woodcutters' implements. i9a 



1. Ileicinfj Implements. 



Hewing implements include felling-axes, trimming- axes and 

 the billhook. The two former are heavier than the last, and 

 are used with both hands on large timber, whilst the latter is 

 used with only one hand, for cutting saplings and brushwood. 

 The two kinds of axes dift'er, in that the former is symmetrically 

 sharpened on both sides of the edge, and is used for converting 

 wood in the rough ; whilst the trimming-axe is used for shaping 

 the wo-od, and has an unsymmetrical edge, flat on one side and 

 sloping on the other. 



Axe-heads of both kinds are made out of oblong pieces of iron 

 which are beaten thin at the ends, and then bent to form an eye 

 for the handle. In order to give the axe a sharp edge, a wedge- 

 shaped piece of steel is placed between the thin iron ends, and 

 they are then welded together, or in the trimming-axe a steel 

 plate is welded to the side which remains flat. 



The felling- axe is the handiest of all woodcutters' tools, and 

 in cases of necessity, however improperly, it may be used as a 

 substitute for almost any other tool. It consists of the axe- 

 head and handle, the latter made of tough split pieces of ash, 

 hornbeam, beech, robinia or service-tree ; the hole in the axe- 

 head into which the handle fits is termed the eye, and usually 

 widens-out on the side opposite that where the handle is 

 inserted, to allow of a wedge being driven in to hold the handle 

 firmly in its place. 



The part of the axe away from its edge, including the eye, is 

 termed the hack, and may be curved or flat, and in the latter 

 case is often of steel. The cutting part is termed the blade, 

 which may also be either straight or curved. 



The characteristics of a good axe are that the edge shall 

 be sharp, and the steel of which it is composed possess the 

 proper degree of tempering ; so that when used, on the one 

 hand, it may retain its cutting-edge without the latter becoming 

 bent, and on the other, the edge may not be too hard, and break. 

 As regards shape, the axe should form a tapering wedge 

 with smooth sides. In order to reduce friction as much as 

 possible, the sides of the axe should be slightly convex, or there 

 should be a slight projection in the middle of the blade. The 



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