John,
My first bit of advice is to buy shin gaurds!
Next I would contact David Dauerty at tmbrframe@aol.com. Dave always has a very full schedule, but if you can contract him to work on site for a week or two on your project, it will be the best educational investment you will ever make. He can teach you sharpening, safety, laying out a timber correctly in the log, safety, hewing vs. grain orientation, safety and much much more.
Good luck and work safely!
Rudy R. Christian