Brian Boggs, Chairmaker

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

[CAR HORNS BEEPING] [BANJO TWANG] [UPBEAT OLD-TIME FIDDLE MUSIC] ♪ HEY, HELLO AGAIN.

WELCOME BACK TO "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

I'M ROY UNDERHILL.

SO GLAD YOU CAN BE WITH ME AGAIN TODAY BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR GOOD FRIEND WITH US-- MASTER CHAIR MAKER, MASTER TEACHER, AND INNOVATOR IN HAND TOOLS-- BRIAN BOGGS.

BRIAN, GREAT TO SEE YOU HERE.

IT'S GOOD TO BE HERE, ROY.

AND GREAT TO SEE YOU WORKING ON THIS SHAVING HORSE OF YOUR OWN DESIGN.

INNOVATION.

TAKING THE COUNTRY BY STORM.

SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR HORSE AND SOME OF THE TOOLS THAT YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON.

BUT, BRIAN, I WONDER IF WE COULD START WITH YOUR CHAIRS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT-- A CHAIR MAKER.

SURE CAN.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S TAKE A PEEK.

IN FACT, CAN WE TAKE A LOOK AT THIS ONE, THE OAK ONE?

LET'S DO.

THIS, IT'S LIKE MY DOG RUNNING TO ME TO GREET ME WHEN I GET HOME.

I LOVE THE ENERGY OF THIS CHAIR HERE.

TELL ME ABOUT IT, NOW.

WHAT IS THIS?

OK, SO THIS WAS INSPIRED BY SOME EARLY CHAIRS THAT I WAS STARTING TO DO VERY SIMILAR TO JOHN ALEXANDER'S.

AND THEN OVER THE YEARS, I STARTED PLAYING WITH THE DESIGN AND JUST SORT OF--IN MY VIEW NOW LOOKING BACK-- SORT OF TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF WHAT THIS CHAIR WAS TRYING TO BECOME.

THE POINT OF THIS CHAIR IS TO CREATE COMFORT, STABILITY, AND TO KIND OF COMMUNICATE WITH THE PERSON WHO'S BUYING IT, OWNING IT, SITTING IN IT, ENJOYING IT WHAT THIS PROCESS IS ABOUT.

I UNDERSTAND ALL THE THINGS YOU WERE SAYING, BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL EMBODIED IN HERE IN A SILENT STATEMENT.

THAT'S RIGHT.

YOU FEEL IT.

IT'S JUST INCREDIBLE.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT.

AGAIN, OAK STEAM-BENT HERE ON THE BACK, THAT BACK SHAFT THERE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

THEY'RE SPLAYED TO HELP STABILIZE THE BASE SO IT WON'T FALL OVER.

AND THEN THE BEND UP HERE, THIS IS TO FOLLOW YOUR BACKBONE.

EACH CURVE OF THE SLAT IS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT, CORRESPONDING TO THAT PART OF YOUR BACK.

OH, MY GOSH.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, IT'S NOT JUST THE BACK THAT'S INVOLVED, WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER PART OF THE BODY THAT SITS RIGHT HERE ON THIS HICKORY BARK.

THIS IS JUST ASTOUNDING STUFF.

THAT'S RIGHT.

IT'S THE INNER BARK OF THE HICKORY TREE.

AND I'VE DEVELOPED A PROCESS THAT ALLOWS ME TO GET A VERY UNIFORM SPLINT.

AND THEN IN WEAVING EACH ONE OF THESE, I TAPER SIDE TO SIDE SO IT FITS THIS TAPERED SEAT.

AND I SEE THAT BACK HERE.

YOU'LL SEE THE--PIECES ARE NARROWER HERE AT THE BACK THAN THEY ARE DOWN AT THE FRONT, SO THEY KIND OF SPLAY OUT A LITTLE BIT SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO ADD IN THOSE FLOATING SECTIONS DOWN ON THE SIDES LIKE A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE TO DO.

YEAH, SO IT'S NOT SO MUCH A LABOR-SAVING DEVICE AS A WAY OF GETTING THESE LINES TO BE CONTINUOUS EVEN OUT TO THE END.

OH, GOSH.

IT'S A MARVELOUS, MARVELOUS.

BECAUSE I LOVE THE WHITE OAK, TOO...

IT'S ONE OF THE FAVORITES.

YEAH, THAT'S THE WOOD.

ALL RIGHT.

BUT WE GOT TO MOVE ON.

WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE HERE.

THIS ONE'S A ROCKER.

A ROCKING CHAIR IN CHERRY.

THAT'S RIGHT.

THAT'S RIGHT.

IT'S WILD BLACK CHERRY.

THIS IS A BEAUTY...

THIS IS ALSO STEAM-BENT.

THE SLATS EACH BENT DIFFERENTLY TO THAT PART OF YOUR BACK.

NICE.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT THIS CURVE HERE, THIS IS JUST TO INVITE THE SITTER.

BUT EACH LINE IS IMPORTANT.

THIS FOLLOWS YOUR BACK LINE.

THIS CUT-AWAY HERE IS THE ANGLE OF YOUR ELBOW WHEN YOU'RE HOLDING A BABY OR READING A BOOK.

THIS LINE HERE IS YOUR KNUCKLE LINE WHEN YOU'RE REACHING AROUND TO FEEL THE CUTS I'VE LEFT WITH A DRAWKNIFE FOR THE FINGERTIPS TO ENJOY.

SO EVERY DETAIL HAS AT LEAST A COUPLE OF PURPOSES.

