Axe-throwing!!

[peds]

 

Yes, interesting. I suppose the blade of a thrown axe tends to stay aligned fairly vertically, or it'll not be as accurate, so grain vertical as well does seem a cheaper and easier solution than a 3 foot round of softwood or poplar. 

 

Doesn't really look as cool though, does it?

[Steven P]

'and arrows', I put my foot down at archery out the back, not completely irresponsible.

 

'Cheaper' depends who you know and what local trees they are working on I guess.

 

We found the axes were mostly vertical. Not sure here with the targets if vertical grain would be better or worse if the axe is at an angle - would be worse I guess if the axe angle was lines up with the centre of a log? 

 

 

Yes, Steve I found out distance and rotation relate last year and I think I have it right - just technique fails perhaps that I am putting down to the target?

[peds]

5 minutes ago, Steven P said:

'and arrows', I put my foot down at archery out the back, not completely irresponsible.

 

An affinity for archery is one of the only parts of his English heritage I'm actively trying to encourage in my boy. He's only on suction cups at the moment, age 6... not sure what the appropriate age would be to move on to metal tips.

 

Certainly not until he's shown he can be responsible with them!

[Steven P]

I just remember the teenage Steven P playing bows and arrows - a couple of spare kite spars, and a steel head we'd forged we're bloody lethal (100m away we were getting a good 'thunk' into a door), cannot imagine what we'd done with the proper kit. I'm recommending about 38 for my boys based on that. Serious - 8 would sound OK to me - that's when they go to Cub Scouts and do stuff like that.

 

 

Axes, no problem of course. Much safer (based on 16 year old Steven P never had them to misuse)

[Steve Bullman]

1 hour ago, Steven P said:

'and arrows', I put my foot down at archery out the back, not completely irresponsible.

 

'Cheaper' depends who you know and what local trees they are working on I guess.

 

We found the axes were mostly vertical. Not sure here with the targets if vertical grain would be better or worse if the axe is at an angle - would be worse I guess if the axe angle was lines up with the centre of a log? 

 

 

Yes, Steve I found out distance and rotation relate last year and I think I have it right - just technique fails perhaps that I am putting down to the target?

From memory it’s 4.1m for a hatchet and 6.1 for a double bit 

[Rich Rule]

It was written in the Swedish rules for Axe throwing.

 

The line has to be a set distance under their rules, it also allows a 2.5 rotation meaning the bit hits almost every time.

 

That’s for a double bit. 

I need to rehang my double bit as the handle broke off just before I moved to Norway (coming up 8 years).

 

I purchase a new handle, wedge and rings before I moved.  When I got here couldn’t find my wrasp.

 

Why put of doing something today when you can put off doing something tomorrow?

[rarefish383]

On 26/03/2025 at 06:53, Steven P said:

Revising an old thread.... Short on time this morning to look in case this has been covered, but does anyone know what the best trees to make the targets from? I'm thinking something big and softwood?

 

The Boys had a go last summer, cobbled together something using pallet spacers (1m square) but that didn't quite do the job, they had a go at the weekend from a target made of 'planks' - too springy and it bounced the axes back (I didn't see it). Before the summer starts I'd like a new target for them - more excuses to get them outside. Thinking a decent size hunk of something - but what should that something be... (I've got a bit of beech but think that will be too hard for the axes, might be better for a table top)

Well, I can be a bit of a wise guy from time to time. Over here every one thinks Black Walnut is worth it's weight in gold. Being in the Tree Removal Business for 4 generations, Black Walnut is just another tree until processed into something beautiful. That board is BW. I also made side boards out of BW for my 10,000 pound dump trailer

[dan blocker]

I supply Poplar rings to an indoor activity centre. They messed about with wood blocks in a frame and strips before they contacted me. Rings are the most economical for them and reversible. The target is projected on and so the bull can be moved around the target. It just so happened I had removed a couple of trees and kept a few lengths. 750 to 900 diameter and stored outside to slow the drying out.