Repost from @renaissancetimberllc How to hand-hew a round log into a square beam using only an axe: 1.) Mark the ends of the log using a level or plumb bob to establish your square. 2.) Remove bark with a drawknife along the path your chalk line will run. 3.) Run a chalk line from the corner of your square on one end to the corner on the other. 4.) Hew wedges to that line every foot or so using a felling axe or scoring axe. 5.) Knock out (jog out) the billets between those wedges with a felling axe. 6.) Smooth each side with a broad axe, using the chalk line as a guide. 7.) Repeat for all four sides and you’re done! I learned how to hand hew from YouTube and a couple of books. There’s a lot out there if you look. If I can do it, you can. Oh, and I’ve nicked my shin guards a half dozen times in the last year with my axe. Be safe, not dead. #renaissancetimber #handhewn #mantels #beams #howtohandhew #axework #axe #fellingaxe #broadaxe #drawknife #hewing #hewn #sustainable #humansize #mainemade #keepcraftalive (most pics above by @threlkeldoutdoor) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAKrWIzgaKp/?igshid=i5191ii93s4