Plain Pine Box

ANNOUNCER: MAJOR FUNDING FOR "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" IS PROVIDED BY... [WIND BLOWING] [CAT MEOWS] [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."

HEY, WELCOME BACK TO "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

I'M ROY UNDERHILL.

[COUGHING] I'M SORRY.

I'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS "COFFIN."

HA HA HA!

IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY.

AH, YES, INDEED.

I HAVE DUG UP PLANS TO MAKE A WONDERFUL TRADITIONAL OLD COFFIN.

I'M GONNA SHOW YOU ABOUT HOW TO DO IT.

THERE IS A LOT OF NUANCE TO THIS, AND I'LL SHOW YOU WHY WE ARE MAKING A SMALL NUMBER-5 COFFIN HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

LET ME TAKE AND... OH, SOMETHING'S IN HERE.

WHAT COULD IT BE?

WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE IN A COFFIN?

OH, LOOK.

IT'S A RIPSAW.

AN R.I.P.

SAW.

HA HA HA!

SO, ANYWAY, WE'LL BE USING A LOT OF THAT TO DO SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WE NEED HERE.

LOOK AT THE WAY THIS IS CONSTRUCTED.

IT REALLY IS A WONDERFUL, ELEGANT THING.

DO YOU SEE HOW THE END KICKS OUT THERE LIKE THAT?

THE ENDS ARE ACTUALLY LONGER.

THEY'RE CAMBERED OUT.

AND HERE ON THE SIDES, THERE'S THIS WONDERFUL KERFING THAT ALLOWS IT TO BEND WITH THE BOW.

AND YOU SEE HOW THE BEND IS CENTERED ON THE BREAST LINE, THE WIDEST PART RIGHT THERE.

SO WE'VE GOT 5 LITTLE KERFS RIGHT THERE.

AND THEN DOWN AT THE END, LOOK AT THE END GRAIN RIGHT THERE, THE END GRAIN OF THE TOE PIECE.

NOW, WHEN WE DO A DOVETAIL BOX, WE ALIGN ALL THE GRAIN GOING AROUND LIKE THAT.

HERE THE GRAIN IS VERTICAL, FOR REASONS WHICH YOU WILL SEE.

AND THERE'S ALSO ONE MORE LITTLE DETAIL.

THIS END HERE IS CAMBERED VERY SLIGHTLY UP, AND SO THAT'S WHEN WE PUT THE LID ON IT, IT WILL STAY TIGHT WITHOUT HAVING TO PUT A SCREW INTO THE END GRAIN.

WE WANT NAILS INTO THE SIDE GRAIN HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET THIS THING GOING HERE.

YEAH.

AND I'LL SHOW YOU WHY WE'RE MAKING A LITTLE COFFIN IN A BIT HERE.

WE'VE GOT A COFFIN SET READY TO GO HERE.

THIS TOP BOARD THAT I HAVE IS FOR THE LID.

THE LID'S A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN THE WIDEST BOARD I HAVE, SO I HAVE GLUED ONTO THE SIDES THESE LITTLE WINGS RIGHT HERE, AND THEY COME OUT AND FILL THE AREA WHERE THE ANGLE OUT THERE IS RIGHT AT THE BREAST LINE.

SO THESE ARE EXTRA PIECES GLUED ONTO THE PIECE THAT WILL BE THE LID.

SO UNDERNEATH, I HAVE THE OTHER PARTS.

I HAVE THE SIDE BOARDS, AND THEY'VE GOT TO BE MATCHED.

SO PINE SIDE BOARDS AS WE HAVE IN AMERICA.

THIS ONE IS ALREADY KERFED.

WE'LL SEE HOW TO KERF ONE OF THOSE.

SO THEY'VE GOT TO BE MATCHED SO THAT THEY BEND EQUALLY, AND IT'S, AGAIN, TALLER AT THIS END THAN IT IS DOWN AT THIS END, DOWN AT THE FOOT END.

ALL RIGHT?

SO WE'VE GOT THOSE.

AND THEN WE HAVE THE--OOP.

WE HAVE THE ENDS HERE.

HERE'S AN END THAT WILL GO VERTICALLY.

AND THIS END WILL GO VERTICALLY TO MATCH RIGHT THERE.