AND THEN THE FINISH WHILE IT'S SMOOTH, IF YOU'RE TOUCHING IT, YOU CAN FEEL THE INTERESTING FACETS OF THE SPOKESHAVE.

THERE'S TEXTURE TO IT.

YEAH, I CAN FEEL IT.

I'M WORKING MY WAY AROUND.

SO THIS IS NOT SANDED OR ANYTHING.

NO.

YOU CAN SEE HEAVY DRAWKNIFE CUTS HERE.

EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE FACETED, THEY'RE VERY SLICK.

OH, GOSH.

AMERICAN CHERRY.

WHAT A WONDERFUL BEND.

AGAIN, STEAM-BENT WITH THAT WONDERFUL SINUOUS CURVE IN THERE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

I LOVE IT.

NOW, YOU HAVE BROUGHT OUT IN THIS ONE HERE, THIS IS A LITTLE SITTING CHAIR WITH A WONDERFUL DESIGN.

I JUST GOT TO LOOK AT THIS RIGHT HERE.

THIS IS CHERRY AGAIN AS WELL...

THIS IS QUARTER-SAWN CHERRY.

AND ALL OF THE PARTS IN THE BACK ARE QUARTER-SAWN SO THAT IT LINES THE MEDULLARY RAYS UP WITH THE LONG GRAIN OF THE OPPOSITE PART.

THAT IS ABOUT STABILITY.

OH, MAN.

WELL, YOU CAN SEE THE WAY THAT FLECK IN THERE IS JUST REALLY BROUGHT OUT.

FROM THE MEDULLARY RAYS.

JUST ASTOUNDING.

ALL RIGHT.

AND IT'S NEAT IN THIS DESIGN THAT THE SPLATS GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THIS LOW BACK RAIL.

WHAT WERE YOU WORKING ON WITH THIS CHAIR?

WELL, THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE.

I WANTED A LITTLE MORE LENGTH TO CREATE A FLEXIBLE BACK SLAT FOR MORE COMFORT.

BUT THE LONG LINE ACCENTUATES THE CURVES IN THE BACK.

YOU SEE MORE OF THIS CURVE.

AND MORE SPRING, TOO... MORE SPRING.

IT'S A LITTLE MORE INVITING.

AND IT JUST EXAGGERATES THE WHOLE POINT OF THAT BACK, WHICH IS TO INVITE YOU IN.

AND THIS IS A VERY SCULPTURAL WORK HERE.

VERY SCULPTURAL.

MASSIVE JOINTS HERE, WHICH GAVE ME THE STRENGTH THAT ALLOW ME TO ELIMINATE PIECES BELOW HERE.

SO THIS IS ALL OPEN FOR A MORE SIMPLE LOOK THAN I CAN HAVE WITH MY LADDER BACKS.

THIS IS KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF THE LATE SAM MALOOF'S INSPIRATION.

DEFINITELY SOME MALOOF INSPIRATION THERE, ALTHOUGH THE JOINERY IS VERY DIFFERENT.

THE IDEA OF SCULPTING THAT FLUID CURVE AROUND THERE COMES FROM BEING AROUND HIS WORK.

GOSH.

WONDERFUL.

SO, AGAIN, CHERRY.

AND YOUR DESIGNS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE INDIVIDUALS.

MORE BRIAN BOGGS, LESS FOLK CHAIRS.

BUT HERE'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE COME TO, WHERE A LOT OF PEOPLE BEGIN.

WELL, THIS IS COMING BACK FULL CIRCLE.

YEAH.

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE PIECE HERE.

YEAH, BACK TO THE ORIGINAL DESIGNS THAT I WAS PLAYING WITH.

THIS AGAIN INSPIRED BY JOHN ALEXANDER'S WORK.

THIS IS VERY CLOSE TO THE EARLY APPALACHIAN CHAIRS.

SOFT MAPLE FOR THE LEGS--RED MAPLE; HICKORY FOR THE SLATS AND RUNGS.

THAT'S AN IDEAL COMBINATION THAT WORKS AS THE LEGS, WHICH ARE DAMP AT ASSEMBLY TIME, SHRINK, AND THEN GRAB THAT HICKORY.

THE HICKORY SWELLS AND LOCKS INSIDE THAT LEG.

AND YOU'VE GOT A JOINT THAT'S VERY, VERY TIGHT AND THAT WILL LAST FOR GENERATIONS WITHOUT DEPENDING ON THE GLUE.

SO, AGAIN, JUST USING THE SHRINKAGE OF THE WOOD TO HOLD THIS THING TOGETHER.

THAT'S RIGHT.

THAT'S A DIFFERENTIAL SHRINK, WE SHOULD SAY, I GUESS.

THE DRY AND THE WET.

THAT'S RIGHT.

SHRINKAGE OF THE LEGS, SWELLING OF THE RUNGS.

AND THE RIGHT KINDS OF WOOD IN THE RIGHT PLACE.

AND THIS IS SOMETHING YOU SAY--APPRENTICES.

THIS IS YOUR APPRENTICE'S CHAIR.

THAT'S RIGHT.

I BROUGHT IT BACK TO TEACH THE BEGINNINGS OF CHAIR MAKING THE WAY I LEARNED.

I WANTED MY APPRENTICES TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT SIMPLER TO START OUT ON.

WELL, GOOD STUFF.

NOW, I WANT TO GET INTO THIS TECHNIQUE YOU DO TO MAKE THE PIECES A LITTLE BIT.

AND, OF COURSE, THAT'S HERE ON YOUR SHAVING HORSE.

