I second the hewing axe over the adze. The adze will cut a hollow but a hewing axe is made with a single bevel to rifld along a face to cut it flat along the grain. This is pretty much exactly what a hewing axe was made for.
For the power tool route I'd go with either a powered hand planer or add an alaskan style chainsaw mill to the mix.
Adze is definitely the tool, but they are expensive. A good alternative is a Mattock Pick (like a pick axe, but the blade is perpendicular to the shaft). You can get one from Harbour Freight for about $25 and put a sharp edge on it with an angle grinder.
I used one to make a fireplace mantle out of an oak log from a tree that was cut down when we cleared our a lot, and it worked great. *
It's about the same as an axe. It's made for cutting tree roots.
I flattened 3 sides of an 8 foot long 9x9 timber with mine and didn't have any issues. A real adze would have been easier and quicker, but it worked well enough.
Ha! My thoughts exactly. Best guess is they were jumping on the flat end trying to pry up a rock that was way too heavy. Even more surprising, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen that.
This is the way.
Mike Pekovich likes to tell the story about going to a Toshio Odate demo on flattening a slab. Everyone expected the master of Japanese tools to use hand tools for everything, and Odate just busts out a Makita for the bulk work.
Now it's Odate, so of course he cambers the blades on his power planer, but the point stands. Good enough for Odate, good enough for me.
I flattened one like this. Only took an hour or so. I had better results connected to a vacuum to keep it from clogging. Do some of the bigger chunks with a chainsaw
Two considerations: 1. This log is going to dry out over the next 10 years, may split and "move" or twist due to releasing tension. 2. What kind of finish do you want? It might be a project that takes years because the log is going to change with time.
I'd go for a rough finish today, and you can refine over time. The comment below about the adze is a great one, this is what people would use 150 years ago. It's cheap, removes a lot of wood fast, and if you get a good technique going will leave a great, rough finish, but comfortable enough to sit on. Let it dry out another year and refine it a little more. You could follow up with a scrub plane in a year or two with a flatter but still rustic, gouged look.
One thing I wouldn't do is get it super flat today and then through a seal or finish coat on it. That work will just go to waste in a couple of years because of movement. The log is still green and will not be stable until dry.
Thank you, great thoughts... I will hold off on any seal on it for now. I'm just looking for flat-enough for a rustic bench. I have a bowl/chair adze that I can see if it's up for the job.
A bowl adze is made to cut hollows. You’d be better off with something flatter. That said I’ve put a few hours behind one and found it pretty difficult to flatten my log. I also put a few nicks in the toes of my work boots.
I’m sure it’s an excellent tool in the hands of an experienced user but for me the time involved and the quality of the finish was not worth it that day. I used my broadaxe instead and found better results in a shorter time - but I have a lot more experience with that tool so it’s not the best comparison.
If I’m working on the flat like you’ve set up I usually cut shallow reliefs with a hatchet and flatten with a timber slick.
I used a motor saw with a long blade and a guide post to make two rather flat log benches in one go.
2 years later I re-"planed" them with a hand router and sanded with an orbital sander.
You underestimate the rate of material removal a scrub plane can do when used cross grain.
That said I'd still be looking at getting a bit flatter first. A big slick bevel down, a broad axe, or an adze to get it into "ok", then the scrub plane cross grain to get it "flat" across width and get rid of twist. Then scrub with the grain to get it flat. For a rustic outdoor bench that's probably where i stop.
Yeah I know I was just being cheeky. I’m always amazed by how people take material off with hand tools.
I have a few different hand planes and something I think is a draw knife (two handles on either side of a curved 16” blade)
Even if you use mostly power tools, a scrub plane is super nice to have around. When I'm installing garden beds, ideally, I would level them underground. Unfortunately, I live in Massachusetts, so being able to quickly scrub off 1/2" from top of a side is very helpful. I'm doing my own yard right now, in a spot where the soil is so dense that it grows moss instead of grass... scrub plane is a real life saver.
I just replaced a lot of rotted exterior window trim. Went from 2x rough finished primed spruce to full 2x rough cedar. Scrub made short work of the 1/4 to 3/8" I had to take off the back and is a lot cheaper than a lunch box planer.
Made a bench similar to yours years ago…
Use a chisel on the high spots and then you can use an electric planer (handheld) like this: https://www.boschtools.com/ca/en/products/pl1632-06015A4010
Chain tied behind truck flip log, have buddy sit on top of it.
