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."

HI.

I'M ROY UNDERHILL.

WELCOME BACK TO "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

NO TIME FOR FORMALITIES.

LET'S...LET'S WORK.

ALL RIGHT.

UH!

UH!

A LITTLE SLOWER.

A LITTLE SLOWER.

YOU SAID GO.

CAN YOU HIT THAT HARDER?

YEAH, I CAN...

I THINK.

CAN YOU HIT THAT HARDER?

THAT'S BETTER.

GOOD.

YOU'RE FOLLOWING THE SIGNALS.

ALL RIGHT.

VERY GOOD.

ONE MORE.

NOW ANOTHER ONE MORE.

OOP.

WHAT ON EARTH ARE WE...

UH!

MAKING HERE?

ALL RIGHT.

I THINK THAT LOOKS GOOD.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, YOU SAID WE WERE DOING BLACKSMITHING TO DIE FOR.

NO, NO, WE'RE MAKING DIES.

FOR THE BLACKSMITH?

FORGING DIES, YEAH.

SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A FORGING DIE.

SO THIS LOOKS LIKE A TRIANGULAR LITTLE CROSS-SECTION.

A RED-HOT PIECE OF IRON.

YEP.

SO YOU REALLY HAVE TO IMPEL THE MASS AT THE FAIREST INGOT WHILE THE...

WHILE THAT'S SUPER- ELEVATED AGITATION RATES.

STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT, OK. WHAT THE HECK?

WHAT'S IT FOR?

SO THIS IS A PATTERN THAT I FILED OUT.

UH-HUH.

IT'S A SHAPE THAT'S REALLY HARD TO MAKE FREEHAND, JUST WITH YOUR HAND HAMMER.

JUST A TRIANGULAR SHAPE?

YEAH.

WELL, YOU CAN IMAGINE TRYING TO HAMMER AT THAT ANGLE.

RIGHT.

OK. BECAUSE YOU'D JUST BE KNOCKING IT BACK AND FORTH.

SO YOU HIT INTO THAT FORM.

SO WE JUST DROVE IT INTO THIS BLANK BLOCK, AND THEN WHEN THIS IS COOL, WE'LL BE ABLE TO HAMMER A PIECE OF IRON INTO THE FORM.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THIS, COULD YOU QUENCH THIS?

YOU ALWAYS SEE BLACKSMITHS STICK IT IN THE WATER.

IT'S BETTER TO LET THINGS AIR-COOL.

REALLY?

OK.

SO IT'LL BE SAFER.

ALL RIGHT.

BUT MAYBE WE'LL GET A CHANCE TO USE THIS HERE.

WHAT WOULD YOU MAKE WITH A TRIANGULAR CROSS-SECTION?

WELL, THAT'S, LIKE I SAID, A VERY HARD SHAPE TO MAKE FREEHAND, BUT HERE ARE SOME COMPASSES THAT HAVE LEGS THAT ARE THAT SHAPE.

THAT TRIANGULAR CROSS-SECTION.

SO THEY'RE TRIANGULAR IN CROSS-SECTION.

AND IT'S NICE AND STIFF, SO IT MAKES A REALLY STRONG LEG.

SO IT'S A VERY STIFF CROSS-SECTION, BUT AGAIN, HARD TO FORGE UNLESS YOU HAVE MADE A DIE.

AND THESE WERE COMMERCIALLY MADE BY PROFESSIONALS WHO WERE MAKING HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF THESE.

SO MAKING THE DIE IS WORTH IT, AND THEN YOU CAN MAKE THE PIECES REPEATEDLY.

AND YOU EXPLAINED THIS TO ME.

IT'S LIKE A WOODWORKER HAVING MOLDING PLANES.

HAVING DIES FOR A BLACKSMITH MAKES THESE MOLDINGS SIMPLER.

RIGHT.

EXCEPT I CAN MAKE THE WHOLE THING BY MYSELF.

I CAN MAKE THE PATTERN.

I CAN MAKE THE PATTERN AND THEN THE DIE AND THEN THE OBJECT.

ALL RIGHT.

BLACKSMITHS RULE.

WE GOT THAT.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT MOXON SAID.

THAT'S RIGHT.

HE SAID THAT ALL BLACKSMITHING COMES FIRST BECAUSE ALL OTHER TRADES ARE DEPENDENT ON THE BLACKSMITH AND NOT ON HIM, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

HE ON NONE.

NOW--OH, HERE'S ANOTHER PAIR OF DIVIDERS.

HERE'S ANOTHER PAIR.

LET'S LOOK AT THESE.

ALL RIGHT.

THESE ARE...

THESE ARE ROUND IN CROSS-SECTION HERE.

YEAH.

AND HERE IS... LET'S TRADE.

I'M GONNA GET RID OF THIS FLATTER AND SHOW YOU THE DIE.

OK.

THIS GOES HERE, LIKE THAT.

RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO YOU'VE GOT A ROUND SECTION.

WE HAVE ACTUALLY 3 IMPRESSIONS IN THIS DIE, JUST TO MAKE THIS ONE PAIR OF DIVIDERS, COMPASSES REALLY.

UH-HUH.

WHAT'S THIS?

OK. THAT'S FOR THE POINT.

I GET THE POINT FOR THAT.

OK.

IF YOU PUT THE POINT BACK IN THE FIRST DIE, IT'S WAY BELOW THE SURFACE.

YOU COULDN'T GET YOUR HAMMER DOWN INTO THAT.

SO YOU JUST KEEP DRAWING OUT AND HITTING INTO THE DIE THERE.

NOW, WHAT IS THE... WELL, TURN THEM AROUND.

YOU'VE GOT YOUR HAND OVER THAT THERE.

OH, OK. YOU SEE.

PUT THAT IN THERE LIKE THAT OR... WELL, WE'RE GONNA MAKE THE WASHERS.

THAT'S A SEPARATE PIECE THEN?

RIGHT.

HERE'S A FORGING OF THE WASHER.

SO YOU JUST TRY TO EYE-- AND SO YOU WOULD MAKE THIS TOOL TO MAKE THIS TOOL-- WELL, YOU MADE THIS TOOL.

HA HA HA!

ALL RIGHT.

AND THAT JUST GETS MASHED INTO THE DIE.

VERY SIMPLE, AND SO POLISHED, TOO.

LOOK.

NOW, THIS WOULD BE VERY, VERY HARD TO HIT THAT.

YOU'D HAVE TO MACHINE IT, LIKE CUT IT ON A LATHE, A METAL-CUTTING LATHE, TO MAKE IT THAT SMOOTH, I GUESS.

AND AS YOU CAN SEE-- WELL, AS YOU SAW, WHEN THE STUFF IS HOT, IT DEFORMS QUICKLY, AND SO THIS IS REALLY FAST.

IT'S A VERY QUICK WAY TO WORK.

ALL RIGHT.

AND SO THAT EXPLAINS WHY I SEE, YOU KNOW, IN THE BLACKSMITH, UH, TOOLS, YOU'VE ALWAYS GOT THESE.

I SEE THESE A LOT.

RIGHT.

YEAH.

I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT EVERYWHERE, BUT IN A BLACKSMITH'S REPERTOIRE, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE LOTS OF THESE THINGS THAT FIT IN THE HARDY HOLE.

RIGHT.

AND THEY'RE CALLED SWAGES.

THEY'RE USUALLY NOT CALLED DIES BY SMITHS.

THEY'RE CALLED A SWAGE.

SWAGE.

OK.

THIS IS A BOTTOM SWAGE, AND YOU COULD HAVE A TOP THAT MATCHES IT.

BUT THIS IS JUST THE BOTTOM.

AND SO THE SIMPLEST...

THESE ARE SORT OF OPEN-FACED TOOLS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

SO THIS WOULD BE LIKE THE HOLLOWS AND ROUNDS OF THE BLACKSMITH, SOME KIND OF GENERIC USEFUL SHAPE THERE.

AND WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH THIS ONE HERE?

THE SIMPLEST THING YOU COULD DO WITH THIS IS TO LAY A FLAT PIECE ACROSS IT AND JUST TAP IT DOWN INTO THAT FORM, LIKE THIS GOUGE.

SO TO BEND THE WOOD DOWN-- WELL, YOU GOT ME ON WOOD.

ALL RIGHT, BUT DRIVE IT DOWN IN.

SO IT'S NOT THE FULL PIECE BEING FORMED, BUT USING THIS TO...

REMEMBER WHEN WE DID THIS, WE WERE ACTUALLY DISPLACING MATERIAL, THE FORGING.

SO THIS IS NOT MAKING THE BLADE THINNER.

IT'S JUST CUPPING IT.

OK. ALL RIGHT.

AND THIS IS A... AGAIN, A BOTTOM SWAGE HERE THAT GOES IN THE ANVIL, AND YOU'VE GOT THIS SWAGE BLOCK.

RIGHT.

THERE'S ONE RIGHT OVER HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

THIS IS WORKING WITH SOME OF YOUR SPECIALTY.

BUT HERE...

THIS IS KIND OF... WHY IS THERE A SPOON ON THE SWAGE BLOCK?

THAT'S ONE.

BECAUSE THESE ARE THE THINGS YOU HIT INTO, THESE GROOVES.

RIGHT?

WE DON'T USE THE GROOVES FOR THIS TOOL.

YOU COULD IF YOU HAD A ROUNDED GROOVE.

IT COULD MAKE THE HANDLE.

BUT TIP THAT OVER.

THIS IS GREAT.

LOOK AT THAT.

OK.

SO THIS IS JUST AN EXTENSION OF MAKING THAT GOUGE.

OH, AND DOES THAT GO RIGHT IN THERE?

