Thread: Froe Qualities?

A froe will not split a log that big you need wedges and a sledge hammer - many timbers will not split. Elm is famous so is Dogwood for not splittable - - the brushbottle I do not know - but give it a go - find the existing splits and follow them - break it into at least half or quarters, seal the ends and let dry.

https://www.ttit.id.au/treepages/weepingbottlebrush.htm

The logs are bottlebrush. But I have seen Peter Follansbee and many others on YouTube split their logs. I don't understand

They are splitting selected logs of oak, ash and beech (pith in the centre, wide ring spacing, no knots or defects). Also you do not get a 600mm long froes which you would need to split a 450mm wide log. The process is to split a log into half then quarters and then use the froe to split the boards out. They have doing it for years and make it look easy but it can be. I have split chestnut logs with a froe but it was perfect log, then I have split stuff like blackwood, oak and f me it was a nightmare. Wedges are simpler to use, and easier to find. Unless you are getting into green woodworking a froe is a limited use tool. You can make some wooden wedges and use a big big hammer to split the logs using existing cracks.

Thanks thumbsucker you may have just saved me a headache, I'll give the wedges a go

Sect.1, I've never split Melaleucas, I've just sawn small logs of several species that have come my way into usable chunks with a chainsaw or the bandsaw. My impression from turning the couple of species that I've used is that they tend to be 'tight' grained & not free splitters, so be prepared for a bit of a struggle. The first 'halving' split is usually the most difficult, not only because it's the widest split, but because most woods are harder to split radially than tangentially (there are exceptions).

Wooden wedges work pretty well, but tend to have a short life - you may need to experiment a bit to find the right angle to put on them, it's a compromise between being slim enough to drive in without crushing the wood, but with enough taper to produce a good separation of he fibres. Starting a wooden wedge in dense wood can be tricky, I usually use an axe to make a starting split. If you are not confident with your ability to hit within a few mm of the spot you want, use a chunk of wood & drive the axe in like a wedge, but don't do that with someone's favourite racing axe, they'll get a bit upset. I have an old cheap hatchet that I use as my 'starter', or with an easy splitter/small log, I can drive it through the whole thing. Once you get the split started, the rest is usually fairly easy, just put the next wedge fairly close to the first one & work your way along.

Slopping a bit of water-based paint on he ends will help minimise splitting as the wood dries....

Cheers,

Cheers IanW I will do as you suggest

I was at Aldi today and found an axe for $20. Now I'm beginning to understand the difference between them. I managed to create a reasonable enough flat surface on one of the logs and much to my surprise the bandsaw sawed without a problem. I thought it wouldn't but it did what it was made to do. Tomorrow I will buy a some wedges from bunnings. They are made by Hart and they said that it's designed for Australian timbers. The pieces I got today are beautiful and will make a nice box that's for sure. I've withdrawn my sale of the logs.
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