# $25, 4-1/2lb Harbor Freight Axe



## Chris-PA (Sep 30, 2011)

My main splitting tool for years has been a 4-1/2lb axe, the head of which I found in the woods behind my old house maybe 15 years ago. It's had a bunch of handles on it, and the present one is getting a little iffy thanks to some hard wood I've been splitting. I did a bad swing the other night when I was too tired and my aim was gone, overshot the log and now I don't fully trust it. So I'll be putting a new handle on it soon, but I wanted a backup, and all you can buy anywhere is 3-1/2lb axes, which I find too light. Except I saw last year that Harbor Freight had 4-1/2 ones. 

So I picked one up tonight. Made in India with a "genuine hickory" handle. Looked a little rough, but cheap enough. I put a better edge on it, smoothed the rough edges of the axe head, and rubbed the handle with steel wool. I still had enough light to knock apart some hard ash logs - and you know what? It's a decent axe. I liked the feel, pretty much like my other one of that weight, though the head profile is different. Handle felt solid so far (I would not bet on that lasting long, but we'll see).

So now I can take my time putting a new handle on the other one - and a smaller axe that needs a handle too.


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## stihl in ky (Sep 30, 2011)

If it were me, I would use a maul. Would probably be a little easier also. Thanks for info on the axe, I do need a new one.


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## Chris-PA (Sep 30, 2011)

stihl in ky said:


> If it were me, I would use a maul. Would probably be a little easier also. Thanks for info on the axe, I do need a new one.


I don't care for mauls much, I'm faster with an axe. I mostly use the maul with wedges. I had a nice Craftsman 6lb maul, teflon coated with a fiberglass handle, which was great for when you get the log cracked but it's still holding. You could sink that in there without worrying about abrading the wooden handle, and it wouldn't get stuck. But I cracked the head and must look for another one now.


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## ratso (Oct 1, 2011)

$15 more will get you a fiskars X27 super by far the best axe I have used.


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## Chris-PA (Oct 1, 2011)

ratso said:


> $15 more will get you a fiskars X27 super by far the best axe I have used.


I had a Fiskars hatchet a few years ago, but my wife ran it over with the brushhog. It was very nice, but I am not interested in any tool I cannot replace the handle on. Tools that cannot be maintained will end up in the dump, tools that can be maintained will be passed on to my son, even if they are of humble origin.

Edit: I've been using it hard today on white oak - It's working very well but the head it getting a little lose, which I expected. Hopefully I can get the handle out and put it back in properly. I always coat the handle with Gorilla Glue where it goes into the head before I install them, and I've never had one loosen up.


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## mayhem100 (Oct 1, 2011)

If you still have that hatchet you can get a new one under warranty from Fiskars. All they want is a picture of it to prove ownership and breakage and you'll get a new one. Lifetime guarantee on the Fiskars splitting tools, even warranted against brushogging.


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## Chris-PA (Oct 1, 2011)

mayhem100 said:


> If you still have that hatchet you can get a new one under warranty from Fiskars. All they want is a picture of it to prove ownership and breakage and you'll get a new one. Lifetime guarantee on the Fiskars splitting tools, even warranted against brushogging.


Thanks for the tip - I'm sure it's around somewhere, although I have not run across it in a while. Still, i would never throw something like that away.....

My wife is kinda scary on the mower or brush hog. She gets a lot done, but don't get in her way. Sometimes I gotta shake my head and ask "How'd you run over that?". The only answer I get is "I didn't see it!". Um, yeah.


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## Motodeficient (Oct 5, 2011)

The fiskars X27 is on sale at Baileys for $39.99 I believe. I don't think you will have to worry about replacing the handle ever. And if anything ever did happen, it has a lifetime warranty of course. The 4 pound head would be right up your alley. I like mine.


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## Chris-PA (Oct 5, 2011)

Motodeficient said:


> The fiskars X27 is on sale at Baileys for $39.99 I believe. I don't think you will have to worry about replacing the handle ever. And if anything ever did happen, it has a lifetime warranty of course. The 4 pound head would be right up your alley. I like mine.


There's no doubt it's a good tool and I'd probably like using it. Still, with shipping it'd be around twice what I paid, and that's big deal anymore. And eventually I expect the handle to be damaged in some way. If the Fiskars company and the global supply chain that brings it to you are still around then, you might get a new one under warranty. But I'm not confident in any of that, and there's suitable hickory up in the woods if need be. Also, I prefer the feel of a wooden handle. 

