ANNOUNCER: MAJOR FUNDING FOR "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" IS PROVIDED BY... [WIND BLOWING] [BIRD SQUAWKS] [THUNDER] [CRASH] [HORN HONKING] WHEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS, STATE FARM HAS THE TOOLS TO GET YOU TO A BETTER STATE, PROUD SPONSOR OF "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

[WOOD SCRAPING] HEY.

WELCOME BACK TO "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

I AM ROY UNDERHILL, AND I AM SO GLAD YOU COULD BE WITH ME AGAIN TODAY, BECAUSE WHO IS HERE BUT THE MAN WITH THE OAK IN HIS BEARD, PETER FOLLANSBEE.

HELLO, ROY.

HOW YOU DOING?

EXCELLENT.

AND I HEAR YOU'RE DOING VERY WELL.

YOUR LIFE HAS BECOME SERENE AND BEAUTIFUL.

CALM, CONTENTED.

MY LIFE HAS BEEN CHANGED BY A PIECE OF FURNITURE, ROY.

AND WHAT CAN THIS SECRET BE?

WOULD YOU DARE SHOW US, PLEASE?

I'LL GLADLY SHOW YOU.

IT'S A DESK BOX.

A DESK BOX COULD CHANGE ONE'S LIFE SO PROFOUNDLY?

ALL THE BOXES IN MY LIFE PRIOR TO THIS, FLAT-LIDS.

UH-HUH.

WHICH LEADS TO CLUTTER AND CHAOS.

BECAUSE IT'S A FLAT SURFACE AND MUST BE COVERED WITH STUFF.

YOU CAN NEVER GET INSIDE, AND YOU'VE GOT ALL OF THIS STUFF HERE.

BUT IF I WERE TO TAKE THIS AND PUT SOMETHING UPON-- AWAY IT GOES.

OFF WITH IT.

EXCELLENT.

SO YOU'RE GONNA SHOW US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS DESK BOX, AGAIN, YOU BEING A-- SO YOUR SPECIALTY BEING OAK FURNITURE OF THE 17th CENTURY, ENGLISH AND AMERICAN.

THAT'S RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO I WAS IN AN INSURANCE COMPANY IN HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ONE DAY AND SAW A 1660s, 1680s ORIGINAL THAT THIS IS NOW BASED ON.

THERE'S NOT ANYTHING EMBARRASSING INSIDE?

CAN WE OPEN IT UP?

I DON'T REMEMBER.

LET'S FIND OUT.

IT'S NOTHING BUT THE TILLS AND THE DRAWERS HERE.

OH, I CAN SEE YOUR DRAWERS, AND THERE'S THE TILLS AT THE BOTTOM.

IT'S ALL COMPARTMENTALIZED.

SO THERE'S A TRAY IN THE BACK, AS WELL.

AND DRAWERS--THESE ARE-- THESE ARE STRANGE DRAWERS TO ME.

SOMETIMES CALLED SLIDING TILLS, MAYBE, BUT, YEAH, LITTLE DRAWERS.

AND, UH, THIS AIN'T NO DOVETAIL, ROY.

NO!

THIS IS A DIFFERENT SCENE.

THEY'RE BARELY EVEN NAILED.

THEY'RE JUST--THEY LOOK LIKE WIRES BENT OVER.

THEY'RE JUST THE DEVIL TO MAKE.

THE BOX IS EASY TO MAKE.

THE DRAWERS ARE HARD TO MAKE.

HA HA!

REALLY?

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE'LL GET TO SEE ABOUT THAT.

IN FACT, LET ME PUT THIS OVER HERE ON THE BENCH TOP AND--JUST WONDERFUL.

I SEE THE JOINTS HERE.

THIS IS A, UM--UH, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?

A RABBET JOINT.

A LITTLE RABBET JOINT THERE DOWN IN THE CORNER, AND THEN I SEE PEGS, UH, COMING THROUGH.

SO PEGGED AND GLUED INTO A RABBET.

FREQUENTLY NAILED, BUT IN THIS CASE, WHAT I WAS COPYING WAS ONE THAT WAS PINNED AND GLUED LIKE THAT.

OH, GOSH.

AND THEN A WONDERFUL CARVING.

LET ME TURN THIS AROUND ON THIS SIDE HERE.

THAT IS JUST A GAS.

TYPICAL OF 17th-CENTURY ENGLISH AND NEW ENGLAND STUFF, THEY HAVE WHAT WE CALL A HORROR VACUI.

CAN'T LEAVE A BLANK SPACE.

FEAR OF A BLANK SPACE, SO THEY FILL THE WHOLE THING WITH DECORATION.

OH, GOSH.

BUT A GRAND CARVING THERE ALL THE WAY AROUND EXCEPT ON, OF COURSE, THE FACE HERE.

UGH, IT'S HORRIBLE.

WHY?

OH, I SEE THAT PIECE OF WOOD AND, TO ME, IT'S A BLANK CANVAS, AND I'M READY TO CARVE IT UP.

YOU HAVE HORROR VACUI, DO THAT DEEP INSIDE.

I DO.

I CAN'T STAND AN EMPTY PIECE OF OAK.

COME ON, NOW.

THIS IS BEAUT--LOOK AT THAT.

NOW, ALL THAT COLOR AND-- THE PATTERN, I SHOULD SAY.

THAT'S RAY FLECK.

