Which bowl adze?

[tombear]

Since I've found myself in possession of a small amount of silly money and since I don't fancy blowing it (60 quid) on a few kebabs for the boys or a couple of curries as usual I would like to get a tool that will last with it.

3 tools I've failed to find second hand to do up have been a big draw knife , a froe and a small bowl adze. Since currently a bowl adze would be the most useful to me and the least likely to turn up could any one advise me on what's out there in my price bracket that isn't rubbish . I've a heavy bias towards uk made or at least euro or North American and would consider good second hand.

atb

tom

 

[Dave]

You'll be hard pushed to get one on ebay, as the good ones always attract lots of bids. Get a quality one from Dave Budd, he sells the heads for £70.

 

[Hammock Hamster]

Plus one for anything made by Dave budd, although I don't have one of his adzes I do have several of his other tools and they are second to none.

Funnily enough I did just come in to a little silly money myself and bought a Gransfors small gutter adze.
It's i bit out of your price bracket but I can attest to it being a great bit of kit.
Only reason I went GB was that I had used one before and got on really well with it but if I ever get another it will be from Mr Budd.

Hamster


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[tombear]

Well it took a while as we ended up splurging the money on a couple of takeaways but with a new influx of silly money that hasn't been blown on valejo paints or little metal spaceships ( don't ask) but I'm getting one of Mr Budds excellent bowl adze heads.

I must admit I'm really looking forward to putting a handle on it and making some bowls and stuff. Need to source some big lumps of sycamore, realy fancy doing a dough trough.

atb and thanks!

Tom

 

[Robson Valley]

The Stubai carver's adze is over-priced, TG I got one second hand.
Much of my recent rough-out carving is done with an elbow adze from Gregg Blomberg/Kestrel Tool.
Convex shaping and flatting get done quickly with a D-adze.
I rushed the competion of handles for both of those and paid for by starting over.

Put some painstaking effort into crafting the handle.
Never forget to consider where that edge will travel in the event of a miss-strike.
I've not been hit yet but only the bones in my leg will stop those blades.

 

[Hammock Hamster]

Since I've found myself in possession of a small amount of silly money and since I don't fancy blowing it (60 quid) on a few kebabs for the boys or a couple of curries as usual I would like to get a tool that will last with it.

3 tools I've failed to find second hand to do up have been a big draw knife , a froe and a small bowl adze. Since currently a bowl adze would be the most useful to me and the least likely to turn up could any one advise me on what's out there in my price bracket that isn't rubbish . I've a heavy bias towards uk made or at least euro or North American and would consider good second hand.

atb

tom

While I think of it, if you do get another windfall and are still after a froe I can wholly recommend one of the ray iles ones. You can pick one up for about £40 and they are well made and a pleasure to use.
I got mine a couple of months back and have found it really useful.

 

[Robson Valley]

Nobody makes an economical draw knife or I would have found it by now.
I use a froe to split my stock western red cedar blocks for wood carving.
The blocks are 24" x maybe 12" x maybe 8". Fresh, they weigh 40lbs or more.
The Lee Valley lever froe is for splitting shakes. Much more to the geometry of the
edge than I had imagined.
I wanted more of a gigantic knife that I could beat on with a log mallet.
I made a plan and had a blacksmith pound out exactly what I needed.
It gets stuck but I follow it with wooden wedges. I can split +/- 1/8" easily.

 

[mountainm]

Re. drawknives - Biker of this parish often used to find them on the French Brocante markets. He did one up and sold it on to me for a very reasonable amount. May be worth dropping him a line.

 

[Retired Member southey]

I got my draw knife from these guys. I believe i followed a link Harvestman posted. Good kit at good prices.

http://www.tfsrcymru.org.uk/product-category/fair-trade-bells-billhooks-drawknives/

 

[tombear]

Cheers for the input folks! Once I've got a handle on the bowl adze and the novelty (and Xmas induced poverty ) has worn off i'll put my back into getting a heavy draw knife and a froe. I've been using the giant nessy we made in lieu of a proper froe and its been doing a pretty good job.

