Table of Contents
What makes a good froe?
The large froe’s longer handle (think levering action) and thicker blade (more rigid to adequately apply the extra levering forces) make it the obvious choice for working larger pieces of wood, but it can also easily finesse smaller pieces.
What do you hit a froe with?
Froes are used in combination with mallets to split timber, to make planks, wooden shingles, or kindling; they are safer and more accurate to use than hatchets or splitting mauls because the blade is not swung.
What are the dimensions of a froe?
Blade length of the froe is 11-3/4″, width varies from 2-3/8″ near the eye to 2-1/8″ near the tip. Handle length 17-1/2″.
How thick is a froe?
The Chairmaker’s froe has an 12 inch blade that is 1-1/2 inches wide and 3/8″ thick; the lighter Basketmaker’s froe has an 8 inch blade measuring 1 1/4″ wide by 1/4″ thick.)
Does a froe need to be sharp?
– A froe should be *sharp*. This not only to allow the start of the cut, but also to allow it to potentially slice through the grain when making longer cuts to control direction and depth.
How thick is a FROE?
Is it easier to split green or dry wood?
Does green wood cut harder or easier than seasoned wood? Green firewood is for the most part easier to split than dry, so try to split the wood as soon as possible after felling trees. And splitting the green wood speeds the process of “seasoning” (drying out) the firewood, which ensures more efficient burning.
How did Vikings make wooden planks?
Viking-age smiths used the process known as riving to reduce a tree trunk to planks or to other useful articles. Rather than sawing the wood, they split it. As a result, the grain of the wood follows the piece being fabricated, creating a much stronger item than if it had been sawn.
How did Vikings mill lumber?
Rather than sawing oak trunks into planks, the Vikings rived them. Riving is when you split the wood by driving wedges into it along the grain, splitting the log first in half, then splitting the halves into quarters and the quarters into eighths.