i need a new axe for driving wedges what do you guys suggest. i cracked the plastic handle on the one i have now. what do you guys think is better plastic or wood handle?
I use a Collins single-bit axe with a with a wooden handle, painted bright orange. I never could get used to a plastic handle on an axe, maybe I'm just old-fashioned. Some guys really like them though.
I wouldn't use an axe. I would make a wooden Maul out of the root crown of a hard wood. Trim off the roots and the stem makes a pretty good handle. You can modify it with a draw knife if you have to. Blue Beech, Persimmon, Sycamore, Sweet Gum all work pretty good.
To make a better one, score an 8" or better, log all the way around about 1' from the end and about 3" deep. (a chainsaw works) Then hew the "handle" down to match that scoring and finish it with a draw knife.
You can even find limb crotches that make good ones. ;D
Fancy mauls/mallets can be made by making the handle and head separately and using fancy joinery to put them together to form a hammer. I like the 1st examples given best. You are hitting on the side of grain and they don't split to easily.
I have them with 6" handles on up to 3' handles. They don't cost anything but time. They don't damage wedges, They have more inertia than an axe and it gives you something to "whittle" in your spare time. :D
thanks guys! tom i dont have that kind of ambition ;D great idea though and i probably maybe will give it a try. what about useing oak or maple becuase i dont have any of those trees you mentiond.
side note why is it sometimes i dont get notified when someone post to a thread i'm whatching :( or like i i just got one for the poulan pro chainsaws thread at 7:41pm but it was posted last a 11:42am
actually just as i got done posting that i got a notification on someone posting. but it does happen quit often
I use a Collins as well ...
(https://forestryforum.com/board/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.madsens1.com%2Fgraphics%255Cjersey.jpg&hash=093d31bf3117e577c1119b7ffcd176931ab6f1b4)
http://www.madsens1.com/collins.htm
nice axe there kevin. just picked one up at the hardware store just like it there were 2 to choice from hand made and the other so i went with the hand made. i notice yours has the straight handle mine has the curved which do you like better and why? i have allways used curved ones just wondering if theres a benifit too the straight handle
I can't really give you a good answer to that.
I bought the axe for the wide head for driving wedges and short handle to carry on my back.
It came with a straight hickory handle.
o.k thanks kevin. how do you like it? when i saw the same one at hardware store i thought it looked like it would work nice i'll find out tommoro i quess.
I like it.
8)
I use the back side of a hickory handled maul or a 5lbs sledge.
I would NEVER use the back of my axe! :o
The steel is tempered to hold a cutting edge and too brittle for hammering on things.
All along here, I thought this 'axe' was for tapping in the wedge used to direct the fall of a tree. Not one used for driving steel splitting wedges to split logs or firewood. But then, I'm not sure how a plastic handle gets torn up hitting a tree wedge either. Are we discussing one or the other, or both? Just curious now.
??? :)
I usually do similar to Tom (I think), and cut a 'tapper' out of about a 4-5" limb with a branch of 1" growing out of it. About 5" of the limb and about 18" of the branch makes a good temporary bonker for driving wedges in the back cut.
the axe is used for driving wedges. as for how the plastic got messed up where it meets the head i dont know. i was doing some serious pounding though. i never thought it could happen. but i did miss a couple times with it.
I use a small sledge and steel wedges for felling. Plastic vs steel wedges have been discussed in previous threads and I suppose it depends on the kind of trees you are felling. Large white oak "wolf" trees sometimes takes some serious wedging.
David,
Grandad taught me something a long time ago that pretty much stopped the damage to handles (axe or sledge) that is caused by missing what you are swinging at. Saw the end of the handle off so that it is the right length for your height. Makes a world of difference.
How does one figure out what is the right handle length for one's height?
The right length depends on your age. I you are as old as I am, cut it right next to the head so you cannot get a hold of the handle anymore and go out and buy a hydraulic wood splitter and leave the axes for the young guys.
Seriously, my son splits wood just for the exercise and he had to quit using his steel handle, monster maul and went to a fiberglass handle splitting maul because the pain in his wrists, elbows, and shoulders from the vibrations of the impacts. The fiberglass handle has solved the problem for him. However the fiberglass will not last if you over swing and miss your target.
I am not sure if overhitting is caused by too long of a handle or lack of practice. When you swing a maul, axe, or a hammer, you have to hit where you are looking, and that just takes practice. In the old days they used to have two man teams that would drill blasting holes in rock with a sledge and a star drill. There if the guy swinging missed the head of the drill, he could break the hand or arm of his partner holding the drill.
I also agree with Urban logger. An axe is for cutting, not hitting. You would be better off with a splitting maul or sledge hammer.
Scott,
I don't know of any formula for the correct length of handle. I'd say if you are over hitting, cut a little off.
Gary is right about hitting where you're looking. Same is true of shooting a shotgun, but you got to have a shotgun that fits you right.
i usually hit the mark but sometimes i dont quit get it perfect. just human i quess :) as for using a axe thousand of loggers cant be wrong. the handle i believe the right lenght also its just sometimes it happens ;D
I guess I just need more practice. Sometimes I overhit, underhit, or just flat out miss. :D :D
I'm glad yu axed these questions.
David, if your having to pound real hard on the wedge, put another close to it and alternate between them. I do this with heavy leaners.
thanks ed will do.
A little more help ...
Your felling cut probably isn't deep enough if you can't lift the tree without destroying a wedge head.
fwiw and being sort of a newbie, I use a big sledge hammer with a fiberglass handle to drive my metal wedges and my plastic wedges with the metal backing. I use a small hammer or small sledge hammer for my small plastic wedges. The big handle sledge was a vibration free type handle and really cushions the blow over a wood handle.