yes, i stand up entirely on the log which is pinned either to the notched stump and a notched sleeper in the bush or two notched sleepers in the log yard. balance is something to get a hang of, especially for the smaller joists and braces. i leave the bark on for traction on the first face, then stand on the one square face and work from there.
the axe handle (32inches) is offset slightly so that when you hold the handle knob at your waist the flat side of the blade balances right against your baby toe. i hew right beside my feet. it goes without saying that one must be very aware, but this seems to come about naturally. i feel safer doing this than with the swedish style (which is nice for finishing) with the log at waist level, where a glancing or too-hard blow can put the axe into your thigh. in what i've been told (by my grandfather) is the finnish style, it's just a matter of keeping your toes tucked in on the log and keep you eye on the chalked line. the weight of axe to plumb keeps the face of the timber square. you hold the axe on a relaxed right arm and let it pendulum with the weight doing the work.
from what i've been told this was the way that railroad ties were hewn in the bush. i have an old cnr axe that my grandfather gave me. the octagonal handle on it is elegant and i've used it as my pattern for others (none quite as nice as the original yet).
that looks more like a surfacing tool than something you'd chop a tree square with. ????
thanks for the background on the 2 pole gin-pole! i think many of these techniques are often patterned more by habit, happenstance and imitation than by enlightened practice.
