Roman Work Bench

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

[TRAFFIC SOUNDS] [THEME MUSIC PLAYING] HEY, I'M ROY UNDERHILL.

WELCOME BACK TO "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

SO GLAD YOU COULD BE WITH ME AGAIN.

BUT CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW SHOCKED THOSE EARLY ARCHAEOLOGISTS WERE WHEN THEY DUG INTO THE RUINS OF ANCIENT POMPEII AND FOUND A FRESCO OF CHRISTOPHER SCHWARZ PLANING ON A LOW 8-LEGGED BENCH.

CHRIS.

HA HA HA.

YOU HAVE BROUGHT THE MOST SHOCKING THING I'VE EVER SEEN HERE.

IT IS A ROMAN WORKBENCH.

IT'S GREAT, BUT IT HAS-- NOW, ALL RIGHT, I'VE GOT TO SAY, SOME OF THE FRESCOES AT POMPEII, AND SOME OF THEM ARE PRETTY SHOCKING, BUT THIS...THIS...

THIS IS WHAT HAS REALLY BLOWN ME AWAY.

THAT IS NOT A FRESCO, BUT A LINE-ART ENGRAVING.

IT IS AN 18th-CENTURY COPPERPLATE ENGRAVING OF WHAT COULD BE THE EARLIEST WORKBENCH THAT WE HAVE.

AND THIS ONE WAS RECOVERED FROM HERCULANEUM, WHICH WAS NEAR POMPEII.

AND IT WAS DISCOVERED IN 1599, AT FIRST HERCULANEUM WAS.

BUT THEN, LIKE YOU SAID, THE PICTURES WERE SO...

THEY WERE SHOCK... RUDE.

LET'S SAY RUDE.

LET'S SAY RUDE.

THAT THEY COVERED THEM UP.

AND THEN ANOTHER 200 YEARS LATER, THEY FOUND THEM AGAIN AND...AND UNCOVERED THEM, AND THIS FRESCO WAS DRAWN BY COMMISSION OF THE KING OF NAPLES, AND IT'S A GOOD THING, BECAUSE IF THEY HADN'T, WE WOULDN'T HAVE THIS AT ALL, BECAUSE AIR AND DETERIORATION AND POLLUTION HAVE RUINED THIS FRESCO.

SO ALL WE HAVE LEFT IS THIS 18th-CENTURY DRAWING OF THIS 79 A.D. FRESCO OF THE FIRST... WHAT COULD BE THE FIRST WORKBENCH.

I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY ONE EARLIER.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS IS...I MEAN, LOOK.

WE'VE GOT HOLDFASTS.

THERE'S A HOLDFAST, THAT KIND OF CANDY-CANE LOOKING THING RIGHT THERE HOLDING THE WOOD DOWN.

ALMOST 2,000 YEARS OLD, HOLDFAST.

UH, SQUARE HOLDFAST HOLES, AND WE'VE GOT... YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A HAMMER.

WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, A WEBBED SAW.

BUT MOST OF-- 8 LEGS.

THERE'S 4 ON EACH END.

THAT'S SO WEIRD.

IT IS, AND IT'S KIND OF RARE.

AND YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT THIS IS LIKE TWO TRESTLES WITH A BENCH TOP ON TOP OF THEM.

BUT I'M NOT SO SURE, AND SO I HAD TO-- I HAD TO BUILD ONE TO FIND OUT.

AND THAT'S THE WAY THE GAME IS PLAYED.

YOU JUST MAKE ONE OF THESE THINGS AND SEE.

SO IT'S EXPERIMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY.

WE'RE GONNA GIVE A SHOT HERE ON THIS, UH... 8-LEGGED WORKBENCH.

SO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING RIGHT HERE?

WE'RE GONNA TRY IT OUT WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES.

YEAH.

SO, LIKE, ONCE YOU BUILD IT, THEN YOU HAVE TO USE IT.

YOU JUST CAN'T SIT AROUND WITH IT.

SO, OBVIOUSLY, TRAVERSING AGAINST THESE PEGS IS PRETTY EASY.

AND YOU CAN SEE I'M USING MY KNEES.

CROSS-GRAIN PLANING.

OH, YOU'RE PUTTING YOUR KNEES AGAINST.

OK.

YOUR KNEES AGAINST IT, AND THAT'S KIND OF ONE OF THE MANY MAN CLAMPS THAT I HAVE.

SO THAT'S GOOD.

IT'S GOOD FOR CROSS-GRAIN PLANING, AND HOW ABOUT LONG-GRAIN?

WELL, LONG-GRAIN IS ALSO USING THESE PEGS AT THE END.

AND SO YOU CAN JUST PUT IT UP AGAINST THE PEGS AND PLANE LONG-GRAIN.

AND FOR REALLY LONG BOARDS, YOU CAN JUST PUT YOUR OTHER MEAT CLAMP ON THEM.

THAT'S WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT HERE.

AND GIVE IT A... GIVE IT A WHIRL.

BUT WHAT'S INTERESTING IS, IF YOU LOOK DOWN AT MY FEET, THIS IS SOMETHING MY FEET DISCOVERED.

I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.

YOU'VE GOT THEM HOOKED DOWN AROUND THE LEGS THERE.

YEAH.

AS I WAS PROCESSING STOCK FOR A DRESSER ON THIS, I FOUND THAT MY FEET JUST GRAVITATED TO THOSE LEGS, AND THEN I COULD USE THOSE TO HELP PULL MYSELF IN, MAKING IT EVEN LESS EFFORT.

