Mystery of the Fallen Eastern Hemlock - Khukri Action - Part1

Bladite

Bladite

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(in two parts, because BF limits the number of pictures per post to 10)...

Once upon a time, an eastern hemlock (best fit from book) broken a large portion of itself off and caused a mess across a nice hiking trail, as we can see, it's a pretty good sized tree chunk:


Introducing, the tools! Go tools, go tools:


left to right on the ground we have:

o just a tool i happened to have with me
o 18 inch 27 ounce villager horn handle Ang Khola by Bura.
o 17.5 inch 29 ounce Ganga Ram Special GRS by kumar.
o 16 inch 21 ounce horn handle villager Ganga Ram Special GRS by Bura
o just another tool.

and the kukris are stuck in the tree for show and tell... the tree is still green, but hemlock ain't no pine.

Limbing, many of the branches were about 1 to 1.5 inches thick, some a bit more (up to 3 inches, and not many below 3/4 inch). the small GRS handled anything up to 1 inch pretty well in one swipe, the handle WAS very shiny, but i used some brought-with 400 grit to fix that, as while it was purty, it wasn't safe. With a really sure grip, and some perfect aim, i could manage 1ish inch okay, but 1.5 inch really required a second cut from the backside. the other khukris could do 2 inches in one swipe, with good techiqu, however, that last little bit in some cases was do to snapping of the wood and momentum helping things along. use of the limb as a chopping block improves matters.

Here's the first two log ends after chopping all the way through, and some handle detail from little GRS (lots of work), and the AK, with a shot of the AK handle - small crack that developed, and didn't go anywhere after that - i figure some superglue to fill and bond, and some sanding, and no worries (the small GRS also had two handle cracks from prior use, and they were filled and didn't go anywhere at all, i'll check them and see if they need more TLC, but i doubt it):



end part 1

#
 
this would be part 2 - i figured a reply would tie it all up...



,,,. the small GRS ,,, is in the last place for chopping, yeah, you CAN, but it's a serious amount of work, 2-3x the effort compared to the larger khukris which can really make the chips fly though even here i was getting some tricky deflection (could be me, could be the wood...) ,,, the tree is wider, and seems harder (touching up was done on the khukris). ,,, i had considered batoning a khukri for this, but not today. also, two picture of the tree trunk and the needles front and back for later comparison. the wood on this tree is VERY VERY VERY pretty. is to weep. i'd love to dry it and make something from it. mmmm. beautiful grain.



an image of my in field touch up kit - several used 3M soft sharpening pads, grit worn off, but otherwise useful (mousemat) in two layers with gorilla glue holding them together, and to oak block - convex sharpening on the cheap. it works (sucks thumb - sharp!). also a Fine grade multi-use diamond stick i found at the work working store. then a nearly completed chop through with the big GRS - chopperiffic after a touchup. note the nice ring on that tree end. finally, a roundup of the tools, all used and ready to be cleaned with some goo-gone and a scrubbby pad. good job guys, you worked hard (me too).



overall, i'd say the adventure took about 4 hours, including 20 minutes round trip on foot carrying everything. arm muscles were burning when i was through, and i definitely didn't want to goto the dojo for kickboxing :> a nice 45 minute nap was a godsend. oh yes. the hot shower was good too.

a different version of the thread can be found at:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3687814

bladite
 
What a *great* post!

Thanks for taking the time and trouble to go through this...
 
Nasty said:
What a *great* post!
Thanks for taking the time and trouble to go through this...
Click to expand...

had i but known, i would have the first time. don't want to cause any fuss, don't think i've ever caused fuss? want to continue in that realm. no fuss no muss, just sharp stuff.

it was ... a lot of work though. had someone (a mod) just dropped a quick note like "psst, remove the comparison thing and good to go". i'm all about the lack of fuss. shrug. it's done. it's over. it's fixed. i'm tired. move on?!

bladite
 
Lesson learned on *my* part...and seriously, Thank You again!
 