AND WITH ALL THE ATTENTION PAID TO CHAIRS, YOU LAVISH THAT ATTENTION ON YOUR DESIGN OF THE SHAVING HORSE.

TELL ME ABOUT THIS HERE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

THIS WAS AN INSPIRATION FROM THE EARLY SHAVING HORSE LIKE THIS, AND A VERY PERSISTENT BACK ACHE.

OH, MY GOSH.

HA HA!

SO I DID A LOT OF STUDY WHILE BEING DOWN WITH A BAD BACK... YOU GOT A LEATHER SEAT THERE.

AND CAME UP WITH A TILTED SEAT TO HELP ROTATE MY PELVIS.

HOLDING YOU FORWARD.

IT HOLDS ME FORWARD, IT ROTATES MY PELVIS, WHICH RESTORES MY LUMBAR CURVE, KEEPING MY KNEES BELOW MY PELVIS.

IT KEEPS MY BACK A LITTLE BIT MORE OPEN.

AND BECAUSE THE SEAT IS TILTED, PART OF MY WEIGHT IS BORNE BY MY FEET.

RESTING ON THE FOOT BAR, MY WEIGHT, THEN, TRANSFERS TO CLAMPING FORCE.

SO IN THE RELAXED POSITION, THIS PIECE IS CLAMPED IN.

YOU'RE HARNESSING YOUR OWN GRAVITY WITH THIS DESIGN.

THAT'S RIGHT.

AND SO IT'S WORK TO OPEN UP, BUT VERY LITTLE WORK, RELAXING, TO HOLD.

HA HA!

I LIKE THAT.

AND, AGAIN, THIS IS ANGLED AT YOU WITH A ROTATING LEATHER HEAD RIGHT THERE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

SO IF THE PIECE IS A DIFFERENT SHAPE, THIS WILL FOLLOW THAT SHAPE.

THIS HOLDS IT EASILY.

SO THE PULL HERE IS JUST A MATTER OF A RELAXED-- I CAN SWING MY HANDS TOWARD ME.

IT'S GONNA CUT.

SO WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF EFFORT FROM MY BODY TO HOLD MYSELF IN POSITION OR HOLD THE WORK, I CAN FOCUS ON JUST MAKING THE CUT.

THAT'S WHAT IT ABOUT.

IT'S REALLY FOCUSING ON THE WOOD, SO IT'S TELLING YOU WHAT IT WANTS TO DO ALL THE TIME.

PUTTING MY ENERGY TO WORK WHERE I NEED IT TO BE.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, LET'S SEE THE ADJUSTMENT PART.

THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY WONDERFUL, I THINK, WITH THIS ONE AS WELL.

THE RATCHET ACTION.

THIS ACTUALLY HELPS THE PIVOT POWER.

BY KEEPING THIS IN THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT POSITION, IT ALLOWS ME TO HAVE MAXIMUM LEVERAGE HERE.

SO I WANTED THIS TO BE VERY EASILY ADJUSTABLE SO THAT I WOULDN'T WAIT UNTIL I ABSOLUTELY HAD TO ADJUST IT.

I CAN ADJUST IT WITH A THOUGHT OR EVEN WITHOUT THINKING.

HA HA!

THAT'S WONDERFUL.

AGAIN, KIND OF SNUBBED ON THE BACK THERE.

AND YOU SAY THAT HELPS WITH YOU WITH A CURVED PIECE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

IF I HAD A PIECE LIKE THIS RUNNING THROUGH HERE... OK.

IT'S NOT GONNA HIT ANYTHING OUT THERE.

AND I'M PUTTING A FINISH ON WITH THESE TOOLS, SO I DON'T WANT TO DENT THE PART.

WELL, HERE I AM ON JUST THIS OLD SPLITTER, AND MY OLD HORSE HERE IS LOOKING PRETTY LAME BESIDE IT.

BUT THIS IS WHERE IT CAME FROM.

AND YOU'RE MOVING THE TRADITION FORWARD.

THE TRADITION NEVER STOPPED, SO WHY SHOULD IT STOP NOW?

CARRY IT ON.

RIGHT.

I WANTED TO IMMERSE MYSELF IN THE OLD TRADITION TO UNDERSTAND IT BUT THEN BUILD FROM THERE TO BRINIT ABOUT AS FAR AS I CAN.

AND YOU'RE STILL WORKING WITH HAND TOOLS.

THAT'S RIGHT.

NOW YOU'RE GONNA DO IT.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, I TELL YOU WHAT, I WANT TO GET YOUR LITTLE DRAWKNIFE TECHNIQUE, BUT LET ME SPLIT YOU A FRESH PIECE AND WE'LL TAKE A SPINDLE THROUGH IT.

SO I'M GONNA BUST A PIECE OF HICKORY HERE.

AND I GET MY FROE AND MY MAUL.

AND DOES THIS LOOK LIKE IT'S BIG ENOUGH?

ALMOST BIG ENOUGH FOR A SPINDLE.

THAT'LL BE JUST FINE.

NOBODY'S MEASURING.

ALL RIGHT!

THIS IS A PIECE OF NICE-- ELLIOTT [INDISTINCT] GAVE ME THIS PIECE HERE.

A NICE PIECE OF HICKORY.

SO I GOT THAT.

WE'LL POP THAT OPEN, HE SAID.

AND ALL RIGHT.

NOW, WHEN YOU SPLIT THIS, OF COURSE, YOU'RE CAPTURING THE STRENGTH OF THE GRAIN IN THE PIECE.

