Froe

[Jacob]

Splitting firewood
old joist lengths with a froe. Seems to be spruce (looks like a guitar front).
Secret is to split them radially across the growth rings. Really easy. The splits go around the knots rather than trying to hack through them.

 

[Yojevol]

I've got the Mark2 version:-

This one's also 2 handed operation but the handles are plastic

 

[Woodwork Journey Dean]

I really want a froe for exactly that reason, I’m keeping my fingers crossed I find a cheap one on marketplace

 

[TRITON]

I really want a froe for exactly that reason, I’m keeping my fingers crossed I find a cheap one on marketplace

 

[Inspector]

Your tool so do as you like but the people I grew up around (father and neighbours) would have killed me if I used a steel hammer of any kind on a froe. Steel mushrooms the back edge of the tool. A wood glut (big mallet cut out of a log) doesn't.

Pete

 

[mwinfrance]

You need a Merlin.
Those are really not very big pieces of wood a Merlin will work splitting fresh cut oak logs at 50cm diametre and 50cm tall or more.Those you could split with a hatchet.
get them higher, the surface of wood that you are splitting should be just below waist height., and no lower than your knees, safer that way when you swing.
Inspector, agreed, hitting a Froe and other tools with steel hammers mushrooms them, a Merlin can be hit without mushrooming the back.I cant remember the brand* of one of mine, but it splits everything even ironwood like a hot knife through butter. The exercise is good too, splitting a cord or two is good for rebalancing your back and shoulders.

*Found it..Fiskars X27 Super Splitting Axe (36")
https://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-Super-Splitting-Inch-378841-1002/dp/B004M3BAQEHere they are called Merlins , it is something to do with the bird of prey of that name.I have only had to hit the back of mine once or twice , Cypress wood can be very twisty and grabby when it gets to over 30cm diametre.
Ah , apparently, what we call Merlins, you call Mauls, my others are the 4 or 5 kg type.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

Bought x27 this week very effective

 

[sometimewoodworker]

I really want a froe for exactly that reason, I’m keeping my fingers crossed I find a cheap one on marketplace

Many are hand made from truck or car springs, as the material is widely available from scrap yards. The difficulty is first finding a blacksmith and then that has the time, though making one isn’t difficult or time consuming, there isn’t enough demand to make a business of it.

 

[whereistheceilidh]

You need a Beetle Jacob....not a metal hammer.....as has been said will ruin your lovely froe over time.....

 

[pe2dave]

Shirley a froe and a splitting axe are two tools for distinct jobs.
Slight overlap, but not the same task?
Froe for palings, splitting axe for firewood IMHO

 

[Tony51]

I have an axe head let into a large lump wood. Sharp side up,easy to split wood for kindling etc. Like a froe but in reverse.
Tony

 

[TRITON]

...as has been said will ruin your lovely froe over time.....

Ta-rarra

 

[Jacob]

I didn't realise there was a controversy about froes and hammers until I posted on Facebook "Unplugged woodworkers"
This was my reply this morning, about the need to use a wooden mallet:
"It would not be traditional for splitting logs as it would be very slow to impossible. You have to split with similar force to an axe swing. Tapping away with a piece of wood would be no good.
One thing you can be sure of is that traditionally it would be done the fastest and most efficient way with the tools available.
Salaman mentions froe club or maul (page 524) but for woodland coppicing - "cleaving poles" etc i.e. much lighter work than splitting logs. Different jobs, different tools.
See Salaman p464 for shingle making - different again - a 2 man job with various tools; a froe and a "beetle" being a heavy cylindrical wooden mallet with iron rings, half way to being a lump hammer! Sounds like that could damage your tool!"

 

[Jacob]

Shirley a froe and a splitting axe are two tools for distinct jobs.
Slight overlap, but not the same task?
Froe for palings, splitting axe for firewood IMHO

You can do what you like with your own froe!
I use it because my firewood is in a cellar (well ventilated!) and there's no room to swing an axe.

 

[Jacob]

You need a Beetle Jacob....not a metal hammer.....as has been said will ruin your lovely froe over time.....

Well yes , over 20 years or so I guess. Same with cold chisels and lump hammers. Just have to file it off!
"Beetle" has a metal ring apparently, and will damage froe similarly, and be damaged itself in the process. That's how it is with tools!

PS it's not a particularly "lovely" froe it's just a crude piece of metal roughly sharpened, with a handle.

 

[whereistheceilidh]

You are probably right Jacob.....I still have my grandfather 's froe & although nicely dished on top is still usable... although since coming north its use is a bit restricted....

 

[Jacob]

You are probably right Jacob.....I still have my grandfather 's froe & although nicely dished on top is still usable... although since coming north its use is a bit restricted....

What did he use it for?

 

[mwinfrance]

My mauls are certainly not for "light work" , they are what forestry workers and tree surgeons here ( and farmers ) use for splitting logs .It was a mate whose family have the largest tree surgery business in our county ( 3 Unimogs too and loads of heavy equipment to hold and cut very large trees ) who put me onto Fiskar's "splitting axes and mauls ( my latest one being the x27). they all use a lot of Fiskars gear for hand work, they swear by it, splitting logs with a 60 inch chainsaw is a bit of an overkill.

 

[Jacob]

My mauls are certainly not for "light work" , they are what forestry workers and tree surgeons here ( and farmers ) use for splitting logs .It was a mate whose family have the largest tree surgery business in our county ( 3 Unimogs too and loads of heavy equipment to hold and cut very large trees ) who put me onto Fiskar's "splitting axes and mauls ( my latest one being the x27). they all use a lot of Fiskars gear for hand work, they swear by it, splitting logs with a 60 inch chainsaw is a bit of an overkill.

I don't have " the largest tree surgery business in our county" and I don't need a splitting axe for my little firewood stash!

 

[pe2dave]

My mauls are certainly not for "light work" , they are what forestry workers and tree surgeons here ( and farmers ) use for splitting logs .It was a mate whose family have the largest tree surgery business in our county ( 3 Unimogs too and loads of heavy equipment to hold and cut very large trees ) who put me onto Fiskar's "splitting axes and mauls ( my latest one being the x27). they all use a lot of Fiskars gear for hand work, they swear by it, splitting logs with a 60 inch chainsaw is a bit of an overkill.

Yep, horses for courses.