SO THIS IS WHAT'S CALLED A COFFIN SET, AND THIS WAS A COMMON THING FOR FOLKS TO BUY IN ENGLAND.

YOU'D BUY A COFFIN SET, AND IT'S CHEAPER THAN ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE FURNITURE WITH.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THIS IS THE BOTTOM BOARD HERE.

IT'S AMERICAN.

OF COURSE, IT'S PINE.

AND YOU CAN SEE I'VE LAID OUT THE COFFIN SHAPE FOR A NUMBER-5 COFFIN ON HERE.

WE'RE GONNA RIP IT.

YES, INDEED.

AND I'LL SHOW YOU, THERE'S MORE NUANCE TO THIS RIPPING THAN YOU MIGHT THINK HERE.

SO I'M GONNA GET THIS GUY DOWN.

NOT TO THE RIPPING.

OH, NO.

YEAH.

THERE WE GO.

OUR RIPSAW.

IT'S NOT SO MUCH THE RIPPING BUT THE CROSSCUTTING THAT'S ACTUALLY QUITE REMARKABLE, AS YOU SHALL SEE.

UH...THERE WE GO.

THERE WE ARE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND IF YOU'RE LUCKY, THIS IS ENOUGH TO GLUE ON RIGHT THERE AND WIDEN THIS BOARD TO MAKE IT BIG ENOUGH AT THE BREAST LINE.

SO YOU MAKE TWO MORE CUTS...

HERE.

YEAH.

YEAH.

THERE WE GO.

AND THEN ONE MORE LONG ONE DOWN HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

THIS IS GONNA BE A LONG RIP.

AND THERE WE GO.

I'M GONNA SWING IT OVER THIS WAY.

OOP.

NOW I'M GONNA SPLIT IT OVER THIS WAY.

ALL RIGHT.

[PANTING] HA HA!

WE'LL JUST... OH, GOSH.

I'VE GOT TO BE READY FOR THIS THING.

I'M GOING TO TAKE NOW THE...

THE CROSSCUT SAW HERE AND CUT THE END GRAIN HERE AT THE ANGLE THAT WILL GIVE US THAT KICK-OUT ON THE, UH...FOOT HERE, IN THIS CASE.

SO THE FOOT IS GONNA COME OUT ABOUT AN INCH.

I'M ANGLING OUT ABOUT ONE INCH IN 8.

SO I'M JUST REALLY EYEBALLING THIS, NOT CUTTING SQUARE.

BUT NOT HAVING TO USE A GAUGE EITHER.

SEE HOW THAT'S BEVELED OUT THERE?

JUST BY ANGLING THE SAW.

I'LL DO THE HEAD NOW.

GET THIS... SHOW ON THE ROAD.

HA HA HA!

AH... AND AGAIN, KICKING OUT SO THAT THE TOP WILL BE ONE INCH BIGGER THAN THE BOTTOM.

AND THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT'S OUR BOTTOM OF THE COFFIN... ALL RIPPED OUT.

NOW WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO THE ENDS NOW, THE HEAD AND THE FOOT.

AND THEY ARE READY TO GO.

BEFORE WE DO, HOWEVER, I'VE GOT TO PLANE THIS PIECE.

I'LL JUST PLANE ONE SIDE RIGHT NOW.

LET'S JUST DO THAT, BECAUSE... ONCE YOU'VE DONE ONE SIDE, THE OTHER IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME.

SO HERE WE GO.

I'M GONNA TAKE THE JACK TO START AND BRING THIS DOWN HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THEN FINISH WITH THE JOINTER.

ALL RIGHT.

BECAUSE WE WANT THESE SECTIONS GOOD AND STRAIGHT.

WE'LL LEAVE THE END JUST ROUGH AS IT IS.

I'M GONNA TURN THIS AROUND NOW... AND BRING IT DOWN WITH A JACK ON THE OTHER LONG LINE.

SO THE JACK IS JUST A FASTER-CUTTING PLANE, UH...THAN THE JOINTER.

NOT CUTTING THAT FAST, IS IT?

HMM...

NEVERTHELESS, IT HAS TO TAKE OFF ALL THE HIGH SPOTS BEFORE IT CAN TAKE OFF THE LOW SPOTS, AND WE GET A CONTINUOUS SHAVING ON DOWN.