YOU LIKE THAT ONE BETTER?

MM-HMM.

ALL RIGHT.

YOU ALSO SAY THAT MAKES IT EASIER TO WORK.

HOW IS THAT?

WELL, BECAUSE I'M CUTTING WITH THE GRAIN.

I'M GOING WITH THE FLOW OF THE PIECE.

I'M NOT FIGHTING THE GRAIN, ALTHOUGH THIS IS NEARLY DRY.

IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARDER.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S NICE ABOUT SPLITTING STOCK, TOO, IS YOU'RE WORKING THE WOOD WHILE IT'S GREEN.

IT'S SO MUCH EASIER TO CUT.

IT TAKES A LOT LESS MANUAL FORCE.

AND ARE YOU ABLE TO STILL GET AS GOOD A FINISH ON THE WOOD WHEN IT'S GREEN, OR DO YOU LET IT DRY AS YOU GET CLOSER TO SPOKESHAVING AND STUFF LIKE THAT?

I DON'T WORRY ABOUT GETTING A FINISH ON IT WHEN IT'S GREEN.

I TRY TO GET IT CLOSE TO SHAPE WHILE IT'S GREEN TO GET THE BULK OF THE WORK DONE WHILE IT'S EASY.

I FIND I GET A BETTER FINISH WHEN IT'S DRY.

BUT, ALSO, IT'S GONNA TAKE A WHILE TO DRY, I'M GOING TO BE HANDLING IT.

I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SCRATCHING THE FINISH.

NICE.

SO I'LL WAIT TILL THE VERY LAST MINUTE TO PUT THE FINISH ON, THE FINISH CUTS ON.

THAT'S PRETTY DARN DRY.

ALL RIGHT!

IT'S PRETTY DRY, BUT BECAUSE I'M CUTTING WITH THE GRAIN, EVEN HICKORY ISN'T BAD TO WORK.

WHAT MAKES IT HARDER TO WORK--NOW, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT TEARING HERE.

BUT IT'S AREAS LIKE THIS WHERE I'M FIGHTING THE GRAIN AND IN HARDWOOD THAT MAKE IT DOUBLY DIFFICULT TO WORK WITH.

ALL RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH IS ALSO MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

CAN WE TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR DRAWKNIFE HERE?

BECAUSE I KNOW YOU INNOVATE A LOT WITH TOOLS.

BUT THIS IS AN OLD DRAWKNIFE.

I JUST HAVEN'T HAD ANY COMPLAINTS WITH THIS.

I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE A TOOL THAT'S SO WELL-DEVELOPED, SO PERFECTLY IN TUNE WITH THE WAY A PERSON IS BUILT AND THE WAY A PERSON WORKS WITH THIS.

IT'S JUST LIKE AN EXTENSION OF MY HANDS.

IT JUST FEELS SO NICE.

I'M WORKING WITH IT HERE TO JUST SEE WHAT KIND OF BEVEL-- YOU HAVE A BEVEL ON THE BACKSIDE, SO INSTEAD OF THIS BEING FLAT, THAT'S SLIGHTLY ROUNDED-- NOT SO MUCH A BEVEL.

IT'S SLIGHTLY ROUNDED BECAUSE EVEN IN A STRAIGHT CUT, I'M COMING INTO THE WOOD AND THEN TURNING TO GO STRAIGHT.

SO THAT SWOOP AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CUT HAS TO BE MADE BY WHATEVER PART OF THE DRAWKNIFE IS DOWN.

SO THAT MEANS THAT WHATEVER IS DOWN, WHETHER IT'S THE BEVEL OR THE BACK, HAS TO HAVE AT LEAST THAT MUCH CURVE OR I'LL GRAB HERE AT THE BOTTOM WHEN I MAKE THAT TURN.

YOU GOT TO HAVE THAT ROCKER CONTROL A LITTLE BIT.

AM I RIGHT?

THAT'S RIGHT.

OK. AND THIS IS, AGAIN, HAS THAT STEEL.

THIS IS WONDERFUL.

I KNOW YOU WORK WITH NEW STEELS, BUT YOU LIKE THIS?

THIS IS LAMINATED.

IT HAS THE HARD OLD CARBON STEEL THERE AND THE WROUGHT-IRON BODY, THE TWO TYPES OF METAL.

THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS GOING ON HERE-- THE FACT THAT IT'S A HARD STEEL HERE AND A SOFT STEEL BACK HERE ALLOWS ME TO HAVE SOFT METAL HERE, AND I CAN ADJUST THE HANDLES HOWEVER I WANT.

JUST BEND THEM.

JUST BEND THEM COLD.

THE OTHER THING IS BECAUSE THIS WAS HAMMERED TOGETHER, A LOT OF PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THAT MAKES A TOUGHER BLADE.

WORK HARDENS IT MAYBE A LITTLE BIT?

I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT IT BREAKS UP OR MAKES THE GRAIN A LITTLE BIT FINER.

THAT'S SOMETHING I'VE BARELY GRASPED AN UNDERSTANDING OF, BUT ANYWAY, IT SOMEHOW MAKES SENSE TO ME.

WELL, LISTEN, I WANT YOU TO WATCH ME HERE A LITTLE BIT.

AND MAYBE YOU COULD EXPLAIN SOMETHING TO ME BECAUSE I HAVE WATCHED YOU.

AND, OF COURSE, WORKED BY MYSELF, WORKING, HOLDING THE DRAWKNIFE AS I'M DOING HERE, WITH A DIAGONAL CUT.

