hello everyone tonight

Thanks Leslie--sure appreciate your reply--what I have noticed in regenerated areas now seems to follow a rule laid down by mother nature, and probably runs true for a lot of species no doubt

We sort of wandered off the topic a bit, (hewing layout)--sorry--

anyway to continue the layout topic, as I see it, the 38 foot timber has been positioned and pinned with the timber dogs at this point.

The next procedure is to move to the smaller end, and do a quick check with my 3 foot folding wooden rule (my rule of choice) for many different reasons--at this point I am only ensuring that the tree is large enough on the small end, to square the 12" squared timber, or maybe to envision to what extent the corners may be waney .

I carefully place my pointed scratch all at the spot that will become the top corner of the hewn timber, and on the hewing side

leaving the scratch all imbedded in the end, I next take my wooden level, (again my choice), and laying it against the scatch all I strike a plumb line on the end using a carpenter's pencil.

The next procedure is to remove the scatch all, and laying a straight edge along the plumb line ( I use my wooden rule) I scratch the plumbline well into the end of the log. I then pencil the line well so that it will be very visible should it rain and remove the marking

Off from this line I then mark off using a square the outline of the hewn timber, allowing 1/2" oversize for shrinkage, or possible under hewing at some point

I then tack on a 1" by 2" straight edged slat along the plumbline and let it protrude above the log 12" or so, the reason for this will be explained later

NH