SO I'M SITTING DOWN, I'M USING MY-- YOU'RE USING YOUR LEGS AND YOUR BACK AND YOUR ARMS AS WELL.

AND NOT MY ARMS, NOT MY LITTLE BABY ARMS.

SO, UH...YOU KNOW, PLANING FACES IS REALLY QUITE NICE ON THIS.

YEAH.

OK. AND SO YOU JUST MOVE THAT LONG BOARD, AND IT'S... HOW LONG IS IT?

IT'S ABOUT 7 FEET LONG.

SO YOU CAN START AT THE END, AND YOU CAN PROCESS PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING WITH THAT, SO... WELL, ALL RIGHT.

NOW, HOW ABOUT... YOU CAN'T DO THIS.

THERE'S NOTHING... NO VISE.

YOU CAN'T STAND...

I GUESS THEY SAVED ALL THEIR VICES FOR THEIR FRESCOES.

IS THAT RIGHT?

WELL, PERHAPS THEY DID.

PERHAPS NOT.

BUT WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING, A COUPLE THINGS.

SO FOR NARROW BOARDS OR SHORT BOARDS, I'VE BEEN PUTTING IT UP AGAINST THE STOP LIKE THAT, AND THEN I'VE BEEN USING MY MAN CROCHET OR MY MEAT CROCHET, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT, THE NATURAL HOOK THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME...

YOUR BODY IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

YES.

ALL RIGHT.

MY BODY.

YES.

IT'S CALLED MY BODY.

AND...BECAUSE IT'S NOT RUDE.

AND YOU CAN DO IT THAT WAY, BUT THIS IS A LITTLE AWKWARD, UM...

IT IS.

IT IS A LITTLE AWKWARD.

AND SEMI-RUDE.

SO LET'S SEE IF THERE'S A BETTER WAY TO DO THIS.

THERE IS A BETTER WAY.

SO INTERESTINGLY, I WAS READING THIS BOOK ABOUT WOODWORKING IN ESTONIA, WHICH IS A BALTIC COUNTRY.

AND THEY ARE STILL USING THESE WORKBENCHES IN ESTONIA-- VERY LOW, AND WHAT A LOT OF THEM HAVE THAT SURVIVE ARE THESE...THIS UNUSUAL PATTERN OF HOLES ALL ALONG THE BENCH TOP.

SO...OK. WELL, WHAT ARE THEY FOR?

THEY'RE HOLDFASTS?

THEY'RE NOT RANDOM.

NO, THEY'RE NOT FOR HOLDFASTS.

I MEAN, I'M SURE YOU COULD PUT A HOLDFAST.

YOU CAN PUT A HOLDFAST IN ANYTHING.

BUT WHAT I FOUND IS YOU SEE IMAGES OF THEM.

AND SO THEY PUT THESE PEGS IN THERE.

AND SO YOU PUT A PEG THAT'S IN ONE OF THE CENTER HOLES, AND THEN YOU TAKE YOUR WOOD, YOU PUT IT UP AGAINST THE PEG.

AND NOW, THAT COULD BE PRETTY TRICKY TO BALANCE THAT ON THERE.

AND SO WHAT YOU SEE IS THEY WOULD PUT A PEG HERE, AND THEN THEY WOULD TRY TO FIND ANOTHER PEG HOLE, PERHAPS HERE, THAT WOULD THEN RESTRAIN THE BOARD FROM THE SIDES.

SO IT WOULD LOCK IT IN.

AND IF...IF WE HAD TO, WE COULD FIND ANOTHER HOLE MAYBE THAT COULD LOCK IT IN, SO... YOU COULD ACTUALLY PUT A WEDGE, I GUESS, BETWEEN THE PEG AND THE WOOD AND REALLY, REALLY LOCK IT UP IF YOU WANTED.

YOU COULD.

BUT HERE.

COULD YOU HAND ME THE PLANE?

YES, INDEED.

SO...BUT WHAT I'VE FOUND IS THAT, ONCE YOU GET THAT THING RESTRAINED, IT'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE.

AND SO, YEAH, YOU'RE HELPING THINGS, BUT I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP.

I'M GONNA LET GO.

I'M GONNA LET GO.

YEAH.

NO.

I'M FULL-ON ESTONIAN.

AND THEN...

IT FALLS OVER.

IT FALLS OVER.

OK.

SO THERE YOU'D WANT TO HAVE THE LONGER...

THE TALLER PEGS.

SO THERE ARE A VARIETY OF PEGS-- TALL, SHORT.

OH, OK. WE CAN PUT THAT IN THERE, AND AGAIN JUST... OOP!

HA HA.

THAT ONE IS A LOOSE ONE DOWN INSIDE THERE.

AH.

HERE WE GO.

LET'S TRY THIS ONE.

YOU NEED A VARIETY OF PEGS.

THERE WE GO, NICE AND TIGHT.

SO YOU'VE GOT ONE IN THE CENTER, AND THEN THEY KIND OF ALTERNATE, BUT THEY ALSO GET A BROADER SPLAY.

SO FOR A BIGGER TIMBER, YOU'D HAVE A BIGGER GAP BETWEEN THEM.

YEAH.

AND ALSO FOR THICKER STOCK.

