A Fro is a simple long and wide iron or steel wedge shaped tool with a simple handle use to make shingle’s, shake’s, siding and short planks by craftsmen who know how to find there lumber out in the frosted areas. This lumber can and was back in days of old used to make beautiful furniture and home accessories. Over the years the Fro has been made from old military weapons such as swords, and from car leaf springs, old plow parts, old ax’s and the like.
A Fro is NEVER to be struck by any metal or metallic object, only by wood or a soft material such as a wooden club or mallet.
The Fro is driven into the end grain of a log or piece of wood and the handle is either pushed or pulled to create a running crack down the grain of the wood and followed by the Fro blade down the length of the wood. If the crack runs in an undesirable direction the handle is then pulled or pushed in the opposite direction to correct the run. The resulting wood is a stable piece of wood without its grain being cut crosswise thus a stronger more stable and longer lasting plank of lumber. This lumber is superior to any wood bought in most any lumber yard produced by sawing for this reason, but can be considered by some to be too short to be of any good also a great deal of work would be necessary to plain and trim the wood into a desirable and useful shape. It’s all personal preference. The colonial’s all used this type of lumber very successfully. If you have any further questions about a Fro please don’t hesitate to ask. I will be happy to give you chapter and verse!
Tony
