Anybody Making Handsplit Shakes

Fla._Deadheader · August 02, 2004, 05:26:30 AM

We have a lot of bigger logs that nobody seems to want :

Years ago, these Old Cypress logs were sawn into 24" sections and hand split shakes were made. The shakes should last over 50 years, soooo, maybe we need to make a couple of Froes and get busy??? How would one price such a thing??? What about sawn shingles??? Anybody producing in quantity ???

MrMoo · August 02, 2004, 08:03:56 AM

Harold,
Funny you ask about that. My brother in law just had some loggin done on his place & they left a lot of short pieces. We were talking about splitting them into shakes. We also talked about getting a shingle mill.
Mike

Fla._Deadheader · August 02, 2004, 09:05:09 AM

Sooo, Do you buy the mill and I ship you my chunks ??? :

;D

Larry · August 02, 2004, 11:16:42 AM

I've split quite a few of them out of WRC (old power poles) and RO. No idea what they would sell for. I used the ones I split for a gazbo and shelterhouse.

Old truck spring makes a great froe. Already got the eye formed for you. ;D

MrMoo · August 02, 2004, 12:24:24 PM

Nope we haven't bought a shingle mill yet. We are waiting for one to show in the farm bureau weekly bulletin -- for a good price. I'll let you know if we do. Maybe you could drive then chunks up here

ADfields · August 02, 2004, 01:01:21 PM

You can pull the wide splitting wedge off a hydraulic splitter and replace it with a thin blade and split shakes with it. I never used one just watched some video of one in Canada working clear WRC. Then you need a draw knife and shaving horse to finish them and get rid of the high spots. As a hand made old world shake I would think they could be very high dollar stuff. Do wood shakes make code in Florida? They don't in Arizona and most of California due to the fire danger. But they use the heck out of them in the north east on them big buck houses.
Andy

Kevin · August 02, 2004, 02:45:38 PM

http://www.shelterpub.com/_shelter/shelter_shakes.html

rvrdivr · August 02, 2004, 05:58:36 PM

Hey FDH. I had a great chocolate shake at Steak & Shake the other day but never had a wood shake. I can only imagine what it would tast like. :D Why don't you fill us yug-ins in to what a shake is??
So you guy's been finding some big logs have you?

Fla._Deadheader · August 02, 2004, 06:47:48 PM

Took Waaaayyyyy longer than I expected to get that post. :

:D :D

We found a few big'un's.

If ya don't know, come over to the camp, with yer nappin stuff, and I will introduce ya to the sport of "Shake-makin". ;D You still in St. Augustine ???

etat · August 02, 2004, 08:45:05 PM

Some prices on cedar shakes. I betcha ya that cyprus would be really high dollar.

http://www.cedar-shingles.com/?google

Fla._Deadheader · August 02, 2004, 08:51:30 PM

Great link. 8) Thanks CK ;D

Bruce_A · August 03, 2004, 08:59:06 PM

As an old shake rat with a mill still on the premises,I think you guys better sit down when you get the prices on those shakes with the certi-split label. Average will be well over a $100.00 per square. I have no idea about cypress, but with WRC, you turn the bolt to get your taper. No riving as with oak. With good tools and a strong back, you might be able to split 10 square a day from WRC taper wood bolts. Anything else I know nothing about. Good luck, wish I were there to try.

lamar · August 03, 2004, 09:23:16 PM

Its been 20yrs. or so ,but in Western Washington in the banna-belt I used to cut old(30+yr.)stumps and make my own hand split tapers.They were running out then so the were selling resaws.These are 2nd. growth and wont taper as good and wont last as long.I wouldnt use anything but shakes on a roof with 4/12 pitch or better.can you still get a good taper with cypress like old growth ceder?

Fla._Deadheader · August 04, 2004, 04:11:35 PM

  Not sure about the taper with Cypress. Why Y'all think I posted this ??? :D :D :D :D

  BruceA, what's the deal with "no riving as with Oak"??? How else would you do that??? How do you get the taper???