SO THICKER, LONGER STOCK, YOU CAN GET THAT RESTRAINED WITH YOUR SIDE PEGS.

HUH.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THERE YOU GO.

SO THAT'S THE EDGE PLANING.

WELL, WHAT ELSE HAVE WE GOT?

I GUESS SAWING.

CAN YOU SAW ON THIS THING?

CAN YOU SAW?

WELL, YEAH.

I GUESS THAT'S A DUMB QUESTION, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE CHERUBS ARE-- THAT'S WHAT THE LITTLE EROTS ARE DOING, IS THEY ARE...

THEY ARE SAWING.

SO, SAWING IS WHERE THIS THING REALLY EXCELS.

AND I LIKE TO THINK OF THIS AS, LIKE, CONJOINED SAW BENCHES THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN SEPARATED AT BIRTH.

AND...BECAUSE YOU HAVE THIS ENORMOUS, LONG SURFACE.

YEAH.

USUALLY YOU'D HAVE TO PUT IT BETWEEN TRESTLES, AND YOU'RE STANDING, AND IT'S VIBRATING.

PIECES ARE FALLING.

WITH THIS, YOU JUST HAVE, LIKE, THIS GIANT, GIANT SURFACE THAT SUPPORTS THE WORK.

STABLE.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE TO MOVE THE SAW BENCHES AROUND.

I DON'T HAVE TO MOVE THE WORK AROUND.

AND YOU KNOW, THE WASTE DOESN'T-- THAT'S GREAT.

SO EVERYTHING HELD FLAT ALL THE WAY DOWN.

WOW.

SO, FOR CROSSCUTTING, NO PROBLEM.

WHAT ABOUT RIPPING?

RIPPING IS EVEN BETTER.

RIPPING IS ALMOST NICE WITH THIS THING.

SO, I'M GONNA COME AROUND HERE.

NOBODY LIKES RIPPING, BECAUSE RIPPING IS A LOT LIKE WORK.

BUT THE NICE THING ABOUT THIS IS THAT, ONCE AGAIN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO MOVE YOUR TRESTLES AROUND...

WHEN RIPPING.

SO YOU HAVE THE... YOU CAN PUT WORK UP TO, LIKE, 10 FEET LONG.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO MOVING IT ALL OVER THE PLACE.

AND SO IT JUST SUPPORTS IT AS YOU MOVE ALL THE WAY DOWN.

ALL THE WAY ON DOWN.

WOW.

WOW.

SO, IT'S A SUPER SAW BENCH.

HA HA.

I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO LOVES TO RIP WOOD.

SO THIS WILL BE GREAT FOR ME.

BUT WHAT IF I WANTED TO DO MORTISE AND... WELL, THAT'S WHAT I GUESS WE SEE IN THIS ONE HERE, THIS FRESCO.

YEAH.

THAT'S A DIFFERENT FRESCO.

MORTISE AND TENON WORK.

AND SO, YEAH, LET'S TALK ABOUT MORTISING AND TENONING.

SO THIS IS ACTUALLY FROM POMPEII.

AND THIS IS NOT A DRAWING.

THIS IS AN ACTUAL FRESCO THAT STILL EXISTS IN THE HOUSE OF THE VETTI.

AND 79 A.D., SAME TIME AS THE ONE...

THE OTHER ONE WE SAW.

AND SO WE HAVE... YOU KNOW, ALL MY ATTENTION IS DRAWN DOWN HERE TO THIS GUY.

THERE'S ALL KINDS OF STUFF GOING-- THERE'S A WOODEN COW ON WHEELS IT LOOKS LIKE.

THIS IS...WE DON'T WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THAT.

THAT'S DAEDALUS.

LOOK, READ YOUR HISTORY BOOKS.

ALL RIGHT.

THERE WE GO.

SO THIS GUY, WHO IS THIS?

THIS IS PERDIX.

SO THIS IS DAEDALUS'...

IT'S HIS COUSIN AND HIS APPRENTICE.

HE'S A 12-YEAR-OLD BOY, AND HE'S SITTING HERE ON A PIECE OF WORK, PROBABLY A POST OR SOMETHING.

SO WE KNOW THIS IS A LOW ONE.

WITH THE OTHER ONE, WE WEREN'T SURE.

BECAUSE THEY WERE CHERUBS, OR WHAT WERE THEY?

EROTS.

OK. EROTS.

AND WHAT I THINK-- NO VISES AGAIN, EXCEPT, WELL, THE VISES ARE BEHIND HIM.

WELL, HE'S SITTING ON IT, AND HE'S GOT NAILS.

NAILS THAT ARE RESTRAINING IT, WHICH IS ANOTHER ROMAN, GREAT ROMAN THING.

AND YOU CAN SEE IT HAS A VERY, YOU KNOW, MODERN... OH, THAT.

MODERN MORTISE CHISEL, AND THAT... WHAT IS THAT?

IT'S NOT A SNAKE.

IT'S AN ADZE.

IT'S SORT OF A PROTO-PLANE.

SO THAT'S LIKE... THAT'S THE HANDLE THERE?

AND THE BLADE IS DOWN THERE.

AND THEN WE HAVE A BOW DRILL.

A BOW DRILL.

OK. BECAUSE...WHAT DID HE INVENT AGAIN?

HIS NAME IS... HIS NAME IS PERDIX, AND HE IS CREDITED WITH INVENTING THE SAW.

