Froe
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A froe is a tool for cleaving wood by splitting it along the grain. A froe is used by hammering its blade into the end of a piece of wood in the direction of the grain, then twisting the blade in the wood by rotating the haft (handle). A froe uses the haft as a lever to multiply the force upon the blade, such that it possible for wood to be torn apart by even a small froe with remarkably little force applied to the haft.
Froes are used in combination with wooden mallets to split timber, to make planks, wooden shingles, or kindling; they are safer and more accurate to use than hatchets because the blade is not swung.
Froes are similar in general form to axes, in that a froe is an L-shaped assembly of a blade head (typically steel) set at a right angle to a handle called a "haft" (traditionally wood). A froe can be thought of as an axe which is sharpened along the top of a long, narrow, rectangular head, instead of (as the axe is) at the end of a broad curved head. Some froes are made of a single piece of metal with no perpendicular haft. Instead, the handle is the unbeveled end of the blade which extends directly from the blade. These froes must be hammered through the entire piece of wood, as their lack of vertical haft makes it extremely difficult to lever the wood apart.
A given froe can split a piece of wood no wider in its narrowest dimension than the length of the froe's blade; that is, when you place the froe, it must cross the surface of the wood completely.
A froe is also unlike an axe or maul in that (with the exception users with absolute expert aim) the froe can be placed exactly where the user would like the split to begin. This technique can be used with enough precision that regularity of measurements can be kept when cutting shingles, ground stakes, or even small rails or planks.
[edit] Using a Froe
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Using a froe requires a maul or similar mallet which is usually wood or rubber, and soft enough not to damage the metal of the froe.
Set the piece of wood to be split such that the grain is running vertically, i.e. if a log, stand the log end-up.
Place the froe blade against the top end of the wood, holding the haft straight up in your non-dominant hand; the froe should look like an "L" resting on top of your log.
Holding the froe in place, use the maul to hammer the blade of the froe down into the end of the wood, such that the back of the froe blade is approximately flush with the surface of the wood.
Then pull the haft toward you, rotating it down as if you are pulling a lever, such that the blade of the froe rotates along its long axis. The wood will crack apart.
If you find that the resistance of the wood to splitting prevents you from turning the froe, hammer the blade further down by carefully hammering the end of the blade which projects past the end of the wood while firmly holding the haft vertical and try again. If the end of the froe blade does not project beyond the end of the wood, you will not be able to split the wood that way.
[edit] Safety considerations
When hammering the portion of the froe blade projecting from the wood, the handle must be held fast and firm, otherwise the blade may lever the handle with equal force toward the user. This commonly happens when the froe encounters a hidden knot in the wood.
