Making a raised chopping block

When carving wood, a good chopping block is a necessity. Often these chopping blocks are too low and working with them for a longer period can cause a sore back.
In this video one can see how to make a raised chopping block, that can be used while standing fully straight.
One of the techniques I will be using is a fox wedge, or foxtail wedging, to secure the legs to top.
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Thanks for watching!

[@roadrunner4404]

Clever way to use the wedges in the blind hole for the legs. Well done

[@hetnoesteleven]

I didn't think of it myself, but it works pretty well.

[@MartinMMeiss-mj6li]

Nice project. Here are some tips from my experience. 1. Larger holes for the legs would have been better for strength. They make larger auger or flat bits, or you can enlarge the holes with a gouge if need be. It helps to have an in-cannel gouge for this. 2. Trimming the "feet" at an angle to be flat on the floor or ground is not necessarily a good idea. Leaving them with a corner to dig into the ground helps keep the legs from splaying out further and breaking under heavy load. 3. I find it convenient to saw a step about 4 inches deep about a quarter or a third of the way across the top of the block instead of leaving the top flat. This accommodates longer work pieces, and provides a convenient stop when the direction of the hewing blows makes the work piece tend to slide away.

[@hetnoesteleven]

Thanks for the feedback Martin. I've already incorporated the 2nd and 3rd remark in newer axe blocks I've made. The diameter of the holes seems to be large enough though. I've never encountered problems so far. I always use a 30mm auger. Nowadays I do drill them under a different angle though, making the legs more spread out, which results in a higher stability. Thanks again, Martijn

[@petersmedley459]

Really like the tip with the hidden wedge, very clever!

[@markwoodspoons6138]

i really liked the trick, before putting the legs in the holes, saw a line and put a wedge ! nice

[@bosweg10]

Die truck met die wig zo kende ik nog niet. Dank je wel!

[@hetnoesteleven]

Uit latere ervaringen die ik heb opgedaan, blijkt overigens dat die wig niet echt nodig is. Althans niet bij zo'n hakblok. Bij een krukje o.i.d. zou het wel handig kunnen zijn.

[@Leofwine.]

Brilliant stuff mate. Looking forward to more content.

[@grupogatodomato]

Very good. Congratulations on the video. Greetings from southern Brazil.

[@hetnoesteleven]

Thank you! More videos like this one will follow. I am always open to comments on how to improve my videos.

[@NordicEdge]

Nicely done. Thank you

[@hetnoesteleven]

Thank you, and you are welcome. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@18roselover]

I just cut some hickory for a small chopping block. Like your idea for 3 legs .Tnx

[@hetnoesteleven]

The three legs do not only increase the height without adding to much weight, but three legs are always stable, in contrast to four legs of which always seems to be a little too long or short. Nowadays in drill the holes so that the angle of the legs is such that they are oriented a little more to the outside, which increases stability.

[@thewoodpb]

Great video keep it

[@hetnoesteleven]

Thanks!

[@user-ie4tq2tv6y]

крутая борода мужик!

[@hetnoesteleven]

Спасибо!

[@tomg.6881]

Nice. That auger looks great. Where can I get one?

[@hetnoesteleven]

I bought it in a woodworking shop in the Netherlands (www.baptist.nl/houtbewerkers). When you go to that website you can select English in the top right corner. So I expect they export them as well. The one you can see in the video is 30 mm and costs 46,80 euro.

[@sophielarts]

What kind of drill is this? I want to make a block but only have a hand drill

[@hetnoesteleven]

It's called an auger. When searching for one, make sure to search for a 'wood auger' as you're most likely to find the soil type otherwise.

[@sophielarts]

@@hetnoesteleven thank you so much, I'm in the process of making my own chopping block now, can I ask what the purpose of the little wedge in the legs are and are they necessary?

[@hetnoesteleven]

They're not really necessary, but they are meant to fix the legs into the log. If the legs are not secured like that, there is no direct problem, but the legs might come out when the block is lifted. It's called a blind wedge, which one would use when it is not possible to wedge afterwards. If the legs would go through the entire log, one could wedge them up afterwards from the top. As this is not the case now, I used these blind wedges, which are driven into the legs when the legs are hammered into the log.

[@sophielarts]

@@hetnoesteleven ah brilliant thanx so much!