Can someone please fill me in on the proper technique of using a froe??? I’ve read that you don’t use a sledge hammer with one, but rather a “special mallet” but there was no info on what type of mallet. Placement of froe, where to hit it, any other tips would be appreciated! Thanks.
forestgirl — you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can’t take the forest out of the girl 😉
Another proud member of the “I Rocked With ToolDoc Club” …. :>)
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Generally use a mallet head thats softer then the froe blade. This way you wont dent up the froe.
As far as use, i just whack the froe to set/start the split and just work it back and forth guiding it down where i want it to go. gotta use straight grain stock, cant be wild or stringy or knoty or youll get headaches.
Ahhhhh, finally finished updating new computer, slapped a Google button in the Links, and found this site:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/menarch/archive/issues/024/024-036-01.htmI like the realism of the frayed mallet drawing.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
FG,
Froes are used with a wooden mallet, not a metal one which may damage the wood handle. The mallets are usually beechwood. If you have one, I'm jealous!
Dear Forest
This link shows the use of a froe for splitting a bolt down to size for lathe work.
http://www.heartofthewood.com/riving2.htm
The technique is essentialy the same for shingles. If you use a metal hammer or mallet, the back edge of the froe will take a beating.
Andy302
Thank you, thank you! OK, I don't have one of those mallets, but I'm sure something can be cooked up. Wish I could take that giant piece of ironwood settin' out there and turn part of it into a mallet. Not!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
A mallet ( beetle) for a froe gets beat up real fast, so people don't waste much time on them. Grab a section of a green limb of any heavy, hard wood, and just a little time with a saw, axe, and drawkinife and you can have several mallets -- one to use, and a couple to season.
I've seen a few of timber framing commanders, persuaders, etc. They also appeared to have been made up on the spot -- no iron rings to keep the face from splitting, handle made from a sapling, etc. My experience is pretty limited in this area...
I have a couple of old froes, and see them often here in the midwest. They all seem to be hand forged, but I've never seen one for more than $10 or $15.
Michael R
Woodwiz is right. What you use with a froe is more aptly termed a club and not a mallet. You need something as big and heavy as you can handle. Just shape a handle area on a thick branch with a drawknife (make it comfortable) and club away. You do not go out and buy a Beech mallet for use with a froe.
Edited 5/1/2004 10:09 am ET by BossCrunk
In these parts the wood of choice for that sort of mallet is black gum.
"mere [more] aptly termed a club and not a mallet." How true! If the article I read had said "club" I'd have understood immediately! To me, a mallet is something I hit little chisels with or knock apart a joint with. The responses here are definitely helping!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
first woman of the forest,
Saint Roy of Underhill writes everything you want or need to know about froes and their use. IIRC the first Woodwright's Shop book has quite a bit about froes, as do others in the series.
Alan
Anything that will fit in your hand, as long as it is softer than the metal.
Sorry for the typo.
No need to apologize, Boss -- I wasn't trying to pick on ya, just clarfiying. I'm a compulsive editor from my old college book-editing days (you could never tell it by my writing these days though, LOL!). forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
BTW, Jamie, I hope you were able to get high speed internet access to go with the new computer. Don't know if it's available in your neck of the woods but it was one of the best investments I ever made. I've used both cable access and DSL (telephone) and they're comparable speed-wise (DSL is slower for uploading large files). However, DSL is about half the cost of cable in my area. I pay about $28 per month.
Hi Lofton. I've just started researching DSL. Both my work (storefront retail) and home addresses are DSL-capable. Have looked at Qwest (local phone co.) and Earthlink (current ISP). High-speed connection is most important at the store, as the sites I visit there are very graphic-intense and tend to be excrutiating to visit via dial-up. Am going to call Earthlink and see if there's any discount available for one account at two addresses (lot's o' luck, I know).
Cable is waaaayyyyyyy to expensive, and I know a few people have thought the DSL was better, and reverted to it after trying cable. Just this morning also heard about a local company called speakeasy.net that's supposed to have excellent DSL service. Have to check them out. I really like Earthlink as an ISP, so hesitant to change.
