Hewing - The broadax was used to hew larger timbers. It was a large tool, and worked fast, but left a rough surface. To hew a timber, guidelines were first struck the length of the rough log, and guide wedges cut between the lines down to the intended face of the finished timber. The log was then positioned so that the face to be cut was vertical. Standing beside the timber, the axman then used his broadax used to hew off the unwanted material. A broadaxed member is typically rough and ragged appearing. The bottoms of the guide wedges typically are visible as v-shaped cuts running across the grain.