SO THIS IS QUARTER-SAWN-- QUARTER-RIVEN.

QUARTER-RIVEN, YEAH.

IT'S RADIALLY SPLIT.

RADIALLY SPLIT FROM THE LOG, AND WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW TO DO THAT, HOW TO MAKE THIS WONDERFUL, UM, UH, QUARTER-OAK FURNITURE.

AND THIS IS WHITE OAK, AND THIS IS RED OAK, AND THEY JUST USED THEM INTERMINGLED?

YEAH.

I GO FOR STRAIGHT OAK.

I DON'T CARE IF IT'S RED OR WHITE.

YOU COME BACK 300 YEARS FROM NOW, IT'LL ALL BE ONE COLOR.

OH, SPLENDID.

ALL RIGHT--HA HA HA!--OK.

WELL, I'LL CHECK BACK IN A LITTLE BIT HERE.

SO WE CAN SHOW YOU SOME OF THAT WOOD.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE--YEAH.

THIS IS OAK.

ALL RIGHT.

YEAH, HERE I WAS SPLITTING UP PARTS FOR DRAWER PARTS AND DIVIDERS.

THIS ONE HAS A BIT OF A WIGGLE IN IT.

OH, OK.

SO LET'S SPLIT ANOTHER ONE.

BOY, YOU ARE A OAK SNOB...

I AM AN OAK SNOB.

SO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

NOW, RADIALLY, THIS MEANS IT'S LIKE A SLICE OF A PIE.

UH, NOT LIKE THAT, NOT LIKE THAT, BUT COMING IN AND OUT ON THE TREE.

SURE, BECAUSE THIS ORIENTATION, THEY'LL CUP AND TWIST A BIT, AND THAT'S MORE STABLE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE GOT THE RINGS GOING JUST LIKE THAT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO LET'S, UH-- LET'S SPLIT IT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO RIVE IT, AS YOU SAY.

RIVE IT WITH THE FROW.

THIS IS A LONG WEDGE HERE.

I'LL LET YOU DO IT.

I'LL KEEP MY HAND OUT OF THE WAY.

AND JUST DRIVE-- ALL RIGHT, LOOK AT THAT.

YOU CAN SEE THE CRACK.

OH, THAT SPLIT PRETTY EASILY.

WOW.

SO YOU'RE EXPLOITING THE PLANES OF WEAKNESS IN THE WOOD AND REVEALING THAT WONDERFUL, UH, RAY FLECK.

YOU CAN SEE IN RED OAK THEY'RE NOT AS PROFOUND AS THEY ARE IN WHITE OAK.

BUT NEVERTHELESS-- YOU CAN SEE RIGHT HERE.

THE CELLS, UH, HERE, THAT THEY ARE THE CELLS THAT COMMUNICATE IN AND OUT ON THE TREE FROM THE INSIDE TO THE OUTSIDE, SO GRAIN GOING THAT WAY.

A LITTLE--YEAH, AND THAT'S WHAT A RAY IS.

ALL RIGHT.

SO--AND THIS ONE'S A LITTLE BETTER THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE.

HA HA HA!

THEY LOOK PRETTY GOOD TO ME.

YEAH, YEAH.

SO YOU GONNA PLANE THESE DOWN NOW?

IS THAT THE NEXT STEP?

YEAH, THAT'D BE THE STEP, IS TO--IF-- THESE ARE SMALLER, BUT IF THIS WERE THE STOCK FOR THE SIDES AND THE FRONT OR THE BACK OF THE BOX, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BOX ITSELF, WE'D WORK THEM THAT THICK.

ALL RIGHT.

LET ME SHOW YOU A TINY BIT OF THAT.

I HAVE A BIGGER PIECE OVER HERE.

SO ALL I DO IS HAVE A PLANING STOP, OR I MIGHT PUT IT BETWEEN THE VICE AND DOGS, AND--AND DRESS THAT AT FIRST WITH THIS SCRUB PLANE OR FORE PLANE.

SO IT'S GOT THE IRON REALLY CAMBERED THERE.

YOU CAN SEE THIS THING IS JUST ROUNDED TO SCOOP OUT LIKE A SPOON ON THE BOTTOM.

YEAH.

AND THIS IS A GREAT PLANE.

I LIKE THIS.

IS THIS--BECAUSE I KNOW YOU WORKED WITH A LOT OF PLANES THAT CAME FROM THE "MARY ROSE" EXAMPLES FROM HENRY VIII'S...

I MAKE COPIES OF THEM.

RIGHT, NOT THE ORIGINALS.

THIS ONE WAS MADE BY OUR FRIEND BILL ANDERSON, AND I DID THE CARVED DECORATION ON IT, AND IT'S A DUTCH STYLE THAT BILL HAS COPIED HERE.

BUT THE DUTCH--THE PILGRIM-- I SHOULD SAY THE PILGRIMS, OR WHATEVER THEY WERE CALLED-- I DON'T KNOW.

THOSE ENGLISH.

THOSE ENGLISH GUYS THAT ARRIVED IN 1620, THEY HAD BEEN IN HOLLAND A LONG TIME, SO THE DUTCH-- THEY HAD BEEN IN HOLLAND A WHILE, BUT ALSO THERE HAD BEEN A LOT OF CONTINENTAL WORKMEN IN ENGLAND FOR AGES AND AGES, FOR A LONG TIME.

