Thanks Mo --

I agree with you about using the bottoms of the posts as a reference when working with an unknown foundation. However as you surmised, I cut the basement timber frame that these posts stand on - so knew it was level.

I spent a couple days building the rail system and went through several generations of box jigs that slide on the rails. One of the things we seriously underestimated was how much more work it is to handle peeled logs vs. square timbers. Picking them up, moving and setting them down with a forklift all without having them roll off somewhere and get dinged or crush somebody was an issue. The rails were set up under a low shed roof with forklift access from only one side - Next time I'd set this up in the middle of a large parking lot with good access from all sides and really think through the work flow to minimize handling.