felling with ax

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

What is the proper way to swing an ax horizontally to fell a tree?

I tried felling some trees with an ax just for the excersize, but I could tell I was twisting my back. Back twisting is something to be avoided while shovelling snow. Does the same prohibition apply to ax-work? If so how do you avoid it?

Believe it or not, although cutting by hand gets me winded faster, using the chainsaw makes me "ache" more. I think it's because the chainsaw work involves holding weight while bending forward. Working by hand involved more body motion. It's like walking for hours versus standing for hours. After a day of hiking my muscles are tired and relaxed, after a day of standing I feel achy and uncomfortable (almost like my bones ache).

 

[billb3]

I felled enough white cedar when I was a teen for about 200 feet of rail fence and a bunch more for posts for wire fence.
A good tool.
About stomach height seemed to work best.
A young more flexible and willing body helped, too.

Last tree I chopped down was with a hatchet.
It wasn't very big.

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

A young more flexible and willing body helped, too.

Yeah. I hope that this isn't the only answer. Although we didn't get gobs of work done, it sure was nice being able to hear the sounds of the forest while being in the forest.

 

[remkel]

Well,

When using and axe it is pretty much impossible to not twist while swinging it. Kind of like swinging at a baseball bat, only instead of a bludgeoning you are going to cause a slice/cut/gash.

To make it easier and reduce the amount of twisiting, be certain to always keep the axe sharp, and strike the tree with the narrowest end of the axe head

 

[Thistle]

I felled a few white oaks from 8" to 12" diameter with my old trusty Plumb double-bit & split them into 10' fence rails & 6'posts when I was in early-mid 20's.Was fun actually,I had loads more energy then than I do now.But thats normal.

Ahhh to be young & tough again.... ;-P

 

[bogydave]

I found it was not brute strength, it was axe head speed that cuts deeper.
Swing easy, more elbow & wrist action. Don't swing a long way on the back swing by twisting your lower back.
More an upper body shoulder turn, cock the axe back with the wrist, swing easy, un-cock the wrist just before impact.
Have a good stance, clear out anything under your feet so you are stable.
Remember you are swinging at a little up angle, & then at a little down angle, different muscles in use for sure.
If you don't do it but once or twice a year, your are using muscles differently than any other work, gonna be sore, but
if you do it every day for a week, 6 to 8 hours a day, soreness goes away. lol :lol:

Use tight fitting gloves for the first week too, takes a while for the hands to callus up.

Oh, yea, being 18 to 25 years old helps allot too.

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Ahhh to be young & tough again….

Well I don't know if 40 qualifies as young and tough. But, I look at it more as desparately trying to keep any youth and strength I may have left.

Kind of like swinging at a baseball bat, only instead of a bludgeoning you are going to cause a slice/cut/gash.

Actually, I started pointing my front foot in the direction of the swing - almost like stepping into a baseball swing. I don't know if that is proper or not.

 

[remkel]

Have not watched this, but perhaps there is some information....
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-use-axe-69356/

 

[Wood Duck]

I think there is no way to avoid twisting your back. I don't think it is bad to twist your back, it is meant to be flexible, just make sure you aren't twisting more than your back can take. I agree that speed and placement of the cut are more important than power.

Does anyone have a good explanation why an axe cuts wood so much more easily when struck at an angle to the grain compared to a perpendicular strike?

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Does anyone have a good explanation why an axe cuts wood so much more easily when struck at an angle to the grain compared to a perpendicular strike?

I think it's because the ax acts a little bit like a splitting wedge. As it cuts, the wedge-shape (a simple machine - remember Physics?) lifts the slab of wood up and out of the way allowing the momentum to continue cutting forward. When it strikes perpendicular to the grain the wedge simply pushes wood aside but the wood has no give.

That's why I was impressed at how well it works to make the bottom cut with a saw first. When the axe strikes the wood peels down to the saw cut, lets go, and flies away. It goes really fast this way. Chunks of wood fly with every swing of the ax.

As far as twisting goes, I think ax swinging is more like golf or baseball take it easy and you should be able to do it well into old age. Since the ax it lightweight your not putting that much strain on your back while twisting.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Swinging the axe to fell a tree of course if much different from swinging to split wood. Yes, it is somewhat like swinging a baseball bat and to get the most benefit, you will use your body and not just your arms. You need not swing as hard as you possibly can and that actually is bad because then you lose your aim really easy.

Btw, if case some do not know, when limbing trees using the axe, swing the axe towards the top of the tree and not the bottom. This lets you chop with the grain rather than against it.

 

[remkel]

Btw, if case some do not know, when limbing trees using the axe, swing the axe towards the top of the tree and not the bottom. This lets you chop with the grain rather than against it.[/quote]

Still not certain why anyone would do this....other than to have more time out of the house on cleaning day

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Well yah. I don't twist at all when splitting. I consider it a little more critical to keep the back straight while splitting because I'm swinging an 8-lb maul instead of an ax (whatever that weighs).

