It's not much harder to make a big pile of charcoal out of a burn pile instead of just burning it to ashes. The short version is that you light it from the top and then put it out with a hose. There is a little management involved and I do like to stack it neatly myself, but you can cut all kinds of corners and still end up with a lot of charcoal. The charcoal lasts forever, and works amazingly well in my garden, so it's a pretty good deal!
Final Selections are in For the Bulgarian Giant Leek Seed Saving Project
I recently went through and picked the final winners in my seed leek trial. This time I went for some short stout ones, but all were still probably at least 18 inches long. I think size and up to almost 3 inches diameter are probably a little more practical than the really tall and somewhat more slender ones. the leeks will now flower in their new home and seed should be ready by fall.
First Three Axe Cordwood Challenge Participants Finished! Shoutouts, Questions and Comments
Three people have finished the cordwood challenge cutting a cord or more! Those people rock. Also a shout out to people that have started or are planning to do it, all of whom are listed below. Anyone who is doing the challenge should leave a comment on the official web page so that we all know who everyone is, and so that I can keep track of people.
FINISHED!:
*Tim Springston, Oxbow Farms https://youtu.be/YbeCFT_SIh4?list=PLGQ0YYG8MKkXMuOmeHl_9Bloy5nLnR41d
*Todd Walker, Survival Sherpa https://youtu.be/dRJvHtcS55U?list=PLpxU0SQfqX02pmlspLody0oV8EJKSD2oBhttps://survivalsherpa.wordpress.com/
*Timothy Sutton, Flatland Woodsman https://youtu.be/8zlF4ZLu7v8?list=PLQunotaCvTeKSXcWdUVCU53QWLwxMc8-G
IN PROGRESS OR PLANNING TO DO:
*DevaJones03https://www.youtube.com/user/DevaJones03
*Aaron Fosterhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgwXsfSS1lO3Jj_P0_sJiqA
*Patrick Hale https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYpFteNH2MOaFzQK7JPau_Q
*EmLill Thingshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCl8L71gIPWRs5muBtgUNRHw
*Homestead Boxhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD60T9zMzdmXr696wfqoZOA
*JayDigHsxhttps://www.youtube.com/user/dighsx
*J. Vanier
*Capt Henderson
*Brian Larson
*Crescentson
Axe Handle Shock and Preventing Repetitive Stress Injury in Chopping
These are factors I know of that play a role in the amount of shock you absorb from your axe handle, such as chopping style, grip, handle rigidity, cutting ability and wood type. These are the kinds of things that can allow a person cut more, longer and in harder wood without incurring numb sore hands, tendonitis, etc. More text below.
Chopping with an axe is a high impact, high energy exercise. As choppers, we necessarily absorb some of that energy since we are holding the tool. There are a number of factors I know of which are important in the cause or prevention of repetitive stress injury or discomfort in chopping, most of them at least partially controllable.
The axe should not be gripped very hard while chopping except as necessary in specific situations. A hard grip unavoidably tires and stresses the hands, but it also creates a more efficient transfer of the energy from the vibrating axe handle back into the hands. The Style of chopping is also important and interrelated to grip. A heavy handed chopping style should be avoided. Don't think of chopping as pushing or forcing the axe through the wood, but rather as whipping or throwing the axe head into the wood using the handle. Pushing on the handle after the axe hits the wood adds little if any real power to the cut, but stresses the handle and the hands and probably sacrifices control to some extent. You can cut plenty deep if you build velocity in the axe head before it hits the wood. If the work is done before the axe hits the wood, then the grip is only to lightly control the axe after it strikes.
The handle of the axe, depending on it's thickness, density, inherent flexibility of the wood and probably other factors, will transmit more or less shock. Thin handles transmit considerably less shock than thick ones do and tuning your handle or thinning it down is probably mentioned by authors writing about axes more often than not. Older axes tend to have thinner handles than modern axes, and vintage axes, old photographs and older illustrations demonstrate this fact. There is a reason that axe handles have become thicker, which is that they aren't actually used very much. Most axes are now the equivalent of handbags for men, and are put to real use only infrequently for short periods of time.
