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Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: Dave Shepard] #19443 04/30/09 09:27 AM
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Ken Hume Offline
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Hi NH et all,

A wood that is rarely mentioned on this forum is Holly. This was oft times used by blacksmiths to rehandle their hammers because it produced a wonderfully smooth surface which is further polished up by the hand when used at the forge.

Regards

Ken Hume


Looking back to see the way ahead !
Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: Ken Hume] #19444 04/30/09 10:18 AM
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TIMBEAL Offline
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Holly, Holly is a magical wood, even our entertainment derives from Hollywood, can I say "it has deep roots". It does not grow in my neck of the woods.

I do have a couple of handles made from black cherry, on my slick and a small hewing axe. The axe split clean off one day and my knot tying brother took it home and with a bit of glue and some string made it serviceable once more, needless to say I don't use it for heavy wood removal, but it still works.

Tim

Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: TIMBEAL] #19446 04/30/09 11:13 AM
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Don P Offline
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Dogwood is another good one, happens to be in full bloom here right now. NH you said "glass finish"... scraped with a broken piece of glass?

Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: Don P] #19450 04/30/09 02:14 PM
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OurBarns1 Offline
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Yes, more on the "glass finish" please.


Don Perkins
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to know the trees...


Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: Dave Shepard] #19452 04/30/09 03:10 PM
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Originally Posted By: Dave Shepard
I've got to make a broad axe handle, maybe I'll look into cherry, it certainly has a crooked growth habit.


Speaking of handles, crooked handles, has anyone ever made a laminated broadaxe handle?

Brings me back to canoe paddles. "Bent shaft" paddles are popular w/ modern canoeists and are often laminated (glued-up) on a form.

The paddle shape seems well suited to some unique broadaxe handle possibilities...









Don Perkins
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to know the trees...


Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: OurBarns1] #19458 05/01/09 12:15 AM
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TIMBEAL Offline
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Yes, the racing days, 'tis the season and the water is cold and high.

Tim

Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: TIMBEAL] #19472 05/02/09 12:27 AM
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northern hewer Offline OP
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Hi everyone tonight:

Well those were wonderful responses, and I certainly increased my knowledge about types of wood that grow in other regions and other parts of the world, especially Holly, it doesn't grow here but it sure sounds like a very interesting wood type for handles.

One thing that I have certainly learned over the years is that handles , buildings of all types, etc. were usually built/constructed with what type of wood grew in that particular region, and some regions were blessed with better varieties than others.

I also use black walnut for tool handles, choosing naturally bent limbs for the offset broadaxe handles. I have a favorite tree that once in a while gets trimmed up a bit.

White ash is also a great wood, and for broadaxe handles you have to select a naturally bent section like a tree that has grew up out of the side of a deep ditch, or by some stroke of nature grew in an unatural fashion such as being bent like the trees were during the last ice storm here.

Dogwood is one type of wood that I have no idea what its possibilies would be but thanks for bringing that to our attention.

Yes the glass finish I put on my handles is created with a broken piece of glass, it does a wonderful job of applying a final finish. I do show it being applied in my broadaxe handle carving video.

Well thanks for coming on line everyone, maybe we will get additional suggestions from other parts of the USA or abroad.

NH




Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: northern hewer] #19486 05/03/09 03:39 PM
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Don P Offline
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Hi Richard,
I hope not to drag us afield but I thought I'd share a couple of pictures of Dogwood and a story that goes along with it.
This is one of our multi-stemmed ones in the front yard, they tend to be forest edge trees, this is old overgrown pasture, you can see several others in the background. Even single stemmed ones are typically not straight.

This is the blossom


The story is that this tree was used for the cross. The tree blooms around Easter and the blossom is shaped like the cross and shows the scars of the nails on the tips of the petal to remind us. The story goes on to say that this was once a tall stately tree that was banished to always be a gnarled small thing afterwards so that it could never be used in that way again. I was told not to cut one unneccesarily. It is not my intention to sermonize but it does make a nice story and I like the lore that accompanies different trees.

The wood itself is typically white, sometimes dries with a pink cast that I believe is an enzyme reaction although there is a reddish cast to the heartwood which it often does not contain much or any of. It is dense and quite strong, imparts no flavors and was used for tools, small parts and cooking implements.
This is the tech sheet, it looks like the last 3 sentences under "the tree" are a mix up but the rest is accurate.
http://www2.fpl.fs.fed.us/TechSheets/HardwoodNA/htmlDocs/cornus.html

If you look at the mechanical properties and have a feel for them, this is a tough,stiff,hard,dense wood

Many of ours are succumbing to anthracnose, it burns well and I try to lay up a few good looking chunks. There is much loss in drying so it may take a few pieces in the woodstove before you get a keeper. It self polishes like beech and is a nice handle wood, turns well also.


Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: Don P] #19489 05/04/09 01:02 AM
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northern hewer Offline OP
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Hi Don

Thanks for the wonderful response and you certianly did not lead us astray by no stretch of the imagination.

I believe we all are beginning to become a little bit wiser when it comes to selecting a type of wood strong enough to be used for an offset broadaxe handle.

I believe that another of the main properties that is required is the natural bend at the point where the handle curves into the head of the axe. Without this natural strength in the grain of the wood it will not stand up to the forces directed to the handle when it is brought into hard blows during the hewing sequence, especially when trying to cut through a knot in the log.

It would be nice to hear from someone who has had the privilege to exchange information on handle carving say from the tropical regions.

I know some of the hardest wood is mined such as lignum vitae (used for turbine bearings), and I am sure that there are some surprises when it comes to handle carving as well.

Around my region some of the dense hardwoods such as ironwood just does not seem to have been used eventhough it is very tough and durable.

White elm moves around too much as the moisture conditions change, and white oak does not finish well and stays too abraisive on the surface

White ash is a good choice, as well hickory is another.

As I close for tonight please come on board with other suggestions for everyone to ponder and maybe expand their knowledge base on this interesting topic.

I still like the first observation "holly" from Ken in England maybe he has a few more examples up his sleeve to share with everyone.

NH

Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: northern hewer] #19491 05/04/09 09:16 PM
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That was a nice post on dogwood.

I enjoy learning from Don P about different woods. It's clear he knows his medium...The Dogwood tale is a great example of folklore, which is one of my literary interests (but folklore really comes from an oral tradition rather than a written one; like poetry and song).

I'm curious to hear opinions on a laminated version of a broadaxe handle. Maybe it would be more work than a one-piece traditional design: the sawing of strips, making a form, etc. But it might produce a stronger product and a unique one at that.

I have made some canoe paddles, straight ones, w/ laminated shafts. Mahogany and spruce made for a neat (and strong)combination...people always comment on it (I can post some pictures later).

But for a broadaxe, envision alternating srips of ash and some tropical hardwood like NH mentioned... 1/4 ~ 3/8" strips glued up around a form would produce a nice handle, I'd think. A stronger one, too. Solid wood is prone to weak spots and fracture lines. A lamination is usually stronger as it is a combination of grain working together. Plus, a lamination resolves drying and checking concerns that are inherent when harvesting solid material for handles.

Curious to hear some thoughts.


Don Perkins
Member, TFG


to know the trees...


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