Working with an axe

[JW_Halverson]

I've looked at that same axe, Hatch, and just from reading the description I felt it would be about the best possible choice.  Now I just gotta find a way to fund it.  Hate it when I like an expensive tool better than run of the mill cheapies!

[Badger]

        The leather on the handle made a huge difference in how fast my arm gets tires. I kind of hated putting leather on such an expensive tool but it made a world of difference.

[HatchA]

I've looked at that same axe, Hatch, and just from reading the description I felt it would be about the best possible choice.  Now I just gotta find a way to fund it.  Hate it when I like an expensive tool better than run of the mill cheapies!

If you've looked into Gransfors axes, you've doubtless seen their range of carpentry specific products - tasty stuff indeed!!

Like you though, I figured the Hunter's axe would be the best "all rounder" for pretty much anything a small axe can be used for. 

Very much well worth the initial outlay!!

[JW_Halverson]

When you come out to hunt deer in the Black Hills, bring that hand axe with you (just not as carry-on luggage) and I'll give it a test run on some dry osage.  Thanks, HatchA.

-john

[HatchA]

Will do John.

[Diligence]

I haven't been around much, but I wanted to add a couple of cents.....

...I'm missing some fingers on my right hand, so gripping things sometimes becomes fatiguing very quickly. 

Might I suggest a review of your technique?  I'm pretty sure that you already have it down to a science, as this is clearly "not your first rodeo", but I think that lots of people try to take too big of a "bite" when using carving axes/hatchets.

To remove a lot of material, do you cut a series of notches, working up towards yourself, then take one longer swipe at it to remove the bulk of what you just loosened?  When you drop the blade into the material, do you twist the blade after it has cut a notch, to help loosen the material?

Might be worth describing how all of you use the hatchets?  I know I saw a good reference on-line somewhere, but I can't find it.  It was related to Swedish Carving techniques...using an axe.

Cheers,
J

[youngbowyer]

Get a fiskars or Gerber hatchet. The handles are hollow so they're very hollow. I can swing my fiskars axe all days plus it's easy to sharpen, takes a razor edge, and it's only $20

[dragonman]

what weight axe is it? maybe you should get a lighter one...... I've noticed if I get joint or muscle/tendon problems,its because I'm not staying relaxed and using way more tension than necessary. Most people grip their tools much tighter than they need to. Use minimum tension and let the weight of the axe do the work. With the stave in the right place relative to the axe strokes that you dont need to lift it too high for each stroke , ie., at the right height etc etc. You probably know these things already but just trying to be helpful...

[JW_Halverson]

My axe is a 3 1/2 lb felling axe with 12" of hickory handle.  I choke up on the grip so that there is about 2 fingers of space between my grip and the head.  And yeah, I fatigue quickly because I do not have lumberjack forearms. 

I don't do a lot with the hand axe, but it can move material quickly enough.

[Badger]

     Funny thing is that I have always had very big forearms and have worked with hand tools my entire life. I have the Gransfors hand axe which is one of the best and it is razor sharp. My leather handle did help considerably but I have been practicing lately and found I was taking too much bite. Just a bad habit I guesss. I do plan to stay with this axe till I can do at least a 2hour session with one. I can't imagine even the biggest stave taking over two hours to reduce if I can master this thing without the fatique. I got half way through a big locust stave 4" wide in about 1 1/2 hours last weekend with several 5 min brakes taking smaller bites so I am encouraged.

[JackCrafty]

Watch the first 40 seconds of this video to see how to use a hand axe on wood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVwTSzNLxcM

[Badger]

   I watched that video, pretty much the same tecnique I use now except I don't choke up quite so much on the head. A big hardwood stave just needs more power, just a much bigger job. I have found my muscle stamina increasing everyday. I got through an hour today with no breaks and just medium fatigue in the forearm, I imagine in a couple of months the muscle will proably be pretty well adapted to it. Starting to think I just haven't been using the same muscles that an axe requires.

[JackCrafty]

In the video, the guy's wrist hardly moves at all.  A lot of the work is being done by the shoulder muscles.  He also chops up on the wood and then trims downward.  In the US, we tend to chop into the wood about mid-stave and then try to split and pry the wood off with the axe.  It's the opposite of the way they do it in Europe.  We like to do it the hard way, I guess.

If you are chopping on large staves, my question is: Why?  You should be splitting the big stuff with wedges and then working on thin material:  a little bigger than the wood in the video.

I used a hand axe for years and I'm no muscle man.  My main problem was shock from the handle:  it was making my whole arm sore.  When I got an axe with a shock-absorbing handle, it made a world of difference.

I've used several axes that cost a lot but were pretty much crap as far as wood carving goes.  I enjoy working a stave with hand tools but I had to get the right ones.  To this day, I've never had a need for a spokeshave or scraper.  I don't own a shaving horse either.  I do all my roughing out with an axe or bandsaw.  I tiller with a pocket knife and sandpaper when I don't have access to a sander.

PS RyanO can vouch for the way I make a bow...haha 

[Badger]

Main reason I want to get better with an axe is so I can remove wood a bit faster when I don't have access to electricity. I do pretty well with my draw knife and spokeshave but I think the axe will be faster if I can master it. Most the guys I know that use the axe including myself chop up and trim down just as in the video. I make my chops more like straight in and then chop down. On small jobs like the one we saw on the video you wouldn't want to much wrist action I wouldn't think. I am working on two staves right now a locust and a mulberry. Neither stave is that good so I plan to get all the way to floor tiller with the axe just for the practice, not much to loose anyway.

[Kviljo]

Most axes/hatchets have the edge set at the middle and are not made for shaping straight things like bows. If the blade of the axe head is thick they will normally take off too much for my taste. The large axes for making boards are a good indication of what we need. Those are flat on the side that touches the board, which makes it possible to take off very thin chips by swinging the axe nearly parallell to the board. We say that they are ground like a scissor. A broad edge is also useful, as you can focus all the attention on the chopping angle.

Here's one of my axes. It's a replica of a 13th. century axe from Bergen, Norway. The side shown on the picture is nearly flat all the way to the edge. The nearly round grip is quite typical of the medieval axes, and is very comfortable to grip, but is perhaps not the best for precision work. It's also slightly too heavy for the finer work. The round edge (as seen from the side) makes it bite better and more softly, but makes a concave surface. I like a straighter edge for final axe-work. Don't have a picture of my favorite axe at hand though...