hewing

thumb|upright|A German carpenter (Zimmerer) hewing a log into a beam. Note the blue chalk line snapped on the log to which the hewer works. thumb| In some medieval Scandinavian buildings a special method of hewing which produces a herringbone pattern on the timbers has been used (Swedish: Slinthuggning, Norwegian: Sprettejling). This is a modern reconstruction in Stråsjö Chapel in Hälsingland, Sweden. thumb|Stråsjö Chapel

In woodworking, hewing is the process of converting a log from its rounded natural form into lumber (timber) with more or less flat surfaces using primarily an axe. It is an ancient method, and before the advent of sawmills, it was a standard way of squaring up wooden beams for timber framing. Today it is still used occasionally for that purpose by anyone who has logs, needs beams, and cannot or would prefer not to pay for finished lumber. Thus, homesteaders on frugal budgets, for example, may hew their own lumber rather than buy it.