High lift felling wedge question

[CHC]

In other news; when I change the shaft on high lifts I put them in the oven wait for the aluminium to expand for ten minutes. Then take them apart and quickly put the new shaft in the wedge and rings, put them in cold water and one nice solid wedge.

 

Be careful not to brand yourself, fan ovens get things hot incredibly fast.

 

 

Dose that not weaken the aluminium wedge??

[daltontrees]

Dose that not weaken the aluminium wedge??

 

I was curious about that too, it's got to weaken the aluminium eventually. Not the heating, but the rapid cooling in water. Wouldn't it be better just to let the whole thing cool slowly?

[skyhuck]

I was curious about that too, it's got to weaken the aluminium eventually. Not the heating, but the rapid cooling in water. Wouldn't it be better just to let the whole thing cool slowly?

 

I would agree!!

 

I can see no reason for the fast cooling, unless its so hot its burning the wood.

[forest tink]

the plastic inserts are much better but eventually they get to the stage where they keep coming out of the actual wedge when hitting it,anyone have a good method for keeping them in,i usually jam a stick in it and chap the insert in again,works for a while but eventually comes apart again,annoying

[normandylumberjack]

Thanks for all the advice. The plastic wedge inserts look like a logical idea.

The one I had previously was all metal, it had WD stamps on it so from some area of the military. It was indestructible and even had a hole through the shaft with a cord so you could pull it out or hang it on your harness/belt. Its now in a river slowly making its way to the sea.

[daltontrees]

I would agree!!

 

I can see no reason for the fast cooling, unless its so hot its burning the wood.

 

Wood chars at around 150 deg C, at a rate of about 1mm per hour, and ignites at just over 200 deg C.

 

Aluminium expnds at about 0.025% per degree. So heating a wedge to 100 deg C should increase the circumference of the hole by about 2.5%. Aluminium melts at about 600 deg C.

 

I would have thought that putting a wedge in a pan of hot water and bringing it to the boil for a couple of minutes then driving the wooden shaft in and letting it cool in air would produce a fantastically snug fit but could never char the wood or damage the metallurgical structure of the wedge.

 

This might work too with the plastic shafts, whereas heating the wedge in fire will almost certainly melt a plastic shaft.

[johnnyboy158]

You could just use no nails to hold the wooden or plastic parts in that's what I did the wooden one will stay in once used a bit the plastic one are prone to bounce out now and then hence the no nails works ok

[Daythe trees]

My only reason for putting them in a pan of cold water is i generally do them in the kitchen and I don't want to brand the work surfaces. Never thought I was getting them hot enough to damage the alloy though.... May have to re-think.

 

Anyway, having oschenkopf or stihl branded into the work surfaces has got to be an improvement. I shall see what the boss thinks.....she'll probably veto it.

[daltontrees]

My only reason for putting them in a pan of cold water is i generally do them in the kitchen and I don't want to brand the work surfaces. Never thought I was getting them hot enough to damage the alloy though.... May have to re-think.

 

Anyway, having oschenkopf or stihl branded into the work surfaces has got to be an improvement. I shall see what the boss thinks.....she'll probably veto it.

 

Or maybe see if Le Creuset do high lift wedges? If they do, toss them hot onto the kitchen table, you'll get a way with it.

[Daythe trees]

I like the plan their dalton!