I was splitting some very hard wood starters for the wood stove with my froe-aka lataxe- when the heavy clear coat finish finally gave up and the haft-handle- pulled out of the tapered eye and the log smacked me in the shin(yes, the front on the bone and it hurt and bled but not a life risk) . It looks like the taper on the haft was just a little too small for the eye and a call to the Peavey co. in Maine has a new haft headed to me thanks to a very nice lady in cust svc.
My first thoughts were “I can fix this no sweat” but it takes a lot of stress so is the split wedge a good cure or do I also use a #12 wood screw in the hole in the side of the eye? Perhaps soak the wedged end in some magic solution? Who knows the proper fix other than waiting for the replacement? Thanks, Paddy
Paddy- presently lataxe deprived.
Replies
I for one do not appreciate your falsely declaring that Sir Lataxe is broken. I nearly suffered a conniption of the worst sort. My ladyfriend declared herself incapable of conjugal bliss upon hearing the news. I have heard that several prominent politicians have declared themselve incapable of acheiving an election as a result of your rash statement. Please be more careful in the future in the reporting of such dire news.
Yours;
DGreen
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It would indeed be a tragedy if the history of the human race proved to be nothing more than the story of an ape playing with a box of matches on a petrol dump. ~David Ormsby Gore
I have heard that several prominent politicians have declared themselve incapable of acheiving an election as a result of your rash statement
Tell them to try oxyclinton. Works for Liberals!
Lee
Lee;
I think I'll keep that wisdom to myself, I'm no fan of liberals these days either!------------------------------------
It would indeed be a tragedy if the history of the human race proved to be nothing more than the story of an ape playing with a box of matches on a petrol dump. ~David Ormsby Gore
Don,
You mention: "I'm no fan of liberals these days either"!
May I suggest that you consider the Libertarians for your entertinment, if the japes and antics of the Liberals have become all to predictable and tedious? I have been reading a great amount of Libertarian writers this past year and can recommend them as extremely humorous folk.
Like the best clowns, they start with some amusingly ridiculous proposals (eg I will fill this holey utopia-bucket with minced concepts) and adopt very amusing meme-clothes, inclusive of big shoe-egos, trouser-arguments that are too short (and very baggy) with idea-hats that are ill-fitting and are well-dented or covered in dried-up concept-flowers.
If these folk should be just too ridiculous for your tastes, there are always the Socialists and similar. These offer a slower form of humour where you have to wait a bit before they plunge their foot into the muddy theory-puddle, fall over their own immovable concepts or are left talking on a dark stage when the audience has all gone home.
On the other hand, why waste time watching the capering of any of them? There are fine wooden things to be made in a shed far from their madding crowd. In my shed, all is sweetness and light and everything is free to act in accordance with its nature, rather than as some shed-theorist is ought-ing or should-ing on about, over in the ivory tower.
As to the lataxe - it's handle should be loose in the eye, with enough bulge in the bottom end of the handle only to prevent the blade falling off. One technique sees the blade slid halfway up the handle so two hands can be used to twist the blade in the rive. Of course, a brake helps.
Lataxe, who hs slinked off from the audience observing The Spectacle, to play by hisself.
Lataxe said:
________________________
"On the other hand, why waste time watching the capering of any of them? There are fine wooden things to be made in a shed far from their madding crowd. In my shed, all is sweetness and light and everything is free to act in accordance with its nature, rather than as some shed-theorist is ought-ing or should-ing on about, over in the ivory tower."
_______________________It is the voice of Burke, crying in the woodshed!Joe
Joe,
This is for all of the Conservatives out there:Have you ever heard of the "Society for the Preservation of Wooden Toilet Seats"?It's called the "Birch John Society".Yuk, yuk, yuk.
I just break myself up with those witticisms.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Be careful, though, Mel. You know how these organizations tend to form splinter groups!
nyuck nyuck nyuck. Whooo!
J
Joe,
"You know how these organizations tend to form splinter groups!"Yup, I get the point. MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Only if they go against the grain.
Mel,
Heard the one about the woodworker that fell into his upholstry machine?
Don't worry. He's fully recovered....
-Jerry
(...Birch John Society............ug............)
Tacky! Tacky!
Jerry,
Mine was worse than yours :-)
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
I missed your post.. THAT was FUNNY!