SO HE SEES THIS FISH BY THE SIDE OF THE LAKE, OR SOME ACCOUNTS SAY IT WAS THE JAW OF A SNAKE, AND HE'S LIKE, "HEY, I CAN MAKE THAT IN IRON," AND SO HE MAKES THE SAW.

HE INVENTED THE COMPASS.

SOME PEOPLE SAY HE INVENTED THE CHISEL.

BUT THEN HE WAS SO CLEVER THAT HIS UNCLE THREW HIM OFF OF A TOWER, AND...BECAUSE HE WAS JEALOUS OF HIM.

THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS.

NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED.

EXACTLY, BUT THANKFULLY, ATHENA CAUGHT HIM AND TURNED HIM INTO A PARTRIDGE.

AND SO THAT IS WHY THE PARTRIDGE IS THE WOODWORKERS' BIRD.

IS IT REALLY?

IT IS.

OH, HOW GRAND.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THERE YOU GO.

SEE, DON'T TELL ME YOU DIDN'T LEARN ANYTHING HERE.

LET'S SEE THE MORTISING NOW.

AND AGAIN, YOU SIT ON IT.

YEAH.

SO WE'LL GET A MORTISE CHISEL.

YEAH, HE'S USING A METAL HAMMER, BUT WE'LL USE THIS.

AND SO YOU JUST USE YOUR MEAT CLAMP AGAIN.

SORRY.

IT'S ALL RIGHTS RESERVED-- MEAT CLAMP.

YOU CAN'T... AND SO YOU JUST...

I MEAN, IT...

THIS IS LIKE AN ENGLISH MORTISING STOOL.

THIS SHOULDN'T SURPRISE ANYBODY WHO'S SEEN THIS.

A LOT OF ILLUSTRATIONS OF FOLKS WORKING ON LOW BENCHES, BECAUSE IT'S PERFECT.

IT GETS EVERYTHING WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.

AND YOU SIT ON THE WORK TO HOLD IT DOWN.

YEAH.

RIGHT OVER THE LEGS SO THAT THE FORCES ARE TRANSMITTED DOWN TO THE FLOOR.

NOW, THAT'S WHERE I CAN SEE THE ADVANTAGE OF THE 4-LEGGED... ON EACH END.

SO THE TOTAL OF 8 LEGS.

THERE'S NO BOUNCING AROUND IN THE MIDDLE.

A LOT OF LOW... YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

SO, VERY COOL.

SO, VERY GOOD FOR MORTISING.

UH...NOW... DOVETAILING?

ALL RIGHT.

DOVETAILS.

DID THEY HAVE DOVETAILS THEN?

OF COURSE THEY HAD DOVETAILS.

EVEN THE EGYPTIANS HAD DOVETAILS.

THE EGYPTIANS, YEAH, THEY WERE USING DOVETAILS.

SARCOPHAGI WERE DOVETAILED.

AND THE ROMANS HAD DOVETAILED BOXES.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT THAT SMART.

IT WAS THE ROMANS AND THE EGYPTIANS AND EVERYTHING.

AND SO, YEAH, I MEAN, DOVETAILS ARE A LITTLE AWKWARD FOR THE MODERN WOODWORKER, WHO'S USED TO STANDING UP AT THE BENCH, UM, UPRIGHT.

YOU'VE GOT SOME LAID OUT HERE.

I'VE GOT SOME HERE LAID OUT TO SHOW YOU HOW I THINK THEY CUT THEM.

SO YOU CAN SEE, THE X's ARE THE WASTE.

SO DOWN OFF THE END OF THE BENCH.

AND SO YOU WORK DOWN OFF THE END OF THE BENCH.

AND YOU JUST TAKE A SAW, FOLLOW THE LINES.

AND YOU WORK STRAIGHT DOWN UNTIL YOU HIT YOUR BASELINE.

AND YOU JUST WORK YOUR WAY ACROSS, JUST LIKE YOU NORMALLY WOULD.

ALL RIGHT, AND THEN YOU CAN PULL IT BACK AND CHISEL OUT THE WASTE.

THEN YOU MOVE BACK HERE, AND YOU CAN CHISEL OUT THE WASTE.

EXACTLY RIGHT.

NOW, YOU...I KNOW YOU, JUST LIKE A LOT OF FOLKS USUALLY DO TAILS FIRST, YOU WOULD CUT THESE FIRST, BUT HERE YOU'RE CUTTING THE PINS, THE OTHER ELEMENT, BECAUSE THERE'S TWO ELEMENTS TO DOVETAILS-- YES.

SO SOMEWHERE FRANK KLAUSZ, THE GOD...

THE ROMAN GOD-- THE HUNGARIAN GOD OF DOVETAILS, IS SMILING BECAUSE I THINK IT'S ALMOST CERTAIN THAT THEY WOULD CUT THE PINS FIRST IN THIS EXAMPLE.

NOW, YOU WERE SAYING YOU HAD A THEORY ON THAT.

I'LL LET YOU EXPLAIN THAT.

WELL, HERE'S THE THEORY, OF COURSE.

SO I'VE CUT THE PINS.

AND NOW THE HARD PART IS TRANSFERRING THE PINS.

BUT IF YOU CUT THE PINS FIRST, THEN YOU CAN JUST PUT THE PINS AND BALANCE THEM ON TOP OF THE TAIL BOARD AND SIMPLY GET IN THERE WITH A PENCIL OR KNIFE AND TRACE THE SHAPE OF THE PINS, WHEREAS... AND THEN CUT OUT THESE TO MATCH.

