woods. In your experience how do woods like other oaks or maple stand up to use as a tool handle?
I would probably skip the native Big Leaved Maple. It is not like the eastern maple that used to be used for axe handles. However, one of the woods I'm most interested in here is what is often called Oregon White Oak, Quercus garryana. I have a tree that I spotted which I might try to get a couple staves out of. The other one I'd really look at in the Northwest is Oregon Ash. There is a lot of it along rivers and creeks and swampy areas in Western Oregon. It's a good bow wood and probably a good handle wood. It grows here, but in limited habitats and it's hard to get for me. Easier to get up there. IF you live in Eastern Oregon, you're probably screwed ;)
great instruction.. i do have a question.. can you use a Froe to that job? j
No, it's much too big a job for a froe to be very useful. They are better for splitting shingles, boards or splitting something like these staves into halves. You could maybe start a split, but pretty hard to do much else with one in this job.
@@SkillCult Right on.. that ax method is real good. Making a mallet is a really great thing to do... J
Would you recommend using old hickory axe handles that have been cut off to make some wedges?
I don't see why not. Bevel the tops real well though. If the top is wrapped or fitted with a metal band, even better.
Those look like some decent boots, mind sharing which brand and model that is? As ever thanks for the great content.
Those were sent to me by a viewer actually. They are super comfortable and were comfortable right out of the box. Keen brand. Baltimore 6 inch extra wide option. I'm glad I go the wide one, doesn't squish my toes together like most shoes. One fault so far is the soles seem to have gotten a little chewed up walking on loose rock talus. Enough that it could be a problem if you were on really rough ground a lot. Otherwise, love them.
"git thee a heete wit thy beetle and wege"
I yelled "YEAH IT'S FUN!"
Alright!
❤️
Hey, I'm 24 and you are like the cool uncle teaching interesting stuff. Can you tell me what kind of importance do knots have in this situation? How do I need to behave with them? Thanks, Ivan
Yeah, I'm the cool uncle! lol. They just get in the way and you either choose to leave them in middle of the billet or try to go just to one side. You can also split straight through them in many species, but you still have to end up cutting or chopping them out to make most things.
@@SkillCult Ok, so today i have split some logs for the purpose and understood how they influence the fibers direction. Do you think it's a good idea to carve a curved handle keeping the natural curves of the fiber? Many thanks for answering, big respect to you.
@@luigigambacorta6117 It's fine, but it rarely works out that way. I don't like very curved handles, but I don't think that minor, gentle curves are a very big problem either..
Awesome stuff. Did you intentionally leave your hatchet behind just to illustrate for us?
Yep. Didn't even bring it.
I mean that's dedication. I'm going to have to try it lol.
Hi I'm new to your channel and just sifting through all your axe videos as I want to learn mor about their use and the tool in general. I have a question: Does anyone know if it is possible to fit an axe head like a tomahawk so a pure friction fit from the bottom? A friend of mine has a spanish axe I think it is called a Basque Axe and he says it rehandles like a tomahawk. Just curious about this. Keep up the good work your videos are really in depth and informative! All the best, Bob
Yeah, if it's made that way. It's not just the basque, there are others an that was the original method. It makes some of the common problems with hanging axes from the bottom with wedges obsolete.
@@SkillCult Cool thanks for the answer! Would it be possible to hang (am I using the term right?) a normal axe eg. the Husqvarna from your project this way or is the eye not straight on axes like this?
Funny you ask, I was justing looking at some heads a couple weeks ago to see if I might decide to modify one as a drop in. I"m skeptical you could do it on an American axe, with their typically narrow eyes, but I might try anyway. You would have to reshape the eye to be a cone, wider at the top.
@@SkillCult Hah what a coincidence. Thanks for the tip with the eye, seems like I'll have to bust the file out and see how it goes. I wish you good luck with your project!
@@UnhandledException1 It will be quite a job. You'll probably need a good half round file and a largish round file.
Is there any advantage in drying/seasoning the log first before spliting and debarking it?
