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[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'RE GONNA DELVE INTO THE 3--WELL, THE T--WELL, JUST THE ONE SECRET OF WHAT MAKES THESE TOOLS, ALL OF THESE TOOLS--WHETHER THEY ARE SAWS, WHETHER THEY'RE CHISELS, WHETHER THEY'RE PLANES--MAKES THEM WORK EASIER.

AND OF COURSE, SKILL HELPS, I GUESS, KNOWLEDGE, AND OF COURSE SHARPNESS.

YOU GRIND AND YOU HONE YOUR TOOLS TO PERFECTION.

BUT THERE'S ANOTHER SECRET THAT'S USED MUCH MORE IN CONTINENTAL EUROPE THAN IT IS IN AMERICA, AND MAYBE WE SHOULD LEARN FROM IT.

LET'S LOOK AT SOME--WELL, LOOK RIGHT HERE.

LOOK HERE.

LOOK AT THIS PLANE.

NOW, THIS IS A CONTINENTAL-- THIS IS AN ENGLISH PLANE, RATHER.

HERE'S AN ENGLISH WONDERFUL PLANE.

LOOK AT THAT.

AND HERE IS AN AMERICAN PLANE OF ABOUT THE SAME PERIOD, AND THEY'RE BOTH MADE OUT OF THE SAME KIND OF WOOD, BUT WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON WITH THIS?

IT'S BLACK, EXCEPT WHERE THE HANDPRINTS ARE WEARING THROUGH THE LAYER OF MUTTON TALLOW ON THIS PLANE.

THE ENGLISH, THE EUROPEANS, USE TALLOW GREASE, BEESWAX, ON ALL OF THEIR TOOLS.

WHETHER IT'S THEIR CHISELS, THEIR AUGERS, THEIR SAWS, THEIR SECRET IS...GREASE.

THEY USE GREASE IN EUROPE ON THEIR TOOLS, AND WE NEED TO DO MORE OF THAT HERE SO WE'LL HAVE TO USE LESS ELBOW GREASE.

NOW, I HAVE BEEN USUALLY KEEPING MY GREASE, MY MUTTON TALLOW--OF COURSE, YOU JUST CHOP UP THE MUTTON FAT AND THEN BOIL IT AND LET IT CONDENSE ON TOP OF THE WATER.

YOU GET THIS KIND OF STUFF RIGHT HERE.

AND I KEEP IT IN A LITTLE TEA TIN HERE, AND THIS IS JUST THE STUFF, JUST SLIPPERY, SLIPPERY STUFF.

BUT I'VE BEEN KEEPING IT AN INAPPROPRIATE CONTAINER.

WHAT I WANT IS A NICE CONTAINER, AND I'VE GOT ONE RIGHT HERE, AND THAT IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA MAKE: A LITTLE GREASE POT, A DOVETAILED GREASE POT THAT JUST GETS DARKER AS WE DELVE INTO IT AND GET MORE GREASE OUT OF IT.

AND IT'S A SECRET KIND OF LITTLE GREASE POT.

SEE, LOOK AT THAT, JUST A LITTLE BLOCK OF WOOD, AND YOU CAN SEE A SCREW ON THE TOP AND A BUTTERFLY, A DOVETAIL KEY OF BOXWOOD, SET INTO THE END.

WHAT'S GOING ON THERE?

AH.

WE SEE A SLIGHT, FAINT LINE RIGHT THERE AND A SCREW AT THE END.

SO THAT TELLS US THAT THIS TOP PROBABLY SWINGS OVER TO THEIDE.

SO NOW IT'S OPEN--AH!

WAIT.

WE SEE NOTHING.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

HOW DO WE GET INSIDE TO GET TO OUR GREASE POT?

WELL, WE HAVE TO PULL BACK AND REVEAL THE LOWER LID, AND THEN WE HAVE--AH, YES, NOW WE'RE INTO OUR LITTLE GREASE POT.

SO THIS HAS A LITTLE LOCKING LID TO IT.

THIS LOWER LID SWINGS ON AND CLIPS OVER THE DOVETAIL THAT'S GLUED INTO THE BOTTOM PART RIGHT THERE.

AND THEN THIS UPPER PART SWINGS DOWN AND LOCKS IT WITH A CLICK INTO POSITION THERE.

SO A LITTLE DOVETAILED GREASE POT--THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA MAKE.

SO, SOMETHING YOU CAN MAKE OUT OF JUST SCRAP WOOD.

