Axes looks like an interesting option but
1) How effective stone axes for timber producing comparing to
"The middle legs have serrated ridges that double as weapons and saws for cutting wood and butchering meat"?
2) Is stone axe anywhere effective against armor? I think it is essentially a mace but then a balance stone mace or spiked club look more effective
3) Workes still use their forward limbs for moving. I proposed bows earlier because they can be discarded before going melee. Holding and axe in combat will make them way less mobile
I see two practical ways of improving workers by using timber
Shields for workersWorkers are not optimized for combat just as humans are. To mitigate this weakness hive imitates human invention and introduces shields. Two wooden shields are attached to workers forelimbs using both existing barbs and ropes made from bark to fixate them. Designed to not impede movements much, they are relatively small but still can be used to block enemy spears or protect vulnerable body parts like eyes against ranged fire.
Hunting bows for workersWith influx of carnivorous drones Hive adapts bows as a tool for more efficient hunting. It is much more energy efficient to shoot game from the safe distance than chasing it. Nevertheless those simple hunting bows that use chitin or stone-tipped arrows find their way to the battlefield useful both in long-range volleys and night-time ambushes.
First tries to increase protection, second tries to get more food while adding some offensive power to workers
Y'know, why are we using wood when we could be using engineered bones?
Future Theoretical Design: Osteourgy: We create designs for a drone that can modify it's own bones when ordered to telepathically. Exact technical process... I'm not sure about.
We can't improve wood, but we can improve bone.
Why? Well, It is simple
1) Complexity. Using wood is easy. We can get wooden stuff in one design. Getting what you propose will need way more time
2) Bones will have food cost. Wooden stuff have timber cost. We are sitting on a pile of 900 timber and it does nothing.
3) It is actually untrue that we can't modify wood. Our hive starts the road to modify other organism with modifying symbionts. Changing DNA of trees is not that far off from that.