YEAH.

IT STARTS AS A FLAT DISK.

SO I WAS THINKING THAT'S A LOT OF METAL TO FILL THAT.

HA HA!

YOU HAVE TO USE A ROUND-FACED HAMMER.

OH, I SEE.

OK. AND THEN JUST... AND SO THIS METAL HAS GOTO BE HOT, THOUGH.

THIS IS A VERY THIN, HOT PIECE.

YOU START WITH JUST A BIG, FLAT, THIN DISK, HOT, AND THEN HAMMER DOWN INTO THE DEPRESSION.

INTO THE MOLD, THE SWAGE, THE DIE.

HOW WONDERFUL.

AND THIS IS GREAT, DOING A SPOON, BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF YOUR SPECIALTY, IS HEARTH COOKING.

I'VE BEEN KNOWN TO EAT NOW AND THEN.

HA HA HA!

WELL-- COOK AND PREPARATION.

THIS IS MY FAVORITE PIECE.

WE'RE GONNA SEE THIS.

THIS IS A, UM... PETER DOES HEARTH TOOLS, AND SO FOR COOKING OVER OPEN FIRES, AS WAS DONE FOR CENTURIES.

OH, THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES, TOO.

AND WHAT IS IT, THOUGH?

IT'S SO...HA HA!

NEAT.

IT PROBABLY HAS SOME GOOD POTENTIAL USES, BUT IT'S...THE STANDBY IS FOR ROASTING SMALL GAME BIRDS.

SO SQUAB OR SOME KIND OF BIRD YOU SHOT, A QUAIL, I GUESS.

IT STANDS IN FRONT OF THE FIRE, AND THEY'RE OFTEN MADE TO USE IN FRONT OF A COOKING GRATE, WHICH HAS A PRETTY TALL FIRE.

WHAT IS THIS HERE?

WELL, THAT WOULD HOLD A DRIP PAN.

THAT...THAT'S THE BEST PART.

YEP.

BUT YOU SAY THIS HAS DIE-FORGED PARTS ON IT?

JUST...YEAH.

JUST A LITTLE BIT.

MOST OF IT CAN BE DONE FREEHAND.

BUT THE PART YOU-- THAT SEEMS LIKE THE LEAST IMPORTANT IS WHAT'S DIE-FORGED, AND THAT'S...

THE TOP.

OH, THE HANDLE.

SO AGAIN, IT'S VERY, VERY SMOOTH, AND THAT WOULD SAVE YOU FROM HAVING TO TRY AND HIT IT THAT SMOOTH WITH A HAMMER.

YEAH.

YOU CAN SEE IT'S HALF ROUND.

YEAH, AND THERE'S THE...

HERE'S THE DIE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO YOU JUST DRIVE IT INTO THAT MOLD THERE, AND IT'LL MAKE IT...

SO YOU'RE JUST MAKING A STOCK IN THIS.

YEAH.

THAT'S GREAT.

AND THEN YOU CAN BEND IT INTO THE HANDLE.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THIS IS MY FAVORITE, BUT I'VE GOT TO SAY THE MOST SPECTACULAR IS ONE THAT REQUIRES, I THINK, EVEN MORE EXPLANATION.

UNLESS YOU HAVE AN 18th-CENTURY KITCHEN, YOU WOULDN'T SEE ONE OF THESE.

THIS IS A... A CLOCK JACK?

A CLOCK JACK OR SPIT JACK, AND SO THIS IS ALSO FOR ROASTING MEAT.

AND YOU'D HAVE A WEIGHT PULLING HERE.

YEAH.

THIS WOULD BE HUNG ABOVE OR MOUNTED ABOVE THE MANTEL, JUST MOUNTED TO THE CHIMNEY FACE.

AND THESE GEARS.

SO THIS WEIGHT PULLING ON THIS CORD RIGHT HERE...

RIGHT.

YOU WOULD WIND UP THE... FIRST WIND UP THE WEIGHT.

UH-HUH.

AND THEN PULL IT.

AS THE WEIGHT FALLS...

THERE'S A RATCHET THAT GRABS IT.

YEAH.

OK. AND THEN AS THE WEIGHT FALLS, THESE GEARS...

HERE.

I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE HELP HERE.

THANK YOU.

I NEED A LITTLE BIT OF A START.

I LOVE THAT WONDERFUL WORM GEAR IN THERE.

SO THIS WOULD TURN THIS PULLEY BACK HERE.

I'LL ACT AS THE WEIGHT.

OK. YOU BE THE WEIGHT, AND I'LL BE THE ROASTING MEAT OUT HERE.

AND SO THIS WOULD GO DOWN TO THE FIRE, AND THE MEAT IS SLOWLY TURNING.

AND IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE MUCH, BUT YOU CAN IMAGINE, THIS WOULD RUN FOR ABOUT HOW LONG DO YOU THINK?