ALL RIGHT.

BUT AMERICA KNOWS HERE.

YES.

SO I DRESS THAT WITH THAT PLANE, AND THEN FOLLOW IT WITH A SMOOTHING PLANE.

SO, MUCH--WHAT MAKES IT A SMOOTHING PLANE, JUST SQUARE ACROSS... YEAH, A DIFFERENT SHAPE TO THE IRON.

YEAH, SEE, THE CUTTER IS VERY SQUARE ACROSS AND MORE GENTLE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT'LL PRODUCE THAT FLATTER SURFACE AND FINISHED SURFACE, CLEANING UP, EFFECTIVELY, AFTER THE SCRUB PLANE OR FORE PLANE.

AND YOU BRING THEM DOWN TO KIND OF THE THICKNESS THAT YOU WANT.

WHOOPS!

LOST THE DOG THERE.

NOW, THAT'S A PROBLEM YOU WOULD HAVE IF YOU HAD THIN WOOD, TO BE JUMPING OVER THE DOG.

WELL, THE THIN STUFF IN THE DRAWER PARTS...

IT'S--IT'S VEXING.

IT--IT HAS LOTS OF PROBLEMS.

BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE THIS.

WELL, THAT'S A FINISHED ONE.

OK.

SO IF WE WERE TO PUT THAT BETWEEN THE BENCH DOGS AND TIGHTEN IT, THEN THAT WILL JUST BOW.

YOU CAN SEE HOW FLEXIBLE IT IS, SO IT WON'T LAY ON THE BENCH.

IT WOULD POP UP BETWEEN THE DOGS.

SO IF YOU DON'T PUT IT IN THE VICE AND YOU JUST PUT IT AGAINST YOUR BENCH HOOK--YOUR BENCH DOG, THEN YOU RUN THE RISK OF HITTING THAT WITH YOUR PLANE BECAUSE THIS IS SO THIN.

THEN WHAT DO YOU DO?

SO WHAT--I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DID.

THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO KNOW.

WELL, I'M GLAD YOU ADMIT THAT.

IF I COULD TIME TRAVEL, YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T WANT TO KNOW ALL THE GREAT QUESTIONS; I'D WANT TO KNOW THE LITTLE ONES.

"HOW DID YOU GUYS PLANE ALL THOSE LITTLE DRAWER PARTS?"

WHAT I'VE DONE IS MADE THIS, UH, PLANING BOARD, WHICH IS JUST A FLAT PIECE OF WHITE PINE IN THIS CASE WITH A CLEAT OF OAK.

SO I--I BOP THAT.

LET'S PUT THAT THIS WAY, UP AGAINST THERE.

THAT'S NOT GONNA BOTHER YOUR, UH... THAT'S RIGHT.

YEAH.

THERE'S NO HARM THERE.

SO THEN IT'S JUST A MATTER OF SOME VERY DELIBERATE PLANING STROKES.

HOW DO YOU MEAN "DELIBERATE"?

WELL, I NEED TO PUT THE PRESSURE DOWNWARD.

SO WHEN I SWITCH TO THE SMOOTH PLANE, I'M REALLY CONSCIOUSLY PUSHING DOWNWARD BEFORE I PUSH FORWARD.

BECAUSE THIS CAN-- IF I HIT IT HERE, IT MIGHT BUMP UP AND GO SKIDDING ACROSS THE ROOM.

IT JUST COMES WITH THE TERRITORY OF BEING THIN-- A THIN STOCK.

SO, PLANING THIS STUFF, YOU REALLY NEED TO LIVE RIGHT TO PLANE IT, AND, UM... HA HA HA!

THERE'S TIMES WHEN I KNOW IT ISN'T THE DAY TO BE PLANING THAT REAL THIN STUFF, AND THEN MY DRAWERS COME OUT A LITTLE THICKER.

WELL, THIS IS BEAUT-- I CAN SEE THE RAYS COMING UP RIGHT HERE.

YEAH, THERE'S ANOTHER PIECE OF WHITE OAK.

AND THAT'S WHITE OAK AGAIN.

AND THEN, UH, WE HAVE SOME--[GRUNTS]-- LET ME PUT THIS OVER HERE, JUST SEE THE DIFFERENCE HERE.

THERE'S WHAT A RED OAK LOOKS LIKE.

AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE RAYS, BUT THEY'RE NOT QUITE AS PROFOUND AS THEY ARE... YEAH, USUALLY LARGER IN THE WHITE OAK, AREN'T THEY?

YEAH, YEAH.

WONDERFUL STUFF.

ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S SEE.

NOW WE'VE GOT-- SAY WE'VE GOT THE STOCK, IT'S BEAUTIFULLY QUARTERED.

NOW YOU'RE GONNA START-- YOU MUST HAVE A SET OF PLANS READY NOW?

I DON'T MAKE PLANS, ROY.

HA HA HA!

I REALLY DON'T.

AND YOU DON'T WHEN YOU'RE MAKING THIS, UH-- REPLICATING THEIR PROCESS?

IN THE CASE OF THIS BOX, I HAD, UM, THE OVERALL SIZE OF IT, SO I KNEW HOW TO MAKE THOSE PARTS.

BUT THEN FITTING THE GUTS IN IT-- WHAT I CALL THE GUTS ARE THE INNARDS OF THIS THING-- WELL, THAT'S ALL DONE JUST BY SCRIBING EVERYTHING.