I'll keep ya posted -- everyone will hear my shouts of joy when I go high-speed (can you tell -- tech-junkie here!).forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
DSL should be fine for accessing graphics intensive sites..certainly better than dial-up! One thing the cable folks don't tell you is you share bandwith (English translation: capacity) with everyone in your immediate neighborhood who shares your high-speed internet access. This means that while DSL is generally a little slower, it always operates at the same speed; cable access speed can slow way down when several people in your shared "pool" of internet users are on-line concurrently.
Beware of bottlenecks in the network...Earthlink probably rents access to Quest's infrastructure, which means the nasty old phone company can make sure users of others' DSL get slower access than their own...so be sure to ask. Also, most providers offer no-rist trial periods...if you're unhappy they will cancel the contract at no cost to you. Also, be aware that there may be equipment costs. My DSL provider gives that out for free (cable charges beaucoup $$$ for a cable modem).
One last thing: do you live at your store? If so, then multiple connections in the same building are a snap using wired or wireless networks.
It's a one-year commitment with Earthlink, so I'd better check about any possible favoritism. Of course, even leftover DSL access will be better than my dial-up, LOL!! Most of the DSL packages come with either free hardware, or a rebate that makes it free. Qwest will either sell me a modem for $60 or rent me one for $5/mo.
Nope, don't live at my store. It and my home are about 2 miles apart I'd guess.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
The point you should ultimately take away from this is don't spend much time on the club. That defeats the whole purpose.
Will spend the barest minimum of time on something I'm going to "beat up" anyway! It will give me an opportunity to work with a drawknife though -- have one, never used it!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
We just trimmed some big suckers off an ancient apple tree. Won't be the hardest wood in the shed, but it'll probably do the job for now. I think I can get some real hard wood from E. WA and get a friend of mine to carve it for me. Thanks!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Black locust would probaly be pretty good, as would white oak, elm is pretty heavy and its interlocked grain reduces splitting. Hickory is good. I don't imagine you have Osage orange (bois d'arc) up there, but it would be ideal if you have the patience to work it.
Apple is OK to start with, but I don't think it would take much of a beating.
All I would do is use an axe or a saw to cut a ring at the base of the head, then split the waste away intil I was close to handle size, and finish it with a drawknife. I'd also use the drawknife to peel the bark off the head.
Have fun.
Michael R.
When I lived in Oregon, a few decades ago, I learned to use a froe from an oldtimer. He helped me select and carve a piece of Pacific Live Oak (branch wood about 4.5" in diameter) into a what he called a "beetle." The live oak was green an so carved with fair ease, but cured to something dense and impact resistant. The grain is "woven." I learned from the same oldtimer that the original homesteaders thereabouts carved live oak into gears for use in their water driven "muley" style saw mills.
Anyway, the "beetle" was about 14" overall length, had the handlle simply carved into it and smoothed out with a spoke shave. It was just a crude club of a thing but was indestructable and definitely something to avoid dropping on your toe. The mass helped with motivating the froe into the endgrain of the Port Orford Ceder and Sugar Pine bolts we were blessed with.
Have fun with the shakin'
I've found that the mallet, club or whatever you want to call it is best made from the taproot of a hardwood tree. I made mine from black locust. They seem to last much longer than those made from limbs. For now make the mallet out of any available hard wood. I use a hatchet to chop the handle down to thickness and a drawknife to smooth it. Make the mallet and handle out of one 18" long limb. If it is too heavy for you in use then chop the head down some until you can handle the weight. I make mine longer, about 24" and fairly heavy, but I am used to it. My great grandfather I am told made the mallet on a pole lathe, one piece out of birch taproots.
mike
Hi forestgirl,
I use elm branches about 4-6 inches in diameter to make a beetle( beat- all) set them in a lathe and turn a handle to suit your hand.If the branch has knots so much the better as it makes it hard wearing.Make yourself a smaller model as well as it is useful to be able to hit between the log and the handle of the froe.As far as technique a couple of things to remember .With a 12 " or bigger log I split it with wedges and a maul into quarters.Then use the froe.Most important is to equalise the cuts so that the same volume of wood is either side of the blade.This tends to keep it running straight.Secondly if the split is running out, by pulling the handle towards yourself it is possible to steer the cut so it jumps over a couple of rings back on course .The split will follow the direction you pull the handle.A froe is not just a wedge ,it is steerable.I hope this will help.Next start building a pole lath and shaving horse!!!
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