Thats some serious hardware . Kukuuris one, Hemlock none . Did you see the downed tree first and gather those tools together or did you have all that with you at the time ? Talk about being prepared .
 
Kevin the grey said:
Thats some serious hardware . Kukuuris one, Hemlock none . Did you see the downed tree first and gather those tools together or did you have all that with you at the time ? Talk about being prepared .
Click to expand...

found it, saw opportunity, went home, got stuff, went back, 4 hours later, ow my arms. about like that.

bladite
 
Looks like a happy family of khuks you have there on that fallen tree.





munk
 
This is a great thread. Thanks for resurrecting it Bladite. Good pics. What knife is that in the last pic in post #1? Pretty. Almost looks like a FF to me. I haven't seen one in horn.
 
aproy1101 said:
This is a great thread. Thanks for resurrecting it Bladite. Good pics. What knife is that in the last pic in post #1? Pretty. Almost looks like a FF to me. I haven't seen one in horn.
Click to expand...

there's no foxy folly there... that's the AK. has a slight crack. fixable. soon.

a FF should be mine sometime, they have more fullers, and full length ones to like that lovely gelbu special? yes. i'm thinking that all my khurkis from now on should be wood, and preferably chiruwa/full-tang. i know what i like :>

one improvement i've been thinking about anyway, is sticky tape or sticky gloves. maybe it was the hemlock - it's hard - but i was getting far more deflections with the khukris than i'm used to or like. mmm.

bladite
 
Could the deflections have come later in your workout ? I,m still new to longer sessions of chopping . A 20 minute chopping and my arms are getting a little rubbery . I,m just thinking that fatigue might have started to play a factor . Seeing how serious in your tool selection and set up I know you have considerably more experience than myself .
On a separate note I am fairly certain hemlock is a good bow wood . Did you happen to know if it was straight grained ? Its proabably too late . Perhaps your next efforts could result in a stave you could build yourself a bow from .
 
i'm entirely certain fatigue played a part. i took frequent rests, and stretches (of the hands too), and drank much water... i workout a bunch, and am fiercely strong, but conditioning for chopping isn't all there. 4 hours was a workout, at leats with a khuk. there are of course, other tools. i'm looking at some of them in fact.

hemlock .. yar... it's a very good wood, not unlike yew i think. there were branches, as you could see, but the grain is VERY clear and wonderful. i got one section in a 6 foot length and walked away with it on my shoulder a ways (very heavy wood) ... elsewhere and set it next to a landmark i can find, later :) heh heh. there's another good 16 feet of trunk sitting there off trail ready to be limbed and ... mmm :) i'm thinking of getting a hand-band saw as a faster method of clearly - can't beat that, or a specialty pruning saw, very fast; and better for harvesting - less waste, yes?

now, the trick is... how do i, or should i, season the wood for this purpose? then how to process it. any reference to stave making and that craft would be fine. i've read some, but most of it is for "crude things".

i have some knives (khuks, khuks like) that would function as draw knives - am considering buy one in fact; also those damned WSKs intrigue me - very stave oriented those, supposedly. mmm. oh, did i mention i'm reading all the tom brown books [again]? yes.

i also have an 8 foot length of 1/2 seasoned oak - straight and true, plus another piece that due to a bend, is practically a recurve already. i would like to practice carving that into a bow; i'm wondering if i can do that now while it's half-seasoned, and then oil it with tung oil/etc to prevent splitting and nonsense. mmm. i've also collected a number of fresh, branchless "wild dogwood" for arrow or atlatl darts - also in fact, i have some wood in mind for making atlatl throwers. grin :)

thoughts?

