Timber Framers Guild Forums General General Forum Questions tenon shoulders

I've got some more investigating to do on those timbers. There is a scribe line for the diminished haunches, they are very obvious.

Brad, you do it a little differently, but the principle is the same as how I was taught, which is to never saw blind. I make the groove on top, like you do, but then follow the line down the side of the timber until I meet the tenon, without cutting any on the blind side. Then I move to the other side and finish by cutting to that tenon. Sometimes you can see those sort of "see-saw" saw marks on old timbers.

thanks for the insights and technique points.

this 'double-cut' method sounds really interesting- a similar technique is sometimes used in log building with big logs.

would this be a good way to work with hewn timbers?

and then, with practice, at the height of wildness coupled with technical acumen, it will be all axes- tenon shoulders, mortises, dovetails, pegs. one sure hit with the axe and its perfect.