Having seen several being used on various programmes recently I'm reminded that a side axe would make a good addition to the tool kit. What I really need to do is liquidate some dust covered assets on eBay and splurge on stuff that will get used and some materials to use them on!

atb

Tom

 

[mountainm]

Cheers for the input folks! Once I've got a handle on the bowl adze and the novelty (and Xmas induced poverty ) has worn off i'll put my back into getting a heavy draw knife and a froe. I've been using the giant nessy we made in lieu of a proper froe and its been doing a pretty good job.

Having seen several being used on various programmes recently I'm reminded that a side axe would make a good addition to the tool kit. What I really need to do is liquidate some dust covered assets on eBay and splurge on stuff that will get used and some materials to use them on!

atb

Tom

yeah I'm coveting a side axe too - I just took a punt on an ebay bowl adze:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/111359945587?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

It's roughly the same dims as the GB one (although the seller does a small and medium bowl Adze too). But for around £35 delivered I thought it'd be worth a try given it's hand forged and has the external bevel.

May have to fettle the handle a bit.

 

[tombear]

I was quite tempted by the Bulgarian ones myself but I really wanted to get something special that I'd treasure as well as use as the money was a present from folk I'm very close to.

i'll be interested to know what you think of it when its arrived and you've got used to it

in the mean time the postie as just delivered the forged Fransisca throwing axe head that the middle son had made by Nick. Looks lethal and the forged marks ave been left on as the lad likes them that way. The guy did his broken backed longseax and eating seax as well. I've to make the handle and a guard for the cutting edge. Some repro's have curved handles, some straight. Ill have to do a bit of research. I doubt that any handles have survived but there may be illustrations or written descriptions.

ATB

Tom

 

[ozzy1977]

I got my self a small bowl adze from classic hand tool made in Wales by ivan howes, seem to think it was £65 ish. I can highly recommend the ray isles mike abbot draw knife

 

[mountainm]

I was quite tempted by the Bulgarian ones myself but I really wanted to get something special that I'd treasure as well as use as the money was a present from folk I'm very close to.

i'll be interested to know what you think of it when its arrived and you've got used to it

in the mean time the postie as just delivered the forged Fransisca throwing axe head that the middle son had made by Nick. Looks lethal and the forged marks ave been left on as the lad likes them that way. The guy did his broken backed longseax and eating seax as well. I've to make the handle and a guard for the cutting edge. Some repro's have curved handles, some straight. Ill have to do a bit of research. I doubt that any handles have survived but there may be illustrations or written descriptions.

ATB

Tom

This was the first Bulgarian one I'd seen with the bevel on the correct (outer) side for hollowing - from what I read an internal bevel is more useful for sculpting. Will do a write up when I've had a play.

 

[tombear]

Daves adze head just arrived and I'm chuffed to bits with it! Everything else is going on a back burner until I have got handles properly done for it and the lads Fransisca. I think I'll use a nice bit of beech I was given for the adze and some of that heavily figured hawthorn I used for th last two seax for the throwing axe.

Pics when it is done.

ATB

Tom

 

[tombear]

It needs to go in the boiled linseed tank for 24 hrs but I've given it a quick rub. It took me several hours but the beech handle is wedged on and shaped to fit my paw.

ATB

Tom

 

[Dave Budd]

looking good Tom

Put it to good use!

 

[tombear]

I've pulled it out of the linseed oil tank early and its drying off so I can start using it, I couldn't wait. I've a disk cut from a old beech work bench ready to go, no biggy if I bodge it while I learn. I think I will break out the spare leather apron ( the one for metal working is oily and transfers dirt onto owt like wood ). I was vaguely thinking of making a apron with a pocket to take a small sizes Kevlar vest inner to use when chopping towards me. I've dozen (obsolete) marks of frag vests in the collection doing nowt... A bit overkill I thought in the end.

atb

Tom