File:The American boys' handybook of camp-lore and woodcraft (1920) (14802697483).jpg

Identifier: americanboyshand00bear (find matches)
Title: The American boys' handybook of camp-lore and woodcraft
Year: 1920 (1920s)
Authors: Beard, Daniel Carter, 1850-1941
Subjects: Camping Camping -- Equipment and supplies
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. B. Lippincott
Contributing Library: New York Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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his sod shack or his dugout, or with thembuilds the foundation of a bogken. With his axe he cutsthe birch for his birch bark pontiac, for his lean-to or his logcabin. Without an axe it is most difficult for one to evenbuild a raft or to fell a tree to get the birch bark for onescanoe, or to fall the tree to make a dugout canoe. A treemay be felled by fire, as the Indians of old used to fallthem, but this takes a wearisome time. The Kind of Axe to Use TMien bound for a real camp, take along with you a realaxe. Never take an axe which ls too large and hea\y foryou to swing with comfort. It is also best to avoid an axewhich Ls too hght, as with such a tool you must use too muchlabor to ciit the wood. You should select your o^ii axeaccording to your strength. Pick up the axe, go through themotions of chopping and see if it feels right, if its balancesuits you; hold up the axe and sight along the top of thehandle as you would along the barrel of a gun to see thatyour handle Ls not warped.
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AXE AND SAW 223 Axes may be had of weight and size to suit one*s taste.In New England they use short-handled axes which are notpopular in the woods. The axe handles should be wellseasoned, second growth hickory; a J^ axe has a 19-inchhandle and weighs two pounds. A Y2 axe has a 24-inchhandle and weighs two and a half pounds. A 3€ axe has a28-inch handle and weighs three pounds. A full axe has a36-Lnch handle and weighs five pounds. Probably the best axe for camp work, when you mustcarry the axe on your back, is one with a 30-inch secondgrowth hickory handle, weight about two and three-quarterpounds, or somewhere between two and three pounds. Alight axe of this kind will cut readily and effectively providedit has a slender bit; that is, that it does not sheer off toobluntly towards the cutting edge. AVhen you look at thetop of such an axe and it appears slender and not bulky,it will cut well and can be Tsdelded by a boy and is not toolight for a man (Fig. 322). Fig. 321 shows the lon

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