When a customer asked me to fill a 48 square foot area with wood slices at various diameters, I went to the web to look for a calculator.  I found two different calculators.  One for calculating how many wood slices of the same diameter to fill a specific area, and another one to calculate square footage and cost.  I'm sharing those links with you....

Calculate circles within a rectangle.

Well, I finally got around to updating some stuff on my website.
There are some pretty nice affiliate links I have found and listed.
From wood to bedding.  Everything is Rustic or Tool themes.
Check it out our Partners

When you buy an E-Z Log Tenon Cutter from Rustic Woodworking, you are not dealing with a big company.  You're just dealing with me, Sandy. After 27 years of driving a truck, Now I work in the office by day, and run my woodworking business at nights and on weekends.  If you have a problem,  just call me and I'll make things right.
Besides all of the other benefits of using an adjustable tenon cutter, one thing I can offer that the big dude's can't, is personal service.  
I have a FREE REPLACEMENT BLADE OFFER going on now, for customers who send me a usable photo to post on my website.  Other people want to see examples to get ideas.  Personally, I love to see your projects!  I'm willing to pay to see it and share with others.
If you purchase the E-Z from me, and send me a photo or two,  I'll send you a free  replacement blade.  If you are in business, making  log railings for your own customers, or whatever, I will list whatever you want me to list as free advertising.
Please fill out the Free Blade  Offer form here so I know you are legit, and I'll send you a tracking number when the blade is shipped.

On the other hand, when you build a log deer using a tenon and mortise, you, or your customer can swivel the head, neck, ears, and even the legs to make the deer look how they want.  And since it's not screwed together, they can disassemble it for easy storage, and bring it back out next year for display. 

I haven't had time to build any this year yet, but in past years I have sold them for $79 each, plus shipping online.  I'd never charge a local customer that much, but there are people who love this kind of stuff and don't have access to trees to build their own.

Right now I have the EZ Log Tenon Cutter (45-Degree) on sale for   $149.99.  Make two deer and sell them, you've paid for the cutter.  Make a few more deer and make a profit.

Christmas is coming quickly. 

I'll tell ya what.....
I have been wanting to make one of these babies for years.   I have searched the internet and I can't remember the name of the guy who initially posted it a few years back, but he had a great idea.  If anyone knows him, or can find him, let me know so I can thank him. I'm not going to post his pictures.  I'll just post mine.

There has been several times I needed to saw a twig or log in half.  I use half-sawn twigs for molding on top of rustic cabinet doors.  I have used half-sawn logs to make picture frames.

One thing I found difficult while sawing the logs in half, was to keep it vertically straight while sawing so it would have a flat bottom.  Ya know, you think you're eye-ball method is pretty accurate, until you get done sawing and see how the shape of the branch or log totally fooled your eye.  It's especially difficult when doing longer pieces, but best practice is to cut longer than needed.....a lot longer.

The other thing that makes it difficult to cut twigs and logs in half are the protruding branches that stick out of the log.  Ya love 'em, you want to keep them, but they sure make it hell to cut a straight line.

I did a Windows upgrade yesterday.  Irfanview used to be my default program to view photos.  Now Microsoft's Window's Photo Viewer opens my photos.  Imagine that.  Doesn't seem like I can add a photo right now.  Same old shit.  Struggling back and forth with Microsoft's take-over of my computer.

The 90-Degree Tenon Cutter can cut logs, branches, and even square wood if you're looking for the ease of creating the mortise.  It is a total pain to chisel out a square mortice.  It is so much simpler to use a forstner bit to drill the mortise, and have everything fit.
You have to pre-drill and 3/8" guide hole for the cutter to to follow.  You can drill that hole at any angle.  Whether you're trying to join up a stair rail at an angle to connect it to a wall, or if you're intricate with your log furniture building skills.   There is a lot more gluing surface, and the EZ-90 is great for rustic table legs.  Check it out.

For a liimited time, use coupon code BBB1OFF to receive $1.00 off on EACH SLICE if you order 5 or more of these Big Beautiful Birch Slices (Product #806)
Premium birch log slices that are slightly oval, measuring about 11" the long way, and 9 to 10" the short way.  These are 5/8" to 3/5" thick, with beautiful bark and wood grain.  Treated.  Not sanded.  Fresh stock.  Click here to go to order page.

To build a log deer that will last for a while, you should consider building it so that you can disassemble it, store it, and get it back out for future Holidays.
I have seen people screw or nail the legs on, and the neck and head.  People with an abundance of logs can do that.  They can just make another one. 
If you want to build one to last, I found that log tenon and mortice joinery works best.  It also allows you to twist a leg (not break a leg), turn a head, a neck, and adjust the deer to different positions. If you have a couple of deer, you can twist their head to be looking at each other, or something else, and change it any time you want.  It is great for kids.  It is like a big puzzle, putting them together.   And, just think of the fun in decorating them with red noses, ribbons and bows, maybe even a little sweater or something.
You can use trees with brown bark, or a tree that has white bark like birch or poplar.  If you keep your deer outside, they will weather and the bark will eventually fall off.   If you keep them indoors, they will last forever.  With a tenon and mortise joint, you simply take them apart for storage until next year.
With the E-Z Log Tenon Cutter, you can do that.  You are only limited to about a 4" diameter log to create a 1" up to a 3" diameter tenon.  If your log is a little larger than 4" in diameter, just trim it down with a chain saw, planer, or hand saw so it fits the E-Z Log Tenon Cutter.
It is probably too late for this year, but one of these days I will post plans to build log reindeer.  You can use your imagination to create what you want.  Some deer I've seen are really out of proportion, but that is the beauty of it.  Long legs.  Short Legs.  Big ears.  Skinny bodies.  It's all fun!!!!

Take advantage of the sale while it lasts.