LET'S TRY THE JOINTER NOW.

AND ALL THESE, UH...

THESE TWO STRAIGHT LINES MEET RIGHT AT THAT BREAST LINE.

BUT THAT SHARP ANGLE BACK THERE, THAT'S TOO SHARP FOR THE, UH...WOOD TO BEND.

WE'VE GOT TO MELLOW IT OUT, AND THERE'S AN ODD THING, AND PLANE WE DO.

SO THAT LONG CONTINUOUS SHAVING, THAT'S WHAT WE NEEDED RIGHT THERE ALL THE WAY DOWN.

SO HERE'S THAT ANGLE.

WE'VE GOT TO MELLOW THAT ANGLE.

AND THERE IS A PLANE CALLED...GUESS WHAT.

A COFFIN SMOOTHER.

THIS IS CALLED A COFFIN SMOOTHER.

IT'S A COFFIN-SHAPED LITTLE PLANE.

WE ACTUALLY USE THAT TO TRACE THE CORNER.

SO I'M GONNA PUT THAT ON THE, UH...BEND HERE, TRACE AROUND IT, AND THIS IS WHAT IT SAYS IN THE BOOK.

I'M FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS IN A BOOK BY HASLUCK, 1890's, YOU KNOW, VINTAGE, TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY VINTAGE, AND IT'S A BOOK ON MAKING COFFINS AND UNDERTAKING... YEAH...FOR VILLAGE JOINERS.

SO THERE WE'VE GOT THAT ROUNDOCITY RIGHT THERE, AND THAT'S WHERE THE WOOD WILL BEND AROUND.

ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW WE CAN PUT ON, UH...

THE HEAD AND THE TOE, AND HAVE I GOT IT-- YES, I'VE GOT IT ANGLED RIGHT.

TO PUT ON THE...

THE FOOT HERE, I'M GOING TO TAKE A SQUARE, RUN A SQUARE LINE, AND THEN PUT TWO INDICATOR NAILS INTO IT.

SO I'LL COME UP ENOUGH DISTANCE-- I'M GONNA HAVE OVERHANG HERE.

I WANT TO COME UP ENOUGH THAT WHEN I PUT THE NAILS IN, I WON'T SPLIT OUT TO THE END.

AND THEN WE'LL SAW IT OFF FLUSH.

THESE NAILS I'M PUTTING IN ARE KIND OF INDEXING BRADS, AND I WILL NOT LEAVE THEM IN HERE UNTIL...

I WILL NOT LEAVE THEM IN THE FINISHED COFFIN.

I NEED THEM BACK.

SO THESE ALLOW US TO INDEX ONTO THE TAIL OF THE COFFIN RIGHT THERE.

DO YOU SEE HOW THAT FITS RIGHT ON THERE?

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT WILL HOLD IT SQUARE WHILE WE DO IT.

WE DON'T HAVE TO LOOK DOWN AT THE LINE.

SO I'M GONNA TURN THIS UPRIGHT... AND GET THE TAIL ON USING THE CUT NAILS.

NOW, HERE I'M NAILING INTO END GRAIN.

THIS IS NOT WHERE THE STRENGTH OF THE COFFIN LIES.

NO, NO.

UH, THE STRENGTH IS IN THE SIDE-GRAIN NAILING.

AND YOU'LL SEE HOW ALL THIS SYSTEM ADDS UP.

THIS IS JUST SOMETHING PEOPLE HAVE HAD TO DO FOR SO LONG, MAKING THESE THINGS.

AS LONG AS HUMANKIND HAS BEEN MORTAL, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN MAKING COFFINS.

SO YOU CAN SEE I'VE GOT THE NAILS THERE.

I DON'T HAVE TO LOOK DOWN TO SEE.

MY NAIL IS A LITTLE BIT...

THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT.

SO A CUT NAIL ORIENTED WITH THE GRAIN.

AND I'LL LEAVE IT A LITTLE PROUD THERE.

AND AGAIN, FEEL DOWN THERE TO SEE THAT MY INDICATOR NAIL IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE, ORIENTING THE OUTSIDE OF THE NAIL OR THE ORIENTATION OF THE NAIL WITH THE GRAIN OF THE OUTSIDE BOARD.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THERE.

AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT'S NOT... NOT A SQUARE ANGLE.

THIS IS KICKED OUT AT THE TOP SO THAT THE TOE IS GONNA BE BIGGER.

NOW, WE'VE GOT TO DO THE HEAD.

THIS IS THE HEAD.

GIVE IT A LITTLE MORE HEAD ROOM.

I'VE ALREADY GOT THE INDICATOR NAILS ON THERE.

THESE ENDS ARE JUST CUT SQUARE.

THEY'RE NOT, UH...

MATCHING THE BEVEL OF THE SIDES.

THAT'S GONNA BE OUR NEXT STEP.

LET ME GET THAT LINED UP THERE RIGHT.

OOH.

ALL RIGHT.

THERE WE GO.

AND ONE MORE.

AND THAT WILL DO IT.

AND THIS WILL HOLD THIS IN PLACE WHILE THE REAL NAILS, OR THE NAILS IN THE REAL POSITION-- OW!

THE REAL NAILS.

THIS ONE TURNED WITH THE GRAIN A LITTLE BIT THERE.

BUT IT'S FINE.

ALL RIGHT.

OK.

SO NOW WE'VE GOT ANOTHER LAST NAIL IN THE COFFIN RIGHT THERE.

SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND BRING THOSE ENDS DOWN.

THEY'VE GOT TO BE BROUGHT INTO THE SAME PLANE AS THE SIDES HERE.

SO WE'VE GOT THAT SLOPE THERE.

AND I'M SETTING THIS IN THE VISE TO HOLD IT A LITTLE BIT.

AND WHAT I MEAN IS THIS IS COMING DOWN AT A SLOPE, AND THEN SUDDENLY THERE'S A SQUARE FLAT RIGHT HERE.

SO WE'VE GOT TO TAKE THAT OFF.

SO I'LL DO IT JUST BY EYE HERE AND THEN START INDEXING AGAINST THIS FACE RIGHT HERE.

OOH.

I'VE GOT TO COME BACK A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE THE GRAIN TURNED ON ME.

AND...ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S FINE.

SO NOW THIS MATCHES THE SLOPE HERE.

I'VE GOT THE SAME SLOPE SO THAT THIS WILL FIT TIGHT.

DO THE SAME THING AT THE TOE END.

I'M GONNA TAKE A LITTLE MORE WOOD OFF TO DO THIS ONE.

IT IS SURPRISINGLY HAPPY WORK, BUILDING A COFFIN.

I DO NOT KNOW WHY.

BECAUSE YOU'RE WORKING, I GUESS.

BECAUSE IF YOU'RE BUILDING IT, MAYBE IT'S... YOU'RE NOT THE CUSTOMER.

I DON'T KNOW.

AH.

SO THERE WE ARE.

THAT'S ALL FLAT NOW.

SO THAT'S IN THE PLANE.

SO WE'LL DO THAT AGAIN ON THE OTHER SIDE.

BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'VE GOT TO PREPARE THE TWO SIDES FOR THE COFFIN.

WE'VE GOT THE HEAD AND THE TOE AND THE BOTTOM.

AND I'VE GOT THOSE SIDES GOOD TO GO.

THEY'RE MATCHED.

ONE'S BIGGER THAN THE OTHER.

NOW I'VE GOT TO MATCH THE KERFING.

I'VE ALREADY KERFED ONE.

BUT I'M GONNA SWING THEM OPEN.

THEY...REALLY, YOU DON'T WANT THE COFFIN TO BE LOPSIDED.

SO I'VE GOT THIS KIND OF BOOKMATCHED.

DO I HAVE THIS BOOKMATCHED HERE?

THAT'S A LITTLE... THAT'S A LITTLE BETTER.

OK. LET'S DO THIS.

SO HERE I'VE GOT WHERE THE KERF LINE IS.

THIS I MEASURED TO GO RIGHT FROM THE HEAD TO THE BREAST LINE.

AND THIS ONE IS ALREADY DONE.

I'LL RUN THESE LINES ACROSS.

SO WE'VE GOT THIS CENTER ONE, CORRESPONDS WITH THE BREAST LINE ON THE BOTTOM, THE WIDEST POINT OF THE COFFIN.