 

[NH_Wood]

How about trying a 2-man saw? Sounds like you are interested in exercise! Seriously, if you are going to go old school, and you have a buddy in the woods, might be neat to try some of the old felling techniques - perhaps easier on the back as well, but not sure about that! Cheers!

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Ah, the 2 man saw. I have some bad memories of that.

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Yep, I've got the 2-man saw. I purposely left it behind thinking the 20" bowsaws would be the better option. I learned quickly that it would have been nice to at least have the two-man saw along to give it a try.


Backwoods, what bad memories do you have from the 2-man?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Damned hard work and lots and lots and lots of filing.

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Still not certain why anyone would do this….other than to have more time out of the house on cleaning day

YES! You can stay home and clean all ya want. I'll spend more time in the woods. Less time in the gym. Gyms are stinky and noisy.

Did you know that while cutting wood you can listen to birds, frogs, and all manner of critters?. . . if you use a quiet saw or ax.

Did you know that if you cut down several trees with an ax you don't need to go to the YMCA to prevent heart disease? Just go straight home and enjoy a beer (a dark one).

Did you know that you can talk with your teenage son while using a two-man saw?

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Did you know it helps immensely to be a bit younger than I to do such things?

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Backwoods,

You've got me scratchin' my head.

When I work with a chainsaw I don't sit back after a few hours and say "Heh, that was easy." I might say "that's a big pile o' wood I cut". But I'm still sweating just the same.

When I work with a two-man saw I get sweaty and a little bit winded - same as I would if I went for a jog, played racketball, or lifted weights. The wood pile is smaller and I know I'll have to cut at least three times/week to keep up. But then it doesn't do your health any good if you only jog a couple weekends per year.

My 20" chain has as many teeth to file as my 48" two-man, probably more.

I'm trying to figure out what I'm missing cuz the work doesn't seem all that bad.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Black Jaque, it might help you understand a bit better if you realize that I had polio in my youth and was totally paralyzed from the waist down. I now have what is called post-polio syndrome. I also have two complete hip replacements. I also injured my back in 1984 to the point that for years I could barely do anything. I've had numerous surgeries (I quit counting) and I am no longer a young man.

Having said this, I still get out and do what I can when I can. That does not mean I will saw with a one or two man crosscut saw nor does it mean I will be swinging axe or maul. I still split wood but I also do that while sitting and methinks I can do it quite well and very happy to be able to do so the same as I am very happy that I can run the chain saw. However, do not entertain the thought that I can and will do this type work all day; that just ain't going to happen. I cut when I can and for as long as I can. That has been as little as 3 minutes and as much as the better share of an hour. No, in most people's book this is not much work and I fully agree. I wish I could still work like I did when I was 20 or 30 or even 40 but right now I can't. So, I just do what I can, when I can. I also am blessed in that I have to answer to only myself, my wife and my God. None of the three seems disappointed too badly.

 

[remkel]

Looking at the pile you have there, Backwoods, it appears you get a lot more work done than me----keep going and God Bless.

 

[PJF1313]

How about trying a 2-man saw? Sounds like you are interested in exercise! Seriously, if you are going to go old school, and you have a buddy in the woods, might be neat to try some of the old felling techniques - perhaps easier on the back as well, but not sure about that! Cheers!

NH - Do you have any lead on handles for such a saw?

I have a 60"er that has one missing and the other ready to break. The blade has been hand filed and trued, but needs a couple of good handles.

I also have a sickle that's been used as recent as last fall. I hand filed the edge to bring it back, but it's developing a crack between the blade and the handle socket. It / I work better than the gas sting trimmer, even with its plastic/metal blade, in the underbrush. The crack I can weld/heat treat; it's a heck of a lot quieter than the 2-cycle running 4-6 hours at a time.

I do really enjoy piece and quiet over mechanical noise. I am NOT saying that mechanical is better than manual, but after 40+ hours hearing it, I do,once in a while, "Enjoy the Silence" {1} of hand /manual devices.



{1} Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence LP (1981?)

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

Backwoods,

I feel stupid now. I should have just read your signature (50 years of heating with wood). I was sincerely perplexed though and intended no malice. I wasn't pretending to be superman and make you feel low. I was honestly confused.

Once I've walked a mile on your path, I'll consider myself lucky if I'm still heating with wood. Keep it up! You've got my sincere respect.

 

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

PJF,

Try http://www.crosscutsaw.com/2.html

There's a number of different styles of handles. Some tighten down on top of the saw, some off the ends. If you have the metal clamps for both handles, I'd just use scraps from broken splitting mauls or shovels to replace the wooden parts.