Now if that had been a fresh cut, waney, sappy, pine, where you had to use turpentine for clean up, that could be daunting. What was your time?

In all seriousness, I think this is one of the taboo topics, and is why it is not spoken of much, we tip toe around the edges. Another taboo is the sizing of timber. With modern computer technology why is there not a program for sizing timber for the species and length? Job security, perhaps.

Shaun, your number are within my ballpark. I may cut the 2.5 hrs on the scarf to 0 due to the long 56' plate with no scarf. And you did not give a time for the braces. With a skill saw put another 30 minutes on the whole brace, both ends to your completed specs, you may be able to treat them in a mass production and cut that to 15min., though. There are a lot of variables, and I find it all comes down to the individual and how that one person works, this applies to every thing in life. There is a fine line between the proper detail needed to construct the joinery needed and that which is executed to the .001 of an inch, may I say annal retention.

On to the power tool and hand too aspect of this. It is my experience that power tool are faster but less accurate. Now before I get stepped all over, let me say, this is from a perspective in favor of hand tools, keep that in mind. I will put it like this, a power tool cuts too fast and an over cut is likely. So to cut a joint accurately you must stay shy of the line, meaning it now needs to be cut by hand, requiring two steps. Hand tools allow the steps to happen in one process without the possibility of the over cut, in turn, saving time and achieving the accuracy needed.

bmike, what does a good sawyer have to do with sappy pine, does your sawyer have a trick worth sharing? Inquiring minds want to know. We are now working some sticky pine, at least the square stays put.

Tim