![]() There’s an economy of space, as the tools and supplies require less dedicated area to work with and store. The tools themselves are also less expensive, and the investment for a beginner is minimal compared to an arsenal of power tools. Avoiding commercial lumber also reduces the cost that the craftsperson shoulders-green wood can effectively be free. Local sourcing of green wood effectively subverts the fossil-fuel driven infrastructure behind commercial harvesting, drying, and transportation of lumber. Green woodworking is also “green” in terms of its environmental impact. (Photo Right: Hand woodworking tools from Garrett Wade, including, from top three-carving knives, two rasps, and four micro-carving knives) The wizardry in making shrink pots or mortise and tenon joints in chair making comes from the way that green wood shrinking around dry wood will form a tight and secure joint. Another essential quality to green woodworking is that wood shrinks as it dries. There’s a mechanical efficiency to working with the grain, as the action of splitting is much easier than sawing. With green wood, the grain factors in more dynamically than it does with sawn lumber, as objects can be designed to maximize the strength potential of the grain by making cuts that follow the natural lines in the wood. This allows a craftsperson to work with hand tools, and smaller projects can be worked outside confines of a vice or bench. The advantages lie in exactly what makes the material volatile: wetter wood is softer and easier to cut through. It’s reasonable to wonder why green wood is preferable, since the properties of undried wood can be sometimes undesirable and occasionally disastrous-a crack formed while the wood dries unevenly can ruin a work in progress, and warping can disrupt symmetry. (Photo: A green woodworker carving a spoon) Why Green Woodworking The practice of green woodworking has surged in popularity in the past several years, and what follows is a general overview of the pursuit for the otherwise uninitiated. This is in contrast to seasoned wood, which has been dried by kiln or otherwise. The word “green” refers to the wood’s moisture content-it’s relatively wet, either freshly-felled or stored in such a way as to trap water in the fibers. ![]() The handle has been firmly secured to adze head with a wooden wedge and finished with linseed oil.Let’s deconstruct a concept that’s become a flash-point of buzz, obsession, and occasional skepticism: green woodworking. oil quenched for hardening and tempered to gain toughness. The adze head retains some of its dark coloring from the heat treatment process, i.e. The head was forged from a single piece of mild steel with a piece of high carbon steel fired-welded onto the end to form a tough cutting edge. It was uncovered by a farmer in 1936 who was ploughing his field.Īs a hand forged item you will find this adze has an individually crafted beauty to it.Ī traditional forging process was used to create it. ![]() The Mästermyr chest contained over 80 blacksmithing and carpentry tools and materials in surprisingly good condition. This adze is ideal for the wood working reenactor.īased on an archeological find from around 1,000 CE at Mästermyr on the island of Gotland, Sweden. The total weight is approximately 0.8lbs (370g). The handle is approximately 13" (32cm) long. The dimensions of the adze head are based on the original historical find (see product illustration). The cutting edge has a straight profile and a single-sided interior bevel. The fitted handle is made of Tasmanian Oak hardwood. This is a woodworking tool ready for use.Ī mild steel head with high carbon steel cutting edge. ![]() A hand forged replica of an adze found in the famous Viking Age Mästermyr Tool Chest find from Gotland, Sweden.
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