Whatcha Sawin' 2025 ??

[Resonator]

Yup, I've used a drawknife before too. I had one years ago, on my list of tools to buy.

[SawyerTed]

There's much to be said for standing up and "skinning' logs."  Some call it an ice chopper, some call it a flat hoe, floor scraper, roofers tool and more.  It's a long handled scrapper so a person can stand and peel logs.

Of course a spud is the hardwood log peeling tool of choice, especially poplar for siding. 

[TimW]

What holds the log up when you stand it up?

[red]

In 2006 I helped peel logs for a log cabin . . the logs were hemlock and pine . . some other guys had tried peeling the logs and gave up . . I figured how hard could it be ?  So I tried for two days and I gave up 

We had all kinds of tools and I remember the bark spud did very well . . I also remember the cabin turning black while being built and it needed power washing to remove all of the cambium layer 

[Magicman]

Mine look like straightened out garden hoes:


The shorter one on the right got a new handle below.


Here a wooden handle had finally rotted and needed replacing so I bought a rake and used the handle.  This one is my favorite.  They are sharpened on only one side so "red side up" does not cut into the log.

I would hate to think about bending over and using a draw knife.

[Old Greenhorn]

North of the grits belt we call those 'ice choppers' for breaking up ice on walkways, driveways, etc. They work fine. But for me, the real secret to easy peeling is when the logs are cut. If you take them after the weather warms and the trees leaf out and they are moving a lot of water, that bark comes off real easy on most species. If you cut them in February (up this way), then the bark is tighter than a knat's butthole and you really have to work at it.... HARD until the logs begin to decay.
 I do use a draw knife when peeling slabs to make benches. Again, summer cut is easy and I can do a 4' section of slab in under a minute, but I did some Hemlock recently that was winter cut and it took quite a while and a lot of sweat to clean up a 4' slab.

[TimW]

Mine look like straightened out garden hoes:


The shorter one on the right got a new handle below.


Here a wooden handle had finally rotted and needed replacing so I bought a rake and used the handle.  This one is my favorite.  They are sharpened on only one side so "red side up" does not cut into the log.

I would hate to think about bending over and using a draw knife.

Dad taught me to straddle the log.  They were propped up just enough to kneel on the ground while straddling the log.  I guess with the right height heavy duty saw horses, one could stand without bending over.

[Magicman]

Sorta depends upon age and the back.  

When I was the age that my Dad was teaching me stuff, my back was in a different time zone.  At that time I could shoulder a 100# sack of nitrate and go.  Now it is only packaged in 50# and I would hate to have to do now what I did then.  Maybe "then" had something to do with "now"?  Of course that was also 65 years ago.

[jpassardi]

We use an ice chipper also. Sometimes a small, light crow bar works better as it won't cut into the bark and you can keep under at the cambium.

[doc henderson]

I have been trying to do the 20-year shop reorganization for the past 3 days with the help of my buddy Dallas.  I have been sore, like when I was 14 and started doing all the lifting, carrying and climbing.  I think sports and hard work also allows me to work harder than most my age.  Dallas is younger and stronger at this point, but I learned how to lift and carry at that age so can keep up with him some.

[nopoint]

My go to for a bark spud is a chunk of leaf spring welded to a socket that excepts a wooden handle. The end is ground a bit. The curve of the spring is helpful. Watched some log cabin guys do the same. Pretty much indistructable. Guess could go all steel if your helpers break alot of things, I prefer the wooden handle. 

[TimW]

Sorta depends upon age and the back. 

When I was the age that my Dad was teaching me stuff, my back was in a different time zone.  At that time I could shoulder a 100# sack of nitrate and go.  Now it is only packaged in 50# and I would hate to have to do now what I did then.  Maybe "then" had something to do with "now"?  Of course that was also 65 years ago.

I see your point.  Each morning more new aches pop up now.  I remember trying to move 100 pound burlap sacks of horse feed when I was little.  I couldn't by myself.  My brother and I finally devised a plan to put the riding lawnmower at the bumper of the mattress truck and push, roll the sack off of the truck onto the seat.  Those sacks wear so bulky, we would drag them up into the grainery.  Then pour the feed into a storage barrel.  It would take a while!  Today, just glad they are 50# sacks.

[SawyerTed]

As far as standing up and peeling logs, IF I have to peel logs I put the logs on top of other logs perpendicular and chocked in place, peel as much as possible then roll them to peel the rest.  It's easier on the back and rolling logs is easier.  

I have used a floor scraper and a flat shovel among various other scrapers.   

[beenthere]

TimW
At 14 yr old, I hired on to work at a neighboring dairy/pig/sheep/chicken farm when not in school. The 100 lb sacks of feed were the norm and could carry them, but not easily. Would try to find ways to avoid carrying them. That 72 years went by in a hurry. 
But at 86, now the 40 lb bags are preferred over even the 50 lb ones. 

[SawyerTed]

The hardware store guy asked why only would buy 2-4 80 pound bags of concrete but buy them every few days.  Why don't you just buy a dozen at a time?  he asked.  

I told him I'm 62 and he's 35, he will understand one day.  I only want lift and mix so many at a time and they will keep better in his warehouse than my shed.  

[beenthere]

Reminds me of my father-in-law who retired from his farm at 75 and moved to town. To keep busy, he worked at the local feed mill where he moved a lot of sacked feed. He watched several young boys hire on but not last very long. FIL told the owner that he didn't want to be in their way and take any work away from the young boys they could keep their jobs. 
The mill owner said when the day comes that two of these boys could/would do the work that the FIL would do in a day, might be the day he'd consider that, but not until.