In the end, this axe is holding its edge well, and the head shape seems to work quite well. I was splitting some nice ash with it last night - nothing too big so as to make moving it a chore, and it was mostly all one hit splitting. It was a nice evening and an enjoyable job, and I liked using the axe.


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## Motodeficient (Oct 5, 2011)

WoodHeatWarrior said:


> And eventually I expect the handle to be damaged in some way. If the Fiskars company and the global supply chain that brings it to you are still around then, you might get a new one under warranty. But I'm not confident in any of that,



They have been around for the last 362 years, but I understand what you are saying.


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## TMFARM 2009 (Oct 5, 2011)

welp, i gotta know , does it have a red dot on the head?opcorn:


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## TN_WOOD (Oct 24, 2011)

I too have stuff from HF. I've even got a "beater" of a camp axe. Works fine for driving in tent stakes and ####ie-doodling around. No complaints and worth the $7 for sure.

I've checked out the HF axes. If a person does go this route, make sure they hunt for one that is centered (I've seen some on the shelves that looked crooked).


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## Chris-PA (Jul 19, 2012)

Well, the HF axe finally got a new handle:




It's a Link handle - the grain isn't really oriented properly but it's about the best I've found in a local hardware store.

The axe works pretty well. The shape is a little too narrow in taper for splitting some wood (i.e. it gets stuck), but for other types it's nice. The weight is perfect for me, and it hold an edge well. Not bad at all for the price.


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## RandyMac (Jul 19, 2012)

The old cure for loose heads and to keep the wood supple, is to soak it in water, overnight will do it.
I learned this in the Forestry. we had two complete sets of handtools, one for "grade" work, the other for fires only. Every two weeks, we soaked the fire tools in 55 gallon drums, loose heads and split handles were rare.


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## RAMROD48 (Jul 19, 2012)

X27 is designed to do what you are asking and will never need the handle replaced...

Seems like money saved to me...

We go through about 3 doz a month at the shop...

not one person has not called me back and told me how great they are...

They even come back and buy them as gifts.


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## MarylandGuy (Jul 19, 2012)

I have to ask why you are still using wooden handled axes? My aim has always been notoriously poor and I have ruined my share of wooden handles. But about ten years ago I bought a poly handled axe and haven't looked back. I don't know the brand name, but it has taken years of abuse and it still looks great. I will never go back to a wooden handled ax.


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## Chris-PA (Jul 19, 2012)

I bought my Dad an X27 for Father's day, and I expect he'll love it. 

As for me, I like traditional tools and the feel of a wooden handle. I found the head for my favorite splitting axe in the woods behind my old house. It's about 4-1/2lb but it's been sharpened a fair amount and has a fairly steep angle to the front edge - a bit like a maul but not that extreme and still very sharp. 

But also, I really am a Luddite and am expecting _very_ serious economic troubles ahead, so I am not counting on the continuation of the global supply chain that brings all these wonderful things to our doors. In all seriousness Europe's economy is imploding and I would not count on any particular European company surviving - that includes Fiskars, Stihl and Husqvarna. I can learn to make my own axe handles, and I am eying up some hickory for exactly that purpose. Should the X27 break you cannot fix it and you're dependent on that global supply chain to bring you a new one.

I have another thread where I put a new handle on a box store 3-1/2lb axe ( http://www.arboristsite.com/firewood-heating-wood-burning-equipment/186934.htm ). That one originally came with a nice fiberglass handle with a rubber cushion between the handle and head. On the first day I used it I stuck it so hard into a piece of wood that I had a lot of trouble getting it out, and the handle was destroyed. It sat next to my workbench for a couple of years before I decided to experiment making a shield around the handle just below the head. It has worked very well, but it takes a bit of time to do. Therefore I have decided to learn to use my axe better instead of inventing ways to make it hold up when I use it poorly.

Last, after I fit the handle to the head I put Gorilla Glue on the handle where it goes into the head before I do the final attachment. They never loosen up on me.