AND WE HAVE LINES OUT ON EITHER SIDE, A HALF-INCH APART, SO THAT THE BEND IS GONNA BE SPREAD OVER TWO INCHES.

SO WE'RE GONNA KERF DOWN TO A CERTAIN DISTANCE FROM THE SIDE.

I'VE SET THE GAUGE HERE.

THIS IS A MARKING GAUGE.

I'VE SET IT FOR 3/16".

SLIDE IT DOWN... AND DARKEN IT WITH A PENCIL.

HA HA.

AND NOW THE OTHER SIDE.

AGAIN, UH...GET THIS EDGE HERE MARKED FROM THE OUTSIDE IN, IS WHERE WE MARK, OF COURSE.

AND RUN THAT LINE.

AND THERE.

AND DARKEN IT.

SEE, YOU CAN SEE IT, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TO STOP WHEN YOU GET TO THAT LINE.

YOU DON'T WANT TO MAKE IT WEAKER THERE OR, YOU KNOW, AT ONE POINT THAT IT IS AT ANOTHER POINT.

SO ALL RIGHT.

SO I'LL SET THIS UP NOW ON THE BENCH, AND WE'LL DO A COUPLE OF KERFS.

I'VE ALREADY GOT ONE DONE.

I THINK WE'LL GO BACK TO THAT ONE.

AND I NEED MY KERFING SAW.

HERE'S ONE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THIS IS A LITTLE CROSSCUT SAW.

THERE'S ACTUALLY A SAW CALLED A CARCASS SAW, BUT I DON'T THINK IT WAS THE... INTENDED IN THIS CASE.

SO HERE WE GO.

A FINE-TOOTHED CROSSCUT SAW.

AND JUST SAW DOWN UNTIL YOU COME TO THE OTHER SIDE.

I'M WORKING WITH 3/4" PINE.

THE ENGLISH EQUIVALENT WOULD BE OAK OR ELM.

ELM WAS A VERY POPULAR WOOD FOR COFFINS IN ENGLAND.

ELM IS PECULIAR IN THAT IT ROTS QUICKLY ON TOP OF THE GROUND, BUT IF YOU BURY IT, IF IT'S UNDERGROUND, LIKE A WATER PIPE OR A WELL, IT DOESN'T DECAY.

SO A COFFIN MADE OF ELM WILL LAST A LIFETIME.

HA HA HA.

HERE WE GO.

THAT'S IN THE ENGLISH TRADITION.

SO HERE AGAIN, WE JUST KEEP MAKING THESE KERFS.

I'LL JUST DO 5 OF THEM ACROSS, BUT THIS IS ENOUGH RIGHT HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

I'VE GOT TO STOP ON THAT SIDE.

SO MAKE SURE THEY'RE EVEN ALL THE WAY ACROSS.

5 KERFS.

ALL RIGHT.

I'M GONNA JUST DO THIS OTHER BOARD, THOUGH.

AND I'VE GOT TO GET EVERYTHING READY NOW.

I WANT TO HAVE IT ALL IN POSITION.

SO TAKE THE BOTTOM AND THE ENDS AND MOUNT IT ON THE BENCH.

THIS MAKES IT--IT'S A LOT EASIER DOING THIS FIRST BOARD BECAUSE I CAN CLAMP IT IN THE...

VISE OF THE BENCH JUST LIKE THAT.

SO THAT'S READY TO GO NOW.

THIS IS A NUMBER-5 COFFIN.

I'VE GOT WATER BOILING BACK HERE.

OH.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S GET THAT.

YOU'VE REALLY GOT TO GET EVERYTHING READY.

ALL RIGHT.

AND I WANT A PAN TO PUT THE WATER INTO.

I'M SORRY.

I'M IN SUCH A HURRY.

EVERYBODY'S DYING TO GET THIS THING.

SO, UH, I'VE GOT MY WATER HOT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE'VE GOT A KETTLE FULL OF HOT WATER, BOILING WATER.

AND I'M GONNA POUR IT DOWN THE KERFS HERE AND SOFTEN THE WOOD, THAT LAST REMAINING 3/16" OF THE WOOD.