AND, YOU KNOW, TO MY MIND, INSTEAD OF WALKING STRAIGHT UP A HILL, YOU ARE WALKING UP THE SIDE OF A HILL DIAGONALLY.

AM I RIGHT?

THIS IS REDUCING THE EFFECTIVE BEVEL-- OR ANGLE?

IT'S REDUCING THE ANGLE BECAUSE THE ANGLE IS GOING MORE PARALLEL TO THE GRAIN.

AND, OF COUR, IF YOU WERE GOING DEAD STRAIGHT TO THE GRAIN, YOU'D HAVE A ZERO ANGLE.

THE MORE YOU ANGLE PERPENDICULAR TO THE BLADE, THE HIGHER THE ANGLE.

THAT'S ONLY PART OF WHAT'S HELPING YOUR CONTROL HERE.

WHEN YOU'RE PULLING STRAIGHT... LIKE THIS.

INTO THE CUT LIKE THAT... YOU'RE ROCKING ON A VERY TINY LINE JUST BEHIND THE BLADE.

NOTHING ELSE IS TOUCHING IT.

WHEN YOU'RE SKEWING, LIKE YOU WERE BEFORE, YOU'RE INCREASING THE LENGTH OF SUPPORT IN THE DIRECTION YOU'RE PULLING... AND I CAN FEEL IT DIGGING IN WHEN I DID THAT, IT WAS KIND OF CHATTERING AND DIGGING IN.

THAT STABILIZES IT.

WHEN I DO IT THIS WAY, I LENGTHEN THE WHEEL BASE THERE A TINY BIT.

AND LOOK WHERE YOUR HANDS ARE.

YOU'VE GOT ONE HAND WELL IN FRONT OF THE OTHER INSTEAD OF BOTH OF THEM BEING ON THE SAME LINE.

THE SAME PLANE, LIKE THAT.

RIGHT.

SO YOU'RE USING YOUR HANDS LIKE THIS TO STABILIZE THE CUT.

SO YOU'VE GOT A LOT MORE STABILITY, SO IT'S EASIER TO HOLD A CONSISTENT CHIP WITH THAT TYPE OF CUT.

THE OTHER THING, AS YOU'RE THROWING THE CHIP TO THE SIDE, IT'S KIND OF LIKE CONVERTING A STRAIGHT CUT TO A CROSS-GRAIN CUT.

OF COURSE, YOU MAKE THE COOL LITTLE CURLY CHIPS.

THE CURLICUES.

BUT, AGAIN, IT'S MORE OF A SKEW CUT WITH THE GRAIN.

SO INSTEAD OF DIGGING IN, IT'S KIND OF BEING WORKED FROM THE SIDES... THAT'S RIGHT.

WOOD IS LESS LIKELY TO SPLIT WHEN YOU'RE THROWING THAT CHIP OFF TO THE SIDE.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THAT ANSWERS A FEW--I MEAN, I KNEW IT WORKED, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHY.

ALL RIGHT.

SO LET'S GO THROUGH THIS.

LET ME SEE YOU BRING THAT DOWN NOW.

SO YOU HAVE A PROCESS, I THINK... THAT'S RIGHT.

I'M GONNA SQUARE THIS UP A LITTLE BIT.

EVEN I'M GONNA GO TO A ROUND...

I'LL LET YOU WORK AT FULL SPEED HERE FOR A SECOND.

I LIKE TO WORK WITH THE SQUARE FIRST.

AND THIS END'S ALL BEAT UP, SO I'M NOT GONNA WORRY ABOUT THAT TOO MUCH.

AND THEN I WILL MAKE AN OCTAGON.

THAT'S JUST SO THAT I'VE TAKEN INITIALLY 4 PLANES DOWN.

ALL RIGHT.

AND IT'S FASTER BECAUSE I'M ONLY WORKING 4 PLANES.

BUT IT ALSO GIVES ME A BETTER VIEW OF THE SHAPE OF THE PIECE, HAVING ONLY 4 CORNERS TO LOOK AT.

NOW IT'S MAINTAINING CORNERS.

AND WITH AN OCTAGON, I'M STILL WORKING FAIRLY EFFICIENTLY BECAUSE I'M ONLY WORKING 4 MORE SIDES.

UH-HUH.

NOW, WHEN I GET INTO A CUT LIKE THIS, I STOP WORKING WITH THE DRAWKNIFE.

I SEE THAT KNOT, YEAH.

THAT'S TEARING.

THAT'S THE GRAIN DROPPING DOWN.

SO AT THIS POINT, I WOULD START USING MY SPOKESHAVE.

ALL RIGHT.

DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE ON THAT PIECE OR GO TO A-- YEAH.

THIS IS FINE.

THIS IS A PERFECT PIECE BECAUSE THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHY YOU WOULD STOP USING THE DRAWKNIFE AND HOW A TOOL LIKE THIS WILL HELP CONTROL.

AND THIS IS VERY MUCH LIKE THE OLD SPOKESHAVES, THE OLD WOODEN ONES, THAT I ENJOY USING.

THAT FLAT BLADE DOWN THERE HELD BY TANGS.

SO YOUR ANGLE, IT'S LIKE HAVING A KNIFE RIGHT ON THE WOOD.

I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT IT IS.

IT BASICALLY WORKS LIKE A DRAWKNIFE.

AND THIS THROAT ADJUSTMENT HELPS CONTROL THE DEPTH OF CUT.

IT'S LIKE A DRAWKNIFE WIT A DEPTH OF THE CUT-- WITH A GAUGE-- THAT'S RIGHT.