OK.

CORRECT.

SO IF YOU DID THEM THE OTHER WAY, SAY THEY CUT THEM TAILS FIRST, THE WAY THAT I DID IT... THEN YOU'D HAVE TO GO TO A STANDING-UP BLANK.

WE'D HAVE TO STAND THIS UP.

WE'D HAVE TO BALANCE THAT ON TOP OF THAT.

HAVE A BLANK UP ON TOP LIKE THAT.

I'D HAVE TO HAVE A 12-YEAR-OLD APPRENTICE TO HELP ME.

AND I DON'T WANT TO THROW ANYONE OFF A TOWER.

YOU'D THROW THEM OFF A TOWER, AND THEN YOU'D BE IN TROUBLE AND YOU'D BE...

SO I REALLY THINK PINS FIRST ARE THE WAY TO GO ON THE ROMAN WORKBENCH.

SO, HATS OFF TO MR. KLAUSZ.

WELL, THAT DOES...

DOES MAKE SENSE.

OK. WELL, THAT'S GOT... JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING.

YOU'VE GOT...

THE HOLDFAST, THOUGH, IS IN A BIGGER ONE NOW.

IS THAT RIGHT?

THAT WAS IN THIS... WELL, THE HOLDFAST IS SHOWN IN THE ONE FROM HERCULANEUM.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S LOOK AT THAT ONE.

SO THAT'S IN THE 8-LEGGED ONE HERE.

AND AGAIN, A HOLDFAST.

YOU'RE GONNA SEE HOW THAT WORKS.

CAN WE TRY THAT?

BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS ONE YOU'VE BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH, AND YOU'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET.

NOT QUITE THERE.

YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS AN EXPERIMENT.

SO, PETER ROSS MADE...

THE BLACKSMITH, MADE ALL OF THESE IRON BITS FOR ME.

AND SO WE TRIED TO MAKE A HOLDFAST THAT LOOKED LIKE THE ONE FROM... YEAH, HERCULANEUM.

BIG OLD CANDY-CANE THING.

YEAH, A BIG OLD CANDY-CANE THING.

BUT DON'T LICK IT, BECAUSE YOU MIGHT GET HIT.

AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE RIGHT SWEEP, THE RIGHT CURVE THERE.

AND IT WILL WORK USUALLY, BUT YOU HAVE TO REALLY FIND THE SWEET SPOT.

AND YOU KNOW, THE SWEET SPOT IS NOT HERE TODAY.

JUST NOT HAPPENING.

YEAH.

AND SO THIS IS THE OTHER FORM, AND THIS ONE IS NOT...

BUT TRY THAT ONE JUST FOR THE HECK OF IT.

YEAH, LET'S SEE.

ALSO NOT WORKING.

THAT ONE WON'T WORK EITHER.

SO GETTING THESE JUST RIGHT...

THERE'S JUST A SUBTLE GEOMETRY IN THIS HOOK ONE, BUT I THINK IT'S GREAT, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THIS GAME IS ALL ABOUT.

YOU TRY IT, YOU EXPERIMENT, AND THAT'S HOW WE MOVE FORWARD.

AND WHEN YOU FAIL, YOU KNOW THAT-- AT LEAST YOU KNOW THAT'S WRONG.

YEAH.

SO THIS IS KIND OF LIKE HAVING A LITTLE KON-TIKI IN YOUR WORKSHOP THERE, FIGURING OUT YOUR HISTORICAL STUFF.

I WISH MY NAME WERE THOR.

WELL, IT COULD BE.

LET'S TRY...

SO WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT NOW THIS VERY COOL BENCH HERE.

I'M GONNA STAND BACK HERE, BECAUSE I WANT EVERYBODY TO SEE THIS THING.

YEAH.

SO THIS IS A LOW BENCH-- IT'S A STUNNER, YEAH.

A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK, YOU KNOW, "OH, A LOW BENCH.

MAYBE THE ROMANS JUST WORKED ON LOW BENCHES."

BUT THEY ALSO HAD HIGH BENCHES.

AND SO I'VE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT OTHER...OTHER FORMS.

AND SO THERE WERE DEFINITELY HIGH WORKBENCHES THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF WAIST-HIGH FOR PLANING AND SUCH.

WELL, THIS IS JUST A GAS HERE, AND IT'S GOT-- I'VE KNOCKED OVER ALL OF YOUR ILLUSTRATIONS.

BUT IT'S GOT A FACE VISE HERE WITH DOUBLE...DOUBLE VISE NUTS THERE AND SCREWS TO TIGHTEN UP.

AND WHAT'S WONDERFUL-- DOWN AT THIS END, YOU FOLLOW THE DOG HOLES, FOLLOW THE PATH OF THE DOGS DOWN, THERE'S A VERY BITEY DOG IN THERE.

LOOK AT THAT THING, WITH THE BIG OLD BITEY TEETH THERE.

AND THAT CORRESPONDS TO DOWN HERE, THIS INCREDIBLE END VISE.

LOOK AT THAT.

SO A STRAP OF IRON COMING DOWN TO THE END OF A SCREW.

HERE'S THE NUT.

AND YOU CRANK IT IN AND OUT, AND SO THE PRESSURE BETWEEN THIS BITEY, BITEY DOG HERE AND THIS BITEY DOG IS GREAT.

