Pretty Felling wedges

Rugged made
Wesspur
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Wow

Wow

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So,, Like an old guy I can't stand to not be busy and I am (in my spare time) making a few wooden wedges..Just finished these 3. Sent a photo to a friend.. He just bought 3 plastic ones for just over 17 bucks plus tax. So friend said, BUT you can afford to BUY wedges WHY are you making them? I replied I make them so I can AFFORD other stuff. That's WHY I've burnt fire wood, made my own wedges, sharpened my chains, worked on my own equipment and etc for the past 50+ years. Then I asked him, are YOU paying a car note? Sure he said. I replied, why don't you just write a check for a car..He responded, I can't afford to. I said, maybe you should make your own wedges and burn firewood file your chains and work on your own equipment..Ha. Ha..But, I'll admit,,20220129_173147_HDR.jpg I'm a tight wad.. I can squeeze a penny until Lincoln tips his hat..I don't mind saw marks and Pink is easy to see... Ha. Ha..Good day.
 
jefflovstrom said:
Sounds like a dime holding up a dollar.
Jeff
It was a beautiful day!
Click to expand...
Would be if it wasn't RAINY DAY activities. I don't waste my time partying or watching TV. I can make 4 wedges in 15 minutes. At 5 bucks a wedge that's only 80 bucks an hour. As stated I pay myself for working for myself. Been self employed most of my adult life. At 75 I know how to make money where a lot of folks spend money. Be blessed
 
Philbert said:
Are you going to share your secrets / tips / methods for us other frugal, or curious guys?

Thanks

Philbert
Click to expand...
Every now and again Ill get a pretty good block of Hardwood. Stump etc. I like Hickory and Elm best. Have used Persimmon. I cut boards and let them cure. Stacks of boards around 16 to 18 inches long about 1.5 inches thick as wide as bark and To bark edges. Trim edges and air cure inside a barn. I designed a jig that holds them edgeways. The saw cuts the tall blade hieght. About 3 inches but the stock is cut 3 and 3/16 inches so blade does not cut all way through. When I get a im doing nothing day, I can cut several boards on a table saw, toss em in a bucket. Later trim, and run a sander lightly when I have a few minutes then shake a spray can and paint a few on one side. A few days later flip em over, spray other side. I'm never in a hurry. Kinda like a hobby. Granny knitting, That kind of thing. I'm not selling them. I have given friends wedges but this last batch should last me a life time if I can keep them. I figure ill make a 5 gallon bucket full this go round. One trade secret, I don't cut all way through the edges of the blanks. After the wedges are cut to shape they are cut free on a flat cut using the fence. Otherwise, id have wedges falling out of the gig maybe hurting myself. Last cut i make removes the small edges that hold everything together. That frees the wedges one at a time. That's a flat cut. Safer than an edge cut which is used to shape the wedges. Jig has a top plate that allows my hands to safely stay clear of saw blade. One Pass cuts two wedge shapes. Next pass, next board, makes two more. It's Fast. Make the last pass. It a flat cut bang they fall out. I'm NOT going to try to sell or patent the jig. I don't recommend this to anyone because of Liability. I have no plans to teach anyone how the jig is made. I don't want to be sued by anyone or their family. I think they can read this and build one of their own design.. Maybe theirs would be better than mine. The persimmon wood is / or has been used commercially for making Golf clubs.
It's very hard, dense and it gets brittle. The only wooden wedge I've ever broken half into was Persimmon. I don't use it anymore. Elm seems to be really good. I'm making some hickory ones to test. I'm getting low on wood wedges. My family and friends keep toting em off. I'm gonna hide about 50. Hint, if the wood is a little green Latex paint helps cure without splitting. Ive soaked green wood in Salt water. My wood is at least Two years cured before I use it. I also build Mallets and Gluts. Elm is mostly my wood of choice so far. Photo with Paint can and hatchet for size comparison. Have a great day. IMG_20190127_185852_159.jpg
 
Table saw or bandsaw?

I could see roughing the blanks to size (from boards) on a table saw; cutting the wedge angle on a bandsaw; then shaping the final bevel with a belt sander.

If I was starting from a round, there would be more resawing with a large bandsaw first.

Of course, some guys could make these with a froe, axe, and maybe a drawknife.

