Wedge banger

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Maine20

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Aug 8, 2017
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If you could build the perfect wedge banging axe for timber felling what would it be?

Handle length, shape
Head weight
Other features
 
Maine20 said:
If you could build the perfect wedge banging axe for timber felling what would it be?

Handle length, shape
Head weight
Other features
Click to expand...
all i know about this type of build is what i hear from buckin billy ray, can't say it's not solid though. straight or nearly straight 28" handle with a 3 pound head and the biggest poll you can find
 
36" handle, 3.5lb dayton hard poll that can also be used for felling or and an underbucker(?) support.
 
Modern timber felling involves small plastic wedges. Of course you'd like the wedge banger to be able to pull double duty as a bucker in case your crosscut or chainsaw gets in a bind. Plus handy for limbing, etc.

So I'd take a 3 to 3-1/2 pound axe on a 28" to 32" straight haft. For work close to the truck I'll fill this roll with my 3-1/2 lb. hard poll TT Dayton dock axe (though the hardened poll really isn't needed for plastic wedges).
A6-2.jpg


If I'm up the trail I'll want the axe to be lighter and to be able to pull triple duty supporting a pocket underbuck. For this I'll take my 2.6 lb Walters on its slim 36" haft, the added length improving its ability for use with the underbuck.
Walters%20Finished.jpg
 
Billy Ray's choice is a good one. I had many wedge banger axes over the years. My favorite would be a, sort of, boys axe that I bought from Norland sometime in the 1970's. The head weighed 2 1/2 lbs.; haft was straight 24"; it had an over sized eye (for a boys axe); and a large,flat, square poll. It was easy to carry all day and never failed to drive the wedges, even on large trees.
 
Square_peg said:
Modern timber felling involves small plastic wedges. Of course you'd like the wedge banger to be able to pull double duty as a bucker in case your crosscut or chainsaw gets in a bind. Plus handy for limbing, etc.

So I'd take a 3 to 3-1/2 pound axe on a 28" to 32" straight haft. For work close to the truck I'll fill this roll with my 3-1/2 lb. hard poll TT Dayton dock axe (though the hardened poll really isn't needed for plastic wedges).
A6-2.jpg


If I'm up the trail I'll want the axe to be lighter and to be able to pull triple duty supporting a pocket underbuck. For this I'll take my 2.6 lb Walters on its slim 36" haft, the added length improving its ability for use with the underbuck.
Walters%20Finished.jpg
Click to expand...
Nice axes! Thanks for the info.
 
Old Axeman said:
Billy Ray's choice is a good one. I had many wedge banger axes over the years. My favorite would be a, sort of, boys axe that I bought from Norland sometime in the 1970's. The head weighed 2 1/2 lbs.; haft was straight 24"; it had an over sized eye (for a boys axe); and a large,flat, square poll. It was easy to carry all day and never failed to drive the wedges, even on large trees.
Click to expand...

I think there is some small advantage in a rounded Michigan-style poll for a wedge banger. Like a hammer face, the curvature is more forgiving of the slightly errant blow. And the rounded corners are less likely to damage the wedge.
 
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