YOU DON'T NEED A LOT OF WOOD HERE.

I'VE JUST GOT A LITTLE BIT OF WALNUT, JUST WALNUT, JUST BECAUSE IT'S NICE AND DARK, BUT IT HAS A BIG KNOT IN IT, SO I CAN'T REALLY MAKE A CHAIR LEG OUT OF IT.

SO WE'LL TAKE ABOUT A 3 1/2" LENGTH AND MAKE OURSELVES A LITTLE DOVETAILED GREASE POT.

SO THERE WE GO, ABOUT 3 1/2", AND I'LL GET MY FIREWOOD SAW.

I MAY NEED TO STICK MY--NO, THAT'S OK.

I CAN DO IT.

I JUST WANT TO CLEAR THE BENCH.

JUST SET THE FIREWOOD SAW IN THERE AND CUT ON DOWN.

NOW, EVEN THIS TOOL--THIS BLADE RIGHT HERE BENEFITS FROM HAVING GREASE ON IT.

BEESWAX.

VEGETABLE OIL.

IT ALL HELPS THERE.

LITTLE LESS WORK CUTTING THIS RIGHT ON...DOWN.

THERE WE GO.

SO A LITTLE 3 1/2" LENGTH OF WALNUT THERE.

WALNUT HAS A WONDERFUL PROPERTY OF CLEAVING VERY NICELY.

SO WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO CLEAVE THIS PIECE USING OUR LITTLE CLEAVING KNIFE HERE AND MAKE ABOUT AN INCH AND A HALF SQUARE CUBE OUT OF IT.

THIS IS THE CLEAVING KNIFE RIGHT THERE, ON THE END GRAIN OF THE WALNUT, AND SEE WHAT I CAN DO... TO CLEAVE OFF THE SIDES.

LOOK AT THAT, HOW NICE THAT SPLITS.

JACOB BRONOWSKI, I WAS READING THE OTHER DAY, IT'S WONDERFUL--"THE ASCENT OF MAN."

HE'S TALKING ABOUT HOW TOOLS NOT ONLY EXTEND OUR REACH, BUT OUR VISION.

THEY REVEAL THE STRUCTURE INSIDE OF NATURE.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE STRAIGHT GRAIN OF THE WOOD THAT LATER LED US TO EXPLORE THE STRAIGHT GRAIN OF THE STONE THAT LED US TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF NATURE ITSELF.

SO FROM THE STRUCTURE OF NATURE COMES THE NATURE OF THE STRUCTURE.

LET'S PLANE THIS SQUARE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW I'LL TAKE MY AMERICAN-- MY UN-GREASY--WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THEM BLACK, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE A LOT OF THAT'S THE LINSEED OIL THAT TURNS DARK, BUT AGAIN, JUST A LITTLE BIT OF THAT TALLOW OR GREASE OR BEESWAX ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PLANE MAKES IT JUST CUT MUCH, MUCH EASIER.

SO TO WORK OUR WAY ALONG WITH THIS LITTLE SCRAP HERE, JUSTETTING ONE SIDE FLAT, SAME WAY WE ALWAYS TRUE UP THE STOCK.

GET ONE SIDE DEAD FLAT, ALL RIGHT, AND THEN BRING ANOTHER SIDE TO A RIGHT ANGLE.

AND WE'LL KEEP TESTING-- HERE, LET'S SEE.

WHERE IS MY TRY SQUARE?

WE TALK ABOUT A TRY SQUARE BECAUSE WE TRY THE ANGLE-- NOW, RIGHT HERE, T-R-Y.

SET DOWN, AND SEE IF THAT IS INDEED A RIGHT ANGLE.

AND YOU SEE, YOU CAN SEE THERE THAT IT IS PRETTY DARN CLOSE BUT A LITTLE BIT TIGHT ON THE INSIDE.

SO I'LL PLANE A LITTLE BIT MORE RIGHT THERE.

SO WE'LL SET THIS GUY IN.

I THINK WE'LL GO TO A LITTLE LIGHTER PLANING CUT HERE WITH THIS LOW-ANGLE ONE, AND I CHOSE THAT BECAUSE I SEE A LITTLE ROUGHNESS IN THE GRAIN RIGHT IN THERE, AND THIS LOW-ANGLE PLANE IS LESS LIKELY TO TEAR THAT UP.