SO WE LOOK AT ONE.

YEAH, YOU'VE GOT ONE IN PROGRESS, IF WE COULD TAKE A PEEK AT THAT.

AS YOU CAN SEE, HE'S TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, AS A DETECTIVE OF PROCESS, HOW THESE OLD GUYS WORKED.

WHAT DID THEY DO BACK THEN?

WELL, THERE WAS-- HA HA HA!

THIS IS YOUR JOB.

I'D GIVE WORLDS TO KNOW IN SOME CASES.

YEAH, WELL, YOU HAVE EVIDENCE, THOUGH, A LITTLE BIT: TOOL MARKS TO THE LEFT... SURE.

YEAH, THERE'S LOTS OF BITS AND PIECES HERE AND THERE.

AND VARIANCE, SO IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'D MAKE ALL THE PIECES TO A PRECISE MEASUREMENT OFF OF A PLAN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

UH--SO, HERE.

THIS IS PUT TOGETHER.

YOU'VE GOT THE PERIMETER.

YOU'VE GOT THE GALLERY IN THERE.

LET'S TAKE--LET'S TAKE SOME OF IT APART SO WE CAN SEE HOW IT GOES TOGETHER.

I JUST TOOK THAT APART HERE.

THIS IS THE-- HERE WE HAVE THE BACK TO THE TILLS... UH-HUH.

AND THAT'S ALSO THE DIVIDER TO THAT TRAY THAT GOES IN THE BACK.

ALL OF THIS WILL ULTIMATELY BE CAPTURED BY THE BOTTOM.

THERE'LL BE SIDES THAT'LL GO IN THESE TILLS.

LET'S PULL THAT UP THERE.

OK, SO NOW THIS SLIDES BACK OUT LIKE THAT.

YEP, YOU CAN JUST DROP IT RIGHT OUT.

AND THE TILLS DROP OUT.

OK.

SO THEY'RE HELD BY, UH, THIS GROOVE HERE.

LET ME GET THAT UP TO WHERE WE CAN SEE IT.

YEAH.

THAT GROOVE THERE.

SO THAT PIECE IS GROOVED, UH-- THE SIDE PIECE IS GROOVED WITH THIS DADO, AND SO IT'S HOUSED IN THERE.

AND THIS PIECE, UH, YOU COULD FIT IN AFTER ASSEMBLY.

UH, THIS OTHER PIECE HERE HAD TO GO IN FIRST.

THAT'S THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS TO GO IN DURING ASSEMBLY.

ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW TO CUT THIS KIND OF DADO, THIS CROSS-GRAIN, UH, JOINT, BUT IT'S INTERESTING.

YOU--JUST LIKE DOVETAILING, YOU FIT, UH--YOU DO YOUR OUTSIDE PIECE, AND THEN YOU START FITTING PIECES IN SMALLER AND SMALLER.

YEAH, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE LENGTH OF THIS WAS UNTIL I HAD THOSE ON... UNTIL YOU HAD THE BOX TO TELL YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

SO, DADO...THERE YOU GO.

SO WE HAVE SOME OF THAT IN THIS SECTION WE CALL THE GALLERY HERE, WHERE THE DRAWERS GO.

I'M SORRY.

YOU'VE GOT ME CONFUSED NOW.

BECAUSE HOW DO YOU FIGURE OUT WHERE THAT DADO GOES IF YOU DON'T MEASURE, AND YOU DON'T... WELL, FIRST OF ALL, IN THE SHELF ITSELF, I JUST DIVIDED IT IN HALVES AND HALVES AGAIN.

SO THIS, INSTEAD OF THE RULER...

SIMPLE WAY TO DO IT.

IS YOUR TOOL.

YEAH, YEAH.

OK.

SO YOU JUST PACE THAT OFF, WHATEVER IT IS, TO GET THE 4 EQUAL SPOTS.

WHEN I MEASURE THINGS WITH RULERS, I ALWAYS MIX THEM UP.

I ADD AN INCH OR LOSE AN INCH.

HA HA HA!

OK.

SO ALL I DID HERE WAS I PLANED THE-- THE FIXED TOP, LEFT IT A LITTLE OVERLONG, AND THEN TOOK A SQUARE AND SET IT SO ITS FRONT EDGE AND THE FRONT EDGE OF THE SHELF FORM A PLANE.

AND THEN I CARRIED THAT UP FROM THESE NOTCHES TO SCRIBE THE NOTCHES ON THE--ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE TOP.

SO WE'VE GOT ONE OF THEM THERE.

WE COULD LAY OUT THE NEXT ONE...

IF YOU WOULD, YEAH, YEAH.

LET'S SEE HOW YOU DO THAT NOW.

SO, ONCE I'M SATISFIED THAT ONE IS OK, THEN I JUST PRICK THAT MARK RIGHT THERE.

SO YOU'RE COMING UP FROM THE EXISTING DADO THAT'S DOWN HERE UP TO THE TOP.

YEAH, AND JUST CARRYING THAT ONE UP LIKE THAT.

AND EVEN THE WIDTH?

YEAH.

HA HA!

ALL RIGHT.

YEAH, BECAUSE I'M NOT NECESSARILY GOOD ENOUGH TO GET THEM ALL THE SAME WIDTH.

SO ONE PIECE AFTER ANOTHER, ADDING, ADDING IT IN?

