- Joined
- Dec 16, 2007
- Messages
- 196
Today was wood splitting day. Some like to split by hand but not me. BTDT. A neighbor and I rented a log splitter for the day and went to work. My FIL and SIL came up for the festivities. They like to come up and help with these types of projects. Being 15˚+ cooler doesnt hurt either.
The day went well. We put up about three cords of wood each. The splitter engine was loud enough to discourage any conversation, except for monosyllable shouts.
I had been eyeing the tools in the neighbors wood shed. A sledge hammer, splitting maul and an axe handle sticking out from behind some gas cans. Once we were done splitting all the wood, I wandered over and took a hold of the axe handle. The business end was an old double bit Plumb. There was some surface rust but the head was in pretty good shape. The 30 handle was dried and splintered from many snowy winters outside.
I offered to re-haft it and clean up the head for her. She wasnt too interested in fixing it up. All the tool in the shed came from an old neighbor who was moving and didnt need them anymore. So there they sat.
As I was handling the axe, the FIL comes over and starts looking at it. He ran his hand over the head, flipped it over, and did the same to the other side.
My FIL is in his early 70s and was a farmer for most of his life. Looking at that axe, he starts to talk about his father who grew up in Minnesota. At some point in his fathers earlier days he was a timber cutter for a Swedish lumber crew. Each day they were issued a double bit axe. One blade was razor sharp for chopping and the other side was also sharp but at a steeper angle for grubbing. At the end of the day the axes were turned in for re-sharpening. If there was a knick or any sign of abuse on the chopping side of the axe the Swede would let loose a torrent of obscenities in Swedish, of course. Needless to say, great care was taken with the Swedes axes.
Everyone got a good laugh.
After the story was over my neighbor looks over at the axe and said that if I really wanted to that I could clean it up.
Just one of those days
The day went well. We put up about three cords of wood each. The splitter engine was loud enough to discourage any conversation, except for monosyllable shouts.
I had been eyeing the tools in the neighbors wood shed. A sledge hammer, splitting maul and an axe handle sticking out from behind some gas cans. Once we were done splitting all the wood, I wandered over and took a hold of the axe handle. The business end was an old double bit Plumb. There was some surface rust but the head was in pretty good shape. The 30 handle was dried and splintered from many snowy winters outside.
I offered to re-haft it and clean up the head for her. She wasnt too interested in fixing it up. All the tool in the shed came from an old neighbor who was moving and didnt need them anymore. So there they sat.
As I was handling the axe, the FIL comes over and starts looking at it. He ran his hand over the head, flipped it over, and did the same to the other side.
My FIL is in his early 70s and was a farmer for most of his life. Looking at that axe, he starts to talk about his father who grew up in Minnesota. At some point in his fathers earlier days he was a timber cutter for a Swedish lumber crew. Each day they were issued a double bit axe. One blade was razor sharp for chopping and the other side was also sharp but at a steeper angle for grubbing. At the end of the day the axes were turned in for re-sharpening. If there was a knick or any sign of abuse on the chopping side of the axe the Swede would let loose a torrent of obscenities in Swedish, of course. Needless to say, great care was taken with the Swedes axes.
Everyone got a good laugh.
After the story was over my neighbor looks over at the axe and said that if I really wanted to that I could clean it up.
Just one of those days