If you cut into wood at an angle, usually around 45 degrees, it cuts more easily than if the cut is made at a right angle. When cutting at 90 degrees the axe stops suddenly and more of the energy embodied in the head is transferred to your hands rather than cutting into the wood. It's fine to cut at 90 degrees as needed, but generally a poor habit to get into on a regular basis. Most axe work is done with cuts around 45 degrees for a reason.
Another way to transfer a lot of the energy embodied in an axe head back up the handle and into your hands is to use an axe that is not cutting well for any number of reasons. The axe must cut well and easily or it will stop suddenly causing more vibration. Most axes as they come from the factory, nearly all in fact, require at least some reshaping to get them cutting well. In most cases, a significant amount of metal needs to be removed from the sides of the axe near the bit in order for it to be able to slide easily into the wood. It is often recommended to file the cheek of an axe in a fan shape, but that depends on the shape of the axe head to start with.
Finally, the wood plays a role. When chopping hard dry wood, less of the energy from each blow of the axe is dissipated in cutting, whereas when cutting soft and green woods, the energy is dissipated gradually as the axe sinks deeply into the cut. You may or may not be able to control what wood you end up cutting, but you can control other factors that cause or prevent the kind of handle shock and fatigue that might keep you from working or cause a longer term injury that will put you off of work for a while. The stuff mentioned here is important if a person want's to be able to use an axe under varied conditions, on varied woods, for longer periods of time, on consecutive days. What separates the men from the boys isn't being tough enough, young enough or dumb enough to tolerate a club of a handle or an axe that otherwise doesn't cut well, but to be wise enough to work smart and not hard. If you are going to sit at your computer trying to breath life into your flaccid member to some freaky internet porn, or work your thumbs out pushing buttons on your t.v., remote then I guess maybe none of it matters all that much. If you're going to dig, carry, lift, hammer, weed, process and otherwise use your hands, wrists and arms, you'll be able to do all of it more, and longer, day after day if you pay attention to these types of details.
Reviewing a Batch of Axe Handle From House Handle, Not Good
I ordered a batch of axe handles from house handle for use and review. Overall they suck, and I wouldn't recommend them. That's the short version :)
Revisiting Chuck's Apple Frankentree for Training and Maintenance
Over a year ago, we grafted an apple tree sucker at Chuck's house to 5 varieties of apples. Yesterday I revisited that tree for maintenance and training. I talk about grafting, borers, notching buds, training and other related stuff.
Apple Breeding: Grafting The Seedlings Onto Dwarf Rootstocks.
This is a continuation of my apple breeding project and video series following the process from pollination to fruiting and hopefully beyond. In this season, the seedlings are cut off and grafted onto dwarfing roostock. The dwarfing stock should induce fruiting more quickly (or so the common assertion) and keep the trees to a small size in the crowded test rows. At 12 inches apart, in rows 6 feet apart, I can't afford large trees. I show the two grafts I commonly use and talk some other basics. Soon we'll be planting these in new beds to grow until they fruit.
Official BITE ME! Apple Release, and Two Week Hiatus
BITE ME!, my new public domain (and open source for apple breeders ha ha) is officially out. I have scions in the webstore and a page dedicated to the apple here: www.skillcult.com/biteme Scions are available in the webstore till they run out. I may re-sort the short and thin ones in my fridge and relist after that to get as many out there as possible. I should also hopefully have them available for some years to come.
I'm also taking a two week break from making youtube content and probably any other content, in order to get life on the homestead back on track a little bit. Some stuff needs doing around the place. Here is a quick review of the Snow and Neally boy's axe. The short version is that the head looks pretty nice, but the handle was so, so and the hafting was pretty bad. The Council Tool Boy's axe seems like a much better at 31.00 shipped, currently less than half the price of the S&N. The council has a less pollished head, but I think has a much better designed handle and the wood on my counicl is much superior v.s. this S&N. Too bad I was hoping it would be better.
