Harvesting the Small Forest 



239 



choice is possible, one should give care- 

 ful consideration to its selection to fit 

 the ax to the work contemplated. 



Of a hundred patterns and sizes, a 

 few pointers to consider are : 



The wider blades are better suited 

 for softwoods ( the evergreens ) and the 

 narrower blades for hardwoods. 



The handle should be of straight 

 grain, smooth, free of defects, and lined 

 up in the same plane as the cutting 

 edge of the head, with the head well 

 down on the shoulder. Rough handles 

 raise blisters. 



The weight, single or double bit, and 

 hang will vary according to preference 

 and use. An ax weighing from 3 to 4 

 pounds is about the right weight. 



Properly forged and tempered steel 

 axheads are usually found in the better 

 axes. 



For productive and safe work, the ax 

 should be kept sharp. The user must 

 have good footing with a firm grip on 

 the handle. Room is needed to swing 

 the ax. The most common obstructions, 

 low limbs and brush, should be re- 

 moved. 



The ax should be carried at one's 

 side, with the hand just behind the 

 axhead. One-fourth of the accidents 

 in the woods are attributed to ax cuts. 

 A single-bitted ax is somewhat less dan- 

 gerous to use than a double-bitted one. 



The ax should be kept in a safe place 

 when not in use such as standing 

 against a tree or stump, with the han- 

 dle up. It is unwise to use the side of 

 an ax for a sledge hammer in wedg- 

 ing; a sledge hammer or mall should be 

 used for wedging. 



A SAW is used about a third of a 

 woodsman's working time. The one- 

 and two-man crosscut saws in 5y 2 - to 

 6-foot lengths are the most common. 



The bow saw, 3 to 4 feet long, with 

 a tapered saw blade held under ten- 

 sion, and easily operated by one man, 

 is well adapted for timber up to a foot 

 in diameter, such as pulpwood, fuel 

 wood, fence posts, poles, and the 

 smaller sawlogs. 



A smaller bow saw is handy for sev- 



ering limbs, treetops, and working in 

 post-size material. 



For large timber, the length of the 

 saw should be about twice the diam- 

 eter of the largest material to be cut, 

 so that one can use long, straight 

 strokes and bring out the accumulated 

 sawdust in the gullets. 



The tooth pattern varies with the 

 species of wood to be cut and condi- 

 tion of the wood, its seasoning, whether 

 it is frozen, and so on. A narrow, 

 curved crosscut saw is better suited to 

 wedging in smaller timber than the 

 wide, straight-backed type. 



A properly sharpened saw makes 

 shavings, not sawdust. As with the ax, 

 there is no substitute for practice, either 

 in using the saw or in fitting it. 



It is best to carry the crosscut saw 

 with only one handle attached. The 

 blade should be over the shoulder with 

 the teeth out. One should be sure no 

 one is following close behind. If nec- 

 essary to carry the saw at one's side, 

 the teeth should be kept up so the saw 

 can be thrown aside in case of a fall. 

 The bow saw can be slung over the 

 shoulder, teeth to the rear. Either type 

 can be protected by a piece of garden 

 or fire hose, slit lengthwise, and tied 

 over the teeth. Burlap offers some pro- 

 tection. The saw should be kept in a 

 safe place when it is not in use. Saw- 

 tooth injuries are usually serious. 



Power saws are finding a place in 

 larger operations and on a custom basis 

 on small jobs. Plans for home-made 

 types of crosscut power saws suitable 

 for bucking logs will be sent by the De- 

 partment of Agriculture on request. 



METAL WEDGES, preferably of un- 

 tempered steel, are useful for falling, 

 bucking, and splitting. They should 

 be driven with a sledge hammer or 

 mall, not with the side of an ax. They 

 are of various sizes and shapes. They 

 are cumbersome to carry around and 

 easily misplaced, but are indispensable. 

 A wedge with a badly mushroomed 

 head is dangerous, because metal frag- 

 ments may fly off when it is struck. 



Steel wedges are not recommended 