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## ShaneLogs (Jul 19, 2012)

WoodHeatWarrior said:


> Thanks for the tip - I'm sure it's around somewhere, although I have not run across it in a while. Still, i would never throw something like that away.....
> 
> My wife is kinda scary on the mower or brush hog. She gets a lot done, but don't get in her way. Sometimes I gotta shake my head and ask "How'd you run over that?". The only answer I get is "I didn't see it!". Um, yeah.



She must just haul right along and get it done, LOL :hmm3grin2orange:


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## ShaneLogs (Jul 19, 2012)

WoodHeatWarrior said:


> Well, the HF axe finally got a new handle:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Looks pretty good! My friend got the same handle for his axe and his head almost looks identical to yours too! Very good axes!


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## Chris-PA (Jul 19, 2012)

ShaneLogs said:


> Looks pretty good! My friend got the same handle for his axe and his head almost looks identical to yours too! Very good axes!


They're pretty common and seem to be better quality than others sold at HD and TSC. They're considerably thicker. I'm really looking forward to trying to make my own handle, but I have more research to do on that.


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## CTYank (Jul 19, 2012)

WoodHeatWarrior said:


> *I don't care for mauls much*, I'm faster with an axe. I mostly use the maul with wedges. I had a nice Craftsman 6lb maul, teflon coated with a fiberglass handle, which was great for when you get the log cracked but it's still holding. You could sink that in there without worrying about abrading the wooden handle, and it wouldn't get stuck. But I cracked the head and must look for another one now.



Same here, for garden-variety big-box or hardware-store mauls. Lousy head shape, and woeful metallurgy. Just cheap. Even as hammers, their heads are way too malleable. A cracked head is big problem in opposite direction.

After arrival here of an Austrian-made maul, I took a disc-grinder and redid some cheapie maul heads to mimic the Muller's shape. Much better performance. Night vs day. The metallurgy still sux, though. Don't hit nasties.

After busting up a couple of mountains of oak/ash/maple, the Muller maul looks same as new, except for an application of Danish oil to the handle. (No fanboy for fads here.)


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## ShaneLogs (Jul 19, 2012)

WoodHeatWarrior said:


> They're pretty common and seem to be better quality than others sold at HD and TSC. They're considerably thicker. I'm really looking forward to trying to make my own handle, but I have more research to do on that.



Yes, That would be pretty neat, Do you have a wood lathe to make them on ?


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## zogger (Jul 20, 2012)

WoodHeatWarrior said:


> I bought my Dad an X27 for Father's day, and I expect he'll love it.
> 
> As for me, I like traditional tools and the feel of a wooden handle. I found the head for my favorite splitting axe in the woods behind my old house. It's about 4-1/2lb but it's been sharpened a fair amount and has a fairly steep angle to the front edge - a bit like a maul but not that extreme and still very sharp.
> 
> ...



I agree with you on the serious potential for cascading socio economic problems, accompanied by social unrest and other nastiness. Looks headed that way pretty clearly..

..however..it ain't happened yet. I like both, tools I can repair, then the advances in modern design. While it is still here, I like using the fiskars. Much less shock to the body over anything with a wooden handle (and I have beaucoup plenty of zoghours on traditional designs for comparison), and I defy anyone to actually break one using it as an axe in wood, as it was designed for. Perhaps it isn't the absolute best factory production axe, but for the money spent, the best I ever used by a wiiiiddddeeeee margin. I can swing that thing as fast and hard as I want, for as long as I want, and my hands don't hurt. Can't say that for anything with a wooden handle I ever used.

So until collapseagedddon, I will use the fiskars until such a time as it doesn't work, then I will switch to a wooden handle model.

..just sayin'..how I look at it and being prepped.


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## Chris-PA (Jul 20, 2012)

Zog - nothing wrong with that, it will probably last a very long time when used properly, which I expect you do. I don't find that splitting hurts my hands, and that's one of the reasons I like wooden handles. I _really_ dislike those fiberglass handles with the rubber cushions. The fiberglass is too heavy and the weight is in the wrong place, and with the cushion you cannot get a stuck head out of the wood by banging the end with you palm. The only one I have like that is the old Chopper 1, but the face angle on that is such that it seldom gets stuck in wood.

Right now I have a pulled muscle in my abdomen from pulling that 8lb maul down a lot (I seldom use it that much), and I'm forced to take a brake and let it heal. I tried splitting some smaller stuff with my normal axes before it healed but it was throwing off my aim too much.