Introducing Axemanship Series, S.T.A.T.E. Five Factors in Effective Axe Work
Somehow in thinking often and long about what makes using an axe effective, I came up with these five things that I think are pretty fundamental. Surprisingly, they not only formed a real English word to use as an acronym, but three of them! Some of these are interrelated and it is not a completely tidy concept. It's more like a framework to define and identify the things we need to work on or have in line to operate effectively. But if you think about these five factors and removing any one of them, it becomes obvious that effectiveness will suffer. I think pursuing these ideas will ultimately make us able to function at a high level. This video series will be 5 videos long aside from this introduction.
Strategy: Strategy is all important. Starting to cut a log with no strategy is like starting on a trip with no map, no idea how to get there, just the general direction and that eventually with enough time and fuel you'll probably get there. Strategy is the planning of the trip to get to center of that log in the most efficient way. It may not be the shortest direct distance on a bumpy windy road, but it's something that we think will be the fastest or require the least fuel and time. Strategy is neglected for two reasons. One is not knowing that it's important. A lot of beginners will think about getting to the center of the log, but not how to best get there. Another is lack of faith in the strategy or abandonment of it due to frustration. Have a strategy, even if you aren't sure it is the best strategy and stick with it. Sure, vary it, experiment, adapt, but do those things with intent.
Tool: An axe is not just an axe. Most of them need work out of the box in order to cut effectively. There are seemingly infinite axe head designs, handle designs, lengths, weights and grinds that could work effectively. But, there are certain parameters outside of which chopping will become much less effective.
Accuracy: with an axe is a hard won skill. It certainly requires time spent, but I believe it can improve more quickly with intent and a little instruction. Without it, you can't execute your strategy effectively. Lack of accuracy is not a reason to abandon strategy or give up on attempting to be accurate. Quite the opposite I think.
Technique: as I mean it, technique is separate from Accuracy and efficiency, though related to both. What I mean here is the mechanics of chopping and what you do with your body to actually make the axe cut the wood effectively. If all the other 4 factors are in place, you will still cut the wood, but there are things you can do to make the axe cut better all else being equal. Mostly we'll be talking about the generation of velocity, but there are other things and not unlikely some I don't know about or haven't noticed.
Efficiency: Like the word Technique, efficiency could be interpreted in multiple ways. What I mean here though is economy of energy and motion. Basically how much result from a given expenditure of energy. We already know that it can take one person way more energy to get the same log cut in two. The ideal of efficiency would be to whittle the amount of energy down to a theoretical minimum by letting go of unnecessary, effort/tension/movement/error etc.
As Onix Pyro said in the comments on this introduction video, "practice makes better, not best" Any ideal of perfect axemanship is a fantasy when knowledge necessarily has limits, the machine is not perfect and the conditions are variable. And there is no need for perfection or ultimate speed or any other ideal. But realizing that there is something out there vaguely resembling a theoretical perfection gives us a measure to observe our effectiveness against. While I lack the teaching experience to prove it, I believe that a little thought and action around these five points will quickly accelerate a beginners effectiveness with an axe and provide a framework for anyone to measure and improve. I consider this a work in progress and am willing to revise this list if necessary, but it seems pretty solid as far as I can think and from the feedback I've gotten so far.
Using Household Items as Grafting Supplies
Most households have enough stuff already sitting around to do some basic or even advanced grafting. I like my doc farwell's grafting seal, grafting knife and budding tape, but I graft a lot and it gives me a slight edge when I'm making dozens of grafts in a session. To start learning to graft and get you feet wet, you may do just fine with any small sharp knife, some strips of plastic bag and some latex paint.
Axe Lab: Mummy, Muslin, Cheese, Lime, Borax, Axe Handle Wrap Experiment, Casein Glue
An experiment I've been wanting to try making a handle wrap for axe handle protection using casein glue made from cheese and a strip of muslin. A little homestead alchemy.
Rawhide, Leeks and Roads
Apparently I can't keep up with myself. Here is a backlog of recent videos on everything from rawhide to roads.