Don, my apologies, in reflection I can see where a quick reading could cause such consternation but please realize that I would have never referred to His'onour Hisself in the lower case. Such is not the case with His pedestrian namesake. Nevertheless I will be more careful in the future. All the best, Paddy
Just couldn't resist pulling your leg Paddy!
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It would indeed be a tragedy if the history of the human race proved to be nothing more than the story of an ape playing with a box of matches on a petrol dump. ~David Ormsby Gore
D, and very well done too!! Enjoyed it . Paddy
I have heard that several prominent politicians have declared themselve incapable of acheiving an election as a result of your rash statement.
Whew! glad I read that twice. For a moment, I thought your statement read, "erection" instead of "election" and could think of only one prominent politician (although, a little less prominent without the erection, er, election).
Hey Paddy,
Ain'tcha in Tteenneessee? The traditional appalachian technique for problems of this sort, is the 16d common nail (-- the blue ridge finish nail). Pound eight or ten of 'em into the end of the haft, and the thing will swell to proportions that prevent its pulling thru. Bend three or four over the edge of the eye, that will help too. You see repairs of this type on every farm shop from PA to AL. Don't think of putting a screw in that little hole in the side of the eye. That will only cause trouble. Use a 4" lag bolt, the kind with the square head, (don't drill a pilot hole, that would weaken it), and leave the extra sticking out. Be sure to spill some red or green paint on it after you are finished with your repair, for looks as well as preservation.Wouldn't expect a transplanted Yankee to know all this, so I'm helpin ya out. Hee hee
Helpful hints: can use 20d if you don't have any 16's . Don't go smaller than 12d, those little sprigs are for hammer handles, chair rounds, and picture frames. If your lag bolt is too long (6" or greater) just use the froe like a cold chisel, with a sledge hammer, to lop it off! A Stanley Bedrock sole makes a good anvil for this operation.
Dam! I gotta tell you boys every crack and cranny??!!
Your friend,
Ray
Ray,
From Waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyy Up North:
Ya mean a C clamp won't work? I learnt that cause a bar clamp kept whacking me on the head!? How's about likkid nails?
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Edited 12/18/2007 9:27 am ET by KiddervilleAcres
Bob,
C-clamp (G cramp for our Brit friends) will work, but you have to get your shade tree mechanic neighbor to arc weld it in place so's it don't keep fallin off.
Likkid nails is sissy stuff, no substitute for the real kind.
Ray
Ray, Yankee fine woodworkers don't regularly stock 16d railroad spikes as we don't have a big call for them so I will attempt a more lerned approach.
1- rasp all the blobs of excess Anant type clear nail polish from the bottom of the haft to get to the end grain.
2- drill a 5/8" tapered plug hole in the bottom and make a matching (slightly shorter on the skinny end)plug of hard maple with my scientifically made Yankee plug bits.
3- soak the bottom end of the haft in an old RAO'S homemade cuore dipomodoro spaghetti sauce jar full of kerosene for at least two days.
4- drive the plug into the bottom of the haft leaving 3/4" stickin out and return to the RAO'S jar for a day.
5- insure that the plug is well driven in and reinsert the haft into the eye of the froe.
6- put away the splitting wedge and maul, take said froe, make some splits for the stove and start her up-it was 19°F last night.
Paddy the warm!!!
.
Paddy,
I have a splittin maul and an axe if you need them.
I hate to see good spaghetti sauce spoilt,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob, reread "old Rao's jar" meaning already empty and it was WONDERFUL, a filetto sauce with tomato,prosciutto and onion over my hand made pasta. Paddy
Paddy,
That's so crazy, it just might work.
Stay warm,
Ray
You "nailed" the Appalachian method, my friend. And if ya run short of 16D's nailing something else, you can always borrow one temporarily. Pull it out... throw it in a vice.. get a set of channel locks.. and put one of them World Wrestlin' moves on it till it's straight enough to use.
Of course, when you replace it (if you ever get around to it); the channel locks (which are held in almost the same high esteem as duct tape) can be used to get it back to it's original shape in the handle to make it appear it was never missin'.
Enough of you old farts... back down to the "hole" for us young-uns.
BTW... Merry Xmas Ray!
Sarge..
Hi Sarge,
My 'cross the road neighbor, before he moved to the nursing home, had jars, JARS- of bent nails on a shelf in his outbuilding, just for such needful occasions as friend Paddy's. Need I add that he was a product of living thru the Big Depression? He saved string, rubberbands, even saved the cold water that came out of his faucet til it ran hot. Used it to fill up his ice trays.