YEAH, AND ORDINARILY I'D DO THE OTHER ONE NOW, TOO.

ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW WE CAN CARRY THAT ACROSS... ALL RIGHT.

AND... YOU'VE GOT JUST BARELY ENOUGH SQUARE THERE TO DO IT.

YEAH.

YEAH.

IT'S LIKE IT WAS TAILOR-MADE.

YEAH.

AND I WANT AS WELL...

BUT--WHICH YOU JUST SAID.

I MEAN, IT'S AS YOU SAY-- EVERYTHING IS TAILOR-MADE.

SO THERE'S THE SCRATCHES THAT YOU'RE GONNA CUT THE DADO, UH, BETWEEN.

AND THIS IS--I GUESS THERE ARE PLANES YOU CAN USE FOR, UH, DADO WORK, BUT YOU DO IT ALL WITH CHISEL AND...

I JUST DO IT WITH A BACKSAW AND A CHISEL BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A, UM, ROUTER PLANE.

HUH.

AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW?

SO HERE I'M JUST SETTING THE MARKING GAUGE TO GET ME THE DEPTH OF THAT NOTCH.

LITTLE TOOTH RIGHT THERE, SO HOW DEEP DOES THAT GO.

ALL RIGHT.

AND I SEE A LINE, AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOU DON'T EVEN OBEY YOUR OWN LINES!

WELL, SOMETIMES-- THERE'S MORE LIGHT IN YOUR SHOP THAN MINE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND SO I'LL JUST SCRIBE THAT FRONT AND BACK.

UH-HUH.

YOU JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE WORKING FROM THE SAME FACE.

UH-HUH.

WELL-- THERE YOU GO.

AND WHERE AM I?

I'M RIGHT THERE.

SO NOW WE CAN CUT THAT.

ALL RIGHT.

I DON'T KNOW HOW DEEP IT IS, BUT IT'S THAT DEEP.

OK, BECAUSE YOUR NEXT PIECE IS GONNA BE CUT CUSTOM TO FIT THAT, SO EACH PIECE-- EACH PIECE GOES WHERE IT BELONGS, AND THAT'S THE WAY THESE GUYS WORKED.

THAT'S WHY THEY WERE SO CONTENT AND BLISSFUL... HA HA HA!

BECAUSE EVERYTHING WENT WHERE IT BELONGED.

BECAUSE EVERYTHING SLID OFF THEIR FURNITURE AND THEY NEVER HAD TO MEASURE.

SO YOU'VE GOT A NICE-- SO I'VE GOT A LITTLE BENCH HOOK THERE.

ALL RIGHT, SO THIS IS A L-SHAPED PIECE, FITS ON THE FRONT OF THE BENCH.

CAN TRAP THAT LIKE THAT.

YEAH.

AND THEN I JUST SAW IT.

UH, I START AT THE FAR CORNER, DROP THE SAW DOWN THERE A BIT.

AND... JUST NEED TO WATCH THAT YOU'RE HITTING THAT DEPTH.

RIGHT.

WELL, I'M OVER HERE.

I CAN TELL YOU WHEN YOU GET TO THE DEPTH.

ALL RIGHT.

JUST A...ALMOST.

A LITTLE MORE.

A LITTLE MORE.

ALL RIGHT.

YEAH.

SO YOU JUST HIT BOTH ENDS THERE.

YEAH.

AND THEN I LIKE TO HIT THE MIDDLE A LITTLE EXTRA.

SO START AT THE BACK ON THE SIDE AWAY FROM YOU, THEN THE SIDE TOWARD YOU, CONNECT.

AND THIS IS VERY SMOOTH.

THIS IS A SAW THAT'S SHARPENED FOR CROSS-CUTTING.

YES.

YEP, EXACTLY.

IT WOULD BE A MUCH, UH, RASPIER SOUND IF IT WAS A RIPSAW, LIKE A TENON SAW.

RIGHT.

SO HOW DOES THAT DEPTH LOOK TO YOU OVER THERE?

LOOKS GREAT.

IT LOOKS GREAT.

SO WHAT I DO IS JUST THEN PICK THE SAW OFF A BIT, AND USING THE TOE, I JUST DRAG IT THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE CUT A LITTLE, BECAUSE IN PRACTICE I FIND I'LL OFTEN HAVE A PROUD AREA RIGHT THERE.

SO, BETTER TO GET THAT OUT OF THERE.

SO WE'VE GOT THE TWO MARKS THERE ALL THE WAY ACROSS.

ALL RIGHT.

AND SOMEWHERE I HAVE A CHISEL...RIGHT HERE.

AH.

OK. DO YOU WANT A HOLDFAST ON THAT?

BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN YOU USUALLY WORK WITH ONE.

SO THIS IS THE IRON TOOL THAT--LET'S SEE IF WE PUT THAT RIGHT THERE.

IS THAT GONNA BE ALL RIGHT?

WILL THAT GRAB IT THERE?

GOOD.

OK. ALL RIGHT, I'LL GET DOWN HERE AND I'LL WATCH ON THIS END.

ALL RIGHT, YOU SUPERVISE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO ALL I'M DOING IS I'VE GOT THE BEVEL UP.

THE--THE SHORT, SHARPENED FACE.

OK. AND I'M JUST ABOVE MY LINE TO KNOCK OUT THAT WASTE.