SO MAKE THIS A CUBE BY, AGAIN, GETTING THOSE TWO RIGHT ANGLES-- THESE ARE RIGHT ANGLES TO EACH OTHER NOW--AND THEN, WITH THE GAUGE SET AT AN INCH AND A HALF, WE'LL ESTABLISH A PARALLEL FACE AN INCH AND A HALF OVER AND A PARALLEL FACE, OR LINE, AN INCH AND A HALF OVER.

AND THEN WE JUST CLAMP THAT UP AND PLANE IT PARALLEL UNTIL WE ARE TO THIS STAGE RIGHT HERE.

THERE YOU GO.

SO LET'S JUST MOVE ON TO THIS PIECE RIGHT HERE BECAUSE WE WANT TO GET ON WITH OUR GREASE POT.

YES, INDEED, OUR LITTLE DOVETAILED GREASE POT.

I SAY "DOVETAIL" BECAUSE, WELL, IT'S GOT THAT BUTTERFLY KEY, OR A DOVETAIL KEY, RIGHT THERE--IT'S WONDERFUL-- BUT IT'S ALSO KIND OF DOVETAILED IN THE FACT THAT IT'S UNDERCUT ON THIS FACE RIGHT HERE.

YOU'LL SEE THE WAY THAT IS UNDERCUT AND KIND OF CAUGHT UNDERNEATH THERE, KIND OF LIKE A DOVETAIL.

IN FACT, THE ANGLE THAT I'M USING IS ABOUT 1 IN 6, WHICH IS KIND OF WHAT YOU WOULD USE FOR A DOVETAIL.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF ANGLE TO THIS PIECE.

THIS LINE CAN'T BE SQUARE ACROSS, BECAUSE IF IT WERE, IT COULDN'T SWING.

YOU COULDN'T GET THAT ARC.

SEE, IF YOU HAD IT SQUARE, IT WOULD KIND OF CATCH ON ITSELF AND WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SWING CLEAR.

SO YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN ANGLE THERE.

YOU SEE THAT GRABS A LITTLE BIT RIGHT THERE?

ALL RIGHT.

AND THAT'S JUST ENOUGH TO MAKE IT OPEN.

AND THEN THIS WILL SLIDE BACK BECAUSE THIS IS A SOLID SCREW HOLE RIGHT HERE, BUT THIS ONE IS SLOTTED.

YOU'LL SEE MORE OF THAT IN A LITTLE BIT.

SO WE'RE ABLE TO SLIDE THIS ONE BACK.

THIS COVERS THE SLOTTED SCREW HOLE IN THIS ONE.

SO WE WANT TO DO THIS ANGLE FIRST AND THIS CUT, AND WE WILL DO THAT WITH OUR--LET'S SEE.

I'LL CHOOSE MY UPSIDE.

LET'S CHOOSE RIGHT HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO I'LL LAY THIS ACROSS AND STRIKE IT WITH A SCRIBE ACROSS THE GRAIN AND THEN DOWN THE GRAIN TO DO THAT LITTLE UNDERCUT THAT WILL CATCH.

YEP.

YEP.

AND THEN ON THIS SIDE, A LITTLE UNDERCUT USING THIS BEVEL, SET SO THE SLOPE IS ABOUT 1 IN 6, MEANING IN 6 INCHES, THIS IS OPEN ABOUT ONE INCH RIGHT THERE.

I'M GUESSING THAT'S ABOUT WHAT I HAVE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND NOW WE WANT TO DO THE TWO LIDS.

THERE ARE TWO LIDS TO THIS THING.

THERE'S THIS OUTER LID AND THEN THE INNER LID, AND THEY ARE BOTH ABOUT A QUARTER-INCH THICK WHEN YOU START.

SEE HOW THIN THEY ARE?

THEY'RE ONLY A QUARTER-INCH THICK WHEN YOU START, BUT THEN YOU GET INTO THEM, YOU LOSE A LITTLE BIT FOR THAT CURVE.

SO YOU WANT TO BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU LAY THIS OUT TO ACCOUNT FOR THE CURVE, AND I HAVE GOT A GAUGE SET NOW--I'VE SET THAT ABOUT A QUARTER-INCH DOWN.

YOU SEE THE TWO TEETH RIGHT THERE.

IT'S ABOUT A QUARTER-INCH OUT FROM THE BEAM AND A QUARTER-INCH BETWEEN THOSE TWO TEETH SO THAT WHEN I SCRIBE--AND I SCRIBE DEEPLY BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA SAW RIGHT IN THAT CURVE.

