Who does what and why??

Score and pare with a chisel.

Score and cut with circular saw.

Pencil layout and split the line with circular saw.

Chainsaw.

Close your eyes and cut...

other methods?

I pencil/score on crosscuts and rips, not end grain. If the circular saw is in my hand, I cut to the line if possible, if the chain mortiser is in my hand, I cut to the line if possible... I only cut to the line with the chain saw when squaring the timber off to finished length, or if I feel a bit crazy(not too often)
I don't think scoring is that much slower if you know your layout.

Chainsaw is used to cut the end of the tenon only, for the most part, no score line just pencil and half the line. I score the diagonal seat cut on large rafters and cut with a chainsaw sometimes, than pare to the line, spruce is the worst. I am working toward a skillsaw for those cuts. Most of my cuts are made via Docking Saw and taking half the line, no score. The axe goes to the line and rarely beyond, than finished with the slick, half the line. Tim

For cutting across the grain, I score and cut to the line with a circ saw - using the smallest saw that has enough depth of cut to do the job. I rarely need to pair across the end grain.

For cutting with the grain, such as the tenon cheeks, I don't always score. I usually use the big mak from the end, then flip it over and do the other side. If the timber has a lot of crown, I'll definitely leave some space between the kerf and the line, then pare back to the line with a slick - sometimes with the grain, sometimes across the side grain. CB.

I almost always score everything, I find it useful to my cutting, I can get close (1/32nd* - 3/32's**) with my tools of choice (axes**, hand and chainsaws*) and then roll a grain off the layout line to then expose the layout as physical, something I can then lay my slick on to pare to a finished tolerance. or easily belly as green woodworking demands.

My choice in tooling is driven both by the layout I us, scribe & SLSR, (in both cases layout lines aren't necessarily ninty from face) and for health reasons. I work to avoid fine dust and the high pitched scream of certain tools - The two objectives happen to dovetail nicely, the tools which most efficienly follow a non-ninty line are the same ones which do not scream or pad the air with dust.

I rarely pick up a Circ-saw but when I do, I cut to the line, as I do with my hand saws, (never understood the staying away from the line thing) when I do it is most likely a 16, to drop cut a tenon which falls in a knotty section,

A good chainsaw is a too often overlooked tool, it can be used to cut to, or nearly to, a scored line and is an invaluable tool if it is seen as such, and an investment is made in teaching yourself and those you work with, to use it.

Will, interesting terms, belly, roll a grain?, SLSR?, non-ninty line? Would you mind commenting? I understand belly and probably the others, just new terms. Tim

Score the middle of the pencil line and cut to the score with the appropriate tool. I never have understood why you would hold off the line as a standard procedure. Especially on shoulder cuts. I second Will's remarks on chainsaws. Also Clark when he says he rarely has to pare end grain.

I am still looking for an old timber that shows chisel marks on end grain. I am sure it happened, but very, very rarely. They used a saw and cut to the line.

Gable, I have seen old shoulders with chisel marks where they pared to the line. My assumption is the saw was not tuned well and left a bad cut, which needed to be fixed up. Jim D. these were in your driveway. Tim

Tim - Sometimes I should remind myself the terms I might find in common usage, or that I find descriptive might be neither...

Belly, dish - Ya, you got it

Roll a grain - when I score with the grain and cut near the line, say plunging & ripping the lower table of a scarf with a chainsaw, and then rub a hand over the ripped edge, the grain "rolls off" exposing the layout as a physically existing plane.

SLSR - Snapline Square Rule - I'm datum dependant, snap everything all the time, no matter which layout disipline I'm working in. I just find it more efficient to get into a rhythm and plan on and estimate for datums, than to hem and haw over which to snap and which maybe not to. Plus I find it's an investment that pays dividends.

Non-ninty line - Layout lines are in these disiplines are rarely ninty from face, so tooling which registers from face isn't necessarily an efficient approach. I prefer to pick up a tool that I steer with my hands and eyes than one which rides the timbers surface.

Will, this is all very understandable. I on the other hand snap very little, mostly on curved stock, which seems to be coming up more often these days. SLSR is some what new as a concept to me. If I have a stright edge I use it. I also don't trust a skillsaw on out of square timber. It is hard to miss with a hand saw. A chainsaw in the wrong hands can be an issue. I love my chainsaw, the true skillsaw. Tim