wooden wedge - type of wood?

cooperhill

cooperhill

Joined
Nov 14, 2011
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Some guy on the other site chewed me out for using hardwood wedges. Sometimes I wonder why I give my opinion on that site when people attack you for it.

Anyway, Would like to hear people's opinion on what type of wood is best for axe wedges. I have some that are poplar, some elm, and some ash.

Hardwood or softwood?

Will hardwood warp an axe eye?

I've found that the poplar wedges just don't hold up. Am I damaging my axes by using hardwood wedges?

Why do some people recommend linseed oil on the wedge pre hanging. I've heard that can cause the wedge to pop out?

Thanks.



Thanks.
 
I think Kephart said hardwood, and I've heard that more often than softwood, but I've heard softwood too.

Anywhere there are enough axemen at the same time, I expect you get a local consensus with one or two who insist that the consensus is wrong.

I've never heard of warping an eye with too much or too hard a wedge, but I sometimes remember to fret about the possibility of splitting an eye by trying to pound too much too far. (which I've never seen happen either)

I sometimes put BLO on the wedge, on the theory that the wedge and kerf will soak it up and swell for a tighter fit. If the wedge is too abruptly tapered or too fat it can pop out before it swells.
 
To be totally honest I'm surprised we don't have more people who feel compelled to chastise at other people (Keep in mind the particular person who was bothering you is known for such things in general, being somewhat of a know it all). But on the other hand, this is the only axe forum I regular anymore since we have such good discussion on all axe related material and hand labor in general.


No, you probably aren't damaging anything. If all your eye's start warping or breaking, let us know. But I very much doubt it. There is an old man's tale that using Pine or Popple works when you soak it in oil because it will swell. I never noticed such a phenomenon. Usually the wedges break before I can get them to the depth I need to keep the head tight.


Keep chopping Coop, always enjoy your posts.
 
G-pig said:
.....There is an old man's tale that using Pine or Popple works when you soak it in oil because it will swell. I never noticed such a phenomenon. Usually the wedges break before I can get them to the depth I need to keep the head tight.


Keep chopping Coop, always enjoy your posts.
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Ditto on the softwood wedge breaking before I can get it pounded in very far. I've tried the wedges that come with an axe handle (don't know what they are, but they're soft), and then homemade wedges of pine, aspen, spruce, apple, cherry, plum, and whatever else I have lying around at at given time. Harder woods (for me, that'd be the apple or some gambel oak) seems to work best. I can get it driven all the way in, and it holds better than the softer woods.

As always, the experience of others may not match mine!


-ben
 
Some of the oilier hardwoods like purpleheart or rosewood can tend to work their way loose quite easily. Apart from that hardwood is my preference.
 
I'm with Gpig. Poplar and the like, which does seem to be the industry standard, at least with the handle companies, have not been very tough in my experience. Prone to breaking if everything isn't just right when you're setting them, and kind of spongy. I have had a few heads loosen up over time and I can't help but think that, at least for some of them, that was caused by sucessive forces (chopping) slowly squishing the wedge wood. I've switched to whatever hard wood scraps are laying around, lately it's been walnut and some ridiculous exotic hardwood decking scraps. They seem much better. I did hear recently that poplar (well, tulip poplar, which isn't really a poplar but I think might be used for wedges a lot) is one of the most dimensionally stable hardwoods out there with respect to changes in humidity. That is, it doesn't shrink a ton as it dries. Perhaps one reason for its prominence in wedge making. But that hardly means it's perfect.

Bottom line is you're no fool, Cooper. Are your wedge jobs working? I think so, from what I've seen on here. Then there's no problem, and you can tell that jackass where he can stick his softwood wedges.
 
I'm going to go ahead and tone this down before one of you quote me, and I'm locked into my expletive laced rant. ;)

I like hardwood wedges. As far as the advice on BCUSA, a lot of it sucks real bad.
 
Hardwood wedge preferably with the grain running the short way across the wedge. No oil but DPG or Swel-Lock instead. I'll oil the top later for protection.
 
I don't think the wood type is as important as a proper fit.. And that's somewhat difficult to accomplish when the supplied wedge breaks on you with any mallet hit that's just ever so slightly off being square on. If you're going to use the supplied wedge, chamfering goes a long way to preventing splits in my experience. I've gotten the process down but I might just try scrap wood (most likely oak or cherry) for my next hang. I figure I already end up carving the wedge to suit, so why not go all the way? So long as it's adequately dry and properly shaped, the wood used shouldn't matter too much.

I never saw the post in question since this is the only axe forum I frequent, but I can see some validity in too dense of wood potentially warping the eye. But in practice, you'd have to completely misjudge the necessary width of the wedge then proceed to be completely inattentive during the seating process for it to permanently damage the eye...
 
I like cherry since that is what I have, and it gives a beautiful contrast with the handle. The softwood that most companies supply with handles is softer than I like, and breaks too easy. I started using blo on my wedges since they slide in better and I think the wood will soak it up after it is installed, and may slow shrinking. I may get some swel-lock after reading some posts here and try that. But I don't really consider myself any kind of expert, I just like hafting and re-habing old axes.
 
I am going to jinx myself here. I am not picky. The popular they supple works fine for me. I have used lots of hard wood also. I have never had a wedge back out. Sometimes I will use glue but not often. I do pay attention to which way the grain runs in the wedge. I just drive it home till it won't go no more.
Might not be right but works for me.
 
Regarding the type of wood, my favorite is London Plane. It has a coarse gritty grain that stays in the kerf. Good firewood, too. Hard like white oak and absolutely murder to split.
 
garry3 said exactly what I was going to say. I will never claim to be an expert, but there are a certain 4 or 5 people that I consider to be my heroes on this forum. they know what they're doing
 
Um........
Poplar IS a hardwood by definition?
all I've ever cared about in my wedges is having them be of a softer wood than the handle -- if the handle is ash or well cured hickory, I'm pretty safe in my choices. :)
you want a wedge that will crush slightly when being driven in to supply friction.
oiling it after insertion should swell the wood fibers slightly for a tighter fit -- and fill the pores so the wedge is not as likely to shrink again & loosen.
best tip I got on the "other site" for hanging an axe is to make sure there's 1/4" of handle and wedge above the axe head so the wood can "wedge outward" just slightly and give more protection from slipping.
 
Square_peg said:
Regarding the type of wood, my favorite is London Plane. It has a coarse gritty grain that stays in the kerf. Good firewood, too. Hard like white oak and absolutely murder to split.
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I had never heard of it. Had to google it:o. I think my mother in law has one in her yard. She calls it a Sycamore. As long as we don't start using scientific names I will do my best to keep up:D.
 
Mostly I used what came with the handles, popular. Using hard wood lately with swell lock,drives better and does not split :thumbup

Keep up the good post Coop.
 
Well in a good dry hickory handle I use a green piece of a maple branch and cut out a wedge and drive it in. this process has been use in Windsor chair making for a long time. the dry hickory draw the moisture from the green maple and makes the handle swell tighter so it won'[t come loose. If you wanted something even green try a piece of elm, it takes forever to dry out.
 
I just made a handle from a piece of hickory. I found a spare piece of scrap from the bandsaw cut, sanded it into a nice wedge and just used that. Seemed like a good idea at the time *shrug*
 
Soft wood for me. Softer than the haft anyway. Fit haft and wedge as dry as possible then stand up and let oil soak in for swelling. Been doing this for over 40 years. It works for me.

regards...Frank
 
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