Timber Framers Guild Forums Tools Tool Forum How to sharpen an adze?

I just bought an adze at a garage sale and was wondering what is the appropriate edge to put on it. It current has a two-sided edge similar to an axe. I would think that it should have a one-sided edge similar to a chisel or plane, but I could be wrong.

Thanks for the help, Dennis

I think your intuition is good, an adze used for carpentry should be charpened like a chisel/slick/broadaxe, except that the back is convex. I use a waterstone that has gradually shaped itself to the adze, and of course, my beloved angle grinder.
On the other hand, an adze used for demolition and nails might do better with an knife sharpening.

I know some won't like this but a file does a nice job. Polish the bottom with a fine stone, mirror finish, than shape the top bevel with a file providing the steal is not to hard, follow up with a stone, I don't. It is like an axe, it has a long handle and therefore leverage and force, whereas your chisel is for fine tuning and sharpened finely. My adze leaves a polished surface which is all I am after and only takes a few seconds and back to work. Tim

TIMBEAL, so you're suggesting a single-edge as well?

Thanks for the info guys!

Ayah, just one bevel, holding the handle looking down on the adze that is the bevel side, bevel up. Tim

TIMBEAL, are you swinging your adze like an axe? I have heard of horror stories of this technique gone wrong. I was taught to hold the top of the handle close to the thigh, and use the whole body to move the adze. This greatly reduces the risk of the adze taking a slice out of your leg.


Dave

Absolutly not. I swing much like you describe with my left hand resting on my left thigh, the right hand closer to the head about 5" from the left. I find I use my arms a bit more than my body but no way as much as with the axe. The handle is cut to my body height/comfort level so other folks may find it odd but still useable. I also find I have to compensate and lean to the right to achieve a level cut. So when finishing the joint I am leaning a bit to the right, because my left hand is on my left thigh causing the bottom of the blade to be out of level. I enjoy adze work, it is some what like yoga, I could take a nap when I'm done. Tim

over the weekend I spent some quality time with my $15 adze and brought it back to life. I took some pics along the way for the next guy
this one had a "mini" bevel on the back side which I carefully squared up with a grinder



then I brought the bevel as close to the cutting edge as possible with a grinder and finished sharpening with a combination of a file and stone.




it also needed a new handle and since I think crucks are the coolest what better handle than a cruck handle...

TIMBEAL, sounds safe to me.

I like that cruck handle, very cool.


Dave

crucks....