EXACTLY.

SO THAT HELPS KEEP THE BLADE FROM DIGGING DOWN IN IN THAT TEAR.

BUT YOU'RE, AGAIN, WORKING KIND OF DIAGONALLY THERE-- I'M WORKING DIAGONALLY BECAUSE WITH THIS, I'M RESTING MOSTLY ON THE BLADE.

SO WITH THAT DIAGONAL CUT, IT HELPS STABILIZE THE CUT.

I'LL BE DARNED.

AND WHAT IS THIS, OSAGE ORANGE?

OSAGE ORANGE.

IT'S HAND-MADE HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA.

A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE TOOL.

BEAUTIFUL, YEAH!

WITH THIS LITTLE ANGLE, TOO, THIS IS A GREAT TOOL FOR END GRAIN.

OK. WOW.

ALL RIGHT.

SO YOU WORK THAT...

SO I ALWAYS WORK IT DOWN TO A CERTAIN POINT.

BUT EVEN WITH THIS TOOL, IT DOESN'T HAVE THE BEST CHIP CONTROL.

NOW, HOW ABOUT THIS ONE, NOW?

THIS ONE'S GOT EVERYTHING.

WELL, THIS IS YOUR OWN DESIGN NOW.

HA HA HA!

OK, I'M A LITTLE BIASED.

THIS IS BEING MANUFACTURED FOR YOU-- BUT THIS IS GREAT-- AND BEING SOLD BY OTHER FOLKS.

THAT'S RIGHT.

BUT WHAT MAKES IT WORK?

ALL RIGHT.

SO IT'S BALANCED.

SO IT'S GOT THE HANDLES IN LINE WITH THE BLADE.

SO WHETHER I'M PULLING OR TURNING IT AROUND AND PUSHING, IT WORKS JUST FINE.

NOW, THIS BLADE IS COMING IN.

AND THE CHIP BREAKER IS ALL THE WAY UP TO THE EDGE.

IT'S THIS CAP HERE THAT HOLDS IT ALL DOWN WITH THESE TWO SCREWS.

THAT'S REALLY A CHIP BREAKER RIGHT DOWN BY THE EDGE.

AND IT'S TURNING THAT CHIP OVER INSTEAD OF LIFTING THAT CHIP UP.

IT'S USING THE CHIP ITSELF TO HOLD THE WOOD DOWN AHEAD OF THE CUT SO IT DOESN'T LIFT UP, WHICH IS WHAT CAUSES THIS TEARING.

SO IT'LL TAKE A WHILE BECAUSE THAT'S A DEEP TEAR RIGHT THERE.

BUT YOU CAN SEE IT'S NO LONGER--IT'S NOT CONTINUING TO TEAR.

RIGHT.

IT'S CLEANING THAT UP.

AND THE DIAGONAL HELPS A LITTLE THROUGH THAT, TOO.

I SKEW WITH EVERYTHING I CAN WHETHER IT'S A PLANE OR A SHAVE FOR ALL THE REASONS I'VE DESCRIBED WITH YOUR DRAWKNIFE.

IT STABILIZES THE CUT.

IT CUTS MORE EASILY.

AND IT THROWS THAT CHIP TO THE SIDE.

THIS IS MIGHTY FINE.

NOW, THIS IS ALMOST GONE NOW.

I'M ALMOST TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT.

I GOT TO SEE THIS ONE NOW.

THIS IS ONE I JUST MADE ALL BY HAND.

THIS IS OUT OF STEEL BAR STOCK.

JUST MADE WITH A HACKSAW.

YOU JUST CUT THAT OUT AND FILED IT AND GROUND IT?

I WANTED A GOOD SPOKESHAVE, AND I COULDN'T BUY ONE.

SO I HAD TO INVENT ONE.

YOU JUST MAKE ONE!

ALL RIGHT.

SO THIS ACTUALLY WORKS VERY WELL, EVEN THOUGH I'M MISSING A SCREW AND I'VE GOT A WOOD PLUG IN THERE.

SO THIS HAS GOT A CONCAVE BOTTOM.

SO IT MATCHES THE GRADE OR THE CONTOUR THAT YOU'RE AIMING FOR...

IT'LL MORE EFFICIENTLY SHAVE SOMETHING ROUND BECAUSE IT TAKES FEWER CUTS TO DO IT.

THE WHOLE IDEA WITH HAVING THE RIGHT TOOL IS TO CUT WITH THE FEWEST STROKES NEEDED TO GET THE JOB FINISHED.

SO THIS DOES BASICALLY THE SAME THING AS THAT FLAT ONE, ONLY WITH THE ROUND, OR THE CURVED, EDGE I'LL MORE EFFICIENTLY SHAVE THIS ROUND.

NOW, YOU'VE GOT ONE HERE ALSO IN BRASS.

IS THAT THE SAME THING?

NOT QUITE.

THIS ONE WAS PRETTY GOOD.

AND I LIKED IT.

IT WORKED WELL.

BUT THE BALANCE DIDN'T FEEL RIGHT WHEN I SET IT ON THE WOOD.

IT FELT LIKE IT WAS FLOPPING ONTO THE WOOD.

HUH.

AND IT DIDN'T WORK THE SAME...

I CAN SEE THIS, YEAH.

PUSHING AND PULLING.

WITH THIS ONE, I CAN HOLD IT ANY WAY I WANT TO PULLING.

I CAN ALSO PUSH IT.

AND IT CUTS THE SAME.

I CAN USE IT ONE-HANDED PULLING, YEAH?

