Rough cedar log

A Figure in Cedar Wood

I bought this beautiful cedar log from a man who sells firewood. It was four feet long, but I decided to cut it in half.

At the time, I didn’t have a chain saw, which would have done the job in seconds.  So, with the help of a large log saw…

…plenty of sweat, and lots of rest breaks, I cut it in half after about two-and-a-half hours.  The pieces of wood that you see sticking out are wood shims that I used to keep the cut “open” as I progressed.

Japanese saws cut on the pull stroke rather than on the push stroke as Western saws do. The total length of my log saw is over three feet (37.5″), and the blade itself is 15.5″ long. Cutting on the pull stroke is the way to go!

About the author

Learn about Carol Griffin's background and view her abstract figurative sculptures and still life drawings.