hello everyone tonight

Hello Don

Good question--fresh --seasoned --or dry-

I always hewed --newly felled trees--now to explain that term-----

This does not mean trees felled a week prior to hewing, but trees that were felled the previous winter, trees, pine in particular--that still had it bark on--

the bark helps to keep the logs damp, and I preferred to use logs that still had the bark in a tight condition, it gave me good footing especially while hewing on the first side--after that side you always had a good flat surface to stand on, remember I always roll the flattened side up using my technique

Now another little thing--using the construction of the 3 bay English Barn we reconstructed at UCV as an example

As the logs arrived on site say many 12, 16, as well as the 30 to 40 footers--say three years worth of hewing--they were immediately rolled into the mill pond and moored in a safe location

As I needed them we would enlist a good team of horses and retrieve then as required--the water served various purposes--it kept the bugs and worms away, kept the logs moist and easy to hew, and conditioned the wood by eliminating some of the pine
gum especially in the sap layer, after 1 year the bark would loosen and the water conditioned logs were dry on their surfaces and real nice to work with

Now red cedar--not my favorite wood to hew by any stretch of the imagination, very soft and spongy, and I might add hard to get a good finished surface--but having said that there were times that cedar needed hewing--log cabins and log houses, and floor supports in damp locations, usually large cedars flattened only on one side--cedar still remains the #1 wood to resist rotting when subjected to the elements--just have to put this tidbit in--the floor supports under our 140 year old Lutheran church sit only a few inches above ground level but remain in excellent condition yet--they look like they were just flattened yesterday

In my career I hewed 80 --8by8's for the stockade at Fort Henry in Kingston--I am going to tell you I was glad when that was finished

I hope that I have answered some of your questions

enjoy

NH