Axe Sharpening

How To Sharpen An Axe

Axe Sharpening The axe is one of the most crude tools for cutting wood know to man. But this instrument is still one of the best and quickest ways to cut down a tree. many people today still use an axe to split firewood after they have cut it into manageable sections with a chain saw. As good as an axe can be, there is nothing worse than a dull axe. Sharpening an axe properly will help make quick work of your wood splitting.

Sharpening Wheel

Using a sharpening wheel to give your axe a solid, crisp edge is the perfect tool for quickly bringing your axe back to life. A sharpening wheel is a course grinding wheel, roughly an inch thick that can be mounted on any fixed rotary power grinder. Hold the axe at a slight angle (no more than 10 degrees) lightly against the wheel as it spins. Start at one side of one edge and work toward the other edge of the axe, slowly running just the very tip of the edge across the grinder . You will know that the axe blade is being sharpened when you see sparks come off of the axe. Flip the axe so that the edge of the opposite side can be sharpened, Use the same technique. Feel edge with your fingers running them across the blade not along it.

Sharpening Stone

Take a sharpening stone and run the stone across the blade of the axe. This is a fine sharpening tool and will take any imperfections that occurred when using the grinder off of the blade. Perform this action on both sides. You will need to use a fair amount of force and may even cause sparks.

Metal File

A metal file can be used in place of the sharpening stone. Push the metal file across the blade one way. Do not pull the file back across the blade as this will take the sharp edge away. Work along the blade pushing the file until both sides are complete.

Now that your axe is razor sharp, you will be able to cut into just about any tree and split yourself enough firewood for the winter. One important aspect of using an axe is safety. It is a good idea to wear some kind of eye protection when splitting wood as pieces of wood can fly up at you as the wood is split. Always make sure that your feet are directly under you, and the object that you are splitting is a few feet in front of you to prevent injury.

By Adam Yeomans - Adam Yeomans is a licensed general contractor in Ripon, WI and has been performing all matters of building and remodeling for the past 15 years. For the last 5 years, Adam has decided to focus on remodeling...

have i broadened your vocabulary now or not ? (Answers: 6) (Comments: 0)
SOME OF YOU WILL UNDERSTAND THIS (FOR THE REST OF YOU IT WILL BE A LEARNING SITUATION) A LICK AND A PROMISE 'I'll just give this a lick and a promise,' my mother said as she quickly mopped up a spill on the floor without moving any of the furniture. 'What is that supposed to mean,' I asked as in my young mind I envisioned someone licking the floor with his or her tongue. 'It means that I'm in a hurry and I'm busy canning tomatoes so I am going to just give it a lick with the mop and promise to come back and do the job right later. 'A lick and a promise' was just one of the many old phrases that our mothers, grandmothers, and others used that they probably heard from the generations before them. With the passing of time, many old phrases become obsolete or even disappear. This is unfortunate because some of them are very appropriate and humorous. Here is a list of some of those memorable old phrases: 1. A Bone to Pick (someone who wants to discuss a disagreement) 2. An Axe to Grind (Someone who has a hidden motive. This phrase is said to have originated from Benjamin Franklin who told a story about a devious man who asked how a grinding wheel worked. He ended up walking away with his axe sharpened free of charge) 3. One bad apple spoils the whole barrel (one corrupt person can cause all the others to go bad if you don't remove the bad one) 4. At sea (lost or not understanding something) 5. Bad Egg (Someone who was not a good person) 6. Barking at a knot (meaning that your efforts were as useless as a dog barking at a knot.) Barking up the wrong tree (talking about something that was completely the wrong issue with the wrong person) 8. Bee in your bonnet (To have an idea that won't let loose) 9. Been through the mill (had a rough time of it) 10. Between hay and grass (Not a child or an adult) 11. Blinky (Between sweet and sour as in milk) 12. Calaboose (a jail) 13. Catawampus (Something that sits crooked such as a piece of furniture sitting at an angle) 14. Dicker (To barter or trade) 15. Feather in Your Cap (to accomplish a goal. This came from years ago in wartime when warriors might receive a feather they would put in their cap for defeating an enemy) 16. Hold your horses (Be patient!) 17. Hoosegow (a jail) 18. I reckon (I suppose) 19. Jawing/Jawboning (Talking or arguing) 20. Kit and caboodle (The whole thing) 21. Madder than an wet hen (really angry) 22. Needs taken down a notch or two (like notches in a belt usually a young person who thinks too highly of himself and needs a lesson) 23. No Spring Chicken (Not young anymore) 24. Persnickety (overly particular or snobbish) 25. Pert-near (short for pretty near) 26. Pretty is a s pretty does (your actions are more important than your looks) 27. Red up (clean the house) 28. Scalawag (a rascal or unprincipled person) 29. Scarce as hen's teeth (something difficult to obtain) 30. Skedaddle (Get out of here quickly) 31. Sparking (courting) 32. StraightFrom the Horse's Mouth (privileged information from the one concerned) 33. Stringing around, gallivanting around, or piddling (Not doing anything of value) 34. Sunday go to meetin' dress (The best dress you had) 35. We wash up real fine (is another goodie) 36. Tie the Knot (to get married) 37. Too many irons in the fire (to be involved in too many things) 38. Tuckered out (tired and all worn out) 39. Under the weather (not feeling well this term came from going below deck on ships due to sea sickness thus you go below or under the weather) 40. Wearing your 'best bib and tucker' (Being all dressed up) 41. You ain't the only duck in the pond (It's not all about you) Well, if you hold your horses, I reckon I'll get this whole kit and caboodle done and sent off to you. Please don' t be too persnickety and get a bee in your bonnet because I've been pretty tuckered out and at sea lately because I'm no spring chicken. I haven't been just stringin' around and I know I'm not the only duck in the pond, but I do have too many irons i

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Where can I get my battle axe sharpened? (Answers: 2) (Comments: 0)
I have a 33 inch 17th century viking battle axe (remake). They sent me the axe fairly dull, and i wanted to get it sharpened. Where can I get it done? Anyone know? This is my axe http://www.armorvenue.com/17th-century-viking-battle-axe.html

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where can I get my axe sharpened in London? (Answers: 6) (Comments: 0)
I bought an axe/hatchet from my local ironmongers but it's pretty blunt. I don't have the patience to do it by hand and am sure I could pay someone a couple of pounds to sharpen it for me.. any ideas? I live in SW2

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