I may have a slightly different approach. I saw across the top, I am only sawing the lines I can see at this point, I don't roll the timber, I did at one time I am always looking to shorten the work up. So, across the top and down the side I am facing, on bigger timber I end up kneeling on the floor, I them move to the other side and place the saw in the kerf as an assistant guide to proceed down that face, the bottom I just wing it, it has to come off where it is.
When you guys are cutting down the verticals are you facing the line or looking over the timber and cutting the line on the face away from you?
If the timber has tenons I will be using the french snap it the grain allows, so I am not cutting all the way through, otherwise it is chainsaw time for the butt end of the tenon. I do like the ends of the top plates cut with the handsaw, no cleanup and the accuracy I need, which is where I use the above method.
Chainsaws are cordless tools and if the old timers had them they would have used them, right?
Tim