AND THIS ALL CAME FROM THIS FELLA HERE?

YEAH, THIS COULD BE THE FIRST END VISE EVER.

AND THAT WAS DONE BY...

THIS IS 1505.

SO THIS IS 1,500 YEARS AFTER POMPEII.

THIS IS...

I CALL HIM AFFECTIONATELY MARTY SPOONWOOD.

THAT'S HOW THE NAME TRANSLATES.

SO SAY LOFFELHOLZ.

LOFFELHOLZ, YEAH.

MARTIN LOFFELHOLZ.

AND HE WAS THE PFLEGER DU LICHTENAU?

YES, THE KEEPER OF LICHTENAU.

SO BASICALLY KIND OF LIKE A MAYOR GUY.

SO HE...A VERY INTERESTING FELLOW, DREW THE 76-PAGE CODEX, WHICH IS A PROTO-BOOK, AND OF COOL THINGS THAT HE EITHER INVENTED OR SAW IN NUREMBURG.

WE DON'T KNOW.

FILLED WITH ALL SORTS OF CRAZY INVENTIONS.

WHAT ON EARTH?

THIS IS... WELL, I MEAN, COME ON.

IT'S A ROLLING OFFICE CHAIR.

IF YOU'VE WORKED IN A CUBICLE, YOU'VE SEEN THIS.

SO WE HAVE HIM TO BLAME FOR IT.

OH, MY GOSH.

OK.

SO THERE IT IS, ON THE CASTERS.

AND THIS THING, IT LOOKS LIKE IT PIVOTS THERE.

AND THE SEAT IS...

I GUESS THEY STILL HAD CODPIECES BACK THEN, BECAUSE A LITTLE EXTRA SCULPTING IN THERE.

SO THEY HAD A LITTLE EXTRA SOMETHING-SOMETHING FOR YOU.

YEAH.

WELL, THIS IS GREAT.

I LOVE THIS HERE.

LOOK AT THAT.

THERE ARE THE CASTERS.

THAT'S THE CASTER, AND IT'S OFFSET FOR THE WHEEL TO FOLLOW THERE, AND THIS ACTUALLY VERY EARLY SCREWS.

THESE HAD TO BE HANDMADE.

YEP.

YEP.

LIKE WHAT YOU WOULD SEE IN ARMOR.

WOW.

AND WHAT IS THIS?

WELL, THIS IS A WACKY DOOR THAT IS DESIGNED TO HINGE FROM BOTH SIDES SO YOU CAN OPEN IT FROM THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT.

SO IT'S LIKE A DOOR WITHIN A DOOR WITHIN THE FRAME THERE.

WELL, IT'S ONE DOOR, BUT IT WILL EITHER, WHEN YOU OPEN THE RIGHT LATCH, IT HINGES ON THE LEFT.

WHEN YOU OPEN THE LEFT LATCH, IT HINGES ON THE RIGHT.

AND THIS WOULD ACTUALLY WORK?

IT ACTUALLY WORKS.

THEY BUILT ONE IN A EUROPEAN CITY HALL SO THEY COULD HAVE PARTIES THAT DIDN'T GET ALONG GO IN THROUGH SEPARATE DOORS, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY THE SAME DOOR.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S SEE.

AND THIS... ALL RIGHT.

NOW WE'RE GETTING TO REAL WOODWORKING HERE.

THIS IS A SCREW TAP AND SCREW BOX FOR DOING WOODEN THREADS.

NOW, THIS IS GREAT.

I'VE GOT A MODERN ONE HERE.

SO YOU CAN SEE, THIS WOULD CUT THE THREADS, INTERNAL THREADS IN WOOD LIKE THAT, BUT THIS IS SPECIAL.

YEAH, HE MADE ONE TOOL TO RULE THEM ALL.

SO IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, FOR SMALL TAPPED HOLES, MEDIUM, AND LARGE.

AND DIFFERENT-SIZED WOOD THREADERS.

WOOD THREADING, AND THIS IS THE SCREW BOX HERE.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE WOODEN THREADS ON THE INSIDE THERE.

AND THAT'S WHAT HE HAS RIGHT HERE.

SO MAKING WOODEN THREADS, A DIFFERENT KIND.

AND MAKE THE WOODEN SCREWS FOR WORK BENCHES IF YOU SCALE IT UP A BIT.

ABSOLUTELY.

AND THAT'S WHAT HE DOES IN THIS NEXT PRINT.

YES.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, THIS IS THE ONE THAT YOU COPIED.

AGAIN, THIS IS 1500.

1505.

1505.

THERE'S YOUR END VISE DOWN HERE ON THE END OF THE WORKBENCH.

YOU CAN SEE THE TWO SCREWS ON THE FACE VISE DOWN THERE.

THIS IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT ANDRE ROUBO IN THE 1700's CALLED A GERMAN BENCH, AN EXCITING NEW DEVELOPMENT.

BUT HE WAS ABOUT 300 YEARS TOO LATE FOR THE "EXCITING NEW" PART.

YEAH.

SO, THE WHOLE THING IS HE SAID THIS ALLOWED YOU TO PUT WOOD-- WELL, LET'S TRY IT OUT.

LET'S TRY OUT YOUR...

THIS EARLIEST-KNOWN TAIL VISE.

AND WE GET TO SEE HOW THIS FELLOW WILL WORK IN PRACTICE.

NOW, I'VE GOT TO SAY, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT PLANING ON THAT BENCH.