AH, IT SEEMS LIKE MY CUT WASN'T DEEP ENOUGH RIGHT THERE.

AH.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, YOU'VE STILL GOT THE SAW.

YEAH.

THERE YOU GO.

AND SO THAT CAN CARRY-- THIS CHISEL WILL REACH ABOUT TO THERE BEFORE THE SOCKET STARTS TO BUMP INTO THAT.

UH-HUH.

SO NOW I'M JUST GONNA FLIP IT OVER WITH THE BEVEL DOWN TO FINISH THAT SWATH.

THERE YOU GO.

ALL RIGHT, YOU'RE GOOD.

AND YOU'RE WORKING DOWN MORE GRADUALLY, I SEE, AS YOU GET TO THE END.

AND THEN I GO BACK WITH HAND PRESSURE TO JUST DRESS THAT DOWN.

HMM.

AND ALL OF THIS IS SO I CAN GET THE DIVIDERS IN PLACE, WHICH THEN WILL TELL ME HOW BIG THE DRAWERS ARE.

HA HA HA!

OK. BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT SIZE TO CUT THE DRAWERS UNTIL THE DIVIDERS GO IN.

OH, ALL RI--OK.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?

I'M GETTING THE SENSE OF HOW THIS THING WORKS HERE.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT, SO NOW IF WE COULD PUT THOSE...

I'M SORRY.

THESE--I KNOW THEY'RE CALLED DADOS NOW.

WERE THEY CALLED NOTCHES?

I'VE NOT SEEN "DADO" IN THAT PERIOD.

THEY DON'T USE THAT IN THE LANGUAGE?

WELL, AND THERE'S SO LITTLE WRITTEN THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY CALLED THIS STUFF.

WE DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DID IT, AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY CALLED IT.

AHH.

MAKE IT-- I THINK WE KNOW HOW THEY DIDN'T DO IT, THOUGH.

WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT WAS NOT DONE.

BUT ANYWAY, SO THIS IS IT.

THIS IS THE WAY THIS THING IS ASSEMBLED, VERY, VERY STRONG.

YEAH, SO YOU DRESS THAT A LITTLE BIT CLEANER THERE AND... ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT GOES BACK ON.

BUT WE CAN GET AN IDEA FOR, UM, HOW THAT ALL IS ALL GONNA WORK.

THIS DIVIDER--THEY'RE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE, THEY'RE NOT REVERSIBLE, SO I'VE MARKED ON THE BACK SPINE OF IT WHICH END IS UP.

I SEE.

BECAUSE IT GOES IN THAT WAY.

IT'S A BACK SPOT.

AND THAT'S-- [SNAP] AND NOW IT FIT--OOH.

IT SNAPS INTO PLACE.

I LIKE THAT.

IT OUGHT TO, YEAH.

YEAH.

OK.

SO YOU KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE ANOTHER DRAWER HERE.

HOW DO YOU GO WITH THE DRAWER AND FIND OUT YOUR MEASUREMENTS THERE?

WELL, ONCE I HAVE THE STOCK-- THE DRAWER BOTTOM, THE WIDTH OF IT, IT RUNS LIKE THIS.

SO ONCE I HAVE THAT STOCK DRESSED A LITTLE WIDER THAN I NEED IT, I'LL TAKE THE AWL AND JUST BUMP IT RIGHT THERE... AND THE OTHER DIVIDER WOULD BE IN PLACE HERE.

I'M JUST GOING NOW BY THE TRENCH FOR THE DIVIDER, THE NOTCH.

AND I JUST LEAN ON THAT A LITTLE BIT RIGHT THERE, AND THAT SHOWS-- THAT LITTLE POINT SHOWS ME WHERE TO SET MY MARKING GAUGE TO TRIM THE WIDTH OF THIS.

AH.

SEE THAT?

BECAUSE THIS--HANDLING THIS THIN WOOD IS A REAL A--A CHALLENGE.

THIS STUFF IS PRETTY THIN.

YEAH.

YOU HAVE TO-- LIKE I SAID, YOU HAVE TO BE WELL-CENTERED TO WORK THIS MATERIAL.

WELL, THAT'S IT.

THE SERENITY OF YOUR NEW DESK BOX HELPS YOU HAVE THAT.

REMOVED ALL THAT CHAOS AND CLUTTER FROM MY LIFE...

SO NOW YOU CAN HANDLE THE THIN STUFF.

IT'S NEVER GONNA BE THE SAME.

SO HERE I'M-- I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE THAT... YEAH.

OH, YEAH.

YEAH.

A LITTLE BIT OF BUMP THERE, BUT...

SO THAT GIVES ME A NOTION FOR HOW MUCH OF THAT I NEED TO TRIM OFF OF THERE.

AND SO NOT A WHOLE LOT, IT'S JUST A--ABOUT-- IT LOOKS LIKE ABOUT A HALF INCH.

YOU DO THAT WITH THE AX?

WELL, I'LL DO MUCH OF IT WITH THE HATCHET, AND THEN DRESS IT WITH THE PLANE.

SO, SEE HOW THAT GOES.

IT'S VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD.

I START AT THE BOTTOM... YEAH?

AND COME UP, MAKING THOSE NOTCHES.

SO IT'S REALLY JUST LIKE DRESSING ANY THICKER STOCK, AND I'LL BREAK THAT DOWN TO THOSE SCORE MARKS LIKE THAT.