I'VE GOT TO GET IT GOOD AND HOT.

IT IS NOT JUST--NOT THE WATER THAT DOES THE SOFTENING SO MUCH AS THE HEAT.

THAT WATER JUST CARRIES THE HEAT TO THE WOOD.

IT'S GOT TO GET REAL HOT DOWN IN THERE, AND THIS MAKES THE WOOD PLIABLE AND EASY TO BEND WITHOUT BREAKING.

AND BY POURING THE WATER ON THE INSIDE, I CAN KIND OF COMPRESS THE GRAIN A LITTLE BIT.

SO GET IT GOOD AND HOT.

NOW, THE TRADITIONAL-- ANOTHER TRADITIONAL WAY OF DOING THIS WAS TO PUT SHAVINGS IN THE COFFIN AND LIGHT THEM, AND THAT HEAT WOULD SOFTEN THE SIDES, AND YOU'D BEND IT IN.

BUT HERE I'M JUST...

THE BOILING WATER IS GOING TO BE FINE.

ALL RIGHT, NOW I'VE GOT TO...

I'VE GOT TO MOVE FAST HERE.

I'LL LINE UP WITH THE BREAST LINE.

GET MY NAILS HERE AND MY HAMMER.

I KNOW I'VE GOT TWO HAMMERS.

ALL RIGHT.

SO I'M GONNA LINE UP WITH THE BREAST LINE RIGHT THERE, THAT MIDDLE KERF WITH THE BREAST LINE.

LAY IT ON THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND NOW START NAILING.

I'VE GOT TO GET THESE NAILS IN THEIR RIGHT AND FINAL POSITION.

ALL RIGHT.

AND VERY IMPORTANT, THAT ALIGNMENT WITH THE BREAST LINE.

OK. ONE.

I'LL GET TWO.

SEE HOW THAT CUT NAIL JUST PUNCHES THROUGH.

AND THEN A THIRD ONE RIGHT HERE INTO THE BOTTOM.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THESE NAILS ARE INTO SIDE GRAIN.

NOW COMES THE BEND.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE'VE GOT THAT FRONT DOWN.

SO THERE'S ALL MY KERFS, AND WHERE I'VE HEATED IT, AND I'M GOING TO VERY GENTLY BRING THIS BACK END DOWN SLOWLY.

THINK MEDITATIVE THOUGHTS HERE.

TELL YOU WHY I'M MAKING-- OH, THERE IT GOES.

IT'S BENDING JUST RIGHT.

I CAN FEEL IT GIVING.

THIS IS HOW YOU FEEL IT GIVING, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE IT SLOW AND LET THE WOOD ADAPT.

YOU'RE COMPRESSING IT DOWN SLOWLY.

THOSE KERFS ARE CLOSING UP.

AND WE BRING IT ALL THE WAY DOWN.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT BENT VERY NICELY.

YES, YES, YES, YES, YES.

ALL RIGHT.

SO, NOW, LET'S GO AHEAD AND NAIL THE TAIL END HERE.

AND OF COURSE, WE DO THE SAME THING ON THE OTHER SIDE, UH...BEVELING THE FOOT AND THE HEAD TO MATCH... ALL RIGHT.

AND ONE MORE NAIL UP HERE.

GOOD.

TO MATCH THE SLOPE OF THE SIDES.

AND THIS IS LEFT OUT, AND AGAIN YOU SEE, I'M NAILING INTO THE SIDE GRAIN OF THIS.

THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

VERY NICE.

NOW I'M GONNA DO BOTH SIDES HERE AND GET THIS EQUAL, BUT I'M GONNA TAKE A SECOND HERE TO MAKE A...INVESTIGATION OF WHY THOSE NAILS DO SO WELL... [CLATTERING] WHEN THEY GO INTO THE SIDES... HA HA HA...HERE.

IF YOU THINK OF WOOD, IT'S, UM...FIBERS.

IT'S FIBERS LIKE ON THIS BRUSH.

SO IF THIS IS A NAIL AND I DRIVE THAT NAIL INTO THE FIBERS OF THE BRUSH, THE END GRAIN OF THE WOOD LIKE THAT, IT JUST...

THERE'S NO GRIP.

I MEAN, IT FALLS RIGHT OUT.