AND THIS IS 1500, BUT YOU SAY ROMANS, THIS IS STILL IN THE STYLE OF A ROMAN BENCH, THE SIZE, WITH THE BIG, GIANT LEGS COMING UP THROUGH IT.

YOU'RE ABOUT TO PLANE.

DID THE ROMANS...

THEY DID HAVE PLANES?

ROMANS HAD PLANES.

YEAH, THEY...

EITHER THE ROMANS OR THE GREEKS INVENTED PLANES, DEPENDING ON WHO YOU TALK TO.

AND ONE OF THE OTHER EVIDENCES IS, I MEAN, YOU HAVE ROMAN PLANES THAT ARE A METAL BODY THAT ARE FILLED WITH WOOD.

UH...

SO VERY SIMILAR TO OUR MODERN PLANES.

I MEAN, REMARKABLY SIMILAR.

AND THEY HAD PLANING STOPS.

SO THESE ARE REPRODUCTIONS OF ROMAN PLANING STOPS FROM SAALBURG, A FORTRESS, A ROMAN FORTRESS IN GERMANY.

AND THEY WOULD BE EMBEDDED IN A BLOCK OF WOOD THAT WOULD MOVE UP AND DOWN JUST LIKE IN ROUBO OR JUST LIKE ANY, YOU KNOW, EARLY WORKBENCH.

AND THEY WOULD LEAVE LITTLE MARKS ON YOUR WOOD.

ON THE END.

AND IF I TAKE OUT THIS BITEY DOG THAT YOU HAVE HERE, YOU CAN SEE IT IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE BITE THAT WOULD BE LEFT BY THAT.

SO THIS IS VERY CLOSELY LINKED TO THE TWO ROMAN ARTIFACTS.

I THINK THEY ARE CLOSELY LINKED, YEAH, TO EACH OTHER, AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS ROMAN UNDERCARRIAGE WITH A MODERN WORKBENCH.

SO ALL YOU DO IS YOU TURN THE CRANK TO SECURE THE WORK.

WHICH HAD TO BE A THRILL, I TELL YOU.

YAY!

NOW, I SEE TWO PROBLEMS WITH THIS.

IT'S LEFT MARKS IN THE END OF THE WOOD THERE WITH THOSE BITEY DOGS.

YEAH, BUT, I MEAN, A LOT OF EARLY FURNITURE HAS...HAS THOSE MARKS.

I MEAN, YOU SEE IT BECAUSE OF THESE PLANING STOPS, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY WOULD...

THEY WOULD MARK THE WOOD, TOO.

AND SO, YOU KNOW... AND ALSO, IF IT REALLY WERE OBJECTIONABLE.

THEY WOULD COVER IT WITH MOLDING OR SOMETHING MUCH MORE COMMON, YEAH, YEAH.

AND SO THAT'S...THAT'S USUALLY THE MAIN OBJECTION IS, "OH, I DON'T WANT MY WOOD MARKED."

NOW, NOW, NOW, NOW.

BUT THE OTHER THING IS BECAUSE THEY'VE NEVER TRIED IT.

YOU SAY DON'T KNOCK IT TILL YOU'VE TRIED IT, AND PEOPLE KNOCK IT BEFORE THEY TRY IT.

THE HANDLE'S IN THE WAY.

YEAH.

THE HANDLE'S IN THE WAY HERE.

YEAH, THAT'S THE OTHER THING, IS THEY'RE LIKE, "OH, YOU CAN'T PLANE.

"YOU CAN'T PLANE.

LOOK AT THAT, YOU KNOW.

OH, WHAT A PIECE OF..." SO I'M JUST GONNA PUSH THAT OUT OF THE WAY AND ASK YOU TO PLANE NOW.

COME ON.

SO, YEAH, PEOPLE... PEOPLE NEED TO TRY THINGS.

YOU NEED TO BUILD THINGS.

PEOPLE, THEY'RE THE WORST, I TELL YOU.

PEOPLE ARE THE WORST.

BUT YOU CAN PLANE WITH THE GRAIN, ACROSS THE GRAIN, AND NOTHING WILL ALLOW THE WORK TO LIFT UP.

I WAS REALLY DUBIOUS ABOUT THAT, THINKING THAT STRAP, BUT, BOY, IT JUST DOES GET ALL THE...

IT'S REALLY PERFECT.

IT DOESN'T LIFT LIKE AN ORDINARY ONE WOULD.

THAT'S GREAT.

SO MAYBE MARTY SPOONWOOD KNEW SOMETHING.

WELL, INDEED.

OR KNEW SOMEONE WHO KNEW SOMETHING.

HE MIGHT HAVE SEEN SOMEONE WHO KNEW SOMETHING.

THERE'S A MYSTERY, THOUGH, ON THIS FRONT.

NOW LET'S SEE IF I CAN GET THAT MARTY SPOONWOOD'S PICTURE HERE.

AH...ON THIS PIECE HERE.

NOW YOUR FRONT-- LET'S LOOK AT THIS VISE HERE.

YEAH, YEAH.

SO HERE WE'VE GOT THE ILLUSTRATION.

YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S ACTUALLY NOTCHED INTO THE SIDE OF THE WORKBENCH THERE.

EVERYBODY SEE THAT?

LIKE THIS.

IT'S KIND OF WEIRD.

YEAH, IT'S KNOCKED INTO THE WORKBENCH, AND AGAIN, HERE WE SEE IT HERE.

