Category Equipment

From Rod Cumberland/East Coast Lumberjack, a tutorial on axe grinding basics.
In this video, he is working on a “China” axe.

From Rod Cumberland/East Coast Lumberjack, a tutorial on axe grinding basics.
In this video, he is working on a “China” axe.

I want to use this page to help competitors understand what is a crosscut saw and how it work. I will try to be as accurate as possible so it can help people use their saw to its maximum potential. Also, I want to thanks JP Mercier for his input on making this page as accurate as possible.

1st: The Handles.

• Vintage Saw Handles
  • Most were long and positioned above the saw. This design helped prevent injuries and reduced the need for workers to bend over when cutting logs close to the ground.
  • Another model which inspired the modern ones is called “West coast style handles”. They are straight and attached to the middle of the saw.
• Straight Handle
  • These are a modified version of vintage handles, made to fit in the middle of the saw.
  • They give more control over the saw and make it possible to add weight while sawing.
• Straight Handle with an Angle at the Bottom
  • They are designed to follow the natural position of the bottom wrist.
  • These are my personal favorites.

2nd: Saws Types

• M-tooth
  • This type of saw uses teeth that cut and break the wood at the same time.
  • By design, their teeth are more robust compared to pegs and rakers.
  • They used to be the best option when vintage saws were still used in competitions.
  • A smaller or weaker competitor might struggle to run them.
  • Today, very few competitors use M-tooth saws, but they can still perform well in very hard wood
• 4 Cutters
  • The 4-cutter design isn’t as popular as it was in the early 2000s, but it is still a valid choice in some situations.
  • For lighter competitors, or for those who don’t put as much weight on the saw, they can be a good option.
  • With average technique, they tend to be mostly push-and-pull.
  • Because they have more teeth, they may not require sharpening as often as other types of saws.
  • They are often smoother to run, meaning they can usually be run at a good pace.
  • Compression wood won’t slow this saw as much as it would with other models.
  • They are also more difficult to hang at the bottom of a cut.
• 3 Cutters
  • The modern 3-cutter saw is a hybrid between the 2-cutter and the 4-cutter. The goal was to combine the benefits of both designs.
  • Like the 4 cutters, this saw forgives mistakes more than a 2-cutter would.
  • As with the 4 cutters, compression wood and sap spots are not felt as much as with a 2-cutter.
• 2 Cutters
  • The 2-cutter design is currently the fastest two-person saw, and it also has the potential to be the fastest one-person saw when the wood and technique are good.
  • Because of the simpler design, it is usually less expensive to buy.

A good way to start a cut is by placing a few set of teeth out of the wood and to sit half the raker in the wood and the other half in the air. It help to prevent hangs when there is a delay before a start signal.

3rd: The Saw Weight

• Thicker and/or Larger Plate
  • Most Tuatahi/KBT one-person saws use this kind of plate.
  • Because they are heavier, more weight is placed on each tooth, allowing each tooth to dig into the wood more effectively.
  • The added weight also creates more inertia, which can make it harder to achieve a fast pace.
    
• Thinner and/or Smaller Plate
  • Most original Mercier saws and I believe Pfenninger saws as well use thinner, smaller plates, which makes them relatively light.
  • A faster pace can be achieved with a slender saw.
  • Because it is lighter, better technique is required to reach its full potential.
    

4th: The Gullets

• Wide Gullets (KBT and Tuatahi style)
  • Wider gullets mean more storage for sawdust.
  • They also mean fewer rakers and fewer teeth, which has two consequences:
    • More weight on each tooth
      With fewer teeth in the wood, each one carries more weight and digs deeper on its own.
      A strong competitor with a good pace can do very well even without perfect technique.
    • The saw reaches its maximum potential faster
      Since each tooth removes more wood, the saw reaches its performance ceiling sooner.
  • Because these saws have a wider gap between rakers and cutters, there is a greater risk of hanging at the bottom of a cut.
    • A good trick to avoid this: short-stroke the saw near the bottom.
      
• Thin Gullets (Mercier, Pfenninger and Taylor style)
  • Thinner gullets mean more teeth and more rakers.
  • Better technique is required to make the rakers work efficiently.
    • Because more teeth sit in the wood at the same time, less weight is placed on each one.
  • The maximum potential of these saws is higher because each tooth has more room to cut deeper.
  • Also, because the gap between rakers and teeth is smaller, it is harder to hang the saw at the bottom of a cut.

Here is an example of two types of 3 cutters saws.
Top one with more teeth and smaller gullets.
Bottom one is heavier with bigger gullets.
Both saws are in need of a refile.

5th, The Saw Radius

• Smaller Radius (Rounder Saw)
  • With a smaller radius, each tooth attacks the wood more aggressively during a straight push—until you pass the middle—after which a slight heeling adjustment may be required.
    • Be careful: too much heeling makes you slide on the back foot of the raker, preventing the next tooth from doing its job.
  • During the pull, a slight lift is required throughout the entire motion.
    
• Bigger Radius (Flatter Saw)
  • With more radius, a faster pace can usually be achieved, but better technique is required to make the saw cut efficiently.
  • For one-person sawing, the motion is mostly straight push and pull, with a slight lift at the end of the pull.

6th, The Set

• During the saw making process, the teeth are bent in a way so they cut more than the thickness of the plate.
• When a saw is stoned and sharpened, the set will diminish. When the set gets too small, the saw will become harder to pull in bigger wood.
• A good wedger can help to make the cut go smoother.
• But keep in mind, aggressive or frequent stoning will diminish the set faster than than a refiled. In some case, it can even make the teeth shorter.

7th, The Saw Length

• 2 persons saws length vs wood diameter (1 is best, 4 is worse)

• 1 person saw length vs wood diameter
  • In singlebuck, the technique, saw weight and model also have a big impact on what feels easier to run in different diameters. (1 is best, 4 is worse)

A tutorial video on on how to install a handle on a throwing axe head.
DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS if you don’t have advanced knowledge or supervision.
A axe head installed on a croocked handle will increase the risk of serious injuries.

Keep in mind, axes are to be used by professionnals wearing the right safety equipments.
Do not attempt to chop wood with axes without supervision just because you watched a few videos.
Serious injuries can happen.

Tutorial video on how to install a Competition Bowsaw blade.
In Bowsaws 102, here is what you can see.

• Frame tension
• How to fix crocked cuts
• How to install the blade so it is straight
• How to fixe a bent blade (how to look for it)

A tutorial video on on how to install a handle on an axe head.
DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS if you don’t have advanced knowledge or supervision.
An axe head installed on a crooked handle will increase the risk of serious injuries.

Keep in mind, axes are to be used by professionals wearing the right safety equipment.
Do not attempt to chop wood with axes without supervision just because you watched a few videos.
Serious injuries may occur.

A nice video on how an axe really work.
Keep in mind, axes are to be used by professionals wearing the right safety equipment.
Do not attempt to chop wood with axes without supervision just because you watched a few videos.
Serious injuries may occur.