CULLING LEEKS
The difference between the different sections of the leek bed are even more obvious now, confirming more what I observed this summer, which is that the soil with charcoal (biochar) has what is generally referred to as heart. That is to say it has staying power and isn't easily used up without regular additions of fertilizer. I've been very negligent with this leek bed and it really shows on the control end with no charcoal, but not much on the 10% char end. The 5% section is better than half way between the two others, but there is an obvious difference except that within one foot of the 10% section, the plants are nearly indistinguishable from most of the rest of the 10% section. The very end of the 10% section drops off in size, but that may be due to the shape, of the bed, which is pointed on the end. Also, many gardeners will have observed that plants tend to do less well on the ends of beds. If you took the difference between the control end and the 10% end as at least 600% difference, that could be interpreted as the 10% char end making 600% better use added amendments. That is a sloppy interpretation and doesn't take into account all possible factors, but it's still impressive and probably on the low side if anything. The leek seed from this project will be ready in the fall for planting about this time next year.
ROAD SERIES PRIMER
This one is a quick primer for what will be a series on the design of graveled roads based on what I learned and have observed building mine, as well as paying attention to other unpaved roads and what happens to them in various circumstances. It will have to potential to save a lot of people, time, money, unpleasant driving conditions, all while saving resources ultimately and keeping sediment out of stream beds. In the meantime, you can download the handbook for forest and ranch roads for free here. It is a dry read, but very worth putting to use if unpaved roads are a regular part of your life. http://www.pacificwatershed.com/sites/default/files/roadsenglishbookapril2015b_0.pdf
RAWHIDE HANDLE BRACE FINAL
This is the final part of the rawhide axe handle brace. As usual for me, this series wasn't just about making this one tweak, but about rawhide and sinew and hide glue and context and related stuff.
Projects and Plans for the Coming Year and Patreon Finally Up and Running!
I walk around the property a bit and use various things as talking points to discuss some plans for projects and content this coming year. I also finally got patreon running! https://www.patreon.com/SkillCult
Maple, Candy Cap Chanterelle Mushroom Recipe
This is my original recipe and probably my favorite way to eat these orange chanterelles. It uses maple syrup and candy cap mushrooms to overdrive the already present, subtle maple flavor of saut'eed chanterelles.
Clean the mushrooms, but try not to saturate them with water. Slice to consistent thickness, under 1/4 inch. Saute in butter slowly enough not to burn the butter badly until the water cooks out and evaporates, and they brown lightly on both sides. They should be cooked enough to be lightly browned on both sides and have lost enough moisture to be somewhat firmed up. If you have candy cap mushrooms, add a small amount of crushed dried candy cap during the saute to infuse the mushrooms with maple flavor.
Remove the mushrooms from the pan, add maple syrup to the hot pan and cook until the sugar in the syrup caramelizes very lightly. Add more butter and syrup to make enough glaze or syrup. You can add water back after caramelizing to make it more syrupy if desired. Add the mushrooms back and toss to coat them with the glaze.
Toasted walnuts are a nice addition. I'm sure pecans would be even better. Good with traditional American breakfast stuff, bacon, ham, breakfast sausage, pancakes and waffles. I just eat it the way it is most of the time.
Original Illustrations From My Book, Buckskin, The Ancient Art of Braintanning
In the 90's I wrote a book with the my partner at Paleotechnics and Wife at the time, Tamara Wilder. We need to reprint and were sorting through the original copies so I made a quick video showing some of them. We have a few copies of the book available on http://www.paleotechnics.com but I took it off of Amazon until we reprint, though some sellers may still have a few strays for a while and there will be the inevitable copies selling for hundreds of dollars claiming that it's out of print. Which, I guess it almost is now. Hopefully we'll have it back in print soon.
State of the Homestead Address...
...or something like that. This is really more about where the SkillCult project is at and my youtube channel. I'm too sleepy to say much about it just now. Things are going to take off this year.
Homestead Video Retrospective 2016 Part 3
Third and final installment of my look back at 2016
Homestead Video Retrospective 2016 Part 2
Part two of three.
The Homestead Year, 2016 in Retrospect, Part One
Here is my homestead year in retrospect, or half of it. Part two should follow any day. A lot happened in 2016 I guess. It was a pretty good year, much better than other recent years in many ways.
