Froe

[Joe Pfeifer]

Does anyone use a froe to split bowl or spindle blanks from logs? I was watching an old Woodwright's Shop and saw them using a froe to split some parts for a Windsor chair. It was much, much quicker than a chainsaw or a bandsaw. The only downside I saw was that the wood has to be relatively straight grained.

[curtis rosche]

i use a wedge or a chisel to cut down bowl blanks. i dont have a chainsaw or a bandsaw to use. i has a handsaw to use if i really have to.

[charlie knighton]

i use a wedge and maul to split cut up logs, cut the logs with chainsaw

[Michael Mills]

I believe you are right about needing straight grain for using a froe. If I remember correctly, Roy made his from a discarded automotive spring (already had the hole for the handle formed). Give it a try.
Mike

[curtis rosche]

its works with curly grain, but not with burls and crotches

[Ryan Baker]

I use a froe occasionally. I use wedges and large chisels much more often. I use a broad hatchet a lot for pre-turning trimming. It all varies by the job. I tend to not do more trimming than necessary to get the blank on the lathe (at least until I get a bigger band saw). Splitting is easy for some things, but rarely removes the need for the chainsaw for making turning blanks.

[Wally Dickerman]

When I was a kid, oh so long ago, I lived on a small farm and we had a lot of downed virgin, straight grained western red cedar. Left from the logging days when they were after Doug fir. We cut shakes to roof our barn with it and of course we used a froe.

When making spindles for a chair they are much stronger if made from blanks that have been cut along the grain with a froe then they would be if sawn.

They use blanks that have been split when turning baseball bats, otherwise they'd break easily when swung at a home run ball.

Wally