froe

should the bevel on a shingle froe be towards the user or away to get a taper on the shingles? i'm assuming that the froe is struck by the dominant hand, so the handle should go on the left side of the blade (for me at least). also, should only a single bevel be put on the blade? the picture of a froe on the lee valley site is not clear on this. thanks!

There should be no bevel on the froe. It should taper evenly to a point on both sides, forming a vee. The froe ideally should be a half inch or more on the top side. The taper comes from taking wood off of the outside of the billet. If you were to split the billet equally in half, and the halves in half, you would have fairly square non tapered pieces, provided you have a fairly straight grained billet. Eventually you would have pegs.


Dave

awesome- thanks. the piece of metal i have should work then- it's about that thick. i've been using just the axe for pegs, but thought the froe would be necessary for shingles. it's interesting how the wood splits. how does the split know that it can get out to the side of the billet when you're working from the edge? not a question really, just wondering.

I think that as you pry the shingle away from the billet you are also pulling away from the billet, and this must be why you get the taper. I don't know what you are making the froe out of, but I know it is a lot of work to beat one out at the forge. as you are drawing the steel to make the edge, the steel forms a crescent, with the cutting edge on the outside. A froe also does not need to be all that sharp either, as it is splitting, not cutting ou the piece.


Dave

for sure the pulling outwards would cause the split to move, but the split tends to the outside even straight down with the axe. it's as if the wood knows the path of least resistance even as it's coming apart.

i was not intending anything so skilled for the froe. just found a neat piece of metal - i think an old handle for a machine - and i was going to go at it with an angle grinder, barbarian style.

The grinder will work, nothing wrong with goin' barbarian once in a while. When you split the billet evenly in the middle, the forces are divided evenly. When you split a little off one side, the main block of wood isn't going to bend, just the shingle. This is what makes it run to the outside, unless you have a really twisted grain in the wood.


Dave

ahhh, yes, the billets are flexing differently. that makes more sense than attributing some kind of intentional forethought to the wood. sometimes though it does seem that it knows something i don't.

thanks for the tips on the tool- much appreciated.