I'M GONNA SAW RIGHT IN THE LINE, RIGHT, MADE BY THAT SCRIBE.

THESE ARE SET JUST SHY OF A QUARTER-INCH, JUST SHY.

I'LL TELL YOU, THERE'S ENOUGH OF THIS...HEH!

SAWING THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT TOO HARD FOR YOURSELF.

BUT ALSO, IT'S A SMALL ENOUGH PIECE THAT YOU CAN EXPERIMENT.

I MADE MY FIRST ONE OF THESE AFTER I SAW IT, AND I CAN'T THINK WHERE I SAW THE FIRST OF THESE IN THIS STYLE.

I MADE THE FIRST ONE OUT OF TULIP POPLAR AND ELM FOR THE DOVETAIL KEY AND JUST CHEAPER, EASY-TO-WORK WOOD.

SO THERE WE GO.

WE'VE GOT THE TWO LINES LAID OUT FOR THE LID.

NOW WE WANT TO SAW THIS LINE BACK HERE AT THE BENCH.

SO LET ME CLEAR THE WAY A LITTLE BIT.

LET'S SEE.

DO WE NEED THAT?

I'LL JUST CLEAR SOME OF THIS STUFF OUT OF THE WAY.

FOR CHAOS QUICKLY DEVELOPS.

ENTROPY IS ALWAYS AT WORK ON MY BENCH.

SO THERE WE ARE, AND I CAN SEE THE LINE READY.

SO I'M SAWING A DIAGONAL LINE BOTH ACROSS THE GRAIN AND DOWN IT.

I'M GONNA SAW JUST TO THAT FIRST MARK.

SO THIS IS THE UNDERCUT THAT CATCHES.

NOW WE'VE GOT THAT LINE CUT.

WE'LL TAKE IT DOWN TO THE BENCH AND DO THE RIPPING DOWN THE LONG GRAIN, AS ALWAYS, ANGLING AWAY FROM OURSELVES.

YOU WANT TO HAVE THE GRAIN ANGLED AWAY SO THAT YOU CAN SEE TWO FACES AT THE SAME TIME AND SAW THE DIAGONAL CORNER.

NOW, USUALLY, WE'LL SAW RIGHT BESIDE A MARK WITH OUR SAW, BUT IN THIS CASE, WE'RE GONNA GO RIGHT DOWN THE GROOVE, RIGHT DOWN THE DEEP LINE SCORED BY THE MARKING GAUGE AT THE START.

AND WE SAW ONLY THE LINE.

WE CAN SEE, WHEN WE'VE SAWN THIS ALL THE WAY ACROSS, WE CAN'T SEE THE BACKSIDE STOP.

I CAN SEE THE FACE.

AND THERE'S NO SUBSTITUTE HERE FOR A FINELY-SET SAW AND CAREFUL SAWING.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THERE'S OUR FIRST TWO DIAGONALS, AND YOU SEE I'VE SAWN JUST THAT DIAGONAL OF THE EDGE.

NOW WE'LL TURN IT OVER AND DO THE OPPOSITE DIAGONAL, AND THAT'S ALL THERE IS.

WHEN YOU ARE RIPPING, YOU ARE JUST CONSTANTLY TURNING THE WOOD SO THAT YOU CAN STAY ON THE LINE.

THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF IT.

THEN YOU BRING IT DOWN.

YEAH!

AND BRING IT DOWN.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE KEEP WORKING DOWN.

NOW, THIS IS A FINELY-SET SAW.

I'VE ACTUALLY GOT ANOTHER ONE THAT I HAVE MOVED ALONG A LITTLE BIT.

LET ME GET THAT ONE HERE.

OK.

I'VE GOT ONE THAT I'VE JUST MOVED ALONG.

IT'S THE SAME THING.

I JUST WANT TO USE A LITTLE DEEPER SAW TO GET DOWN TO THE ROOT OF THE MATTER HERE.

SO WHERE HAVE I GOT IT?

CLAMP IT RIGHT THERE.

YOU SEE, I'VE GOT A SAW THAT'S GOT A DEEPER BLADE TO IT, AND I'LL USE THAT TO FINISH UP.

SO AGAIN, SAWING AROUND THE SIDES, SAWING THOSE DIAGONALS FIRST.

AND THEN GET DOWN TO THE ROOT.

AND HOPE I'M GOOD ON THAT BACKSIDE.

BUT SINCE I'VE ALREADY CUT IT, I SHOULD BE TRACKING...