ONE-HANDED PUSHING.

AND IT'S GOT GOOD ACTION.

LIKE A KNIFE-SLINGER HERE.

OH, MY GOSH.

I CAN ALSO ROLL INTO IT.

JUST WORKING WITH ONE HAND AROUND THE END GRAIN.

THAT'S RIGHT.

ONE OF THE THINGS I DO WITH IT, IF I WANT TO CHAMFER THAT EDGE, I CAN JUST HOOK THAT AND ROLL.

SO LET'S SEE YOU WORK THAT EDGE HERE.

SO YOU GOT THAT IN ONE HAND.

WELL, I WOULD ROLL IT DOWN MY LEG.

OH, REALLY?

OK. JUST LIKE THIS.

OH, MAN!

ALMOST LIKE A LAPP BLADE.

AND IT MAKES A PERFECT CHAMFER.

THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.

LOOK AT THAT.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, IF THAT WEREN'T ENOUGH, YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE HERE.

THIS ONE HERE, WHICH REALLY WAS ASTOUNDING TO ME IN THAT IT SEEMS TO HAVE A WOODEN BLADE.

NOW, YOU PUT THE IRON IN UPSIDE-DOWN.

WHAT ARE YOU THINKING HERE?

THIS IS AN AMAZING TOOL.

I'M THINKING CHIP CONTROL.

AND JUST LIKE WITH THE OTHER ONE WHERE I'VE GOT THAT CHIP BREAKER RIGHT DOWN NEAR THE EDGE TO TURN THAT CHIP OVER QUICKLY, THIS ONE, THE WHOLE TOOL, THE WHOLE BLADE IS THE CHIP BREAKER.

AND THEN I BENT THAT EDGE FORWARD JUST LIKE THIS MODEL HERE.

HERE WE GO.

ONE IN SOFT METAL.

SO WE'RE SEEING THE ORIENTATION, THE BEVEL INSTEAD OF BEING LIKE THIS IN THE PREVIOUS ONE IS TURNED OVER LIKE THIS.

AND YOU CAN SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A HOOK RIGHT THERE, THAT LITTLE BRIGHT LINE, IS THE TURNED EDGE, AM I RIGHT?

JUST LIKE ON A CABINET SCRAPER.

THAT'S RIGHT.

SO THAT'S WHAT CUTS, THAT TURNED EDGE... THAT IS THE BLADE... AND THEN THE BODY OF THIS, THIS BEVEL HERE, BECOMES THE CHIP BREAKER, WHICH TURNS THE CHIP OVER AS SOON AS IT IS CUT BY THAT BURR, WHICH IS THE BLADE.

AND I'VE SEEN IT WORK...

SO WITH THIS ONE, I CAN CUT JUST ABOUT ANYTHING.

AND IT MAKES A MORE CRUMPLED CHIP THAT-- DO THAT SLOWLY.

DO THAT.

SO I GOT TO JUST SEE THAT SLOWLY WITH THAT.

YOU CAN SEE THAT CHIP COMING OUT OF THERE LIKE CREPE PAPER, BUT IT LEAVES A POLISHED SURFACE OVER ANY KNOT OR ANYTHING THAT WOULD TEAR OTHERWISE.

PHEW.

SO THE IDEA IS TO BE ABLE TO THINK ABOUT THE SHAPE OF THE PIECE AND LET THE TOOL DO THE WORK.

I'M GETTING LOST IN THIS HERE JUST MARVELING AT ALL THE TOOLS.

BUT THE WHOLE OBJECT OF THIS IS SO YOU CAN PAY ATTENTION TO THE WOOD AND NOT TO THE TOOL.

THAT'S RIGHT.

I WANT THE TOOLS TO DO THE WORK SO I CAN THINK ABOUT EXECUTING THE FORM THAT I'VE ENVISIONED FOR THIS DESIGN.

OH, MAN.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, THE WOOD NEVER GOES AWAY, THOUGH.

CAN WE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT LITTLE BIT RIGHT THERE?

YOUR APPRENTICE'S CHAIR?

I WANT TO SEE THAT ONE BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS YOU MENTIONED.

JOHN ALEXANDER AND THE WORK HE DID, AND STUDYING THE ORIENTATION OF THE GRAIN, YOU'RE REALLY THINKING THIS OUT MORE THAN THE OLD GUYS DID.

I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY DID THIS SO MUCH, BUT TELL ME WHAT YOU'VE GOT WITH THE GREEN WOOD HERE.

WELL, I HAD THE LUXURY OF BEING ABLE TO READ BOOKS THAT WERE WRITTEN MORE RECENTLY, AND A LOT OF SCIENTIFIC STUDY ABOUT WOOD MOVEMENT.

AND--THE GREEN WOOD CHAIR MAKING IS A WAY OF USING WOOD MOVEMENT TO THE BEST ADVANTAGE.

SO HERE I'VE GOT THE GROWTH RINGS GOING AROUND THIS WAY, AROUND THIS WAY IN THE BACK.

SO THEY GO AROUND THE CHAIR.

AND THE POSTS.

AND THE POSTS JUST LIKE THEY DID IN THE TREE.

SO IT PUTS THE TREE BACK TOGETHER AND KEEPS THE MOVEMENT AS THE PIECE SHRINKS AND SWELLS-- AND IT DOES THAT EVERY TIME THE WEATHER CHANGES.

THE SHRINKING AND SWELLING IS EVEN ON BOTH RUNGS.

OK.

SO YOU'VE EVENED IT OUT.

