First, what is the
right axe for the job at camp? Experienced campers favor a small pack axe for
cutting firewood and light chopping. For chopping logs and limbing trees, they choose
the larger pole or three-quarter axe, which takes both hands to use safely. The
still larger logger's double-bitted axe is overkill for most Scouting
situations.
When choosing a
poleaxe, select a handle about as long as your arm from armpit to finger tips.
Check the axe for balance; you don't want a heavy head on a light handle. The
quality of steel used for the head affects the ability of the bit to hold an
edge. Imitation "army surplus" axes that can't hold an edge will give
you less cutting power and a whole lot of frustration. Buy quality steel heads.
Check the
oval-shaped end of the axe handle to see which way the wood grain runs. Look
for grain that runs parallel to the length of the oval. That handle will absorb
the hitting shock better than one with crooked grain running across the oval.
Next, lay the
handle along a straight line and eyeball it for warp age. For best performance,
you want a nice straight handle with no knots. Avoid handles finished with
varnish or glossy paint. They can raise friction blisters and become
dangerously slippery when wet.
An axe must be
sharp to do its work. To sharpen your axe, place the head in a vise or peg it
against a small log. Carefully run an angle file in one continuous stroke along
the bit from heel to toe. Make six or seven strokes, turn the head, and do the
other side. Concentrate on the entire cutting edge, not just the nicks.
Selecting and using
an Axe
Page 2
Before you start
cutting, prepare the area. Grasp the axe head and swing the handle around, over
and below to see if it contacts any brush or overhanging branches. Make sure
spectators stand a minimum of two axe handle-lengths away so that the axe or
flying chips can’t hit them.
Always use a
chopping block. It can be an old stump or thick deadfall. Never chop into the
dirt. It will dull the blade, and you run the risk that the axe may hit a rock
and glance off into you.
Let the axe head do
the work. The keenness of the blade and weight of the head perform the cutting.
There's no need to wind up like Babe Ruth. Lift the axe head with a smooth
wrist and forearm motion, aim the bit by looking at the point you want to hit,
and let the axe head fall in a guided driven drop.
Contact chopping is
a safe method to learn for cutting sticks and small firewood pieces. You keep
the axe bit in contact with the wood you want to chop throughout the cutting,
bringing both down against the chopping block at the same time. First, tap the
bit into the wood where you want to cut. Hold the axe handle with one hand;
with the other, grasp the wood a safe distance from the axe head. Raise axe and
wood, and bring down both in a guided drop to the block. Continue until the
head splits the wood.
Limbing is the
process of removing branches from a downed tree.
Always work towards
the top of the tree while chopping branches. If you chop into a branch crotch,
the axe head is likely to stick. For safety, stand on the side of the trunk
opposite the branches you are cutting. This keeps the tree between you and the
axe head.
Logging or
"bucking" is the term for cutting a tree into suitable lengths for
transport or burning. In logging, you start with "V" shaped cuts,
each as wide as the tree is thick. Continue cutting until the axe goes through.
Selecting and using
an Axe
Page 3
For splitting logs
into pieces for the fireplace, wood stove or campfire; stand up the log on the
chopping block. Pick out a splitting line, line up your blade, and swing down.
When you swing your axe, it's a good idea to flex your knees and follow through
so that the angle between wood and axe at contact is 90 degrees. This way, if
the axe glances off the wood, it will not hit you.
Never lean the wood
against a log on the ground and chop from the opposite side so that the log will
stop the axe when it comes through. If you hit a little high, the wood will
flip up and whack you on the head.
And never lay the
wood on the ground, straddle it, and swing the axe into the end. One of two
things can happen. Either the wood will go shooting off like a croquet ball, or
your leg will go shooting off like a croquet mallet handle. Use the chopping
block for all wood splitting.
When you are
finished cutting for the day, carry the axe by holding it just under the head.
Point the blade down or away from you to minimize the chance you will fall on
top of the blade if you trip. Keep the axe head in a sheath or securely sunk
into a stump or log. Never sink an axe into a live tree or leave it lying about
camp.
An axe is like any
tool. Cared for properly and used wisely, it can make the job of cutting and
splitting wood easy, safe and enjoyable.