  Lamar, same question. How do YOU get the taper ??? Didn't know that mattered that much. Oak is pretty much same thickness ???

rvrdivr · August 04, 2004, 06:51:07 PM

Hey FDH and Co. Yeah I'm still stuck in the nations oldest city dealing with the population rise on high! I do need to come by to... "check" on you guys."What are they up to now?"
I'm havin some serious treasure withdrawls here. Need Coin!
Lets hit it!
I'm still shook up about this shake thing. I'll bring the rock you bring the wood...
Until then...here's a point I knapped not to long ago.

Fla._Deadheader · August 04, 2004, 07:01:17 PM

That's plumb beautimous. Sure would like to watch ya do that. ;D

lamar · August 04, 2004, 08:48:04 PM

Deadheader, I worked with a carpenter that taught me what Little I know about wrc shakes.I found an old froe on my place and bought a new handle and I was in business. Its so neat and simple ,cut blocks 24" long and split one side then flip it over and split the other and darned if you dont get approximately 1/2 on one end and next to nothing on the other.If you split on one side only you get barn shakes, no taper. Just a good whack with old bowling pin and froe sinks in enough that with a light pull toward you a finished product pops off the block.GOD MAKES SOME REALLY NEAT STUFF By the way this is why they had problems with cedar thieves.With a pu. and a chain saw you could get a cord of shake blocks and sell them for about 125 back then in the 70s

Fla._Deadheader · August 04, 2004, 09:05:55 PM

Thanks Lamar. Do you spin the block around or turn it over, end for end ???

Bigdogpc · August 05, 2004, 07:23:02 AM

I wouldn't mind trying one of those chunks for shakes...got any that will fit in my little truck?? Keep in mind it is power challenged... :D

Fla._Deadheader · August 05, 2004, 08:49:49 AM

Just got a 4' chunk of 5' wide magnolia. Think you can handle that ??? :D :D I have a guy that does tree work in Ocala, sometimes. Just finished cutting out Cypress. Want some logs ??? ;D ;D I can refer you to him. ;D ;D

Bigdogpc · August 05, 2004, 10:11:35 AM

I went out and told my little truck about the Magnolia...when she started laughing I had to walk away in disgust...'course I can't knock her too bad, she has pulled my trailer sorta loaded with wood a few times. I really like her dainty dining on gas!

For those who don't know, I have a 1998 Isuzu Hombre with the 2.0 engine. Nice little truck as long as you don't ask more than you should out of it.

lamar · August 05, 2004, 08:25:00 PM

Just flip the block end for end.I wish I knew something about cypress.I wonder if it would taper?Also old or 2nd groth? I guess they have some around here(east texas palestine) but I havent looked.Id like to saw some.
In Wash. they split a thick shake and then resawed the taper.This is mainly using 2nd. growth.Also they made thick butts resawn (1') they looked great but were hard to work with and wood quality was lower.

Fla._Deadheader · August 06, 2004, 04:40:41 AM

This is old growth. We have a couple of 4 footers spotted. When the water gets up, we are gonna pull 'em and see if they are solid or Pecky.

Swede · August 06, 2004, 11:40:21 AM

If I remember to take my old Canon camera with me when I go to my brother next week I´ll take a photo of his Splitting machine.

It´s a bench on 3 legs, in one end there is a wheel Ø 5´ for a belt. The speed is 50-100 rpm. On the axle there is a crank, pulling/pushing a horizontal knife in the other end. He place a piece of wood, usally spruce, on the bench and the knife split it. You have to turn the small log right all the time to get a good product.

We use to make them 18-20" and 1/8" thick. Making a good roof we nail them in 4 layers and turn them so the water want to flow off, not flow into the wood.

This machine is all made of wood, I think, and looks very old.

Swede.

Fla._Deadheader · August 06, 2004, 12:08:58 PM

Swede, that would be great. I love old machines. Love new ones too. Right now, looking at a book to build a CNC Router table. Man, think of the projects that I can spit out with a CNC Router table :

:

:D :D