Riving Red Oak

[JHyde23]

Hi All:

I am building a small 6x8 "little house" for one of my kids and am riving red oak for the roof.  This is my first time using a froe and it is slow going.  I cut down the 24" red oak a couple months then rounded, quartered, and stacked it about a month ago.  The grain is pretty straight.  I split off the pith with a splitting axe and removed the sapwood with a hatchet.

I made a couple mauls out of some oak limbs.  Turned them on the lathe to make a handle so that I could get a better grip and left the ends fat.

I am riving on the stump of the red oak which is large, flat, and very solid.  Basically, I've been slamming the froe through the shingles and am averaging about 30 shingles per hour.  My arms are smoked from whacking at the froe and I've gone though one log and two mallets...each 4-5" in diameter.

So far, I haven't really been able to lever the shakes off the log until I am at the bottom.

I've seen guys online setting up a crotch on some crisscrossed limbs with some stumps to support the end and the log being rived.

My question is, do I take the time to set up some a brake so that I don't have to do so much pounding?  Will it be that much easier?  Or is pounding just the way it's done?

The roof is a 10 pitch with 6" overhang, so 3.5' x 8' x 2 sides = 56 SF.  I am assuming the once the shingles are squared up, I'll conservatively get 4" per shingle.  The splits are 18" long, so I'll have 6" exposure with a 2/3 overlap.  So each shingle is 0.167 SF, which means I need 335 shingles for the field plus 48 if I double up the first course at the eave, so 383 shingles.  I am sure some won't work, so I am making 400.  90 down and 310 to go.

Any advice on how to increase production or suggestions on better technique.

[Alan S]

[quote pid='7942924' dateline='1610677085']

So far, I haven't really been able to lever the shakes off the log until I am at the bottom.

Any advice on how to increase production or suggestions on better technique.
[/quote]

You should not need to pound the froe all the way.  If you need to, there's not much advantage to a froe over a steeper wedge.

A brake, or something to pry against can make a big difference.  The slight difference in position of the front to the back edge of the froe while prying can also help to steer the split, as there's more leverage to bend the wood on the back side, so the tendency is for that side to become thinner.

It is much easier to rive green wood.  If parts of yours were alive when it was cut, you might want to try those first.

My experience is limited, but those are things I've encountered.

[AHill]

How long has it been since the tree was cut down?  The greener the wood is, the easier it is to rive.   Also, when riving, are you directing pressure with the handle from side to side to keep the split straight?  You may be inadvertently putting too much pressure to one side, causing the split to wander to the other side.

See this video from Elia Bizzari