OH, 10 OR 15 MINUTES.

SO THIS WOULD BE TURNING THE MEAT WHILE THE COOK COULD BE DOING SOMETHING ELSE.

SO THIS WONDERFUL MECHANICAL DEVICE FOR ROASTING MEAT.

SO THIS IS AN UPSCALE DEVICE?

ONCE IN A WHILE, YOU'D COME BACK AND WIND IT UP AGAIN, AND THEN YOU'RE-- EVERY 15 MINUTES.

IT'S MUCH BETTER THAN HAVING TO SIT THERE THE WHOLE TIME.

YEAH.

SO IT WAS A WONDERFUL MACHINE IN PEOPLE'S KITCHENS.

THIS IS GREAT.

AND NOW, YOU HAVE ONE THAT YOU'RE MAKING HERE.

LET ME SLOW THIS GUY DOWN HERE.

I'VE GOT ONE I'M WORKING ON.

I'M GONNA SLIDE THIS OVER.

AND JUST MAKING ONE SIMILAR.

REPLICATING THE SAME DARNED THING.

HOLY COW.

EXCEPT THIS IS A 3-SPINDLE JACK.

HAS AN EXTRA GEAR TRACK.

AND YOU'RE IN PROCESS ON THIS.

YOU HAVEN'T CUT THIS UPPER GEAR YET.

SO THIS IS STILL THE ROUGH FORGING RIGHT UP HERE, BUT SOMETIME SOON, THAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE THESE.

PROBABLY AS SOON AS YOU LEAVE, I'LL BE MAKING CHIPS.

CUTTING THAT.

THAT'S AMAZING.

SO YOU'RE GONNA CUT THOSE OUT.

SO THESE ARE MACHINED AND CUT AWAY BY A SUBTRACTIVE PROCESS TO MAKE THE GEARS AND STUFF.

IT'S ALMOST THE SAME WAY YOU WOULD MAKE IT OUT OF WOOD.

I USE A SAW AND A CHISEL AND A FILE.

AND CUT THEM OUT, WOW, THAT PRECISELY WELL, WHAT'S THE SWAGED PART?

THIS SHAFT IS ALL DECORATED NOW.

IS THAT SWAGED?

YOU MIGHT THINK THAT, BUT IT'S NOT.

BECAUSE THESE WERE SORT OF HIGH-END MACHINES, THEY WERE NOT JUST MAKING EVERY ONE THE SAME.

THEY WOULD VARY THE DECORATION FROM ONE TO THE NEXT, AND SO HAVING THE DIES KIND OF LIMITS THAT.

THAT MAKES THEM COOKIE-CUTTER, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, LITERALLY ALMOST THERE.

SO THIS, HOW WAS IT DONE?

SO THAT'S JUST TURNED ON THE LATHE FREEHAND.

SO A METAL-CUTTING LATHE IN THE 18th CENTURY CUT THIS THING DOWN.

LATHES HAVE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME.

LONGER THAN JACKS, YES.

ALL RIGHT.

SO IF THAT WAS NOT SWAGED, WHAT DOES THAT LEAVE HERE THAT WAS DIE-FORGED?

IT'S A PRETTY ELABORATE THING OVERALL.

OH, INCREDIBLE.

WELL, CERTAINLY THE FACE ISN'T.

OH, OK. OH, YEP.

THERE YOU ARE.

AND THIS IS ALL WROUGHT IRON.

I REMEMBER HELPING YOU ONE DAY, STRIKING WHILE THE IRON WAS HOT TO MAKE, YEAH, THIS THING.

WHAT IS... WHAT?

YEAH.

OH, OK.

SO THIS, YOU'VE MACHINED THAT AFTER WE FORGED IT.

WE JUST MADE THAT BLANK, THEN WE MACHINED THE TAPER IN IT.

AND YOU COULD DRIVE A CUP OF METAL-- JUST A BLANK DISK...

INTO THERE.

GETS DRIVEN INTO THAT TO APPROXIMATE THE SHAPE OF THE WASHER.

SO IT MEANS MUCH LESS MATERIAL TO TAKE OFF WHEN YOU'RE TURNING.

OH, OK.

SO, I MEAN, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT OF WORK TO MAKE THIS A HOLLOW PIECE HERE.

BUT, BOY, IT SAVES HOURS IN THE TURNING AND THE THREADING.

OH, SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO THREAD THE WHOLE THING.

SO IF I PUT THAT BACK ON THERE, THAT'S HOW THAT GOES.

OK.

SO THIS IS DIE... WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

SWAGED AND THEN... AND THEN TURNED... DIE-FORGED, YEAH.

ON A LATHE.

AND YOU'RE MAKING THIS JUST THE WAY THE 18th-CENTURY ONE WAS MADE.

BRILLIANT.

ALL RIGHT.

I DON'T KNOW ANY OTHER WAY TO DO IT.

HA HA HA!