RIGHT IN THE CUT MADE BY THE FINER SAW.

ALL RIGHT.

AND YOU CAN HEAR IT BREAKING OUT.

I WANT TO SAW ALL THE WAY AND MAKE SURE I'VE CUT--OOH-- THE WHOLE THING.

THERE YOU GO.

SO THERE'S THAT LITTLE TOP LID TABLET.

THEN WE'LL CUT THAT LOWER ONE.

LET'S SEE IF I CAN GET DOWN HERE.

AND THIS ONE'S A LITTLE EASIER, ACTUALLY.

WE COULD DO THIS CUT WITH THE FINE SAW BECAUSE WE CAN REACH ALL THE WAY AROUND.

THERE IT GOES.

YOU CAN HEAR IT FRACTURE, BUT I WANT TO SAW IT BECAUSE THE SMOOTHER I CAN MAKE THIS, THE EASIER THIS NEXT STEP IS GOING TO BE IN MAKING THE LITTLE GREASE POT.

BECAUSE WE OPENED THIS UP, IT'S A LITTLE ROUGH THERE, YOU SEE, RIGHT, THE SAW CUTS.

BUT IF WE MAKE THOSE SAW CUTS SMOOTHER, THIS WORK WILL BE EASIER.

SO HERE WE GO.

THAT'S PRETTY GOOD, BUT I'M GONNA SMOOTH IT DOWN AGAIN WITH THAT LOW-ANGLE SMOOTHING PLANE.

AND IF YOU'VE GOT SOME FIGURED WOOD, YOU KNOW, OR SPALTED WOOD--I'M OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER WHEN SPALTED WAS JUST ROTTEN WOOD, BUT SPALTED IS WOOD THAT HAS FUNGUS IN IT, AND IT GETS THESE BEAUTIFUL COLORS.

SOTHERE YOU GO.

THAT'S DEAD SMOOTH.

AND OF COURSE, YOU CAN DO THE UPPER TABLET THE SAME WAY-- OR TABLET OR LID OR HOWEVER YOU CALL IT.

THIS ONE HERE, THOUGH--DOESN'T THIS GET TO BE A PROBLEM?

HOW WILL YOU PLANE THIS ONE?

BECAUSE IT HAS THIS LITTLE RAISED PART BACK HERE.

THAT RAISED PART KEEPS YOU FROM WORKING THE PLANE DOWN THE LENGTH OF IT.

SO YOU'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT SOME OTHER WAY TO SMOOTH THIS SURFACE HERE.

SO HERE'S A WAY TO DO IT, OR ACTUALLY TWO WAYS TO DO IT.

WE GET A GOOD VISE.

AND THIS WORKS WHEN YOUR BENCHES ARE RELATIVELY NEWLY MADE BECAUSE, OF COURSE, THESE GET WORN OVER A BIT OVER THE YEARS.

I TAKE A RASP, AND I SIT DOWN AND JUST RASP ACROSS THE GRAIN.

SO YOU WORK WITH IT, AND THIS IS NICE BECAUSE IT'LL GET UP IN THERE.

AND WE TRY AND WORK LEVEL AND LEVEL THIS UP RIGHT ACROSS THE GRAIN VERY NICELY.

GET THIS SMOOTH.

AND THIS WILL WORK FINE, BUT WE CAN ALSO DO ANOTHER THING.

WE CAN USE A PARING CHISEL.

NOW, THIS IS A CHISEL THAT IS SO THIN--LOOK HOW THIN THAT IS.

THIS IS A CHISEL THAT'S SO THIN WE'D NEVER HIT IT WITH A MALLET.

WE'RE GONNA JUST WORK THIS-- AND IT'S FLEXIBLE, TOO.

YOU CAN KIND OF LAY IT ON THE WOOD AND PUSH DOWN AND KIND OF SPRING IT, AND YOU SEE HOW WE CAN WORK IT LIKE THIS.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO CATCH IN THE GRAIN, BUT SMOOTH ACROSS LIKE THAT.

SO WE CAN DO THIS WITH A PARING CHISEL AND JUST WORK THE SURFACE DOWN BY THIS FINE MEANS RIGHT THERE.

SO WHAT HAVE WE GOT?

ALL RIGHT.

WE HAVE GOT OUR LOWER PART OF THE BODY.

WE'VE GOT OUR UPPER LID THAT IS GOING TO SWING OUT OF THE WAY, AND THEN IT'S GOING TO ALLOW THIS UPPER PART TO COME BACK AND CLEAR THE DOVETAIL.

