OldTools Archive
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257930 | Mark Pfeifer <markpfeifer@i...> | 2016‑02‑09 | hewing hatchet |
Gentle Galoots, Wondering what your esteemed opinions are on hewing hatchet helves. I’m using hatchets more and more do the second step dimensioning of green oak for furniture. (Much faster than a scrub plane and not as hard on my hands.) I hung my first hewing hatchet on a straight helve, and it works well for that purpose. In a moment of weakness I picked up another hewing hatchet on eBay. It had a crack just where the poll meets the bit, so even at 10 cents I’d have been overpaying, and I paid a lot more than 10 cents. But it became an opportunity to teach my younger sons about welding, so I’m not annoyed. Given I had to unhang and de-patinate it to weld it, for this one I wanted to experiment with a bent helve. I boiled half of a very old old single bit hickory axe handle for 6 hours and used an old staircase newel and a pipe clamp to put a good side-bend in it. Here are the questions: 1. Given I boiled this for 6 hours, how long should I let it wait before I hang the head on it, to avoid shrinkage? 2. When bending wood sideways against the grain, have I weakened it? (It won’t change anything about this hatchet, because it’s a slicing tool, but wondering for knowledge’s sake) 3. Bending sideways was fairly easy; I’m wondering if bending against the thicker dimension is any different (I can see how increasing the angle between the bit and the helve would make slicing cuts easier) 4. Does anyone have experience using both a straight and a bent hewing, and which use cases each fits better? I can see how the bend would definitely work a lot better with a full sized hewing axe, for logs on the ground. I can see how it might work better for a rough log bucked on my low horses. But the straight seems like it will definitely work better when holding a piece of stock upright on my chopping bench…. I’ll have a play and finish off my experiment . . . wouldn’t be the first time where I learned the hard way . . . but I wanted to avail myself of the group’s collective wisdom. Thanks in advance, MPf. |
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257931 | "yorkshireman@y..." <yorkshireman@y...> | 2016‑02‑09 | Re: hewing hatchet |
Mark gets into a twist about handles… 6 hours! phew - quite some handle - rule of thumb is an hour an inch. Its mostly heat rather than damp that makes the timber pliable. Side axes get bent handles to keep your knuckles clear of the timber - and a straight faced grind to let you chop downwards. I think of ‘hewing’ as being something more joiner like, using a conventional small axe, ground both sides, so you work accordingly. The straight handle is maybe easier to use, as it lines up neatly with the spot you want to hit. As for the bending - its reliant on the thickness you are bending, and the grain / pliability of the timber. I’d start with a curved item of timber if I could - not having steam facilities (yet) And of course, my opinion is worth the entrance fee, and you have your answer in your question - “ I’ll have a play and finish off my experiment “ - th e only man who knows what you like is you, so have at it.. Enjoy! Richard Wilson Yorkshireman Galoot in a sunny Newcastle - on -Tyne |
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257932 | paul womack <pwomack@p...> | 2016‑02‑09 | Re: hewing hatchet |
Mark Pfeifer wrote: > 4. Does anyone have experience using both a straight and a bent hewing, and which use cases each fits better? I can see how the bend would definitely work a lot better with a full sized hewing axe, for logs on the ground. I can see how it might work better for a rough log bucked on my low horses. But the straight seems like it will definitely work better when holding a piece of stock upright on my chopping bench…. I'm currently making a handle (from appallingly tough hickory) for a 2 1/2 Lb Kent Pattern Hatchet. But I have a 2 1/2 Lb Kent Pattern Side Axe (AKA Hewing Hatchet) waiting too. I too would welcome advice on the use and handling (both meanings!!) of this tool. BugBear |
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257933 | paul womack <pwomack@p...> | 2016‑02‑09 | Re: hewing hatchet |
paul womack wrote: > Mark Pfeifer wrote: >> 4. Does anyone have experience using both a straight and a bent hewing, and which use cases each fits better? I can see how the bend would definitely work a lot better with a full sized hewing axe, for logs on the ground. I can see how it might work better for a rough log bucked on my low horses. But the straight seems like it will definitely work better when holding a piece of stock upright on my chopping bench…. > > I'm currently making a handle (from appallingly tough hickory) for a 2 1/2 Lb Kent Pattern > Hatchet. > > But I have a 2 1/2 Lb Kent Pattern Side Axe (AKA Hewing Hatchet) waiting too. > > I too would welcome advice on the use and handling (both meanings!!) of this tool. PS; it's the one discussed 4 years ago!! http://swingleydev.com/ot/get/234842/single/ BugBear |
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257934 | Cliff <rohrabacher@e...> | 2016‑02‑09 | Re: hewing hatchet |
rather than a crooked handle, ( even if they do have a cool aspect to them) I'd prefer a straight handle and one just that much longer so that my hand cleared the work. |
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257937 | branson <branson2@s...> | 2016‑02‑09 | Re: hewing hatchet |