WELL, IT IS... YOU DON'T NEED TO MAKE...

I'M NOT SMART ENOUGH TO INVENT MY OWN METHOD.

DON'T NEED TO MODERNIZE THEM.

YOU'VE GOT A FEW MORE.

SO HERE'S SOME OF THIS STUFF.

AND, OK, I CAN SEE THIS RIGHT OFF.

BECAUSE THAT'S THE SAME AS THE HANDLE.

GOOD EXAMPLES OF SWAGED OR DIE-FORGED, YEP.

AND THERE'S THE SWAGE THAT MAKES THE ROUNDED SURFACE ON THE HANDLE THAT WOULD BE SO MORE... MUCH MORE TIME-CONSUMING TO DO FREEHAND.

AND IT LEAVES IT POLISHED.

YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING THE HANDLES-- DENT FREE.

WELL, AND THAT WAS... THAT WAS REALLY THE GOAL IN THE 18th CENTURY, WAS TO MAKE THINGS WITHOUT LEAVING THE MARKS OF THE HAND.

OR YOU COULD HAVE, IT LOOKS LIKE, WITH THESE.

SO WERE THESE DONE WITH A SWAGE THE SAME WAY?

HERE YOU WANTED TO LEAVE MARKS.

THAT'S GOT A DECORATIVE PATTERN.

RIGHT, BUT THEY'RE NOT HAMMER MARKS.

THEY'RE NOT THE MARKS OF THE INDIVIDUAL'S TOOL.

THEY'RE...

THEY'RE MOLDED.

THEY'RE SHAPES THAT ARE MORE IDEAL IN A SENSE, MORE ACHIEVING OF THE IDEAL.

AND AGAIN, FLAT ON THE BACKSIDE, AS YOU ALWAYS SEE.

AND THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO IDENTIFY THINGS THAT ARE FORGED DOWN INTO AN OPEN-FACED DIE.

AH.

THEY'D BE HAMMERED FROM-- GOT TO BE HAMMERED FROM ONE SIDE BEFORE YOU BEND THE HANDLES.

AND THEN WHATEVER TEXTURE OR PATTERN YOU WANT IS ON THE FACE SIDE.

SO IT'S ALWAYS FROM ONE SIDE?

NO, YOU SAID YOU COULD HAVE A TOP SWAGE, TOO.

WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE DAY, SOME ENTERPRISING SMITH SAID, "OH, MAYBE WE COULD HAVE TWO OF THESE. "

HA HA HA!

YOU DON'T KNOW HIS NAME.

I DON'T KNOW WHO THAT MAN WAS, BUT...

SO LET'S LOOK AT A COUPLE OF THESE.

SO HERE'S ONE.

HERE'S ONE.

OK. YEAH, HERE'S THE HANDLE OF A FIRE TOOL THAT IS FREEHAND FORGED, AND YOU SEE IT'S STILL FULL OF HAMMER MARKS.

EVEN THOUGH THAT'S KIND OF A NICE FINIAL ON THE TOP, A NICE KNOB... YEAH, IT IS A NICE KNOB.

IT WAS DONE FREEHAND.

ALL RIGHT.

SO, IF YOU LIKE THAT LOOK, THAT...THAT'S GOOD, BUT THIS ONE HERE, THIS IS A...

I DON'T SEE ANY HAMMER MARKS ON THAT ONE.

WELL, AND IT'S A MUCH MORE FORMAL SHAPE, TOO, A MORE SOPHISTICATED AND FORMAL SHAPE.

IT'S A FIRE TONG.

YEAH.

HERE IS...

THE DIE, THE BOTTOM DIE.

AND THERE'S ALSO A TOP.

SO THIS WAS A PAIR OF DIES, A TOP AND A BOTTOM.

AND TO JUST DRIVE THAT IN THERE.

AND THEN YOU... WAS THIS FILED?

THAT WAS FILED IN LATER.

BUT THIS DIE WOULD MAKE MOST OF THAT FINIAL SHAPE QUICKLY.

ALL RIGHT.

FIREPLACE TONGS.

BUT THIS ONE... NOW, THIS ONE MAKES IT ALL MAKE SENSE, BECAUSE THIS IS YOUR FAVORITE THING HERE.

THIS IS A WAFER IRON.

YAY!

IT'S LIKE A WAFER DIE.

SO YOU COULD... LIKE A WAFFLE IRON.

THAT'S JUST A DIE FOR... A DIE FOR DOUGH.

THIS IS... DOUGH OR DIE, AS THEY SAY.

HA HA HA!

EXACTLY.

AND YOU PUT THAT IN THE FIRE, IN THE COALS THERE, IN THE ASHES, AND THAT WOULD COOK WAFFLES OR SOMETHING.

YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THEM.

AND IT'S VERY PLAIN ALL THE WAY DOWN.

IT'S A VERY QUICKLY MADE THING.