AND HERE WE SEE IT IN THE COMPLETED ONE.

THERE IT IS.

THERE'S AN UPPER LID THAT SWINGS OUT OF THE WAY.

THAT ALLOWS THE LOWER LID TO POP BACK.

IT'S BACK.

AND NOW THAT SWINGS OUT OF THE WAY, CLEARING THAT DOVETAIL.

SO WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE NOW, WE NEED TO MAKE THE DOVETAIL OUT OF BOXWOOD.

AND I USED ELM ON ONE WHEN I WAS JUST FIGURING THIS OUT, BECAUSE ELM IS A WOOD THAT IS DIFFICULT TO SPLIT.

BOXWOOD IS A LITTLE EASIER TO SPLIT, BUT I'LL TELL YOU, IT'S--IT DOESN'T--IT'S HARD.

BOXWOOD IS REAL HARD.

YOU THINK, "WHERE AM I GONNA GET BOXWOOD?"

BECAUSE THAT'S PRETTY RARE STUFF.

WELL, IF YOU LIVE NEAR A UNIVERSITY OR AN OLD HOUSE, A HISTORIC HOME, VERY OFTEN THERE'LL BE BOXWOOD AROUND.

FIND OUT WHERE THEIR LANDSCAPE DUMP IS, AND CHECK IT OUT.

JUST CHECK IT OUT REGULARLY, AND YOU'LL FIND BOXWOOD WHEN IT HAS TO BE CUT BACK, THIS WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL STUFF.

NOW, HERE, I'VE ABOUT RIPPED IT DOWN.

I'LL RIP DOWN A LITTLE MORE WITH OUR HEAVY-TOOTH RIPPING SAW.

LET ME JUST MAKE THESE TABLETS OF BOXWOOD.

THIS IS THE STUFF THAT YOU USE-- I'LL GET MY LITTLE CUT-OFF SAW HERE.

THIS IS THE STUFF YOU USE FOR CHESS PIECES, RULERS.

SLIDE RULES USED TO BE MADE OUT OF BOXWOOD.

WONDERFUL STUFF.

AND THE NICE THING WITH THIS PROJECT IS, YOU DON'T NEED MUCH TO DO IT.

THAT'S A NICE, GOOD, LITTLE TABLET OF BOXWOOD.

SO NOW WE'RE GONNA LAY THAT OUT AND MAKE OUR LITTLE DOVETAIL.

AND I WILL USE A CHISEL TO DO SOME OF THAT DOVETAIL BECAUSE, UH... AND I SAY DOVETAIL.

THEY'RE MORE LIKE A BUTTERFLY.

SEE?

HERE IT IS.

THIS IS THE LITTLE BUTTERFLY, A LITTLE, TINY THING LIKE THAT.

WELL, HOW DO WE LAY OUT THAT HOURGLASS SHAPE?

WELL, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, AND I GUESS YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT, THIS IS-- IT'S AN "X" THAT'S FAT IN THE MIDDLE THERE.

SO WE WILL ACTUALLY USE THESE-- AND THIS LINE HERE-- SEE HOW THAT LINE THERE IS PARALLEL TO THAT LINE RIGHT THERE IN THIS FAT "X."

SO WE WILL MAKE THAT BY, AGAIN, MAKING X's AND SPREADING THEM OUT SO THEY GET FAT, RIGHT?

SO LET OUR X's GET FAT.

THERE WE ARE.

SO WE GET THAT RIGHT THERE.

THERE'S ONE.

THERE'S OUR FIRST "X."

SO WE MAKE TWO CROSSING LINES.

HERE.

SO THERE'S OUR FIRST "X."

THEN WE MOVE IT OVER ABOUT, ACTUALLY, THE WIDTH OF-- I'M GONNA GET THIS HERE--THE WIDTH OF OUR NARROW CHISEL.

WE GOT TO HAVE ENOUGH ROOM FOR THIS CHISEL TO GET IN THERE.

THIS IS OUR LITTLE CHISEL WE'RE GONNA USE TO HOLLOW OUT THE SOCKET FOR THIS.

SO THERE'S OUR SECOND "X."

THIS COMES ACROSS HERE.

SO WE MAKE THESE PARALLEL.

JUST BE REAL CAREFUL.

KEEP THESE LINES PARALLEL.

AND THERE YOU SEE IT.

I'LL MARK A LINE ACROSS THAT WE'LL SAW OFF IN JUST A SECOND.