WOW.

OK. AND DO THE SAME THING AGAIN.

AND REVERSE IT.

SO THESE ARE LIKE LITTLE STOPPING CUTS THAT BREAK THE POWER OF THE GRAIN, IS THE WAY I LIKE TO THINK ABOUT IT.

AND THEN BY COMING DOWN, IT'S NOT GONNA SPLIT; IT'LL GO UP IN ONE SMOOTH CUT LIKE THAT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO, EVERYBODY, GET OUT YOUR AX NOW.

WE'RE ALL GONNA PRACTICE TOGETHER.

HA HA HA!

IT'S, UH... LOOK AT THE-- AH, THAT'S GRAND.

SO THIS IS A WILD BLADE FREE AND READY TO DO ANYTHING.

NOW YOU NEED A CAPTIVE BLADE THAT'S TRAINED TO JUST TAKE OFF A SMALLER BIT THERE.

SO THAT MEANS... AND THAT'S THE PLANE.

A PLANE.

THE PLANE.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK GOODNESS FOR THOSE ROMANS OR WHOEVER IT WAS.

AH.

SO IN PLANING THIS STUFF, WE'LL USE THIS LARGE JOINTER PLANE.

YOU GONNA STAND IT UP IN-- YOU GOT SOME KIND OF SPECIAL CLAMP TO HOLD IT?

I DON'T REALLY LIKE TO HOLD IT.

YOU CAN HOLD IT IN THE VICE, HOLD IT ON THE BENCH.

BUT THIS THIN STUFF CAN WIGGLE AROUND, AND YOU'RE PUTTING YOUR HEAVY PLANE ON TOP OF IT, AND YOU CAN SKITTER OFF THIS WAY AND THAT.

SO IN--THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR, I HIT ON THE NOTION OF, UH-- I WAS A PRETEND COOPER FOR A FEW WEEKS ONE TIME... REALLY?

JUST THINKING, "WOW, I'D LIKE TO TRY THAT SORT OF THING."

SO I DO IT LIKE A COOPER DOES.

ALL RIGHT, AND A COOPER, OF COURSE, MAKES CASKS AND BARRELS AND... PAILS.

PAILS AND SUCH, OK.

SO THEY WORK WITH THEIR JOINTER.

SOME OF THEIR JOINTERS ARE, WHAT, 6 FEET LONG... AT LEAST, YEAH.

AND THEY'RE ON LEGS UPSIDE DOWN LIKE THIS, AND THE PLANE IS STATIONARY AND YOU MOVE THE WOOD.

SO I'VE TAKEN TO DOING THAT AND, UM-- FOR THESE DRAWERS.

A COUPLE OF CAUTIONS ARE, OF COURSE, ANYTIME YOU'VE GOT A--A PIECE LIKE THIS ON YOUR-- IN YOUR VICE, YOU'VE GOT THAT BLADE EXPOSED LIKE THAT.

SO DON'T SIT DOWN.

DON'T SIT DOWN, DON'T PUT YOUR LUNCH THERE, AND WATCH YOUR TOOLS AND THINGS, BECAUSE THAT IS AN EXPOSED CUTTING EDGE LIKE THAT.

HUH.

THE OTHER CAUTION IS REALLY TOOL MAINTENANCE.

IF I MAKE 50 OF THESE DRAWERS...

RIGHT.

AND RUN THIS BOARD THIS WAY TO THIN THOSE-- TO TRIM THOSE EDGES, I CAN REALLY JUST CUT A GROOVE RIGHT IN THE SOLE OF THE PLANE.

I CAN WEAR THE IRON IN ONE NARROW SPOT.

PARTICULARLY WITH THE HARD WHITE OAK.

YEAH.

SO WHAT I'M DOING IS SKEWING IT A BIT LIKE THAT, WHICH MAKES YOUR CUT A LITTLE EASIER... UH-HUH.

AND ALSO HELPS MAINTAIN THE TOOL BETTER.

SO A DIAGONAL--OK. AND THAT GIVES YOU A SKEW CUT, TOO.

YEAH.

RIGHT.

SO, PLANE UPSIDE DOWN...

EXCELLENT.

EXCELLENT.

AND SO YOU'D BE PREPPING LOTS OF STOCK FOR THE DRAWERS, BECAUSE LATER WE'RE GONNA SEE JUST WHY.

WELL, I-- AND, UH--SO YOU'D BE DOING A LOT OF THAT PLANING.

YEAH, I HAVE A FEELING.

EVERY TIME I SEE YOU DOING THIS, YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO AVOID NAILING THE BOX, BECAUSE I KNOW HOW YOU HATE IT.

IT'S JUST DREADFUL.

IT'S JUST DREADFUL.

WELL, WE MIGHT--LET'S AT LEAST SEE HOW THE RING GOES IN THERE AND JUST THE STEPS, BECAUSE I KNOW... SURE.

IT IS JUST NAILING, BUT, UH...

THERE'S SOMETHING TO IT.

IT'S A DRAG, I KNOW.

ALL RIGHT, SO YOU GOT-- HERE'S SOME DRAWER PARTS RIGHT HERE.

OH, OK. AND...

SO THIS IS A BOTTOM.

IT FITS IN HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND YOU SEE HOW IT'S DONE.