ONE'S NOT GETTING MORE STRESS THAN THE OTHER.

WHAT ABOUT THE ORIENTATION IN THESE PIECES HERE?

THESE PIECES ARE SUPER DRY AT ASSEMBLY TIME.

AND I'VE ORIENTED THEM WITH THE MEDULLARY RAYS VERTICALLY.

LET ME SEE.

I'VE GOT A PIECE HERE.

WE WERE TALKING ABOUT MEDULLARY RAYS.

THIS MIGHT BE THE BEST ONE, TOO.

A PIECE OF OAK.

SURE.

'CAUSE OAK HAS INCREDIBLE MEDULLARY RAYS.

YOU CAN SEE IT THERE.

SO THIS WOULD BE... LET ME GET THAT RIGHT THERE.

SO THIS IS THE WAY WE'RE ORIENTED IN THE TREE-- AM I RIGHT THERE-- WITH THE BARK TO THE OUTSIDE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

AND YOU CAN SEE, I THINK, RIGHT THERE THAT WONDERFUL SHINY STUFF.

THAT'S A MEDULLARY RAY.

THAT'S A RAY, AND THOSE ARE CELLS THAT GO THIS WAY IN AND OUT LIKE THE SPOKES OF A WHEEL ON THE TREE.

AND THAT KEEPS THE WOOD FROM SHRINKING AS MUCH IN THIS DIRECTION.

SO IT DOESN'T SHRINK AS MUCH THIS WAY.

IT SHRINKS THE MOST THIS WAY AND ALMOST NONE AT ALL IN THIS DIRECTION.

EXACTLY.

SO IF WE ORIENT THIS LIKE THAT... THAT'S THE WAY THE RUNGS ARE.

AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE RUNGS.

SO THE MEDULLARY RAYS NOW SHOWN ON THE END OF THIS ARE ILINE WITH THE MOST STABLE ORIENTATION OF THE LEG.

AND THAT DIMINISHES THE STRESS IN THIS JOINT IN THE WEATHER CHANGES.

HUMIDITY CHANGES ALONE CAN DESTROY A JOINT IF YOU DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THAT.

MAN.

OH, MAN.

WELL, SPEAKING OF DESTROYING, I WANT TO LOOK AT-- PEOPLE ARE SELLING OFF RAIN FOREST DOWN.

SO I WANT TO TAKE JUST A SECOND HERE.

WE GOT ABOUT A MINUTE TO LOOK AT ANOTHER PIECE HERE THAT I WANT TO SEE.

AND I THINK THIS MAY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF ALL HERE.

THIS IS YOU AND THE GREENWOOD... IS THAT RIGHT-- THE GREENWOOD FOLKS.

GREENWOOD IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT I HELPED FOUND WITH SCOTT LANDIS AND CURTIS BUCHANAN ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO.

AND GREENWOOD'S MISSION IS TO HELP THOSE IN AND AROUND RAIN FORESTS WORK TO MAINTAIN AND SUPPORT A HEALTHY FOREST SYSTEM.

IT'S ABOUT SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT.

AND WE TEACH THEM HOW TO ADD VALUE TO THOSE WOODS SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE A LIVING DOING THAT.

SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO SELL THE--YOU KNOW, CLEAR-CUT THIS FOREST TO SOME MANUFACTURER OFF SOMEWHERE AND DENUDE THEIR LAND.

THEY CAN ACTUALLY TAKE ONE TREE AND WORK IT RIGHT THERE AND MAKE FURNITURE TO SELL.

THEY CAN USE THE FOREST TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES.

ALL RIGHT.

AND WE SAY "TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES."

IT SUPPORTS US AS WELL.

EXACTLY.

THESE ARE THE LUNGS OF THE WORLD.

SO YOU ARE SAVING THE WORLD THROUGH WOODWORKING, YOU AND THE GREENWOOD GUYS.

ONE TREE AT A TIME.

WHAT KIND OF WOOD IS THIS RIGHT HERE?

THIS IS TORNILLO ROJO-- EXCUSE ME.

THIS IS TORNILLO AMARILLO.

WE ALSO WORK WITH TORNILLO ROJO.

THIS IS YELLOW SCREW IS WHAT THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION IS.

YELLOW SCREW?

THAT'S RIGHT.

BECAUSE THE GRAIN GOES AROUND THE TREE LIKE A SCREW THREAD.

THAT AND THE FACT THAT IT'S VERY ABRASIVE MAKE IT A VERY DIFFICULT WOOD TO WORK WITH.

THAT'S WHY IT ADDS THERE.

THAT'S WHY IT JUST ADDS ACROSS THE GRAIN.

WELL, BRIAN BOGGS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US AND FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING.

YOU'VE JUST ADDED SO MUCH TO THIS WONDERFUL CRAFT.

I APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH.

AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME.

THIS IS ROY UNDERHILL HERE IN THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

SO LONG.

LEARN MORE ABOUT "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" AND TRADITIONAL WOODWORKING ON OUR WEBSITE.

YOU CAN FIND US ONLINE AT pbs.org.

[UPBEAT OLD-TIME FIDDLE MUSIC] ♪ MAJOR FUNDING FOR "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" IS PROVIDED BY... [WIND BLOWING] [BIRD SQUAWKS] [THUNDER] [CAR ALARM BLARING] WHEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS, STATE FARM HAS THE TOOLS TO GET YOU TO A BETTER STATE, PROUD SPONSOR OF "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

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 AT BOOKSTORES AND LIBRARIES.