UNTIL YOU GET TO THE END.

VERY SORT OF ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE EXCEPT FOR THE PART YOU'RE GONNA HOLD IN YOUR HAND, WHICH IS VERY SOPHISTICATED.

LOOK AT THE SHAPE OF THE FINIAL.

SO A VERY CLASSIC FINIAL.

SO SOMEBODY PUT SOME EFFORT INTO MAKING THAT DIE THERE.

SO THERE'S THE BOTTOM.

YEAH, AND HERE'S THE TOP DIE.

WITH A HANDLE.

OK.

SO ONE'S IN THE ANVIL.

THIS WOULD GO HERE.

THE TWO OF THEM TOGETHER MAKE THAT SHAPE.

AH, I LOVE IT.

SO JUST LIKE YOU MAKE A WAFFLE IRON WITH A WAFFLE IRON, EXCEPT A WAFFLE IRON FOR IRON.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THIS IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT WAS MANUFACTURED IN QUANTITY, OR THEY WOULDN'T HAVE MADE THE DIES FOR IT.

YOU'RE GONNA MAKE THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER.

WELL, AND ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS IN THE SHOP IS RIGHT HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, DOES THIS HAVE ANY DIE-FORGING IN IT?

NOT MUCH.

NOT AS MUCH AS YOU'D THINK.

THIS IS THE VISE NOW.

THIS IS BEAUTIFUL, THE JAWS.

ALL THIS IS FREEHAND FORMED.

SO THIS...THIS PART HERE WOULD BE TURNED.

YEAH, IT'S TURNED, BUT IT'S JUST A-- MACHINED.

AND SO SUBTRACTIVE METHOD.

YOU CUT AWAY WHAT YOU DON'T NEED, WHEREAS THE MOLDING PROCESS...

SO NO DIE-FORGING HERE?

YOU'VE GOT YOUR FINGERS RIGHT ON... YOU PUT YOUR FINGER RIGHT ON... OH.

HA HA!

RIGHT THERE.

THE SPOT.

YEAH.

THAT IS THE ONE DIE-FORGED PART.

WELL, SOMETIMES THE KNOB IS DIE-FORGED, TOO, BUT THIS IS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR DIE-FORGING BECAUSE IT'S JUST A SMALL LUMP AT THE END OF AN OTHERWISE PLAIN PIECE.

HMM.

LOOK AT THE END OF THAT ONE.

YEAH.

I SEE A SEAM HERE.

THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A SEAM LEFT RIGHT THERE.

WELL, BECAUSE THIS, THE REST OF THE HANDLE IS A UNIFORM SIZE, HOW ARE YOU GONNA GET THE EXTRA MATERIAL?

SO YOU BUY BAR STOCK.

OK. BUY BAR STOCK FOR THIS.

AND WE CAN JUST ADD A LITTLE BIT TO MAKE THE KNOB.

AND WRAP THAT AROUND.

ALL RIGHT.

SO SOMETHING LIKE...

HERE.

YEAH.

AND THIS IS... WHAT WOULD YOU CALL IT WHEN IT'S ALL IN ONE PIECE LIKE THIS?

MODERN SMITHS CALL THESE SPRING SWAGES OR SPRING DIES.

OK.

SO BOTH THE TOP AND BOTTOM...

SO IT'S THE SAME AS THIS-- HELD TOGETHER AND IN ALIGNMENT.

IT'S THE SAME AS THIS WAFER-IRON CONCEPT EXCEPT THE TOP AND THE BOTTOM ARE HELD TOGETHER, ARE IN ONE PIECE.

IT ALL MAKES SENSE.

COULD WE SEE HOW YOU DO THIS?

I MEAN, THAT'S A HECK OF A LOT OF WORK THERE.

THESE ARE REALLY FUN THINGS.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, LET'S TRY IT.

YOU'VE GOT THE FORGE STILL?

"IS THE IRON STILL HOT?"

HE SAID.

SO YOU'VE GOT YOUR COAL FIRE.

SO WE HAVE THE STEM.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THAT'S JUST THE... A LITTLE BIT HEAVIER ROUND BAR.

OK. AND WE HAVE THE PIECE THAT'S GONNA BECOME THE KNOB.

OK. AND THAT'S GONNA GO AROUND THE END THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

THEY'RE COLD, THOUGH, PETER.

THEY'RE COLD.

THEY'RE COLD, BUT...

SO THIS IS-- I KNOW HOW TO FIX THAT.

AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE FORGE, THIS IS THE ACTUAL FORGE HERE, OR... WELL, THE SHOP WAS ALSO CALLED A FORGE, BUT THIS IS THE FORGE?

RIGHT.

THIS IS THE FORGE.

IT HOLDS THE FIRE.

THERE'S AN ALLOWANCE FOR AIR TO BLOW THROUGH THE FIRE AND GO UP THE CHIMNEY.

AND WE'VE GOT COAL HERE.

