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Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: northern hewer] #23110 03/21/10 03:08 AM
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Dave Shepard Offline
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My first exposure to hewing was reading Eric Sloane books. My first attempt I used a coopers broad axe. It worked, but the axe wasn't heavy enough. I then was shown how to do it with the right tools in the Sobon/Carlon workshop at Hancock in 2006.


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Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: Dave Shepard] #23111 03/21/10 02:50 PM
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northern hewer Offline OP
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Hello everyone tonight:

Hi Dave:

Thanks for joining this discussion and your comments on how you acquired your skills, I am sure that it will guide others in the right track.

I am sure that there are others that would like to join in please do so, and it matters not whether you had a success looking for help,I think that your story/journey in your quest for instruction is what many really need to hear.

We will wait patiently for others to join in.

It would be interesting to find out how others besides myself who have tried to help and pass along the special skills learned their knowledge in this field.



Nh

Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: northern hewer] #23115 03/22/10 05:53 AM
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Mark Davidson Offline
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I learned to hew from Joe Erikson, who I beleive came to Canada to dodge the Viet Nam draft. He had worked in some museum in the USA and was working on a "strictly cash" basis at the time.
I found Joe by accident, my girlfriend at the time had taken an introduction to the trades course and she got placed with Joe afterward for two weeks. I got pulled out to the job site after a couple of days and Joe and I ended up working together for a couple of years.
The method Joe taught me was what he called "yard hewing" with the log at hip hieght and a short handled broadaxe. He would often finish up after hewing with a couple of handplanes and make a very nice looking log.
I remember once someone at a job asked Joe what the tolerance was for cutting stuff at one of our job sites
Joe said "zero".

Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: Mark Davidson] #23116 03/22/10 02:40 PM
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frwinks Offline
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And since Mark taught me how to hew, I too hew @ the hip using a short European goosewing axe
Thanks to Joe, who "showed me the way", I use the plane a lot in my work, and can turn an "out of tolerance" hewed stick into a very decent looking piece grin




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Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: frwinks] #23118 03/22/10 11:47 PM
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TIMBEAL Offline
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I am still learning. I have picked info from a number of sources, books, people, observing and trial and error.

Today I worked a 25' pine log, 6"x7". I do not hew on a regular basis. For times, in line with NH's previous time post, I have 5 hours total in it, it is almost done. I left the last 8' on the end to video, maybe. I noticed that as I progressed around the log the times got longer, I was pooped out. A part of that time was snapping lines and such, a little rest too. I tired four different axes and my one felling axe for a total of 5 axes. Single bevel, double, long handle short handle, I even docked the handle on my newest axe, which I acquired at the geometrics workshop for $35. This new axe is the heaviest but removes the most wood the quickest, it takes it out of me though.

I would really choose the double bevel Gransfors axe as a favorite, but the stock handle is not in alignment with the blade, it bends slightly into the work making it nearly unusable. I shaved the handle down thinner a while back but it's just not enough. I fall back on my home made axe, a kent style which I reshaped, but I think it has too much scoop in the blade, but is really not too bad. It is nice and light. If I was to hew on a regular basis I would rehandle the Gransfors axe. A long handled and short handle version would do all I would need.

I also tired the blubber axe, as Jack Sobon called it I asked his opinion at the geo workshop. I posted a picture a while back some where here on the forum. I would say it could have been used for finishing timber, it leaves a flat surface, no scoops. It still leaves me wondering.

I have not tried hewing at an elevated height. There are a number of methods and combinations from axe type to styles of hewing all with variations.

Tim


Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: TIMBEAL] #23119 03/23/10 12:30 AM
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Dave Shepard Offline
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How many people have looked at old timbers to see where the hewer was standing? Any timbers I have looked at, the hewer was working over the top of the timber, working backwards. I'm not saying any one is right or wrong, just looking to see if there are regional variations.


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Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: Dave Shepard] #23120 03/23/10 02:34 AM
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northern hewer Offline OP
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Hi everyone tonight:

Thanks to you guys for relating how you acquired your techniques,
I am sure that many looking in are enjoying the chat.

I for one have never tried the hip height technique, with the short handled broadaxe, but I enjoy watching and looking at the photos above.

Dave: I have spent many hours examining the finish on timber of period structures in order to try and produce timbers with similar finishes--not easy to do, and I might say at times the finish that I had to produce sort of went against the grain, because the original timbers were not finished in the best manner, I am sure that many different people worked on the same frame, one in particular was a church frame that I examined, it appeared to me that the whole congregation worked producing the frame timbers. Some were real nice and others looked like beavers chewed on them.

One thing for certain that frame stood for over 100 years and would still be standing if the church itself had not folded.

As far as stradling the timber while trying to hew, in my opinion is not practical nor safe, but then this is only my opinion, but an opinion based on experience in the hewing field. People will try and work in many different ways, for better or worse, I do strive to try and show a style that I know for certain was practised, and to this end standing beside the log while hewing is a style portrayed in sketchings and tapestries, and paintings, and I might say taught to me through family history.

A while back on this thread there were posted pictures of a hewer working while standing on top of the work piece, this is definitely a style that would need to be taught by a very experienced tradesman or teacher for sure on account of the blade passing close to the hewer's feet.

Keep the comments coming

NH






Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: northern hewer] #23123 03/24/10 01:00 AM
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Dave Shepard Offline
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I hew with one knee on top of the log, which is placed on a low hewing setup. The axe is going in a downward stroke, not towards the hewer. Quite safe. The axe is not swung wildly anyway.


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Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: Dave Shepard] #23124 03/24/10 11:10 AM
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TIMBEAL Offline
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Another aspect I used, was selecting the right tree for the job. I had two choices, I chose the smaller one, with the free board footage.

Tim

Re: historic hewing questionnaire [Re: TIMBEAL] #23140 03/27/10 03:40 AM
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toivo Offline
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for sure Timbeal- or maybe even the other way around, and the tree selects the project. enough hewing to get to square at the joinery, and to heartwood most other places, and that's the dimension.

one thing i've found is those rubber gloves make holding the axe less work. they're grippy. staying relaxed and working with a good day long rhythm also helps. in log building we had 6-pack days- one man- six logs scribed. the chainsaw allowed for a more mechanical, steady day. with hewing it's more like 1 timber hewed and then on to some other kind of lighter work.


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