The wedge should go all (or most of) the way down in the slot in the handle (kerf), so draw a line on your wedge to mark the depth for comparison. You will also need to consider how much the wood in the wedge will compress – so keep reading to learn more about wood types. Remember that the wedge is taller than it needs to be – so you will be looking about an inch below the top of the wedge. When deciding the thickness – mentally add up any gaps around the top of the eye with the kerf, and then make sure the wedge is a bit wider. The eye size and wood type can impact the final width needed.Įven if the wedge is not exactly 3″, those measurements are a pretty safe guide. For a standard 3” wedge, the spine width would be between 0.5″ (10°) and 0.25″ (5°). Wooden axe wedges are typically cut between 7.5° – 10° but can go as low as 5°. Thanks to Robert for the suggestion to add this section. So just try and get the orientation right, and don’t worry too much about the rest. Some axes I have clearly have wedges that were cut from near the center of the tree where wide grain runs in dramatic curves, and I have never had an issue. Tighter grain will be more dense and compress a little lessīut even to premium axe makes, typically only orientation matters.Straight grain will compress more consistently than curves. If you get the basic orientation right, any other grain considerations will be negligible. If you use the incorrect orientation, pieces of the wedge can actually pop off when being hung. This ensures wood in each grain segment is connected from the bottom point to the top spine, and will keep the wedge from weakening if it breaks apart when being hammered in (which happens). The grain should run perpendicularly across the top of the wedge. See more on the process of “hanging” an axe here.ĭoes the grain orientation of the wedge matter? Smaller axes like hatchets will have shorter wedges, but the angles stay the same. No axe is the same and the way the handle fits in the eye will determine how thick and what shape your wedge needs to be. Wedges start larger than needed so they can be shaped, tapered, thinned to fit, and then cut down once hammered in. However, the final size will depend on the shape of the eye and the wood type of the wedge. Axe wedges are usually made of soft hardwoods like poplar and start around 3” x 3” x 3/8”.
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