Oxfordshire Woodland Group

When hewing logs, its important to raise them off the ground so that the downstroke of the axe does not result in the axe blade being buried in the ground where the cutting edge might get blunted, or worse chipped. To hew small logs to make such items as timbers bunks to support and block up logs for hewing and / or layout and framing then a heavy duty pallet provides ideal support. Small logs do not need to be "scored" if a long handled hewing axe is used with the hewer standing above and astride the log to hew the log using long swinging strokes of the axe to create a continuous "fleshing" cut. This also ensures that the hewers lower legs are well out of the way of the axe stroke and especially a deflected axe stroke.

Logs can be positioned and held in place in a slot on the pallet and then stapled together using timber dogs to prevent rotation of same. These can be knocked out and repositioned as progress is made down the length of the log so that the axe does not interfere with the dogs.

After a first fleshing cut is made then a spare plank casn be inserted into the pallet to create a flat surface upon which the first hewn surface can be fully supported.

Typically small diameter bunking logs are made from the top end of the tree where larger branch outcrops and knots will be found compared with the relatively small dead knots and clean trunk that is found at the bottom of the tree and hence making bunks can be hard work.

Chilterns