How to Split Cedar Shakes
Cedar shakes are long, thin pieces of cedar wood attached to the exterior of homes and buildings. Cedar shakes are installed in an overlapping pattern on roofs or on the sides of buildings. While most builders purchase cedar shakes pre-cut, you can cut them yourself from felled cedar trees. The process of cutting cedar shakes from a cedar block is called splitting; it requires the use of a specialized tool called a froe. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Find a cedar tree that has already fallen but has not begun to rot. Alternatively, you can cut down your own cedar tree, but you must wait until it dries out before splitting the shakes.
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2
Put on safety glasses, ear plugs and gloves, and start up a chainsaw. Cut off the end of the tree 2 to 3 inches from one end to create a level butt end. Then move the chainsaw 24 to 36 inches from the butt end of the tree and cut all the way through. If the cedar tree trunk is not elevated slightly from the ground, you'll risk ruining your chainsaw cutting chain when it contacts the ground. Dirt dulls a chainsaw cutting chain instantly. Continue cutting the tree at 24 to 36 inch intervals.
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3
Place one of the round cut sections of cedar trunk on a flat work surface. Place a wedge on the top center of the wood and tap it with a mallet to drive the wedge into the wood. Continue until the round section breaks in half.
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4
Stand one of the halves upright and cut it in half, using the same method as in Step 3, to create two triangles. Cut off the tip of each triangle, which is the heartwood of the tree, using the wedge and hammer. The heartwood appears sightly darker than the remaining wood and varies in size, but typically is around 1 to 2 inches on each piece.
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Set one of the smaller pieces of wood up on one end and place the blade of a froe on top of it 1/4 inch from the edge of the wood. Hit the top of the froe two to three times with a mallet while holding the handle of the froe.
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Continue hitting the froe until the top edge of the blade is even with the top of the cedar wood.
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Put down the hammer and grasp the handle of the froe with both hands. Pull or push the handle of the froe at a 90 degree angle to the cut, which will cause the cedar wood to split. Push the froe downward into the split using the handle and then push or pull it again. Continue until the shake splits off from the main wood.
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Repeat the process to cut the remainder of the cedar shakes.
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References
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