I have a set of videos today on processing the large, raw oak rails that I split out this past spring. I hewed them into smaller, shorter billets and put them away to cure for later use. There are some, important points on how wood shrinks, seasons and cracks in vid one. This information is not just relevant to this project, but is broadly applicable to seasoning wood in general. Part two is hewing and hewing tips
Splitting an oak log into billets, staves or "rails" for axe handles, bowstaves, and other projects. Traditional and Green woodworking often starts with splitting wood for further processing rather than sawing it. It is possible to split most logs with one axe and disposable wooden wedges.
I’ve been putting up some smaller pieces of this tan oak too. Some for specific projects and some just to save some of this beautiful wood before it disappears, possibly forever as our Tan Oak trees are decimated by sudden oak death syndrome.