bladite
 
The best way and one that should be done fairly soon after cutting is to paint the ends . The bark retards seasoning and so the fresh cut ends will dry and split . If it does split a little it is no biggie as you have so much wood . Supposedly an eight inch diameter is best for economic harvesting of staves . More just means a little more waste and less just means one less stave for relatively the same effort . Its besr rhe log is elevated , horizontal and well supported along its entire length . Beyond that it is best to seek expert advice on primitive bows . There is a site called Paleo planet that I frequent . One of the archery forums is called self bows(one piece of wood)These guys are the best . There will be tutorials , bow making fests and pictures galore . Bend over backwards kind of guys , same as here . Everything from splitting into staves , tillering methods and jigs to make your life simpler .
Oak is a better than average bow wood . It is not the stellar performer touted in almost every movie with a bow in it . Yew is supposed to be one of the best . Osage orange , Iron wood are right up there also . There is a guy on Paleo that is so good he took a dinky discarded Christmas tree and made a bow out of it . He has a design Called the Tim Baker bow that is the easiest bow in the world to make . I think he starts from a board of wood . I don,t know if it would work for a stave . Roughly where are you situated ? They have bow making get togethers in the California area . I also E-mail with a few buddies out west who are budding bowyers .Shoot arrows are great . It might pay to make the bow and get yourself a dozen good straight cedar or hardwood arrows as learning to shoot with homemade arrows can be frustrating . You don,t know if its you shooting off center ,crooked arrows or misaligned feathers . Some guys are just natural to it . If you are handy and pick up on things fast just make your own .
 
Kevin the grey said:
The best way and one that should be done fairly soon after cutting is to paint the ends . The bark retards seasoning and so the fresh cut ends will dry and split . If it does split a little it is no biggie as you have so much wood . Supposedly an eight inch diameter is best for economic harvesting of staves . More just means a little more waste and less just means one less stave for relatively the same effort . Its besr rhe log is elevated , horizontal and well supported along its entire length . Beyond that it is best to seek expert advice on primitive bows . There is a site called Paleo planet that I frequent . One of the archery forums is called self bows(one piece of wood)These guys are the best . There will be tutorials , bow making fests and pictures galore . Bend over backwards kind of guys , same as here . Everything from splitting into staves , tillering methods and jigs to make your life simpler .
Oak is a better than average bow wood . It is not the stellar performer touted in almost every movie with a bow in it . Yew is supposed to be one of the best . Osage orange , Iron wood are right up there also . There is a guy on Paleo that is so good he took a dinky discarded Christmas tree and made a bow out of it . He has a design Called the Tim Baker bow that is the easiest bow in the world to make . I think he starts from a board of wood . I don,t know if it would work for a stave . Roughly where are you situated ? They have bow making get togethers in the California area . I also E-mail with a few buddies out west who are budding bowyers .Shoot arrows are great . It might pay to make the bow and get yourself a dozen good straight cedar or hardwood arrows as learning to shoot with homemade arrows can be frustrating . You don,t know if its you shooting off center ,crooked arrows or misaligned feathers . Some guys are just natural to it . If you are handy and pick up on things fast just make your own .
Click to expand...

i'll probaly sneak out there again, and limb the rest, and cut an 8 foot length with a saw next time (speed), and then hide that too - au natural - off the ground. not sure if/when i could get my hands on a place to start banging on it for stave making. might be able to get it into a car and do it at a friends. mmm.

i'm essentially near boston. i know a few people that shoot bow, but the indoor range i played at is closed, nothing within a good 1.5 hour drive as a club, and i only own a couple fiberglass toys right now - used to be fairly good and natural. only kid out of 150 in scouts that could HIT the target. heh.

i'll hunt down "self bows(one piece of wood)" and see what they got. thanx!

bladite
 
Another thing is that it is better if the piece is relatively free of knots . If there are knots/branches the mre they are the more problematic it becomes . The stave is still workable it just takes a lot more experience .
While you are wairting for it to season you could pick up a straight grained ash board for a few dollars and try the Tim Baker bow . Its a great first step .
 
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