Once a line has been drawn for the cut, with a pencil, the line is usually scored with a knife, all the way around the timber. Then the saw of choice is used to cut away the bulk of the waste wood.
Then the remaining wood is "pared" to the "knife line" using a slick or other wide flat chisel, checking often with a square or combination square that the surface is flat and true.
Hope this helps.
Jim Rogers