HE'S GOT IT NOTCHED OUT, ACTUALLY TOOK THAT WOOD OUT OF THERE AND MADE IT THE CHOPS OF THE VISE.

SO THAT MAY HAVE BEEN IT, YOU SAY.

OR DID YOU SAY MAYBE HE JUST WANTED TO GET THE PIECE OF WOOD THERE?

YEAH, THAT HE WAS TRYING TO SAVE WOOD.

HE WAS A CHEAP WOODWORKER, AND SO HE'S LIKE, "OH, I'LL JUST CUT THIS OUT, USE THIS FOR THE CHOP."

THAT MAY WELL BE THE CASE.

I MEAN, WE SEE...

THIS ISN'T THE FIRST FACE VISE THAT WE SEE.

WE SEE EARLIER FACE VISES FROM THE 1300's.

BUT I DECIDED TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE, TAKE MARTY AT HIS WORD.

SO I CUT IT OUT WITH A RIPSAW AND CROSSCUT THIS OUT AND PUT IT IN, AND TRIED TO, YOU KNOW, PUT IT TO WORK AND SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE, AND YOU KNOW WHAT?

IT REALLY WORKS QUITE WELL.

LET'S TRY IT OUT, FOR LONG PLANING.

I CAN SEE HOW IT WOULD WORK FOR DOVETAILING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

IT'S A GREAT VISE.

IT IS A VERY NICE VISE FOR DOVETAILING AND TENONING AND SUCH LIKE THAT, BUT ONE OTHER THING I FOUND IS, YOU KNOW, YOU PUT THIS IN, AND BECAUSE THE VISE SCREWS ARE SO HIGH OFF THE BENCH, AND THAT ALLOWS THE JAW TO REALLY CLOSE IN TIGHT.

IT DOESN'T CANTILEVER OUT LIKE YOU DO WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE...

THE VISE SCREWS LOW.

IT'S IN THERE.

YEAH.

IT IS IN THERE, AND I HAVEN'T EVEN REALLY TIGHTENED UP THE VISE NUTS YET.

BUT YOU CAN PLANE... YOU KNOW, YOU CAN PLANE 6 FEET... 6-FEET-LONG STOCK WITHOUT ANY REAL...

WITHOUT ANY REAL ISSUE.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY KIND OF A NON-ISSUE, UNLESS YOU GET INTO REALLY, REALLY LONG STOCK.

AND IF YOU HAD LONG STOCK, COULDN'T YOU DO IT-- YOU COULD DO IT PROBABLY AT AN ANGLE IF YOU PUT IT IN LIKE... WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

JUST TILT IT DOWN LIKE THAT.

NO BIG DEAL, YOU KNOW.

LOOK AT YOU, YEAH.

MR. ARCHAEOLOGIST.

YEAH.

SO JUST... YOU TRY IT OUT.

AND IT DOESN'T PROVE ANYTHING, EXCEPT THAT YOU CAN DO THIS NOW.

IT DOESN'T PROVE THAT THAT'S THE WAY THEY DID IT THEN.

IT DOESN'T PROVE THEY DIDN'T DO IT, EITHER.

IT STILL MOVES OUR UNDERSTANDING FORWARD, AND THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.

SO THIS IS GREAT.

SO VERY, VERY...

WONDERFUL.

ESSENTIALLY A MODERN WORKBENCH FROM 1500.

ON A ROMAN UNDERCARRIAGE.

SO THIS IS SORT OF THE MISSING LINK, IS THE WAY THAT I LIKE TO THINK ABOUT IT.

WOW.

AND I'VE GOT TO SAY ONE MORE THING.

THESE, UH...YOUR...

THE VISE NUTS.

THE VISE NUTS.

THEY LOOK LIKE LITTLE HURRICANE SYMBOLS.

AND I WAS THINKING THEY GO...

THE WRONG WAY?

WELL, YOU KNOW, THE THING IS, THEY CAN GO EITHER WAY.

YOU HAVE THEM ON THE WAY THAT MARTY SPOONWOOD HAD IT, GOING THAT WAY, SO TO TIGHTEN UP, YOU'RE PUSHING THIS WAY.

IS THAT RIGHT?

TO TIGHTEN UP, I'M PUSHING DOWN ON THE HOOK.

CORRECT.

PUSHING DOWN ON THE HOOK.

WHICH SEEMS WRONG.

BUT IT'S MORE LEVERAGE TO OVERCOME THE FRICTION ONCE IT'S TIGHTENED UP.

SO ALL RIGHT.

I'VE GOT IT NOW.

THAT'S...THAT'S AN ANCIENT AND TRADITIONAL WORKBENCH.

BUT VERY MODERN.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, SOMEDAY, CHRISTOPHER SCHWARZ, THERE ARE GONNA BE WONDERFUL FRESCOES OF YOU THAT PEOPLE WILL BE LOOKING AT WORKING WITH YOUR...

I JUST HOPE THEY'RE NOT SO RUDE AND THAT I'M WEARING MORE CLOTHES.

I HOPE SO, TOO.

CHRISTOPHER SCHWARZ, THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US HERE IN "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

SO LONG.

[THEME MUSIC PLAYING] ANNOUNCER: LEARN MORE ABOUT TRADITIONAL WOODWORKING ON OUR WEBSITE.

YOU CAN FIND US AT pbs.org/woodwrightsshop.

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