The Cordwood Challenge, What to Expect and Related Thoughts
A video I shot this morning talking about what to expect when doing the cordwood challenge. Further thoughts below.
When I did my axe cordwood challenge last year, it wasn’t quite what I expected in every way. Here are some thoughts on that. Doing the axe cordwood challenge will affect how the process itself is experienced. First off, a lot of the experience of anything we do is made up of things like expectation, attitude, pre-conception, social prejudice and just in general what we bring with us that colors our experience. As a person progresses and improves their skills with an axe, some of those things will change quite a bit. I tend to think that in most cases, views of the work itself, it’s worth and enjoyability and how much it is percieved as "work" in the negative modern sense, will improve. On the other hand, maybe that will not be the case if someone has a very romantic and inaccurate view of what it entails to start with. Who knows. That is part of this experiment.
Much has to do with efficiency and ability. It is usually a lot more fun and motivating to do something that you are good at and using an axe can be very frustrating if things are not going too well. Picking up an axe with little or no experience can feel awkward and ineffectual. In order to be efficient at the work, we have to be able to hit where we are aiming, understand how the axe cuts or doesn’t, have at least a rudimentary understanding of effective strategy, and be able to deliver energy where we want it with a relatively low amount of energy expended; or put otherwise, as little as possible of energy expended is wasted unnecessarily along the way. It may look easy, but it’s easier said than done and simply takes time with axe in hand to start building physical memory. Thus, of course, the cordwood challenge in the first place.
The amount of energy expended will go down as coordination is built and excess movement and tension start to fall away. At least that is how it should happen eventually. It is possible to waste a lot of energy with excess movement and tension, but the ability to relax into the work will only come with familiarity and comfort with the tool. I’ll try to offer some tips, but the best recommendation I can probably make is to watch people who are good at chopping and learn that visually. Watch them a lot and you’ll start to imitate them without even thinking about it. Look at my recommended axe video play list. Especially watch competition choppers and the video The Axeman. Jon Ugalde’s video of 79 year old Basque Axeman Enrique Bildarraz is a great example of high efficiency. Skills or not, a nearly 80 year old man doesn’t have energy to waste. Energy efficiency is not synonymous with time or force.
In any case, it takes a lot of time to chop wood with an axe relative to using a chain saw. That is a given. Although both speed and force could help you finish work more quickly, It is very important not to force either one too fast. The forcing of either or both is a great danger, making accidents both more likely and worse when they do happen. Not only that, but forcing either too much is likely to decrease your efficiency, because errors will be magnified and increased. Be patient and concentrate on technique, aim and strategy. The power and speed will happen naturally to a point if they are in your nature. If they are not, that’s okay too. You will just proceed somewhat slower. You don’t actually need a lot of either. We’ll talk more about the generation of power later. Beginning choppers should err toward gentle chopping and concentrate on accuracy and system. Make no mistake. Power and speed are a waste of energy without accuracy and system.
https://youtu.be/rb9fWu7JES8
Expect to have near accidents as you learn your way around the process and build your catalogue of what can happen. We go through a higher risk phase when first learning to do something dangerous. With time (except for the common “cocky phase” somewhere in the middle), dangerous pursuits should become safer as we learn what can go wrong and to foresee potential accidents happening. We all have a little safety officer in our heads watching out for us throughout every day doing even commonplace things. Some accidents will be foreseen as a matter of common sense and everyday physics that we are already dealing with regularly our whole lives. Some accidents are not as easy to see coming. Hopefully we can shorten that high risk period with some demonstration and discussion, but much has to be learned by experience and real life experience.
I think for men especially, it’s important that we have some kind of at least symbolic destructive activity. Fighting, hunting and violence in general are in our DNA. That may be inconvenient at times, but it’s there whether anyone likes it or not. I find dismembering trees with an axe rather therapeutic and relaxing while being a good outlet for my destructive nature. The work requires an odd combination of aggression against a living or once living organism, relaxation/effort, and focus while letting go of the chattery overthinking mind. If you do it a lot, and begin to relax into the work, it will eventually pull you into a good place to be, quite, focused, present, engaged, relaxed and active all at the same time. I don’t know anything quite like it.