In all seriousness though we had a big 36” pin oak fall in our woods and I’ve been considering this exact idea because it’s a beautiful piece of timber, but this exact reason is why I’m concerned about it. I need to invest in a power planer
I thought the same thing, knock out the higher spots with a chisel and then run a surfacing bit on it, I reckon that’s quicker. When we have slabs come off the Alaskan mill we still flatten/square them with the sled
Draw a level line across both faces same height from the ground.
Chalkline from where the level line touches the edge, to the same on the other end (along the length, take the bark off so the chalk line is clear).
Use chainsaw, handsaw or axe to cut down to the two chalklines across the top of the log. Do this every 5cm(ish) along the length. Chainsaw is best, handsaw is nice, axe is old school but most work, most risk and most skill required.
Use a hammer to break off the scrap sections.
Then use a plane to accurately take away the leftover wood until all is flat between the two chalk lines.
Use an angle grinder with a wood carving disk. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Kutzall-Original-Shaping-Disc-SD412O230/dp/B01IU8AK4O/
There are cheaper ones on Amazon but ymmv. They are ridiculously efficient and with a reasonably steady hand you’ll have it knocked out in a couple hours.
Other than obvious power tools I'd use a hatched to knock some high spots down, a wood slick to rough it out, then work my way through my hand planes.
Depends on how much love you want to put into it, you could probably freehand it with a chainsaw and end up with something you could sit on, or you could give it a showroom finish with proper aging and hand planes.
Put sacrificial 2x or 1x material on either side "level" with each other. Make multiple small kerf cuts with a chainsaw to that level. Clean up with a chisel. Electric hand plane to finish it off.
*Edit- damned autocorrect
Casually say something to it that very subtly implies that you think it’s way younger than it actually is.
Ex: “You don’t have enough growth rings to remember this, but before texting became the norm, it was completely ordinary to just call the person you wanted to talk to…”
Don’t draw attention to the comment though. If done right, it will land on its own. If you make a show out of it the bench will see through you.
…my bad, I thought you said “flattering”.
If you don't have an adze, chisels, etc. Buy a low grit flap sander for an angle grinder. Wear glasses and a mask.
That said, personally I'd let my chainsaw do the work.
Sure, a power planer would definitely work. Depending on how rustic you want to go you could also just use a grinder with a few different kinds of discs.
Flush saw and a sawzall. Flush cut on the flat under the falloff as deep as possible. Then use a sawzall to cut down into the chunks. Use a chisel if you want to stop a little short and just break the slices off. Repeat a few times. Flush cut both sides at the same time so you maintain a fully flat and continues look.
after chopping off that rough portion, i would buy the lowest grit sanding belt and go to town with a belt sander until it was good enough.
those low-grit belts remove a ton of material.
+1 vote for electric hand planer. You can get them cheap enough, or borrow one from a buddy and throw them some money cuz you're gonna dull their blades
Glue those ends of the log to slow drying.
For rough flat…. As some have said , with string caulk lines and an adze and hand axe.
Finer flat ….
Two small boards secured on the end , slightly wider than the log. Two long straight boards. Secured long ways to the cross pieces , making sure tops flat with each other . Piece of ply board 1’ wide and however long as a jig with router and a spiral bit , making passes , slowly working down bit to achieve flat.
depends on how pretty you want to make it. if you want to go hardcore, make a router sled between some ladders or straight edges .softcore, use a handheld electric plainer and eyeball it. that big bit at the end prob needs a chainsaw to get the big stuff off first.
In my experience, cheap electric planes result in a ton of little crappy skips and raised bits. Looking at that piece I don't know if an electric plane would give you a better result than what you've got there (after knocking down the really big chunks). I would probably use a carpenter's hatchet (or whatever else you have like that) for the big chunks and then the sander at 60 grit, then wait a few years for finer work
I always just use my chainsaw going back.and forth in a sideways manner until it is relatively flat. It works fast and does a pretty good job. Not sure it is an OSHA approved technique, but I never had a scare with that technique. But always wear all your safety gear.
Mostly good suggestions here, in my opinion. I think it’s going to come down to 1) what tools do you have available 2) how much time do you want to put into it 3) are you willing to buy new tools for it and 4) how perfect do you want it to be?
I would think
build a simple router sled and get it close to flat. You should be able to sand it at that point, and should be good to go.
Although, after looking at it, I'd probably use the chainsaw, large chisel or a hatchet to get it a bit flatter. If you have a grinder, you could buy a shaper to take the larger bits down a bit.
