Lets use those axes for what they were ment for.

cooperhill said:
some trailwork this weekend. Got to use an Oakland Maine axe. worked out well.

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How long does it take you to get through a log like that? I find myself in serious need of practice for bucking. Little stuff I can blow through, but I haven't got a handle (ha!) on the technique for the big stuff just yet.
 
Irongun324 said:
How long does it take you to get through a log like that? I find myself in serious need of practice for bucking. Little stuff I can blow through, but I haven't got a handle (ha!) on the technique for the big stuff just yet.
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Bucking very large stuff is sort of like the execution of a plan. And believe me, I don't like plans. But in this example, it helps. When you start hacking away at the apex of the notch, it often comes to mind that you should have figured that it would be that way and you should have planned accordingly by cutting a wider notch. Most of that skill of assessment just comes with time and experience.
 
Small axe, wide notch

[video=youtube;EwKqh1EFTC8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwKqh1EFTC8[/video]
 
The key to bucking a log is not to chop into the top of the log but rather to chop in from both sides while standing on top of it. It's all about the volume of wood to be removed which is a function of the angle you cut into it - typically around 45°. One 45° angle cut down from the top requires removing much more wood than two 45° angles cut in from either side. Watch the underhand chop competition at a logging show. This is always the way they cut. Using this method you should be able to cut a 10" green log in less than 5 minutes at a relaxed pace. The pros in competition do it in under 20 seconds.
 
Irongun324 said:
How long does it take you to get through a log like that? I find myself in serious need of practice for bucking. Little stuff I can blow through, but I haven't got a handle (ha!) on the technique for the big stuff just yet.
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I haven't timed myself but I regularly chop through 1-2' diameter logs. This one was about 1' I think. Practice, practice, practice. The right chopping angle (45 or so) and a sharp, well profiled axe help. Check out an axe to grind as well as the companion video. Ian Barlow of the forest service shows some good techniques in the axe to grind video. I either do this beaver cut (shown in my picture) or buck from the top face of the log (using the 1,2.3 method for taking out chips as shown in an axe to grind). I don't make a plan, I usually just make sure my work area is cleared, gauge how wide to go, and then go. If I bottom out (run out of room to effectively chip pieces away) I back out the cut making more room on one side or the other. Like g-pig said, with experience, this assessment of how wide to go gets easier and requires less planning.

YMMV
 
not an action shot but used my Flint Edge Connecticut to peel some logs today. Working on site preparation to replace some rotten sills at a backcountry shelter. these were felled and bucked with a chainsaw

 
Good work! A sharp axe does an excellent job of peeling a green timber.

Can't wait to see pictures of the sill replacement.
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Not exactly bushcrafty, but the Wett hand axe and the Gerber XL got a workout at my mother's place today, thanks to a blue spruce with roots that have been encroaching on her foundation.

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Out for some general log practice/testing today.
Gransfors Scandinavian Forest Axe, Genuine Norlund Hudson Bay, Collins Legitimus Cedar, Gransfors Double Bit.

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WarnerB said:
Out for some general log practice/testing today.
Gransfors Scandinavian Forest Axe, Genuine Norlund Hudson Bay, Collins Legitimus Cedar, Gransfors Double Bit.
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So what did you learn? The thing I see right away is that you removed a lot less wood with the heavier axes, the two on the right. Weight, grind, sharpness, haft - so many variables. So what cut fastest? And which is your favorite? What felt best?
 
Square_peg said:
So what did you learn? The thing I see right away is that you removed a lot less wood with the heavier axes, the two on the right. Weight, grind, sharpness, haft - so many variables. So what cut fastest? And which is your favorite? What felt best?
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A lot of it was just to test the hangings, how they kept an edge and for practice. They weren't the same amount of chops per axe, although they probably should have been. Another factor was some areas of the log were more dead than others which gave it unequal hardness and different cutting densities. I did these all relatively quickly, which may have affected the angle on some, and made for unequal distribution of power.

I didn't take as many notes as I should have, but I will say- The Genuine Norlund performed better than I thought it would and kept a great edge. It probably cut the fastest considering its size. The Collins Cedar felt the best and is becoming one of my new favorites. The length and how I shaped the handle seems to be perfect for the weight/shape of the head. And the large bit takes out big, clean chunks and makes for an all-around smooth chopping experience. The GB forest axe was good in general. The GB double bit stayed razor sharp the whole time, has a good striking power and balance to it, and seemed to perform better at felling than bucking. (although it was at the end of the log, which also could have been a factor)

Now that I've tested the durability of the hangs and edge retention, i'll have a better idea on how each one functions and probably focus more on aim, angle and specific details in performance next time around.
 
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Rehung my great grandfather's Collins Legitimus Old Timer and decided to give her a test.
(Apologies for the picture quality)
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it's no tuatahi but it's one of my favorites (I think I spent $2 on the axe head). New england pattern. High centerline. this took about 5 minutes.



 
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