bmike,
right now I am engaged in a project using all hand hewn timbers, and the actual building of the frame will incorporate hand tools (only?) The idea is to build the thing as they would have done so in Switzerland in the late middle ages or perhaps a little afterward.

SO I have several logs that I am working on, but I am working on them in the woods -and unfortunately I have a bad habit of forgetting my camera! But I have 1 or 2 pics here and there. I will try to bring my camera next time I head out to work. As a personal project and don't get to work on it as often as I'd like either.



This was an experiment, so that's why this face is narrow and has such a waney edge. It was more or less just me learning the feel of a new axe, and I didn't want to risk ruining a good face

This is an overly-large hickory log that 2 posts are being hewn out of, it was split in half and here the two halves are set up to be finished. Some very rough hewing was done prior to splitting, but a lot of tool marks still remain. This particular log has seen a lot of experimenting!


My American Broad Axe, with a 12" face. I just got doen makng that handle. I didn't feel like doing it the 'proper' way and waiting for a good hickory stave to dry out (which takes like a year) so I just made it out of a bigger handle I bought that was made for a pick axe -the eye of a pick axe is huge, so the was plenty of material to carve it out to fit the broad axe. I hen gave it the bend by clamping it down and pouring boiling water on the wood


The German Stossaxt, sitting on a hewn ash timber


I like to hew the logs right where they fell, I love working out in the woods

I will try to get some better pictures whenever I can