[Homestead] Woodwoorking tools
Don Bowen
don.bowen at earthlink.net
Fri Sep 16 00:03:16 EDT 2005
At 9/13/2005, you wrote:
>I have a lot of small to medium sized pines that need to be thinned on my
>place. I was thinking to start that work this winter. I could use a lot of
>the wood either debarked or debarked and split for rails, rafters, etc. to
>take the place of dimension lumber in some building projects
>
>I think that some of you here use hand tools to work with wood. Any
>suggestions on where to purchase and some basic tools that one would need?
I am in an area of minimal Internet connection. I cannot use the cell
phone at all so I have to catch a connection when I can. I did today and
will have good connection for the next several days.
Basic to me is the minimum tool box to do a job. To hang a shelf, a screw
driver and level is basic. To build a shelf you would add a saw, to build
a book case you would need a tape, square, plane, drill and bits, etc. you
see where I am going.
For the question in thinning trees, how big are the trees and how many?
For felling small trees a cross cut saw is what you need. I think you will
have to look hard for one so a bow saw may have to do. The antique saws I
have seen are too rusty to be any good. There is a company that sells
logging tools and they have cross cut saws for competition. I cannot
remember the name but it is something like Balies. The have a web site so
a search may turn them up.
For peeling two tools are used. One is called a Spud and looks like a
flattened hoe. It is used by pushing the sharpened end under the bark then
peeling the bark off. It is best on larger logs. The other tool is a draw
knife. A smaller log is clamped in a shave horse and the draw knife is
used to peel the bark. The draw knife works best on smaller logs. Draw
knives are available all over the place and new can be found at Lee Valley.
Splitting wedges are available as are splitting mauls. You may need
smaller wedges but they can be found. To make a flat surface along a split
log, an adz is what you want. For smoothing a log the broad ax with offset
handle is the tool of choice. To flatten an installed floor you need a
ship builders adz.
Don Bowen Awl Knotted Up
My travel journal
http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/Journal.html
My present location is the star on the map in the link below
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=39.964116&longitude=-91.659375
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