How to Hand-Split Shake Shingles
Hand-split shakes have been used as roof and exterior wall covering for centuries. Making shakes is a simple procedure and requires few tools. One or two hours of practice should be enough to allow most anyone to become a proficient shake maker. The critical portion of making shakes, choosing wood billets, involves a certain degree of luck. Good shakes are made with straight-grain, knot-free wood. It can be difficult to discern the properties just by looking at the outside of a tree, but the search will be worth it. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Place the billet on a firm surface with the end grain facing up. The billet should be at least 18 inches tall and no wider than the blade of the froe.
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Place the cutting edge of the froe on the top of the billet about 1/2 inch from the outer edge. The blade of the froe should be centered from side to side.
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Drive the full depth of the froe's blade into the billet, using a mallet. Push or pull the handle of the froe to widen the split in the billet. Work the froe down as the split widens until the shake works free of the billet.
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Tips & Warnings
Cedar and white oak are ideal candidates for shake material. Both are rot-resistant and largely straight-grained.
You will probably not find a froe--a tool for cleaving wood by splitting it along the grain--in your local home improvement center. They are available from many online woodworking sites. They are also easily fabricated with basic metalworking equipment.
References
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