Adze me no questions...

[Pondoro2310]

I split a 6-foot x 16" diameter log down the middle and I want to make two benches. As you might guess the flat faces of the log are very rough. They are too rough to attack with my 18" jack plane. I want to use a carpenter's adze to smooth these flat faces.

I bought an antique adze - it is purported to have been used to make railroad ties. This is a similar task to what I propose to do.

The seller sharpened it but the grind is convex and very thick. The blade is about 4" wide, 0.22" thick at the edges and 0.3" thick in the center. I am thinking a wedge or thinner convex grind would cut better. Does anyone have any advice or links?

Thanks

 

[phantomknives]

just, what ever you do dont make it double bevel or hollow ground

 

[Square_peg]

Put a flat chisel grind on it, about 35 degrees on the top side only. I have a railroad adze sharpening gauge I can show you later.

 

[Steve Tall]

Ever wondered what angle to put on your adze or to dress that sledgehammer face? Here's a gauge you can match the tool up to.

My track chisel head and spike maul fit the gauge pretty closely. My adze is very slightly more acute. The chisel point of my track chisel is a little thin which may account for the chip.

This gauge is made of 1/8" brass and is 5 inches wide. I scaled the image accordingly. If you wish to copy it you should make sure your image is scaled to 5" wide.

I live near the abandoned CMStP&P grade - now a favorite trail. I collect artifacts and tools from this railroad. With the adze & sledge tie-in this thing was a natural buy for me.

I converted the photograph to a printable 1:1 scale PDF. Open it up and print it out and, as long as I didn't screw up somehow, it should be to correct scale and dimensions.

 

[Pondoro2310]

https://imgur.com/a/O7COd

https://imgur.com/UgOUDSx

So is this backwards? It is how it came.

 

[phantomknives]

ideally, the blade would have no belly, but that one has a TON of belly

 

[Steve Tall]

https://imgur.com/a/O7COd

https://imgur.com/UgOUDSx

So is this backwards? It is how it came.

That's not backwards. The "top" side mentioned earlier is the top side while working with it (normally).

 

[300Six]

Adze is similar in function to a chisel and having the edge of a blade straight across is advantageous, otherwise the center of the blade makes contact before the sides. Have a go with what you've got but if that doesn't work you've got some serious filing/grinding ahead of you.

 

[Square_peg]

The bevel is on the correct side. Make it a flat grind and clean up the back/bottom as well as you can as it's the surface in contact with the wood.