THE SIDES ARE THE SAME LENGTH AS THE DRAWER BOTTOM, AND THE FRONT FITS BETWEEN THE SIDES.

WELL, THAT'S-- CAN WE DO A FRONT JUST TO SEE... YEAH, YEAH.

I HAVE A FRONT RIGHT HERE.

OK. AND THE FIRST-- WHAT I FOUND BY TRIAL AND ERROR IS YOU PUT THE RING IN FIRST, BECAUSE I'VE BUILT DRAWERS AND THEN TRIED TO STAPLE THE RING IN THERE.

SO YOU WERE-- THAT DIDN'T GO WELL.

SO YOU WERE TRYING TO HAMMER INSIDE THAT.

THAT WAS NOT A DAY OF CONTENTMENT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WHAT I HIT ON IS I'LL PUT THAT IN FIRST, AND TO LOCATE IT, I USE A STRAIGHT EDGE AND JUST SCRIBE CORNER TO CORNER A "X."

SO "X" MARKS THE SPOT SORT OF THING.

I THINK THAT'S-- I LOVE THIS PART.

YEAH, WELL, THIS IS-- AND IT--IT WORKS PERFECTLY.

UH, IT'S LIKE USING A COMPASS.

IT'S JUST VERY SATISFYING.

BUT I THINK WHAT-- AND MOST PEOPLE ARE FAMILIAR WITH IT, FINDING THE CENTER THAT WAY-- BUT IN THIS CASE, THEY JUST LEAVE IT ON AS THE DECORATIVE ELEMENT THERE.

SO A LITTLE--HA HA HA!-- CRISSCROSS ON YOUR WORK THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW YOU GOT TO PUT THE HOLE THROUGH.

SO TO DO THAT, I HAVE THIS LITTLE REAMER.

UH, INSTEAD OF BORING A HOLE, I'LL JUST, UH, FORCE THE HOLE IN.

LET ME SEE WHERE THE HOLE IN THE BENCH IS.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

I ALWAYS APPRECIATE IT.

YOU DON'T WANT A NEW HOLE IN YOUR BENCH.

SO JUST LEAN ON IT AS I TWIST THAT, AND IT, UH-- IT REAMS THE HOLE, THOSE FILED CORNERS OF THIS REAMER.

SO IT'S JUST THIS SHARP SQUARE-TAPERED REAMER?

YEAH.

AND I THINK-- AND THIS IS JUST A CO-- A CURTAIN RING THERE?

A BRASS CURTAIN RING WITH A LITTLE FLATTENED BIT OF WIRE.

AND YOU ACTUALLY HAMMERED OUT COAT HANGER WIRE TO DO THAT.

THAT'S THE EXTENT OF MY METALWORKING.

HA HA HA!

AND THERE IT IS.

SO THAT'S THE PULL.

AND THEN THE OTHER SIDE IS GOING TO BE, UH, TAPPED OVER.

WELL, WE DON'T HAVE-- HA HA!--WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT.

I JUST WANT TO SAY THE, UH, NAILS ON THE SIDE...

THEY'RE ACTUALLY-- UH, YOU HAVE TO START A LITTLE HOLE, SNIP OFF THE TOP OF THE BRAD, AND THEN PEEN THEM OVER.

AND I THINK YOU HAVE DODGED IT ONCE AGAIN.

YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE TO DO ALL THAT TEDIOUS NAILING.

WHEW!

BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE JUST TIME--LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR, UH--THE FINISHED PIECE HERE... SURE.

AS WONDERFUL-- A LITTLE DESK BOX.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE LESSON TO ME, EVERY TIME I TALK WITH YOU, IS ABOUT-- PEOPLE SAY, "HOW DID THEY DO IT BACK THEN?"

A WHOLE LOT OF "THEY" AND A WHOLE LOT OF "BACK THEN," AND THEY DID IT ALL DIFFERENT KIND OF WAYS.

EVEN THOUGH THIS DRAWERS ARE JUST NAILED TOGETHER WITH BRADS, NOT DOVETAILED, THAT'S THE WAY THEY DID IT.

IT'S JUST WONDERFUL.

WELL, THAT'S THE WAY WE THINK THEY DID IT.

THAT'S THE WAY I'M SURE YOU DID IT.

THAT'S THE WAY I DID THIS ONE.

EXCELLENT.

WELL, PETER FOLLANSBEE, THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US HERE IN "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

MAY THE GRAIN BE WITH YOU.

SO LONG.

ANNOUNCER: LEARN MORE ABOUT TRADITIONAL WOODWORKING ON OUR WEBSITE.

YOU CAN FIND US AT pbs.org/woodwrightsshop.

MAJOR FUNDING FOR "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" IS PROVIDED BY... [WIND BLOWING] [BIRD SQUAWKS] [THUNDER] [CRASH] [HORN HONKING] WHEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS, STATE FARM HAS THE TOOLS TO GET YOU TO A BETTER STATE, PROUD SPONSOR OF "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

SECOND ANNOUNCER: BE MORE--PBS.

FIRST ANNOUNCER: ROY UNDERHILL IS THE AUTHOR OF "THE WOODWRIGHT'S GUIDE: WORKING WOOD WITH WEDGE AND EDGE," AS WELL AS OTHER BOOKS ON TRADITIONAL WOODWORKING, ALL PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS AND AVAILABLE IN BOOKSTORES AND LIBRARIES.