I was reading in me Foxfire book about making shingles with a broad axe. Does anyone know where I might buy one or do you have an old one for sale? Also where can I get a replacement handle for one (one that’s curved).

Thanks,

-- mw (mdwood@beiengineers.com), November 28, 2001

Answers

Wood shingles are made using an implement known as a "froe", basicly a single piecs of steel shaped like the number 7 with the straight short edge sharpened, I would guess the blade at about 12 inches and the handle at about 24 inches. I value my fingers too much to even think about a broad ax, which you could find at an antique auction or farm sale.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), November 28, 2001.

Hello MW, You would be better off if you make your shingles with a froe. It is this tool that you use with a wooden mallet. A froe is a long narrow blade which is attached to a shor handle. The edge of the blade is laid on the top of a short log and hit with the mallet.

You can find a lot of this kind of tools, froe, adze, broad axe, etc. on www.Ebay.com. When you go to the search on Ebay, just type in the type of tool or old tools and they will come up.

I think the tool that you are talking about that is curved is called an adze.

Sincerely, Ernest

-- http://communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), November 28, 2001.

the broad axe has a curved handle,, left or right, depending on what hand you use. The froe is used to make shingles. I bought and sold a few broad axes on EBAY,, they have em,, depends on the condition you want. The handle,, Lehmans, or Cumberland has them,, or just make one.

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), November 28, 2001.

yes you need a froe you can make one car and truck leaf springs make great tool steel heat and soften one end to make a handle socket or use the round end and heat enought to streghten it out then pean an edge and grind it sharper a good strat grain wood is esential

-- george darby (windwillow@fuse.net), November 28, 2001.

Use a froe. Split each shingle from the same end to get non-tapered shingles (shakes), flip the shake bolt each time and you get tapered shingles.

JOJ

-- joj (jump@off.c), November 28, 2001.

A shingle log can also come in handy- its basically a log with 4 legs and a foot operated vice at one end the clamps the wood into place- so you can froe it easier. My father looked for a LONG time before finding a froe at auction (used). I will check to see if anyone makes a new one in any of my catalogs here. Also, the type of wood used is important- I would recommend cedar or oak.

-- Kevin in NC (Vantravlrs@aol.com), November 28, 2001.

Lee Valley Tools carries both Shingle Froes and Broad Axes (Gransfors). They can be ordered online at the following:

www.leevalley.com

Sean

-- Sean (seand@mail.gov.nf.ca), November 29, 2001.

I really can't talk too much about froes - while I know the theory, shingles were never popular in Australia - we needed the water off the roofs too much. Even in the very earliest days, they'd sheathe the roofs in sheets of bark, and run the rainwater straight into BIG barrels or small tanks. Australia was an early-adopter of corrugated roofing-iron.

Broad-axes and adzes I can talk about. Broad axes were just that - broad, and axes - say an eight-inch cutting edge. You'd stand on top of a big log - ideally one foot on another log beside it - and swing the broad axe to square off a side of the log - give you a quarter of a BIG rafter or beam. Turn around, and do it again to do the other side - half the beam done. You could spin the log 90º, then repeat the process - two more sides, and the job was done - a rough-cut beam.

An adze was used to take chips - almost big shavings - off the surface of the log or beam or plank you were standing on. AS I understand it, you could use it to get a finer finish on a surface than the broad-axe would do. More work, so you'd probably only do it on the sections of the log where you needed to make joints. The blade swang parallel to the horizontal surface you were standing on - sort of like a hoe. The adze had the roughly (or mildly) S-shaped handle. Gaiters and leggings were a big thing for people using adzes - and even so there were a lot of damaged shins.

-- Don Armstrong (from Australia) (darmst@yahoo.com.au), November 29, 2001.

I read in a recent issue of The Backwoodsman magazine of a tool called the "half hatchet". This is a hatchet which handle eye is not centered in steel. Rather, one face of the steel is one surface, similar to an adze, and thus functions as a "chopping chisel". If you desire to use the tool in the opposite hand (i.e. left handed), you would insert the handle on the opposite side and use.

This tool was supposed to be used for finely finishing edges, much like an adze. By the way, for you diy types, I understand that lawn mower blades are usually made of superior steel; they take all kinds of abuse and take a good edge. The froe manufacturing idea might work here, if you can figure out how to make the handle eye.

Hope this helps someone.

-- j.r. guerra (jrguerra@boultinghousesimpson.com), November 29, 2001.

JUST A NOTE....BROAD AXES HAVE NORMAL HANDLES.HEWING AXES WITH ONE SHARP EDGE LIKE A CHISEL HAS THE TWISTED HANDLE AS DO ADZS.PLUS ONE WHOLE SIDE OF THE HEWING AXE BLADE IS FLAT.

CORDWOODGUY

-- CORDWOODGUY (cordwoodguy@n2teaching.com), December 01, 2001.