SO COMING INTO THE FIBERS ON END GRAIN IS VERY, VERY WEAK.

BUT LOOK HERE.

IF WE HAVE GRAIN THAT IS ON THE SIDE HERE, LIKE I'VE PUT THESE TWO BRUSHES TOGETHER, AND HERE COMES THAT NAIL COMING DOWN INTO THE SIDE GRAIN LIKE I HAVE ON THE HEAD AND THE FOOT, DO YOU SEE HOW THE FIBERS DISTORT DOWNWARDS?

AND NOW IT'S VERY, VERY STRONG.

SO THAT DISTORTION OF THE FIBERS DOWNWARD, THAT'S WHY SIDE-GRAIN NAILING IS STRONG AND END-GRAIN NAILING IS VERY WEAK RIGHT THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO, LET'S SEE WHAT WE'VE GOT TO DO NEXT.

HA HA.

I'VE GOT MY COFFIN READY WITH THE ENDS.

SO WE'LL SAW THESE EXTRA ENDS OFF FLUSH HERE.

AND BE SURE TO CROWN THIS END JUST A LITTLE BIT SO THAT THE SCREWS GOING INTO THE TOP...

SO HERE'S, YOU SEE, HOW IT LOOKS AFTER BOTH SIDES ARE NAILED ON BEFORE WE CUT THE ENDS OFF LIKE THAT.

SO WE'LL SAW THESE OFF FLUSH DOWN HERE.

JUST SAW IT OFF FLUSH, PLANE IT ALL FLUSH, AND THEN MUCH OF THE WORK TO DOING TRADITIONAL COFFIN-MAKING IS DECORATIVE NAILS ALL UP AND DOWN HERE, JUST ROWS AND ROWS OF JILLIONS OF NAILS ALL THE WAY UP AND DOWN, AND THAT GIVES US THE COFFIN.

THEN WE CAN TAKE THAT TOP BOARD...

PUT IT ON.

ALL RIGHT.

AND WE TAKE THE BLANK OF THE TOP BOARD LIKE THIS.

HERE WE'VE PUT THE LITTLE EXTENSIONS ON A BOARD TO MAKE IT WIDE ENOUGH, BUT ONLY WHERE WE NEED IT.

SET THAT ON TOP, LINE IT UP SO IT COVERS FULLY, ALL RIGHT, AND THEN TRACE AROUND WITH A PENCIL UNDERNEATH HERE TO GET THE LINE TO BRING THE TOP DOWN TO.

SO WE CAN DO ALL OF THAT WORK AND THEN MAKE OUR LID PLANED... HA HA HA...TO FIT HERE.

SO ALL OF THIS, AGAIN, IN PINE.

I'VE GOT THE PICTURE, THOUGH, OF GUYS SAWING ELM.

NOW, YOU CAN IMAGINE A BIG ELM LOG CUT UP FOR THIS.

HERE'S THE GUYS PIT-SAWING.

YOU CAN SEE A MAN STANDING ON TOP OF THE LOG WITH A LONG SAW, AND THE GUY DOWN IN THE BOTTOM THERE, HE'S DOWN IN A PIT.

AND THESE, OF COURSE, ARE NOT FOUND ARCHAEOLOGICALLY BECAUSE THEY WERE CUT UP INTO POST HOLES AND SOLD WHEN THE SAW PIT FELL INTO DISUSE.

NEVERTHELESS, I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT WE'RE PUTTING IN THIS COFFIN HERE.

OUR GROUP IS PUTTING IN THINGS LIKE SUPERSTITION.

WE'RE BURYING THINGS WE DON'T NEED, LIKE PRETENSE...

UH, PERFECTIONISM... WORRY...HA HA HA!

AND LACK OF PERSPECTIVE AND OF COURSE, NEEDING TO BE THE SMARTEST GUY IN THE ROOM.

MAYBE I'LL KEEP THAT.

ANYWAY, THANKS FOR JOINING ME.

THIS IS ROY UNDERHILL.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

SO LONG.

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

YOU CAN FIND US ONLINE AT pbs.org.

MAJOR FUNDING FOR "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" IS PROVIDED BY... [WIND BLOWING] [CAT MEOWS] [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."

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.