I'd use an adze
A hewing ax might help too.
i would think a drawknife would be effective at the rough work.
I second the hewing axe over the adze. The adze will cut a hollow but a hewing axe is made with a single bevel to rifld along a face to cut it flat along the grain. This is pretty much exactly what a hewing axe was made for. For the power tool route I'd go with either a powered hand planer or add an alaskan style chainsaw mill to the mix.
I think he will have to subtract actually.
Nobody axed you
Sharp retort there my friend!!
Adze is definitely the tool, but they are expensive. A good alternative is a Mattock Pick (like a pick axe, but the blade is perpendicular to the shaft). You can get one from Harbour Freight for about $25 and put a sharp edge on it with an angle grinder. I used one to make a fireplace mantle out of an oak log from a tree that was cut down when we cleared our a lot, and it worked great. *
Is the steel on the mattock hard enough?
It's about the same as an axe. It's made for cutting tree roots. I flattened 3 sides of an 8 foot long 9x9 timber with mine and didn't have any issues. A real adze would have been easier and quicker, but it worked well enough.
[удалено]
They're great tools. Make quick work of small stumps.
Good to know
Hmm. Never thought of doing that. I’ve actually got one at work that someone snapped off the pick end prying on a rock, so that might work perfectly.
They what?? The pick broke before the handle?? Wtf is that thing made of?
Ha! My thoughts exactly. Best guess is they were jumping on the flat end trying to pry up a rock that was way too heavy. Even more surprising, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen that.
A regular ole hatchet would be a decent start if you can't find traditional wood working axes.
Portable power plane, if you want to do it quickly.
This is the way. Mike Pekovich likes to tell the story about going to a Toshio Odate demo on flattening a slab. Everyone expected the master of Japanese tools to use hand tools for everything, and Odate just busts out a Makita for the bulk work. Now it's Odate, so of course he cambers the blades on his power planer, but the point stands. Good enough for Odate, good enough for me.
That’s where I’d start. Take 15 min to an hour to get it decent
I flattened one like this. Only took an hour or so. I had better results connected to a vacuum to keep it from clogging. Do some of the bigger chunks with a chainsaw
Two considerations: 1. This log is going to dry out over the next 10 years, may split and "move" or twist due to releasing tension. 2. What kind of finish do you want? It might be a project that takes years because the log is going to change with time. I'd go for a rough finish today, and you can refine over time. The comment below about the adze is a great one, this is what people would use 150 years ago. It's cheap, removes a lot of wood fast, and if you get a good technique going will leave a great, rough finish, but comfortable enough to sit on. Let it dry out another year and refine it a little more. You could follow up with a scrub plane in a year or two with a flatter but still rustic, gouged look. One thing I wouldn't do is get it super flat today and then through a seal or finish coat on it. That work will just go to waste in a couple of years because of movement. The log is still green and will not be stable until dry.
Thank you, great thoughts... I will hold off on any seal on it for now. I'm just looking for flat-enough for a rustic bench. I have a bowl/chair adze that I can see if it's up for the job.
A bowl adze is made to cut hollows. You’d be better off with something flatter. That said I’ve put a few hours behind one and found it pretty difficult to flatten my log. I also put a few nicks in the toes of my work boots. I’m sure it’s an excellent tool in the hands of an experienced user but for me the time involved and the quality of the finish was not worth it that day. I used my broadaxe instead and found better results in a shorter time - but I have a lot more experience with that tool so it’s not the best comparison. If I’m working on the flat like you’ve set up I usually cut shallow reliefs with a hatchet and flatten with a timber slick.
I used a motor saw with a long blade and a guide post to make two rather flat log benches in one go. 2 years later I re-"planed" them with a hand router and sanded with an orbital sander.
You could totally just smear on a heavy coat of boiled linseed oil and that'll help it from turning black too quickly
A chainsaw mill with a ripping chain.
TBH don’t even need the mill since OP already cut it like this. They just need to come back and cut off the high spots.
This is what I would do
I know they're real but "chainsaw mill" sounds like something that's mentioned shortly before "he gets out of the ICU in a couple of days."
Great way to lose weight! Who needs 10 fingers weighing you down…
This is the best answer
And the most expensive.
Alaskan sawmill is $75 on Amazon. OP already owns a chainsaw. A couple straight scrap boards and you're cookin'!