Philbert
 
Wow said:
Every now and again Ill get a pretty good block of Hardwood. Stump etc. I like Hickory and Elm best. Have used Persimmon. I cut boards and let them cure. Stacks of boards around 16 to 18 inches long about 1.5 inches thick as wide as bark and To bark edges. Trim edges and air cure inside a barn. I designed a jig that holds them edgeways. The saw cuts the tall blade hieght. About 3 inches but the stock is cut 3 and 3/16 inches so blade does not cut all way through. When I get a im doing nothing day, I can cut several boards on a table saw, toss em in a bucket. Later trim, and run a sander lightly when I have a few minutes then shake a spray can and paint a few on one side. A few days later flip em over, spray other side. I'm never in a hurry. Kinda like a hobby. Granny knitting, That kind of thing. I'm not selling them. I have given friends wedges but this last batch should last me a life time if I can keep them. I figure ill make a 5 gallon bucket full this go round. One trade secret, I don't cut all way through the edges of the blanks. After the wedges are cut to shape they are cut free on a flat cut using the fence. Otherwise, id have wedges falling out of the gig maybe hurting myself. Last cut i make removes the small edges that hold everything together. That frees the wedges one at a time. That's a flat cut. Safer than an edge cut which is used to shape the wedges. Jig has a top plate that allows my hands to safely stay clear of saw blade. One Pass cuts two wedge shapes. Next pass, next board, makes two more. It's Fast. Make the last pass. It a flat cut bang they fall out. I'm NOT going to try to sell or patent the jig. I don't recommend this to anyone because of Liability. I have no plans to teach anyone how the jig is made. I don't want to be sued by anyone or their family. I think they can read this and build one of their own design.. Maybe theirs would be better than mine. The persimmon wood is / or has been used commercially for making Golf clubs.
It's very hard, dense and it gets brittle. The only wooden wedge I've ever broken half into was Persimmon. I don't use it anymore. Elm seems to be really good. I'm making some hickory ones to test. I'm getting low on wood wedges. My family and friends keep toting em off. I'm gonna hide about 50. Hint, if the wood is a little green Latex paint helps cure without splitting. Ive soaked green wood in Salt water. My wood is at least Two years cured before I use it. I also build Mallets and Gluts. Elm is mostly my wood of choice so far. Photo with Paint can and hatchet for size comparison. Have a great day. View attachment 962880
Click to expand...
A Guru? spends 647 words, to describe how he fills his boredom? How about a real pearl of wisdom?...in 20 words or less.....................remember , there is no I in team.
 
Philbert said:
Table saw or bandsaw?

I could see roughing the blanks to size (from boards) on a table saw; cutting the wedge angle on a bandsaw; then shaping the final bevel with a belt sander.

If I was starting from a round, there would be more resawing with a large bandsaw first.

Of course, some guys could make these with a froe, axe, and maybe a drawknife.

Philbert
Click to expand...
I make my wedges out of Osage Orange planks and only use a band saw. Safe no jigs required. I do not sand them smooth.
 
Philbert said:
Table saw or bandsaw?

I could see roughing the blanks to size (from boards) on a table saw; cutting the wedge angle on a bandsaw; then shaping the final bevel with a belt sander.

If I was starting from a round, there would be more resawing with a large bandsaw first.

Of course, some guys could make these with a froe, axe, and maybe a drawknife.

Philbert
Click to expand...
I use a small home made Alaska sawmill on my rounds. Cut the wedges solely on a table saw. No band saw. That would take to long. I hit the edges with a planer or wood rasp seal the wood. Let it dry Spray paint and get it done. Each person does it their way but I like my way because it's fast. I'm old and busy. Can't run all day anymore. Good day.
 
There's being frugal, and then there's opportunity costs.

I can spend 5 minutes and $17 to buy wedges that will stand up longer and work better than wooden wedges, and spend the other 55 minutes of that hour making a lot more than the $17 I saved.

So, at the end of the hour, you have 3 'free' wedges. I have 3 free arguably better wedges and another $125 in my pocket.

So who is really ahead?


By the way, that's an honest question. Some people don't care about having the extra $125 and better wedges....they honestly would rather spend an hour building their own wedges and that's perfectly fine. Not everyone's priorities are the same. So we can both be 'ahead' in our own minds.
 
bought a 4 pack of plastic wedges 2 years ago, only one has a a little damage from a chain strike. I've left them driven into a log for weeks then come back and cut them out, left them on the ground for weeks and come back to find them. Best 18 bucks ever and i'll watch what im doing more so im not buying more.
 
Different strokes for different folks (different wedges for different hedges?).

Sometimes folks have time or materials available, or just derive satisfaction from doing something a certain way.

I appreciated a thread, a few years back, about cutting wedges from tree limbs in the field, using just a chainsaw, because there have been times where I could see myself needing larger, or additional wedges.

Or, you might find that you have access to a basic wood shop, while all the plastic wedges are stuck on a container ship somewhere off the coast of California.

Philbert
 
I am retired also. I like doing stuff like the op is doing. Making my own wedges or making my own axe handles. Figuring out how to put a wooden handle on a X-27 axe head. Repairing and modifying my own chainsaws. But I like having and using things that I made myself. There is a certain satisfaction in that for me. I do not worry about the money and do not pinch pennies mainly because I do not need to. But it is fun going to the mountains falling a tree with a saw that I built and a chain I sharpened and using a hatchet that I put a custom handle on. When bucking using a homemade wedge to keep the cut open. Works for me.
 

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