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Author Topic: Hewing Cruck Blades
Ken Hume
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Posts: 652
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Post Hewing Cruck Blades
on: August 10, 2014, 06:39
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A crook larch log (no 4) was pulled from the pile for conversion to a cruck blade

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using a come-a-long, ash pole levers and roller logs. To reduce its deadweight the log was bucked (cut) to length

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and then drawn forward for the bark to be peeled

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before the debarked log was pulled forward onto the bunks ready for hewing.

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The log has a centrally positioned heart on a 9" top diameter and an offset heart on an oval 12" x 10" butt.

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Rain stopped play !

Ken Hume Oxfordshire Woodland Group
Ken Hume
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Posts: 652
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Post Re: Hewing Cruck Blades
on: August 12, 2014, 19:26
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After peeling the the 21 ft crook larch log it was pulled into position by hand over the bunks where it was oriented in a sagged position (belly down). The centre bunk was removed and replaced by a thin split half log and the butt end was held up using a larger diameter log rolled up from the butt till it was lodged in position underneath the log thereby helping to prevent rotation of the log. The log was dogged ready for hewing down the log.

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The second face was hewn from the butt upwards to log top to avoid having to rotate the log so that it could be hewn by a right handed hewer. If a left and right handed or ambi dexterous hewer were available then this would provide an ideal recipe for crook log hewing.

The log was hewn along its back face ready for rotation to hew the other two sides. On average it takes about one hour to score and hew one face.

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The skies darkened before a heavy rainstorm forced a hasty retreat.

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Ken Hume
Ken Hume
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Posts: 652
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Post Re: Hewing Cruck Blades
on: August 14, 2014, 15:41
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The rain stopped and eventually the woodland dried out sufficiently to let work recommence.

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The rear face of the cruck was hewed from the butt upwards resulting in quite a fair surface finish

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The cruck blade was rolled to face upwards supported on 3 level bunks and then the butt flare was hewed off the outside to create a fairly straight and level surface ready to accept a sidewall post in the frame. The blade was then flipped over through 180 degrees to facilitate hewing off the inner cruck blade face along the indicated lines.

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The cruck blade was then rolled through 90 degrees so that it was "hogged" upwards.

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The outer surface of the cruck was drawknifed to create a smooth clean finish.

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Ken Hume
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