Timber Framers Guild Forums General General Forum Questions Hewing Timbers

Hi

You might want to check out this French hewing video which is more than just a little informative and in higher resolution than those typically posted on "U Tube".

http://nicolawood.typepad.co.uk/kesurokai/craft-video/#tp

We are having a log dog fight at our woodland tomorrow where Gransfors dogs will be pitted up against home grown dogs. Check out http://www.carpentersfellowship.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=386 to get the background on this challenge.

Regards

Ken Hume

Wow, great vids.

Were you first exposed to two man in Germany DL ? I've long done this, with a number of partners over the years. But have never seen it done by folks trained in the tradition it comes from.

Of the species you list, I've only had issues hewing Beech, and that not consistently. Ash and Hickory hew nicely but check and wind a bit much for me, and I avoid their use as a framing timber.

Hi Will,

I think that the bloke on the left is too tall for his partner and he is adopting an unnatural posture that would quickly become back breaking.

I have seen you do this type of scoring with Henry Russell and found it to be more than a little frightening with very little room for error !

Regards

Ken Hume

Ken,

Me and my brother do this when we are working together. We are about the same height. Squatting like you see that man doing is quite natural, and is easier than bending over at the back. It is always better in the long run, after all, to bend at the knees than to bend your back.

As for little room for error, I will say this: Watching the technique, it does look a bit haphazard, and inaccurate. However, I have discovered that it is in fact superbly accurate. We at least always get good straight, clean notches that are exactly the depth we want them. With scoring from above, I always have trouble with some of the scoring marks remaining on the finished timbers, whereas with this technique I have never had a scoring mark too deep. So really, Ken, I am convinced that this is the superior method. But it does have the obvious disadvantage of requiring 2 workers.

Will,

I have had a lot of problems with ash developing large splits along its length, and can see how this could end up being a serious problems. As for ease of hewing, I really ought to see how well ash stands up to me new tools and my latest evolution of technique.

Hickory I like to work with. You have to be patient with it. I find it is always good whenever you can make timbers without an enclosed center. In other words, they will generally be a bit more stable if you split the log down the middle at some point. On a timber currently in progress, we have a hickory log about 18" in diameter, from which we are cutting 2 9x6 posts. What we are doing is first hewing all 4 faces, then splitting it in half very carefully directing the split to keep it within a 2 inch window. This can be done, but it does often require you to go back after you have split it with an axe or saw to cut through areas where you had to direct the split a little bit. Obviously you can't do this with smaller logs, or very long lengths. The posts in question will have a finished length of just under 8 feet, so in that length a reasonable split is certainly manageable. If I were making 40 foot sills or some such, then I wouldn't even consider trying to split it first (I might, though, have a sawyer cut it in half, which was certainly done in the past)

Off topic a bit, I just bought 4 dogs for like $35 including shipping. The sipping on them is almost as much as what I paid for them. Every once in a while ebay does give you something worthwhile

Ken - Yes inside that crazy lattice potato chip at the Weald & Downland, I've had the opportunity to hew with Henry a few times in the years since. Demonstrated on a kind of open house day at the Clumps event, and we've worked together on a few historic replications, the Perronet Crane and the Turtle, and again recently in April on a Polish Bell Tower, again at Handshouse.

I trust the dog fight went well?

DL - You didn't mention if you'd had any formal training in two man, or if you took it up to connect with your German heritage?

Well Hello everyone tonight

Great topic one close to my heart for sure.

Specie type:

Put me down for white pine #1--these trees are fantastic, but have to be chosen carefully--Most of the barns requiring long plates used white pine in this region--they carried their size well, and at 50 to 60 feet could still square 12 by 12 timbers

I usually go with what the old timers used and the odd time basswood was employed for the long plates--these trees also carried their sizes up well and maybe only tapered a few inches in eight feet of length. Another thing about basswood is that it has an unusual growth characteristic it doesn,t seem to exhibit the usual growth rings of other wood types, and is quite strong for a soft wood

Some of the drivesheds that were constructed around here employed balsam posts, white ash connecting girts and white pine plates, and tamrack rafters, pine trim, and cedar shingles. When you stop to look at this mixture of varieties you reaize that there is a good reason for mixing up the species, ease of working, strength, and to attain the length necessary for plates and resistance to rotting.

I won't comment to much about hewing technique, I believe that most everyone knows that I favour a low setting for hewing, usually on 6 by 6's, scoring from the top surface, and hewing from the side and in front of my feet for safety, and swinging the hewing axe straight down across the grain bracing my body against the side of the log.

I recommend staying away from Cedar for hewing but having said that I realize that many cedar logs found their way into the first log houses, while pine founds itsway into the fully squared two story log homes

Great thread

NH

I'm with you NH, EWP is the good stuff.

Ken - Forgot to mention, no scarier than any other swing of the ax in hewing...

Despite the windmilling, I've never had even a close call, and I'm used to follow through, the momentum from one swing carries on into the next.

It really is not bravado, or a gamble in any way. Quite the opposite. It's way less taxing on your body. So, just being fresher makes you that much safer, never mind that you are forced to focus, so of necessity, just plain tuned into how, what you do, and every swing, effects the guy you are sharing your day with.

It's every single swing, pops a big a chip, squared!

I have a question, but first I guess I should answer one that was asked of me.

As to why I use the 2 man method, really I guess the reason is because to me it makes sense. I didn't learn in Germany or Switzerland or such (I've never yet had the privilege of going to the old Heimat) But I read about it, thought it sounded sensible, and then proceeded to learn how it is done. -The best way to learn being by doing. I would love to travel their some day, and would especially love to work with some traditional carpenters and learn from them (how does one do such a thing I wonder?)

Now my question, Does anyone know where I could find some German style scoring axes (see the video posted earlier) or some such tool? Right now I use whatever is available to me at the time, and I can certainly understand how a straight narrow bit would be a major advantage. I would prefer to find the real deal (mostly because i think it would be great for my ever expanding axe collection) but If nothing else a substitute axe might work. The Gransfors corner/mortise axe is actually quite similar in profile to what I am seeking.

Also I thought I might say that I purchased a tool that sort of fits into the hewing spectrum. It is a tool for applying the final finish to fine hand hewn timbers, a German Stichaxt. (In French called a Demi Besaigue, because it's sort of like half a besaigue) If you are unfamiliar with this tool, it's kind of like a combination of a slick and an axe. It's made by Oschenkopf I believe (it's either them or Müller and Söhne of Austria) SO I plan on judging their quality by this tool. (Incidentally, I would love to acquire some Müller tools. If you ever find their catalog they have a huge assortment of traditional tools, all hand forged in Austria)

Hi DL, figured I'd pipe in here as I'm a fan of the European axe and hewing style myself. Not brave enough yet to sit and hew but I'll work on that once I have a couple of kids..

For the axe you're looking for (and many more unique to NA tools) check out http://www.japanwoodworker.com/dept.asp?s=JapanWoodworker&dept_id=12654

Hey DL

Frog Tools of Chicago over the years has imported German tools, has a website but not an up to date catalog online. So google away, then phone perhaps they may have what you seek.