AND, UH...IT'S SMOKING OVER HERE.

THAT'S WHAT YOU CALL COKING?

WHEN YOU BURN SOFT COAL LIKE THIS, THE FRESH COAL IS ALWAYS PUT AROUND THE EDGE OF THE FIRE.

AS IT GETS HOT, IT BURNS OFF ITS VOLATILES.

SO THAT'S THE SULFUR AND THE BAD STUFF.

SULFUR, TAR, BENZENE.

YUCK.

10 OTHER THINGS GO UP THE CHIMNEY.

LET'S SEND IT UP IN A CHIMNEY.

WHAT THE HECK.

MAYBE IT'LL COME DOWN AT YOUR HOUSE.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG WITH THAT?

ALL RIGHT.

SO THEN YOU'VE GOT MORE CLEANER CARBON DOWN THERE WHERE THIS IS HEATING.

IS THIS READY ALREADY?

JUST ABOUT.

HANG ON.

LET ME GET THE ANVIL READY.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THIS IS, UH...

I KNOW THE LITTLE PIECE IS GONNA HEAT FASTER BECAUSE THE SMALLER THE MASS, THE FASTER IT'S GONNA HEAT.

YEAH.

IT'S ABOUT READY.

SO LET'S GO TO THE ANVIL.

OK.

HANG ONTO IT.

HE'S GONNA GO AT THIS.

WE'LL MAKE THE COLLAR.

THAT'S IT.

YOU'VE GOT THE STEP ON THE ANVIL TO BEND IN, SO THAT'S ACTING LIKE A SWAGE AGAIN.

THAT...KIND OF.

KIND OF, YEAH.

KIND OF.

KIND OF.

HITTING WITH THE CROSS PEEN OF THE HAMMER.

SO BECAUSE WE HAVE A DIE TO WORK IN, WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MAKING A PERFECTLY SMOOTH...

PIECE HERE.

SO YOU JUST START WITH THIS RATHER ROUGH BIT OF COLLAR MATERIAL, BUT YOU'VE STILL GOT TO KNOW HOW MUCH TO PUT IN THERE, RIGHT?

I MEAN, THAT'S GONNA GO INTO THE MOLD.

EXACTLY.

IF THIS IS GOING IN A DIE, WE HAVE TO PUT EXACTLY THE RIGHT AMOUNT IN EACH TIME.

SO THAT WAS A PRECUT PIECE THAT FORMED THE COLLAR.

SO JUST LIKE WAFFLE BATTER, YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW HOW MUCH YOU PUT IN THE WAFFLE IRON.

ALL RIGHT.

READY FOR TAKING A WELDING HEAT.

YES.

OK. ALL RIGHT.

AND SO...SO NORMALLY I WOULD FLUX THIS.

LET ME SHOW YOU.

LET ME TAKE IT OUT OF THE FIRE.

WELL, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.

THE FLUX IS KIND OF A MYSTERIOUS THING HERE, AT LEAST TO ME.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE THAT FROM THERE.

SO I'M GONNA GET SOME BORAX, AND WE'LL JUST SPRINKLE IT.

SO YOU WOULD NORMALLY DO THIS DOWN IN THE FIRE?

RIGHT.

ALWAYS.

I ALWAYS DO THIS IN THE FIRE.

SEE HOW MUCH GETS WASTED LIKE THIS?

SO DOES IT FLOW INSIDE THE...THE GAP THERE?

YES.

SO IT JUST KIND OF GETS ALL OVER?

ONCE IT GETS HOT, IT FLOWS COMPLETELY THROUGH THE JOINT.

AND THE IDEA IS, WITH THAT GLASSY STUFF, IS THAT IT FORMS A BARRIER TO THE AIR AND THE FIRE SO THAT IT WON'T OXIDIZE.

RIGHT.

IT HELPS THE OXIDATION GET SQUEEZED OUT OF THE JOINT.

ALL RIGHT.

IN GENERAL.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA SEE WHEN YOU WELD THIS, BECAUSE THERE'S GONNA BE ALL THESE SPARKS AND STUFF FLYING OUT.

AND NOW, HOW DO YOU KEEP IT FROM STICKING IN THE MOLD?

THAT'S MY QUESTION FOR YOU.

YEARS AGO... YEARS AGO... BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME AS THE...

SAME AS THE WAFFLE IRON.

WELL, SOMEONE INVENTED THIS CAN YEARS AGO.

THE OIL.

AND THEN IT WAS A WHILE AFTER THAT, PEOPLE FIGURED OUT WHAT TO PUT IN IT.

IT'S OIL.

I'M JUST GONNA SQUIRT A LITTLE OIL IN THE DIE.

I THINK THIS IS GREAT, BECAUSE IT'S THE SAME AS WHEN YOU'RE MAKING WAFFLES.

YOU'VE GOT TO OIL THE, UM...