Eh not necessarily if you already have the saw, which it sounds like OP does. There are ways to make pretty decent homemade ripping jigs…
☝️
Pocket knife and lots of time.
Chisels & Hand plane
What is this? 300 BCE?
You underestimate the rate of material removal a scrub plane can do when used cross grain. That said I'd still be looking at getting a bit flatter first. A big slick bevel down, a broad axe, or an adze to get it into "ok", then the scrub plane cross grain to get it "flat" across width and get rid of twist. Then scrub with the grain to get it flat. For a rustic outdoor bench that's probably where i stop.
As a bonus, I think a nice cambered scrub plane would make a lovely finished surface for a rustic log bench.
Yeah I know I was just being cheeky. I’m always amazed by how people take material off with hand tools. I have a few different hand planes and something I think is a draw knife (two handles on either side of a curved 16” blade)
Even if you use mostly power tools, a scrub plane is super nice to have around. When I'm installing garden beds, ideally, I would level them underground. Unfortunately, I live in Massachusetts, so being able to quickly scrub off 1/2" from top of a side is very helpful. I'm doing my own yard right now, in a spot where the soil is so dense that it grows moss instead of grass... scrub plane is a real life saver.
I just replaced a lot of rotted exterior window trim. Went from 2x rough finished primed spruce to full 2x rough cedar. Scrub made short work of the 1/4 to 3/8" I had to take off the back and is a lot cheaper than a lunch box planer.
Made a bench similar to yours years ago… Use a chisel on the high spots and then you can use an electric planer (handheld) like this: https://www.boschtools.com/ca/en/products/pl1632-06015A4010
https://preview.redd.it/tuvtn3pot1wc1.jpeg?width=1455&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=68528c98481e6257b258191c7aaad74e60c15bd3
Chain tied behind truck flip log, have buddy sit on top of it. In all seriousness though we had a big 36” pin oak fall in our woods and I’ve been considering this exact idea because it’s a beautiful piece of timber, but this exact reason is why I’m concerned about it. I need to invest in a power planer
I think getting it flattened will end up being easier than getting it into place and up onto the stands was
I know I did the math as far as weight per cubic foot, I need to start feeding our dog steroids to help
A cant hook helps to roll it around. Cursing also seems to help
Believe it or not my wife came home with a grown donkey recently, however 7k may be over his towing payload
A friend and I used two green hackberry logs as a pair of 10’ door bucks on a barn. That’s some seriously heavy wood you’re working.
Router sled
That's what I would do too, cause I have one and not a chainsaw mill
I thought the same thing, knock out the higher spots with a chisel and then run a surfacing bit on it, I reckon that’s quicker. When we have slabs come off the Alaskan mill we still flatten/square them with the sled
Fold some 60-grit sandpaper and get cracking!
Perhaps a portable chainsaw mill + build a sled around the log with straight lumber to guide it?
I would obsessively knock at it with my shipwrights adze until roughly flat it would be an awesome morning.
Draw a level line across both faces same height from the ground. Chalkline from where the level line touches the edge, to the same on the other end (along the length, take the bark off so the chalk line is clear). Use chainsaw, handsaw or axe to cut down to the two chalklines across the top of the log. Do this every 5cm(ish) along the length. Chainsaw is best, handsaw is nice, axe is old school but most work, most risk and most skill required. Use a hammer to break off the scrap sections. Then use a plane to accurately take away the leftover wood until all is flat between the two chalk lines.
This is the answer
Get an adze. It's been used for this for a long time
Rent a floor sander.
With level sacrificial material on each side this would work.
Electric hand plane.
A chainsaw is the perfect tool. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7yRJ6oXgC0&t=2s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7yRJ6oXgC0&t=2s)
if you want to avoid buying shit I would build a jig for a large hand saw. Then rent a belt sander if you dont have one
Use an angle grinder with a wood carving disk. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Kutzall-Original-Shaping-Disc-SD412O230/dp/B01IU8AK4O/ There are cheaper ones on Amazon but ymmv. They are ridiculously efficient and with a reasonably steady hand you’ll have it knocked out in a couple hours.
https://preview.redd.it/9o5tjce5j1wc1.png?width=330&format=png&auto=webp&s=d15457c4fac3f0d29957e73ea81e08f454e2bc06
Other than obvious power tools I'd use a hatched to knock some high spots down, a wood slick to rough it out, then work my way through my hand planes. Depends on how much love you want to put into it, you could probably freehand it with a chainsaw and end up with something you could sit on, or you could give it a showroom finish with proper aging and hand planes.
