Log Building Tools – Adzes and Broad Axes

Reader Contribution by Tracy Johnston
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In the previous entry, we discussed debarking spuds and drawknives. We’re going to continue discussing other ways to prepare your logs for the next step in log cabin building.  This time we’re going to cover adzes and broadaxes. When you think of Appalachian style square hand hewn log cabins, chances are the logs or beams were dressed with an adz or broad axe. 

Until fairly recently, adzes have been used for woodworking in many cultures around the world. Now power equipment does the majority of this work but there are a growing number of craftspeople that are rediscovering and embracing these traditional tools. They can be used for hewing logs for building (the focus here) and for other uses as diverse as carving chair seats and making totem poles.

Adzes come in a range of styles and handle lengths. The blades can be flat or curved and the handles can be as short as 8 inches up to 35 inches long.  The adzes that have a curved blade are often called gutter adzes.  It’s easy to remember that name if you think of a rain gutter and the shape of the adz needed to hollow out the inside of the gutter to catch the rain. Ship carpenter’s adzes have a flatter blade. When you are choosing an adz to hew a log or timber, think about how the cuts made by the various blade shapes will look on your wood. Most people will choose a flat or slightly curved adz for this job. 

 Short handled adzes are used with either one or two hands with the wood you’re working on located between knee and waist height. Long handles are often used when straddling your work on the ground, or close to the ground. In effect, you swing the adz between your legs. Some builders consider an adz the finishing tool to the broad axe, others use it on its own.

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