Hope you have a good Christmas. Aren't you the guy who makes toys for the littl-uns?
Ray
I was the guy (one of them) who made the wooden toys from scrap each year until two years ago. That was very time consuming from early September right up until Xmas Eve as there's much more to getting them distributed than just making them.
I found a replacement to fill my slot with the others and opted out as my time had to be directed elsewhere in the family at the time. Now I'm just the guy who makes whatever "she says" as I also retired about 2 months ago. At least for the moment as I would like to think it's a trial retirement.
But... she has kept me busy since summer with a country kitchen table and chairs and I just completed a bed about 2 weeks ago. The stock has been sized and hits the planer today (I'm on coffee break) for the first of two chest of drawers. And there's much more on the "wish".. and you better or else list if "scuttle-butt" is still as accurate as it has been over the past 20 years. ha.. ha...
Highest regards to you and family...
Sarge..
I have been wondering why nobody got a new handle with a wedge?
Will,
No wedge needed with a lataxe shaft as the blade should be LOOSE on the handle. The handle need only be carved with a bulge at the bottom to prevent the blade falling off.
Of course, some lads might be trying to chop a tree down with theirs, in which case that blade moving about will make them worry for their fingers or even their noses. Cuh!
Lataxe
You mean like the handle on a pick ax you have to slam on the cement to tighten it up about every 30 minutes of work?
Ya, I think it's kinda like an small extra sharp grubhoe!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Will,
A lataxe handle doesn't need to be tight like a pick or hewing axe handle does. The purpose of the lataxe handle is twofold:
1) To lift the blade onto the end of the billet you are going to rive, by hitting the blade-back with a knocker (large wooden club) or beetle (large round-head mallet). When you whack that blade, you don't really want any of the force of the wack giving the handle a wicked waggle that will hurt your paw. When the handle is loose, there are generally no wicked-whacking forces waggled up it. No. Wonky whacks cause wicked waggle, wou know.
2) The handle is used as a lever, once the blade is into the riven split. The handle is twisted and pulled about to lengthen the split, whilst the billet is held jammed in a brake. If the lataxe handle is loose, you can apply leverage in a more subtle fashion than if it was tight. This allows you to steer the rive with the handle, so that your two bits are, say, of even thickness for their whole length rather than skew-whiff with one thick and one thin end.
Some folk move the lataxe blade into the middle of the handle, once it is in the rive, so they can use both hands to apply leverage and twists from two sides. Personally I am leery of putting my hand on the cutting-edge side of the blade; even if the blade is held "safely" in the rive. There's many a slip twixt cup and lip.
Lataxe
Friends:
I have an old lataxe/froe with a somewhat tight eye. In fact, I have to reduce the handle to fit it in. A loose handle that could be moved up and down would likely be too thin to stand up to the torque of normal use. The handle is not bound to the blade in any way; in fact, it can come off inconveniently at times.
This is an old, hand-forged tool. It is also the only one I have every used-- and I have not handled others, only looked at pix. Is mine unusual or poorly designed?
Joe
Edited 12/21/2007 12:33 pm ET by Joe Sullivan
Joe, I just had UPS drop off my replacement handle from Peavey Mfg., Eddington, Maine and it measures 1 3/4" on the fat end and 1 1/4" down most of the handle and it is 18 1/4" long made of either ash or hickory, I think the latter due to bigger grain. I am now at liberty to butcher---err--attempt a repair on the other one on Mon. Merry Christmas, Paddy
Aha. Mine will take a handle like that, I just thought it needed a thicker one. I'll go make one.
Joe
Joe, that's good news. There is a little thing about using a very slight taper and not an abrupt reduction in diameter that increases the ability of the stick to survive flexing with a long slope on the grain.
If you can wait till Mon. I will do the cross sections down the haft for ya with a caliper. Can't do it now as I am doing 600sq.ft. of oak floor (dust and damp mop) and bathroom mirrors and stove to shine up before the new daughter in law shows up with my son.
Women have no sense of humor when they visit a bachelor's house, ha ha. Paddy
Thanks, Paddy. I can certainly wait, as this weekend is occupied not only with family Christmas, but also with finishing the oak countertops I am making with my son to be my wife's Christmas present. We will be close to done with the woodwork by Christmas, and then the finishing will take a couple of weeks due to curing time. I have done worse in terms of timliness.