AND THEN I'M GONNA MAKE ONE IN THE WAIST OF THIS PIECE, AND BY THE "WAIST," I MEAN THE W-A-I-S-T, ACROSS THE WAIST OF THE HOURGLASS THERE.

THOSE--I'M GONNA SAW THOSE LINES IN IN A SECOND AND THEN USE THAT AS THE STOPPING CUT SO I CAN PARE DOWN TO MAKE THE HOURGLASS SHAPE.

SO LET'S MOVE THE BENCH HOOK AROUND AND SAW THOSE LINES HERE.

I'LL SAW THE ONE I CAN SEE FIRST AND THEN TURN IT AWAY FROM ME.

THERE WE GO.

I'M GONNA MAKE THIS--THIS IS CALLED A STOPPING CUT, AND IT STOPS THE CHISEL.

IT IS AT THE LOWEST POINT.

YOU DO THIS WHETHER YOU'RE MAKING WOODEN BOWLS, YOU DO THIS IN TENONS.

YOU KNOW, WHEN WE CUT A TENON AT THE SHOULDER, WE'RE ACTUALLY MAKING A STOPPING CUT.

SO WE NOW GOT TWO STOPPING CUTS DOWN THERE, AND THAT WILL HELP US TO CHISEL DOWN THE REST OF THE WAY.

SO TAKE THAT, SET THAT IN THE VISE.

AND NOW WE CAN PARE DOWN.

AND SPEAKING OF WHICH, PEAR WOULD BE A GOOD WOOD FOR THIS.

PEAR WAS ALSO USED FOR INSTRUMENT MAKING--MAKING SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS, PEAR AND BOXWOOD.

SO THERE WE GO, RIGHT DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE STOPPING CUT.

TURN IT OVER THIS WAY AND DO AGAIN THE OTHER SIDE OF OUR LITTLE HOURGLASS SHAPE.

YEP.

NOW, SEE, A LITTLE TOO MUCH, AND I CAN SPLIT THIS STUFF.

SO THERE WE GO, RIGHT DOWN.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW WE'LL TURN IT AROUND AND DO FROM THE OTHER SIDE.

AND TWO MORE CUTS.

AGAIN, SEE HOW I'M KIND OF SLICING ACROSS THERE?

THAT MAKES KIND OF A SHEARING CUT.

SO IT'S SMOOTHER, BUT IT ALSO MAKES IT LESS LIKELY THAT I'M GONNA PUSH THROUGH ON THE OTHER SIDE AND SPLIT IT OPEN.

THAT NEEDS A LITTLE BIT OF WORK COMING BACK THE OTHER WAY, BUT I'M GONNA LEAVE THAT FOR LATER.

ALL RIGHT.

THERE WE GO.

SO, PRETTY QUICK.

DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE STOPPING CUT WITH THE CHISEL.

YOU SEE I HAVE NOT GONE QUITE TO THE BOTTOM IN TRIMMING THAT, BUT THERE YOU GO.

YOU SEE THE LITTLE HOURGLASS.

WE WILL THEN TAKE THE SAW AND CUT OFF RIGHT THERE, AND WE WILL HAVE OUR LITTLE HOURGLASS DOVETAIL.

SO NOW WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO?

WE HAVE TO SOCKET IT IN BECAUSE THAT DOVETAIL GOES IN THE END GRAIN OF OUR BOX, SO SET INTO THE END GRAIN THERE SO THAT IT CAN BE GLUED AT THE BOTTOM, AND AT THE TOP, IT CAN JUST BE SOMETHING THAT WILL CATCH THAT UPPER LID THERE.

SEE?

SO WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS MORTISE, THIS SOCKET--YOU CAN SEE THAT SOCKET RIGHT THERE-- THAT THE DOVETAIL GOES INTO.

IT'S GLUED INTO THE LOWER PART AND JUST LOOSE ON THAT UPPER PART.

IT IS--LET'S SEE.

HERE WE GO.

HERE'S ONE THAT'S ALREADY LAID OUT.

SO WE JUST TAKE THE DOVETAIL THAT WE MADE, TRACE AROUND IT.

JUST TRACE AROUND IT AS BEST WE CAN.

AND REMEMBER THAT LITTLE CHISEL I SHOWED YOU AT THE START?

WELL, WE'VE WORKED WITH THAT LITTLE CHISEL TO DO THIS JOB HERE COMING STRAIGHT IN.