No, quite the opposite. the larger the pieces, the more cracking will occur. I want it split, trimmed up, then ends oiled and get it seasoning. There is a couple of follow up video talking about that stuff.
Well, there could be an advantage to debarking after seasoning. since it's not actually part of the wood, it slows drying and that's usually a good thing.
What other species of wood are acceptable for tool handles? I have a lot of red oak on my property and if the brown tail moths keep going like they did last year, I may have a lot of it to use soon.
This wood is really experimental. Eastern red oak, in my very limited experience of what makes it out here, doesn't seem like it would be very good for that sort of thing. It always seemed kind of short and brittle. The Eastern White Oak was definitely used an Black locust, sugar maple, ash and hornbeam.
Regarding quarters you split into thirds: would starting the second split on those and simultaneously running the two splits help to reduce runout?
Good question. I'm not sure I've tried that, but I"ve thought about it. There seem some inherent problems though. If run out did occur it would have to occur at the same rate from both ends for the splits to meet. If the splits don't meet, you have a problem to fix at the center that is probably going to waste some wood. I asked my buddy who does Northwest native style carving if the big cedar planks were split from both ends and he said no, they were split along from one end. My guess is that it usually would not work out that well. Also, you'd have to really figure out exactly where to start each split and even so they are not likely to stay on exactly the same grain line.
@@SkillCult Thanks, although that is not actually what I meant with my question. I see how you could take it that way. I was referring to starting the two separate splits on the one end not the same split from both ends. I was just thinking that it could possibly help relieve tension or whatever is causing the runout to happen. Just a thought.
@@gragreiser1501 Oh yeah, that should have been totally obvious, I just didn't read it carefully enough. I'm not sure how that would play out. It would make an interesting experiment at the least.
@@SkillCult I'll keep my eye out! As a bonus, it would be a very budget friendly experiment.
How well does oak absorb impact in comparison to hickory or ash?
I can't say til I put it to use or I'd have to test it. Probably not nearly as well with this particular oak, but I'd guess it will be adequate.
So is there anything bad about the back of a axe mushrooming? I think it looks somewhat cool
It can distend the eye in some cases. It also gets annoying when extreme, sticking out the sides and sharp edges.
Couldn't you 'harden' the wedges using a hot fire to pull moisture out of the wood?
It would harden the wood, but in this case I'm trying to do as little as possible and these are just throw away wedges. Also, as I said in the video, sometimes hard things are brittle things. Fire hardening might help to a point but it could also make the thin edges brittle, so that would have to be considered.
so sad sorry for your loss
Dogwood is a preferred wood for wedges. Green oak burns well btw.
I've heard that. I may have even made some when I lived back east for a summer. We have one hard dogwood species similar to that, but it doesn't grow much near me.
@@SkillCult Whereabouts are you? You're well on your way to becoming another Roy Underhill by carrying on the tradition of working with split wood. I was on that path for awhile myself but now in the inner city. But I did score about a 2 feet thick piece of River Birch when a neighbor across the street had a crew taking one down. I sawed through some of it by hand and then used my
...bah, that little comment box made me run out of room then I couldn't get back to my comment to finish it. ...what I was saying is I used my tie rod tool and ball joint tool as wedges to get the river birch log apart so I could turn some wooden bowls out of it, eventually. In my area there is a wood called hornbeam AKA ironwood that would also work great for wedges. But the reason I mention the two tools above is you might find them at garage sales or harbor freight pretty cheap. I know I spent a lot on one of mine because its craftsman and the other I paid like 2 bucks for.
green wet ash burns in my woodstove. It has something in it that burns wet. Don't know what it is . But it is not safe to burn alone. A hot oak or maple or birch fire is recommended to get the creosote moisture out of your stove and chimney. Otherwise creosote buildup with start a chimney fire !
17:45 Can someone please get him some leather gloves lol
I got some elm I'm doing this with now it's a pita to split
so I hear. a little ornamental elm here, but not much.