THE WAFFLE IRON THERE.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THERE'S THE WAFFLE IRON.

HERE'S THE... IRON IS GETTING HOT.

AND WHAT HEAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR DOWN IN THERE?

YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING MORE FOR TEXTURE THAN COLOR.

REALLY?

HUH.

YOU WANT TO LOOK FOR THE SURFACE OF THE IRON TO GET GLASSY, WET.

OK. REALLY?

LITERALLY WET-LOOKING, AND THEN IT'S...

IT'S MOLTEN ENOUGH TO... AND IT'S USUALLY PRETTY CLOSE TO THE COLOR OF THE FIRE, TO THE EMBERS.

AND I'M GONNA SLOW THE FIRE DOWN A LITTLE BECAUSE THE COLLAR IS HEATING TOO FAST.

OH, OK. AND YOU'VE GOT TO LET THE BIG, HEAVY IRON CATCH UP.

YEP.

BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU'D HAVE HOT ON COLD, AND IT WOULDN'T BOND.

ALL RIGHT.

STAND BACK.

I'M GONNA TURN ON THE HAMMER.

SO HE'S GONNA USE A LITTLE GIANT POWER HAMMER HERE.

SO I WILL STAND BACK.

LET'S SEE IF WE CAN'T...

SO IT'S GONNA FEED THAT INTO THERE.

WHOO!

ALL RIGHT.

HA HA HA!

HA HA HA!

BOY!

HA HA HA!

OK. ALL RIGHT.

OH, LOOK AT THAT!

THAT'S WONDERFUL.

SEE HOW SMOOTH AND CLEAN THAT COMES OUT?

YEAH.

OH, MY GOSH.

OK.

SO YOU COULD HIT THAT?

I GUESS YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO HIT IT, WOULD YOU?

DON'T WANT TO HIT THE KNOB BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY YOU COULD HIT IT WITH YOUR HAMMER AND MAKE IT AS SMOOTH AS IT ALREADY IS.

YOU'D DEFORM IT.

OH, MY GOSH.

OH, THAT'S GREAT.

THAT IS GREAT.

ALL RIGHT.

A LITTLE GIANT TO THE RESCUE.

WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE WORKED SO HARD ON THAT DIE AT THE BEGINNING.

I WONDER IF WE COULD GO TAKE A LOOK AT THE ONE THAT YOU HAVE OVER HERE.

SURE.

AND TRY THAT TRIANGULAR ONE.

HAS IT COOLED ENOUGH?

I BELIEVE SO.

YEAH.

LET'S PUT THIS ASIDE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND, UH...IT'S FUN.

YOU MAKE THE TOOL AND THEN GET TO USE IT HERE.

DO YOU NEED ME TO STRIKE?

NO.

I THINK, ON REFLECTION... HA HA HA!

I'M BETTER OFF DOING THIS FOR MYSELF.

YOU GOT ENOUGH?

ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT'S... THAT'S COOLED ENOUGH THAT YOU CAN USE IT?

YEAH.

IT'S THE SAME PIECE WE MADE THE IMPRESSION WHEN YOU FIRST GOT HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT'S GOT TO BE... AND SO YOU'RE GONNA MAKE ME A PAIR OF DIVIDERS?

I LIKE THAT.

HOW DID YOU GUESS?

HA HA HA!

OR A COMPASS.

NOW, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COMPASS AND DIVIDERS?

IN THE OLD PATTERN BOOKS-- YEAH, IN THE OLD PATTERN BOOKS, THE COMPASSES ARE THE ONES THAT ARE CONNECTED AT THE TOP BY A SPRING.

RIGHT.

THEY'RE ONE PIECE.

AND DIVIDERS... AND THEY OFTEN HAVE A SCREW ADJUSTMENT, YOU KNOW, ON A WING.

ALL RIGHT.

AND COMPASSES ARE ALL OF THESE TRADESMAN'S TOOLS, THE ONES THAT HAVE A FRICTION JOINT OR...

I SEE.

OK.

SO I'VE GOT-- THIS IS A PAIR OF COMPASSES RIGHT HERE?

ALL RIGHT.

HERE WE GO.

THIS IS THE FIRST, FIRST GO ON THE DIE.

LET ME JUST ROUGH OUT THE POINT.

DRAWING IT OUT ON THE HORN.

GRAB THOSE TONGS.

ALL RIGHT.

AND I'LL...WE'LL GO RIGHT TO THE DIE.

[HAMMERING] THAT'S NICE.

HA HA HA!

ALL RIGHT.

[HAMMERING] IT'S GONNA WORK.

YEAH.

OK.

SO THERE'S THE TRIANGULAR SECTION OUT OF OUR DIE.

WELL, PETER, THIS HAS BEEN BLACKSMITHING TO DIE FOR WITH OUR DIES AND SWAGES.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I SURE APPRECIATE IT.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US HERE IN "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

SO LONG.

YEAH!

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.