# using a Froe



## jhardesty82 (Apr 9, 2013)

I was just wondering if any one here has used a Froe before. I just bought one from woodcraft. I plan on using it to size down logs to fit my bandsaw. I was also wandering what to hit it with. Mallet, Maul and what made out of what.


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## bigbo1234 (Feb 13, 2013)

I've used a froe plenty, but not sure if it would be the best choice for sizing a large log. I use mine for riving shakes and making long splits. Not saying it can't be done. Only strike it with wood, not metal or you'll mushroom the top and make it hard to drive in over time. A great mallet can be made of a young hardwood such as ash or hickory. Dig up the tree roots and use th underground portion as the part in contact with the froe. You'll have some shaping to do of course but you'll end up with a longer lasting mallet. The rootball Is dense.the froe should out last the mallet but they are not hard to make a new mallet. Good luck and I hope this helps some.


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## bigbo1234 (Feb 13, 2013)

Also if you are familiar with Roy underhill than you should check out his site. He probably explains it better than I. I know he covers it in his books.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

I've used a froe quite a bit.

What is your particular question?

What size logs are you planning to work with?


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## jhardesty82 (Apr 9, 2013)

Yeah, I found out about the Froe watching an episode of woodwright. One of the guys at woodcraft also told me about the root to make the mallet also. I will definitely check out Roy's website though.


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## jhardesty82 (Apr 9, 2013)

More like hunks of logs, between 12 and 18 inches in diameter, by about 2 to 3 feet long


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## jhardesty82 (Apr 9, 2013)

I am trying to get blanks for making mallets.


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## Wrangler02 (Apr 15, 2011)

bigbo1234 said:


> Only strike it with wood.


I second that! I bought an old, hand forged Froe that has been driven with a hammer. It is mushroomed to the point that it is not useable. I haven't taken the time to restore it, but when I do, I will make a mallet from a tree root or limb.


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

I´ve used a similar tool but in German called a stoss irsen,I new I`d seen a old movie showing an old craftsman a master of his trade.


Took me some time to find it but I hope you enjoy Billy. http://www.folkstreams.net/film,224


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## jhardesty82 (Apr 9, 2013)

Thanks billy, that video did help. I only watched the beginning, man! That was a big mallet. He made it look pretty easy. I am curious how sharp should it should be.


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## Billy De (Jul 19, 2009)

jhardesty the froe should be as sharp as a draw knife or a plane iron.the only thing is it should be used once it into the timber to rive the wood.Look in the film and you will see the froe is not long into the wood before the handle is used to lever the wood apart.This is riven timber the old timers knew that riven timber will last a lot longer than sawn timber when in contact with water or damp conditions.

By the way the handle on a froe and a adze are correctly called a helve strange the old words.Billy.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

The froe need not be sharp. Its a splitting tool made for splitting. A sharp edge will only get banged up and be worse off than a dull one.

Splitting wedged are not sharp.

There are two way to work wood - by edge and by wedge. This is by wedge.

A "sharp" froe is only good for being a shin biter.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

I split most of my carving wood from western red cedar log pieces and shake blocks. A blacksmith made my froe: 21" long, 10" blade that is 3" wide x 1/4" thick. Hindsight says that 3/8" thick would have been better. The blunt edge is maybe 1/32" wide and heat treated with his standard "Crisco" finish. Single bevel. Unlike a standard shake-splitting froe, I put wooden scales on the straight tang handle. An ordinary froe has a socket/tang for a vertical handle so that you can lever the shake from the block.
I made two mallets from hard, dry alder logs, simply by cutting half of the log down for a handle maybe 1.5" diameter. They are bash-worthy and disposable. 40 & 44 oz. In a couple of years of hard work, neither one of them has left a mark on the froe. Yes, they are damaged = the striking faces are caving in. I could care less.
WRC shake blocks are about 6" x 8" x 24". New ones would be $5 each.
In a whole log, you need to know which end was "up." That way, you can avoid run-out splits. You will need a bunch of wedges, all mine are just wood. You get your froe stuck but good, half way down a log that's still wet inside and you realy will want it back!
I have a 6lb maul for those 'give-it-back' wedges.

The best that I can do is about 1/8" pieces.


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## tim407 (Nov 24, 2012)

I tried to make a root maul last year to use with a froe, I dug up a young hickory, skinned off the bark, sawed off roots to form the maul, then hung it to dry... Only issue is the thing split like crazy when the wood started to dry. Sort of on topic here and definitely sure I had the process all wrong but any tips on drying the homemade maul?


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Tim, 
The root thing is a basket of malarkey. Cut yourself an 18" piece of 6" - 8" log. Gotta be 3lbs +. Then, you hand saw down in the middle and split off the scales to get a handle shaped piece at one end. Beat the BEJEEZLIES out of it. That's what they are for. It ain't Fine Woodworking Pretty. Cheap. Bash-worthy. Disposable. Make something.


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## firemedic (Dec 26, 2010)

To be honest... I usually end up with a different log (new beetle) often... They are disposable and frequently lost for me. I needed one at the Museum not too long ago and I grabbed a live oak limb out of a trash pile there and used a draw knife at the horse to thin down one side for a handle. I may end up making a more permanent beetle at some point and I can say with certainty if I do it will be life oak again - nice and heavy without having to be ginormous.


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