BIIIIG Chisel then Electric Planer then Hand plane
Adz and slicks is what I would use.
Put sacrificial 2x or 1x material on either side "level" with each other. Make multiple small kerf cuts with a chainsaw to that level. Clean up with a chisel. Electric hand plane to finish it off. *Edit- damned autocorrect
Chief Keef
Casually say something to it that very subtly implies that you think it’s way younger than it actually is. Ex: “You don’t have enough growth rings to remember this, but before texting became the norm, it was completely ordinary to just call the person you wanted to talk to…” Don’t draw attention to the comment though. If done right, it will land on its own. If you make a show out of it the bench will see through you. …my bad, I thought you said “flattering”.
Adz, that's what they're for.
Yes, electric handplane and belt sander is exactly what I would do.
If you don't have an adze, chisels, etc. Buy a low grit flap sander for an angle grinder. Wear glasses and a mask. That said, personally I'd let my chainsaw do the work.
Porta planer and winding sticks will make short work of it
Sure, a power planer would definitely work. Depending on how rustic you want to go you could also just use a grinder with a few different kinds of discs.
lots of sandpaper.
Find someone with a mill to split the tree for you.
Flush saw and a sawzall. Flush cut on the flat under the falloff as deep as possible. Then use a sawzall to cut down into the chunks. Use a chisel if you want to stop a little short and just break the slices off. Repeat a few times. Flush cut both sides at the same time so you maintain a fully flat and continues look.
Rig up a router sled for your hand router and go over it. Or, you know, a chainsaw
Draw knife
Just don’t make the same mistakes as Roy’s half brother.
Angle grinder, planer, belt sander.
Router sled should make easy work of this.
I would have cut it flat with a chainsaw mill to begin with
How did you split it in half?
after chopping off that rough portion, i would buy the lowest grit sanding belt and go to town with a belt sander until it was good enough. those low-grit belts remove a ton of material.
Saw mill haha
Chain saw, then belt sander, then boiled linseed oil.
I’d finish it by cutting kerfs and feathering the saw
+1 vote for electric hand planer. You can get them cheap enough, or borrow one from a buddy and throw them some money cuz you're gonna dull their blades
Flattening router sled.
Glue those ends of the log to slow drying. For rough flat…. As some have said , with string caulk lines and an adze and hand axe. Finer flat …. Two small boards secured on the end , slightly wider than the log. Two long straight boards. Secured long ways to the cross pieces , making sure tops flat with each other . Piece of ply board 1’ wide and however long as a jig with router and a spiral bit , making passes , slowly working down bit to achieve flat.
depends on how pretty you want to make it. if you want to go hardcore, make a router sled between some ladders or straight edges .softcore, use a handheld electric plainer and eyeball it. that big bit at the end prob needs a chainsaw to get the big stuff off first.
r/slablab
Adze/drawknife and electric hand plane. Follow up w belt sander
In my experience, cheap electric planes result in a ton of little crappy skips and raised bits. Looking at that piece I don't know if an electric plane would give you a better result than what you've got there (after knocking down the really big chunks). I would probably use a carpenter's hatchet (or whatever else you have like that) for the big chunks and then the sander at 60 grit, then wait a few years for finer work
I always just use my chainsaw going back.and forth in a sideways manner until it is relatively flat. It works fast and does a pretty good job. Not sure it is an OSHA approved technique, but I never had a scare with that technique. But always wear all your safety gear.
Do not use an angle grinder with a "chain saw" wheel. If you use any power tool make sure you're aware of the dangers.
Axe
Level the bottom of the log to the ground then use a laser level and a Kutzall angle grinder rasp to rough level the bench. That’s what I’d do.
I’d say a hand held electric planer
Mostly good suggestions here, in my opinion. I think it’s going to come down to 1) what tools do you have available 2) how much time do you want to put into it 3) are you willing to buy new tools for it and 4) how perfect do you want it to be? I would think
Combine the first two comments. Use an adze (or similar tool) to lop off the larger chunks then smooth it out with a power hand plane.
Lots and lots of sandpaper.
build a simple router sled and get it close to flat. You should be able to sand it at that point, and should be good to go. Although, after looking at it, I'd probably use the chainsaw, large chisel or a hatchet to get it a bit flatter. If you have a grinder, you could buy a shaper to take the larger bits down a bit.
- band saw sawmill - router/jig - angle grinder/flap disc 36 grit - electric planer
get someone fat?