WE JUST ROCK IT, ROCK IT.

ROCK IT TILL YOU GET TO THE LINE, AND THEN LIFT IT UP.

SO YOU MAKE A SHALLOW CUT AT FIRST SO YOU CAN CONTROL IT, AND THEN YOU CAN GO A LITTLE DEEPER.

SO WE'RE MAKING A CHANNEL INTO THE WAIST--W-A-I-S-T--OF THAT HOURGLASS SHAPE.

NOW WE CAN GO THIS WAY.

SO WE CAN COME OUT TO THE SIDES AND SPREAD THAT OUT.

YEAH.

SO WE CUT THIS WAY.

AGAIN, LITTLE SLIDING CUT THROUGH THERE.

CUT AT THE BOTTOM.

SO THIS IS EASY TO DO, NOW, IN THIS.

AND I WAS LOOKING AT THIS WHEN I FIRST SAW IT.

I THOUGHT, "OH, BOY, HOW ARE YOU GONNA CUT OUT THAT SOCKET VERY EASILY?"

BUT THEN I REALIZED THAT SINCE IT'S OPEN ON ONE FACE, IT'S THE SIMPLEST THING ON EARTH TO CUT, THIS LITTLE SOCKET FOR THE DOVETAILS.

SO WHAT REMAINS AFTER THIS?

WE'VE GOT THE DOVETAIL.

I'M DOING THE ONE IN THE LID.

THIS ONE'S GOT TO BE A LITTLE BIT LOOSE.

THE ONE IN THE BOTTOM HAS TO BE TIGHT SO IT CAN GLUE IN THERE.

THERE WE GO.

SO THERE'S OUR LOWER SOCKET.

WE GLUE IT INTO THERE.

THIS UPPER ONE, WE LEAVE LOOSE SO THAT IT CAN SLIDE BACK.

SO NOW WE GOT TO DO THE SCREWS, JUST FINISH THIS GUY UP.

HERE'S ONE ALL READY.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE HAVE A PIECE OF THE PUZZLE HERE READY TO REVEAL.

IN THE UPPER LID, WE HAVE A SINGLE HOLE THROUGH IT, SO ALL IT CAN DO IS SWING THIS WAY.

THE LOWER LID, HOWEVER, WE MAKE THE HOLE FIRST AND THEN ENLARGE IT USING THAT LITTLE CHISEL SO THAT IT IS A SLOT LIKE THAT, AND THEN THAT WILL ALLOW IT TO SLIDE BACK ON THE SCREWS-- SLIDE BACK ON THE SCREWS.

LET'S SEE IF I CAN GET IT TO SLIDE BACK ON THE SCREW.

AH, THERE WE GO.

SO IT CAN SLIDE ON THAT SCREW IN THAT SLOT, AND THAT ALLOWS IT TO CLEAR THE DOVETAIL AT THE FRONT AND SWING OUT OF THE WAY, REVEALING THE POT.

AND THE POT, WE TRY AND MAKE JUST WITH AN AUGER HERE.

I'LL TAKE A SPOON BIT, PERHAPS, AND BORE THESE HOLES WITH A SPOON BIT RIGHT ON DOWN.

AND I'LL JUST SHOW YOU WHAT THAT SPOON BIT LOOKS LIKE.

IT'S LIKE A SPOON.

IT'S LIKE A MARROW SPOON, AND THE OLD ENGLISH CHAIRMAKERS LOVED TO USE THESE BECAUSE THEY HAVE JUST THE RIGHT CONFIGURATION, BUT ALSO, THEY'RE COOL IN THAT YOU CAN STEER THEM--SEE HOW IT'S RUNNING ALL OVER, BUT ONCE I GET IT STARTED, I CAN STEER IT LIKE A BALL AND SOCKET, AND MOVE IT IN AND BORE OUT A PERFECT LITTLE FINGER HOLE.

AND THIS WILL MAKE THAT WONDERFUL, LITTLE SOCKET THAT WE CAN THEN FILL WITH THE MUTTON TALLOW THAT WE CAN GREASE OUR TOOLS WITH SO WE WILL HAVE TO USE LESS ELBOW GREASE WHEN WE WORK WITH OUR WONDERFUL HAND TOOLS.

SO THERE YOU GO.

AND IT CLOSES WITH A SNAP.

THERE YOU GO, OUR LITTLE DOVETAILED GREASE POT.

WELL, THANKS FOR JOINING ME.

THIS HAS BEEN 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.