Merry Chrostmas
Joe
Joe. my guys just left for a 9.5 hr. drive to her gang in Chicago after spending almost two days with me so here are the measurements.
The eye of my Peavey froe is 2" tall with an upper hole of (all in decimal inches so I will leave out the " on the numbers), 1.551 and a lower hole of 1.735. This makes about 3/8" of the haft at the blade end and 9/16" on the outside of the eye stick out of the bottom of the eye. The bottom of the eye has a slight tilt up on the outside from the level plane of the blade edge but the haft sits 90° to the blade. This is due to the angle cut they make on the flat bar stock before forming the eye to weld it more narrow at the top.
From the fat end of the haft at ....
1/8"-----1.754
1/2------1.713
1" ------1.675
1 1/2------1.624
2" ------1.584
2 1/2------1.554
3 ------1.495
4 ------1.430
5 -------1.398
6 -------1.383
7 -------1.381
8 -------1.375
9 ------1.359
10 ------1.337
11 ------1.325
12 ------1.313
13 ------1.279
14 ------1.256
15 ------1.237
16 ------1.231
17 ------1.223
18 ------1.207
18 1/4"----------rounded over end. Merry Christmas. Paddy
Edited 12/23/2007 5:29 pm ET by PADDYDAHAT
Thank you. I'll see about making one like it as soon as I finish these counters.
J
Ray,
Your description of your neighbor brought to mind something I saw years ago. At the time I was dealing in antiques and buying and cleaning out estates. One estate my partner and I bought belonged to a dear, elderly lady. In one of the closets was an old cardboard shoebox, on which she had written, "pieces of string too short to save." And that's exactly what was inside...
Zolton* Some people say I have a problem because I drink hydraulic brake fluid. But I can stop any time I want.
Paddy me boy,
How to fix the Lataxe.
I have see one guy on the web. He calls himself "doughbowlmaker". YOu can see a video of him at:
http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=4uQJZdOmw7w
Someone asks him in the video how he keeps the head of his adze from loosening. He shows you how. He made a new handle for it out of a big stick, and he drilled a hole through the entire handle, and put a threaded rod through it, with a big washer and nut on either end.
It works. Knots is a wonderful place. It allows us to pass wisdom on to one another, thoroughly laced with a bit of humor. Sometimes two bits.
Keep the faith (Don't ask which one. The "Woodworkin' Faith", of course.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
When this happened to me I drilled a 1/4" hole about 1 " from the end of the handle. Then I bandsawed a kerf from the end to the hole. I put the handle back on the froe, then installed a wedge into the handle (with glue). As the wedge is installed the handle will tighten.
Repeat when it happens again.
Good Luck
Bill, thanks, so just create a pair of wings that can swell out via the wedge to hang up in the eye --gotcha -that's clever and on my list. Paddy
If you go the wedging route, maybe check out "Swel-lock" by Mohawk or Veritas "Chair Doctor" glue to swell the wedge and help lock it in place.
'
J, thanks, monday I will finally decide. I have the "new" daughter in law / son visiting for the week end. I am presently in house cleaning mode big time!!!!
Paddy, the house elf.
My lataxe ..
Please excuse my stupidy! I 'think' I finally figgured out that a lataxe is a Riving Froe. I think? :>)
I think my brain turned off for the Holidays.
Will,
You're right about the lataxe. Don't worry about the mind just let it sip away!
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
WG, you are correct. I have often refered to HISSONOUR as Brother froe. I tried looking it up but failed, I guess it was a lat-axe--for makin lats--perhaps laths for the base structure of thatched roofs, a common thing in old blighty and the rest of the Isles in days of old. A noble instrument never the less, just perfect form and function. Merry Christmas, Paddy
BTW. some observations, today is the shortest day of the year and one of the Knight Rider cars-KIT- an'84 Trans-Am is on EBay opening at $20,000. The last one an ''82 went for over $100,000 some years ago. pfh
Never had a Trans AM.. But I had a factory 1964 ( I think is was a 64 1/2 as they called it at the time). Best they had at the time.. I think it cost me about 5 grand!375 HP convertible.. Sure wish I never got the 4:11 rear end.. Wind up fast off the stop lights here in Chicago the Police always looking fe' me!How times change!! It was white... I thought I would not stand out!
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