The modern axe has survived nearly unchanged from the primitive tool that originated in prehistoric times. It basically consists of 2 components – the axe head (made of steel) and the deal with (made of wood or fiberglass) and is mostly used for cutting or splitting timber. Some of the newer axes feature a one-piece cast metal construction. A brief description of the principle parts of an axe is as follows. The chopping fringe of the head is called the bit or blade; the opposite end is called the ballot or butt. Every side of the head is called the cheek. The cutting edge is beveled on both sides and is slightly curved. The handle or haft is mounted securely onto the head by way of an oval gap called the eye situated near the butt end. The deal with is typically oval in cross-section and ranges from 20 inches to 36 inches in length. The vast majority of the deal with is referred to as the belly. The handle bows slightly in toward the blade at the throat close to the end to type the grip. The very bottom of the deal with is called the knob.

Axe or Hatchet?

A major distinction is made between an axe and a hatchet. The much larger axe is used for chopping trees and splitting lumber. A double bit axe has 2 cutting edges and is used mainly by skilled loggers. The smaller hatchet is designed to be used with one hand.

Hatchet: Definition and Use

The hatchet is a lighter, more compact model of the axe. The butt end of a hatchet generally takes the type of a hammer head and is used for driving nails. The head can also have a nail slot for pulling nails. It's acceptable for driving roofing nails and for chopping, splitting and installing wood shakes or shingles. It's an essential instrument for a roofer and is sort of useful to a carpenter. It may also be used when camping and for gransfors bruks light out of doors work.

Types of Axes

Axes might be sub-divided into the following categories: a felling axe, a broad axe and a splitting maul. As the name implies, a felling axe is used for chopping towards the grain as when felling trees. A broad axe has a big head and a broad blade that's flat on one side and beveled on the other. Prior to now it has been used for hewing rough timber however has been rendered obsolete by modern chopping tools. A splitting axe or splitting maul has a large heavy wedge-formed head that's used for splitting wood along the grain. The maul works well with a uninteresting blade and the butt end can be used as a sledgehammer.

Safety Suggestions

By no means use an axe or a hatchet if the head just isn't securely fastened to the deal with or if the handle is cracked. Don't strike the butt end of an axe with a hammer. Maintain the slicing fringe of the axe sharpened and rust-free. Consider the material close to the grip of the axe handle. In case you think there may be slippage as a consequence of perspiration, you may wish to wrap a part of the handle with electrical tape.