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## TN_WOOD (Jul 20, 2012)

RandyMac said:


> The old cure for loose heads and to keep the wood supple, is to soak it in water, overnight will do it.
> I learned this in the Forestry. we had two complete sets of handtools, one for "grade" work, the other for fires only. Every two weeks, we soaked the fire tools in 55 gallon drums, loose heads and split handles were rare.



That's good to hear, because I've read that some folks say to NOT soak wooden handles in water. I've moved away from wooden handles, but I still have a lone wooden handled hammer that gets some light use.


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## Chris-PA (Jul 20, 2012)

I have read of a trick for keeping digging tools - shovels, etc. - from rusting which is to build a box and fill it will sand and some oil, and then stick the tool heads in that when you store them. I wonder if this would be useful for axes as well. It would probably keep the end of the axe handle from drying out and shrinking. My concern is that it would be a mess, as a shovel head stays farther away from your hands when you are working.


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## ShaneLogs (Jul 20, 2012)

WoodHeatWarrior said:


> I have read of a trick for keeping digging tools - shovels, etc. - from rusting which is to build a box and fill it will sand and some oil, and then stick the tool heads in that when you store them. I wonder if this would be useful for axes as well. It would probably keep the end of the axe handle from drying out and shrinking. My concern is that it would be a mess, as a shovel head stays farther away from your hands when you are working.



Good idea! I will have to give that a try sometime!


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## danthe (Jul 30, 2012)

I just pick up a Fiscars X27 during vacations...39.99 shipping included. Had a chance to split a few block last night wow I was impressed. I will still use my 6 lbs maul but I can see myself doing a lot of the splitting with the X27.


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## ShaneLogs (Jul 31, 2012)

danthe said:


> I just pick up a Fiscars X27 during vacations...39.99 shipping included. Had a chance to split a few block last night wow I was impressed. I will still use my 6 lbs maul but I can see myself doing a lot of the splitting with the X27.



That is a good price on a X27 for sure, What part of New Brunswick are you located in ? I am in Calais, Maine.


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## danthe (Jul 31, 2012)

I'm located in Bathurst in north-east NB. We normally vacation in Maine for a week and I get many items ordered thru mail and shipped to Kinek location in Calais (Ace Home Hardware) or Houlton (Houlton Power Sport) I was thru Calais last year.


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## savageactor7 (Aug 1, 2012)

*...the head of which I found in the woods behind my old house maybe 15 years ago...*

LOL those found or tossed off broken gems are my kind of tools. I like the feel of wood too and always buy replacement handles two at a time. You should covet old metal that's been properly heat treated to perform properly...china metal has been known to shrapnel on you if yo bash it. 

btw you probably already know this but when replacing a handle don't bash the metal head tight to the wood. Afix the metal head to the new handle and bash the handle against a hard surface...like an anvil and it'll seat properly.


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## ShaneLogs (Aug 1, 2012)

danthe said:


> I'm located in Bathurst in north-east NB. We normally vacation in Maine for a week and I get many items ordered thru mail and shipped to Kinek location in Calais (Ace Home Hardware) or Houlton (Houlton Power Sport) I was thru Calais last year.



That is cool, Give me a shout if you are down my way.


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## Coldfront (Aug 1, 2012)

I am a mechanic and there is a reason all my hammers have fiberglass handles. Wood is old school they break. I have hammers with fiberglass that are 20 years old and still going.


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## Chris-PA (Aug 2, 2012)

LOL - I have a mechanic's hammer with a wooden handle that I have used for longer than that. And it was my Grandfather's.


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## mountainmandan (Aug 2, 2012)

Woodheat,

Making your own handles is easy, just dive right in and get it done.

1. First find a suitable hickory tree, relatively straight for about 4 feet. 
2. Quarter the tree lengthwise with your chainsaw. Put the quarters somewhere to dry. (I put them on the roof where no one can see them.) 
3. Wait until dry. This varies with climate, weather, season, etc.
4. Find the handle you want to copy and trace an outline with a sharpie on the quarter you will make the handle out of.
5. Rough out the blank with an ordinary circular saw.
6. Do the final shaping with a 4 1/2 inch grinder with a 36 grit sanding pad. you will be amazed how much material you can remove with this setup. It also is quite accurate.
7. Cut the notch with a hand saw to accept the wedge.
8. Make a wedge with a hard wood, I use hedge, but locust works well also.
9. Mount the head. I am going to assume you have that covered.
10. Sit back and beam with pride over your superior skills.