>rather than a crooked handle, ( even if they do have a cool aspect to them) I'd prefer a straight handle and one just that much longer so that my hand cleared the work. Handle length might be the thing here. But as for the crooked handles, they are imperative for squaring logs, not to keep your fingers safe, but because you are standing next to the log. They make it possible to easily make cuts parallel to the log. Hatchets are a different issue. With the exception of cooper's side axes, all that I have seen and/or used have straight helves. The earliest drawing I recall of a carpenter's broad hatchet has a straight helve. Because of the way one addresses the work with a hatchet, the offset is unnecessary. Now most of the cooper's side axes have an offset eye with a straight handle. It allows you to sight down the blade while you are listing the staves. Anglo-American side axes are all made this way. The French "doloire" that I have, however, has both an offset eye and a slightly curved handle that sweeps away from the blade. It works nicely -- once you adjust to the weight falling off to the side. A cooper trained up on the Anglo-American side ax would curse the doloire dead and blind because the balance is distinct and awkward. The blade wants to twist in your hand, away from the line you wish to cut. I 'spect the same awkwardness will be found in a regular broad hatchet handled this way. Mike in Woodland |
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257939 | Mark Pfeifer <markpfeifer@i...> | 2016‑02‑09 | Re: hewing hatchet |
SNIP > On Feb 9, 2016, at 1:00 PM, branson |
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257963 | Michael Blair <branson2@s...> | 2016‑02‑11 | Re: hewing hatchet |
> I use a double beveled “carpenters hatchet” very differently, and > my ‘bearded’ hatchet was probably more accurately called a > “hewing” hatchet than this one. The hatchet in question is > technically and correctly a “BROAD HATCHET”. I believe that hewing hatchet and broad hatchet are synonyms. > The item in question has a blade that is <7” from tip to tip. The > head is flat on one side. The eye is offset. I think a photo is in order here. 7 inches is quite wide for a hatchet. It might be a wheelwright's hatchet, which larger than a standard broad hatchet. Off set can also be vague; broad hatchets, as well as the wheelwright's hatchet have eyes set off to the side, but cooper's are off set to the side, but also angled away from the edge. Mike in Woodland |
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257965 | Mark Pfeifer <markpfeifer@i...> | 2016‑02‑11 | Re: hewing hatchet |
http://s1030.photobucket.com/user/Markpfeifer/media/IMG_1754_zpskznthmk q.jpg.html">http://s1030.photobucket.com/user/Markpfeifer/media/IMG_1754_zpskznt hmkq.jpg.html <http://s1030.photobucket.com/user/Markpfeifer/media/ IMG_1754_zpskznthmkq.jpg.html">http://s1030.photobucket.com/user/Markpfeifer/med ia/IMG_1754_zpskznthmkq.jpg.html> The hatchet in question. It’s closer to 5.5” than 7”. I was estimating. |
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257966 | Michael Blair <branson2@s...> | 2016‑02‑11 | Re: hewing hatchet |
I have one this size myself. It's a Collins Red Seal. The factory handle is straight. Mike in Woodland |
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257967 | scott grandstaff <scottg@s...> | 2016‑02‑12 | Re: hewing hatchet |
My old Stilletto is about this size. My old friend for decades. I carved the Christmas manger in about 77 for the first time, with it. Did it again every year for a number of years. Each different. Something for the local kids. I was kind of instrumental in "public christmas" during that time. Nobody was doing much (of the town merchants) and the local kids didn't have so much magic to look forward to. So I took a job of ordering goods to make sure there were cool presents available cheap, and then large scale decorating. Happy Camp Rexall drug store threw down the glitter and cranked up the music, and I was part of it. Anyway, my old friend ax. A simple straight handle. I think I carved it. Can't remember anymore. Long years of acquaintanceship. Then, I have a Century ax from old Sacramanto. Its a little bigger than this, but still a hatchet. This one has a slightly front curved helm. I carved the poles on my portico with it. http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/images/house/rafters1.jpg Its more about practice than the handle really. I suspect a guy can get used to just about anything. Its the stroke and the strike, and the angle. And what part of the edge you are contacting. It's a little like dancing. General ax talk I failed to buy an ax today. A fine "boys" single edge ax. About 24 or 26" long is all, and a 2 pound ax on top. It might have been the first time I ever knowingly passed on an otherwise good ax. 5 bucks, but the handle was pretty rotten. I have too many ax projects already. yours Scott -- ******************************* Scott Grandstaff Box 409 Happy Camp, Ca 96039 scottg@s... http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/ http://www.snowcrest.net/kitty/hpages/index.html ----- No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 2016.0.7357 / Virus Database: 4522/11606 - Release Date: 02/11/16 |
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257969 | Michael Blair <branson2@s...> | 2016‑02‑12 | Re: hewing hatchet |
Well Scott, I'm a little jealous that you have a Stiletto. I just can't pass up a Stiletto anything. > Its more about practice than the handle really. I suspect a guy can get > used to just about anything. Its the stroke and the strike, and the > angle. And what part of the edge you are contacting. It's a little like > dancing. Yep. And a bit about how the ax is sharpened. I have a Russian ax that has a thin blade, and is sharpened to 20 degrees. Not so useful for felling, but it will do things unimaginable. You can list staves with it. About that boy's ax. My grandfather and his brother used to make yearly trips to the mountains for fire wood. They'd fill the back of a flatbed Ford with rounds, and split them at home. My grandfather had two axes (which I still have!) One is your usual single bit ax, but the other is a 2 1/2 pound head Plumb. Different jobs. Mike in Sacto |
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