Building the Hewn Timber Cabins: Mad Axe

"Mad Axe"

Figure 98. Waiters recalled a mad axe

Archie Waiters referred to one type of adz as a “mad axe". He said, "You better look out or it will chop your leg right out from under you." The problem was that a man using an adz stood astride the timber and swung the adz toward his legs—and the adz is very heavy and sharp. As Waiters said, "If a chip gets under this corner (causing the adz to swing off to one side) it will cut your leg slam off." Note that, having no adz handle, we were obliged to use a straight handle here, not a true adz handle. (Photo 1984)

Waiters
recalled a type of adz known as a "mad ax"