The key to the whole deal is the grinder and pad, it makes wood carving easy and accessible to anyone with basic skills. I learned from an amazingly skilled trim carpenter who has brushed off more chips than I have ever made. 

You can control how thick your handle is in different places to give it the exact feel you want. 

If the wood is not completely dry the head will loosen and might need to be remounted, but no big deal.

I also heard from an old time carpenter that if you start using water to swell the wood, you will be comitted to using that method forever, in other words once the wood dries out again the head will be loose again. I think it depends on your climate, since it is extemely humid where I live, my handles will not perform the same as someone in a drier climate. 

I really encourage anyone to try it.

Thanks
Dan


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## mountainmandan (Aug 2, 2012)

After my last post on making wood handles, I still prefer my fiskers.
Dan


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## dancan (Aug 2, 2012)

I know nothing about making handles except what I've read , google will bring up plenty .
Here's my pair of handles , a hatchet and a small broadaxe handle that I made up with an axe and a knife , not pretty but they work and if I don't like it I'll make another .


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## ShaneLogs (Aug 2, 2012)

dancan said:


> I know nothing about making handles except what I've read , google will bring up plenty .
> Here's my pair of handles , a hatchet and a small broadaxe handle that I made up with an axe and a knife , not pretty but they work and if I don't like it I'll make another .



Pretty cool. Good craftsman ship there. What u use to make that handle ? Hickory ?


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## dancan (Aug 2, 2012)

We don't have any hickory around here but we do have ash ............Unfortunately , I had none but I had plenty of birch and since these weren't chopping axes but axes that I carve with I'm pretty sure they'll do for a while and if they break , I've learnt how to make them so I can make more .


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## Chris-PA (Aug 3, 2012)

dancan said:


> I know nothing about making handles except what I've read , google will bring up plenty .
> Here's my pair of handles , a hatchet and a small broadaxe handle that I made up with an axe and a knife , not pretty but they work and if I don't like it I'll make another .


Thanks for the pictures, those are very nice. I'm looking to get a draw knife to do the shaping.


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## Coldfront (Aug 3, 2012)

WoodHeatWarrior said:


> LOL - I have a mechanic's hammer with a wooden handle that I have used for longer than that. And it was my Grandfather's.



LOL and I'm sure you beat things with it every day like I do for a living.
You can laugh but a hammer is probably my most used tool working on heavy equipment and dump trucks.


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## dancan (Aug 3, 2012)

WoodHeatWarrior said:


> Thanks for the pictures, those are very nice. I'm looking to get a draw knife to do the shaping.



A draw knife helps to square up you piece of wood and start some of the basic shaping then I used a knife for the rest .
Since these are tool handles , I get them comfortable to the hands but don't get them to retail store smoothness until I get a lot more practice in getting a few made .
Here is a basic tutorial Robin Wood: how to make a new axe handle .


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## Chris-PA (Aug 5, 2012)

Thanks for that link - interesting that he used ash. I was planning on hickory, which is part of what is slowing me down - I don't have that many and I don't want to cut on any of them. But ash I got lots of - for now. Gonna hunt for a nice piece and slab it so I can dry it out.


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## dancan (Aug 5, 2012)

Ash is a good handle material , have no fears about using it .
Riving the wood makes a stronger product than sawn wood because the grain follows .
Green wood it easier to work with and shape , I'd rough out my handle and leave it oversize to finish when dry . The handles I made were shorter so the hatchet one went into the microwave for drying and the longer went into the oven while the wife was baking banana bread LOL.


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## dancan (Aug 5, 2012)

Here's a how to video 

[video=youtube_share;boQAls1QJB8]http://youtu.be/boQAls1QJB8[/video]


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## zogger (Aug 5, 2012)

dancan said:


> Here's a how to video



Cool vid, like it! What is that first tool he used called, that splitter tool? I need one, and a draw knife.

I've done quite a bit of wood work, but mostly in furniture and cabinet/display shops, so I am more used to using power tools. Example, for final shaping I would have used a balloon (some call it a drum) sander.


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## dancan (Aug 5, 2012)

The first tool he used is a froe .
Here's a description Froe - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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