F-it Get a Froe

My froe after 10 years of beating the crap out of it with a sledge. A metal sledge. Yes, you have to pay to troll me.

A froe is an insanely useful tool, even in a shop with electric saws that use kiln-dried wood.

For the most part, I seek straight grain in my work. Especially for chairs, of course, but also for a lot of casework projects. Straight grain on legs, rails, stiles and whatever always looks better than drunken sideways grain.

Because trees are cone-shaped, however, saws are not always the best tool for producing straight stock.

Enter the froe.

It’s a metal wedge with a handle that’s 90° to the wedge. Knock the wedge part hard into the end of a board. Then use the handle to steer the cut and pop the sucker open. When used with some forethought, the froe can straighten out the grain in a board that is being used for casework or chairs or whatever.

And it is way faster than a table saw or band saw (or ripsaw).

The splits shown above were made in seconds on the floor alongside the ben…