I've got a hatchet and some logs... what to make?

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 BattyMilk 25 Mar 2020

In light of current events, I went down the rabbit hole of reading about preppers, survivalists and bushcraft on Reddit the other day...

...Long story short, I've bought a hatchet and went and picked up some logs from the woods down the road.

I've got 4 logs, each about 70cm long and 15cm diameter - I can get more logs if needs be.

What could I build/make this weekend? I initially thought I would chop the logs into rough looking planks and try making a bird house but I had a trial chop last night and I'm not convinced my tool and material are up to the job of creating planks.

 Hat Dude 25 Mar 2020
In reply to BattyMilk:

A hatchet is useless for making planks!

You need to dig a saw pit and buy a 2 man cross cut saw (provided it's more than 2 metres long)

In reply to BattyMilk:

Need a Froe for chopping logs into boards -  youtube.com/watch?v=UZA1J8RHltY& skip to 8:25

Post edited at 13:52
 Allovesclimbin 25 Mar 2020
In reply to BattyMilk:

A fire?

BBQ?

OP BattyMilk 25 Mar 2020
In reply to Hat Dude:

I wasn't expecting to come out of it with perfect flat planks. Just some roughly non cylindrical bits of wood that I could nail together.

I'm basically looking for any excuse to sit in the garden with a beer and chop at some wood

 Hat Dude 25 Mar 2020
In reply to BattyMilk:

My suggestion wasn't entirely serious

 peppermill 25 Mar 2020
In reply to BattyMilk:

Hopefully not an amputee. CAT tourniquets are pretty cheap and available too ;p

Post edited at 13:57
OP BattyMilk 25 Mar 2020
In reply to peppermill:

I can't make any promises

 David Riley 25 Mar 2020
In reply to BattyMilk:

I'd been thinking I was more at risk of needing medical attention doing unaccustomed physical jobs at home than driving down the motorway.

Despite being very careful I still got whacked in the eye by a branch, harder than I'm happy with, while trimming the hedge.

pasbury 25 Mar 2020
In reply to BattyMilk:

Lots of kindling.

In our current circumstances I find myself really looking forward to my evening log chopping, pallet deconstruction and processing into increasingly tiny bits of wood.

 AdrianC 25 Mar 2020
In reply to BattyMilk:

Road block?  Pitchfork?

 Offwidth 25 Mar 2020
In reply to BattyMilk:

Most climbers have put on hold visits to mountains and crags, partly to avoid chances of unnecessary visits to A&E.... maybe a less risky way of passing time might be advised.  I've been around people working with wood for 50+ years and know those accidents occur even to the experienced.  

In reply to BattyMilk:

> I wasn't expecting to come out of it with perfect flat planks. Just some roughly non cylindrical bits of wood that I could nail together.

> I'm basically looking for any excuse to sit in the garden with a beer and chop at some wood

You don't need an excuse for this.  Enjoy the journey rather than the destination and then make a fire.  That said, I have had a few accidents whilst boozing and chopping/sawing wood which resulted in a trip to the hospital.  To say I felt guilty would be an understatement but now......

 lorentz 25 Mar 2020
In reply to BattyMilk:

Make some rude and ready planks and nail them badly over your windows. You can then sleep fitfully in a rocking chair with the hatchet in your hands for the duration of  lockdown pretending it's actually a zombie apocalypse. (... This week I 'ave mostly been watching "The Walking Dead.")

OP BattyMilk 25 Mar 2020
In reply to lorentz:

Sounds like an ideal accompaniment to whisky too..

 Sharp 25 Mar 2020
In reply to BattyMilk:

If you've bought a regular hatchet from a store (vs a carving axe or something sold for woodwork or bushcraft) then chances are it's not sharp enough to do any woodwork with. Plenty youtube vids on sharpening axes.

 coinneach 25 Mar 2020
In reply to lorentz:

What do you mean “pretending “?

OP BattyMilk 25 Mar 2020
In reply to Sharp:

hmm. it doesn't feel dangerously sharp (should it?). it's one of these https://www.toolstoday.co.uk/husqvarna-hatchet-axe

 richprideaux 25 Mar 2020
In reply to BattyMilk:

Check that you're using it safely (simple rules, not hard to follow):  youtube.com/watch?v=DeQ9PwLvGAo&

Then have a crack at making a mallet:  youtube.com/watch?v=btCjfp6NEUw&

(I'm really not as fat as I look in that second video. Really.)

 Sharp 25 Mar 2020
In reply to BattyMilk:

Haven't used one but I would guess it could do with a sharpen with a file, should be able to cut a piece of paper (cutting into the paper perpendicular to the edge) or it should be able to shave hairs off your arm.

Carvers who use axes will have multiple ones they use with different shapes and edges but you will have plenty you can do with that one if you sharpen it up a bit.

I'm terrible at making things with axes btw so treat anything I say with a pinch of salt. Good at collecting axes and tools just not so good at using them!

 Baron Weasel 25 Mar 2020
In reply to Hat Dude:

> You need to dig a saw pit and buy a 2 man cross cut saw (provided it's more than 2 metres long)

You need a rip saw, not a cross cut for cutting planks. 

pasbury 25 Mar 2020
In reply to BattyMilk:

> hmm. it doesn't feel dangerously sharp (should it?). it's one of these https://www.toolstoday.co.uk/husqvarna-hatchet-axe

Looks like a nice little hand axe. Suitable for splitting small logs and especially for producing kindling. I have a slightly bigger one (fnarr fnarr) and it’s just about OK for splitting straight grained unknotty logs.

 mack 25 Mar 2020
In reply to BattyMilk:

Husqvarna are pretty decent axes. you will have to sharpen it though. A blunt axe can more dangerous than a properly sharpened one. If you are going to do this then I would recommend a tutorial on axes by Mr Mears, you can find one on youtube. Plenty of 'how to sharpen an axe' videos too. Then take it slowly, very slowly. Try something very simple like a wood spirit first, or just practice styles of carving. Have fun and be careful.

 artif 25 Mar 2020
In reply to BattyMilk:

A bit of inspiration for you

They do nice line on axes too

youtube.com/watch?v=ueFiy-uxI4Y&

 krikoman 26 Mar 2020
In reply to BattyMilk:

> I can't make any promises


Not out of logs, with an axe you can't.

what about kindling, that's always a possibility.

 Hat Dude 26 Mar 2020
In reply to Baron Weasel:

> You need a rip saw, not a cross cut for cutting planks. 

Still got to be 2 metres long though 😀

 girlymonkey 26 Mar 2020
In reply to David Riley:

> I'd been thinking I was more at risk of needing medical attention doing unaccustomed physical jobs at home than driving down the motorway.

I whacked my head hard on a tap yesterday while scrubbing the bath! Housework is way too dangerous!

OP BattyMilk 26 Mar 2020
In reply to richprideaux:

You look like Cindy Crawford in her prime!

Love the idea of the mallet. Looks relatively simple too. I'll give it a crack at the weekend and report back (after a sharpening).

Cheers!!

Post edited at 07:38
OP BattyMilk 28 Mar 2020
In reply to richprideaux:

That went pretty successfully. Not as pretty as yours but I'm pleased with it and I only cut myself twice and got a load of firewood out of it too!

Cheers for the idea!

https://imgur.com/a/ZvjChzk


New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...