Tim, thanks for chiming in. I don't think I'm getting a mental picture of how you get a handsaw into a 2" wide mortise? I wonder if my Fein multitool flush cutter could ease this process if I could find or fabricate a blade that wouldn't cut wider than the mortise?
I know the artistry of traditional timber framing is in the use of hand tools to create clean tight joints and I wish I could have the time to do it all that way. But I am self employed as a low man on the totem pole in the textbook publishing industry and I know we will get busy in the spring, maybe late spring, and I will have deadlines that have to be met if I am to earn a living. This is the reason I can't stress enough my need to expedite all labor operations. I've always wanted to build this myself having worked in construction for 30+ years prior to getting a desk job. I know I have the capabilities to do a good job on this. I just have to maximize my output while minimizing the time involved. Also, I don't want to risk the timbers having too much time to twist and bw and do what timber will before it is put in its final position.