Van Gogh’s Chair

MALE 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, HELLO AGAIN.

WELCOME BACK TO "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

I'M ROY UNDERHILL.

I AM SO GLAD YOU COULD BE WITH ME AGAIN TODAY.

I WANT TO SEE IF YOU RECOGNIZE SOMETHING, THOUGH.

TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, UH, LITTLE CHAIR.

DO YOU RECOGNIZE THAT, WITH THE LITTLE PIPE AND THE TOBACCO SITTING ON IT?

NOW, IF I HAD A BOX OF ONIONS IN THE CORNER WITH THE WORD "VINCENT" PAINTED ON IT, YOU'D KNOW IMMEDIATELY.

THIS IS VAN GOGH'S CHAIR, AND HE USED THE WORD "VINCENT" ON THAT ONION BOX BECAUSE NOBODY KNEW HOW TO PRONOUNCE HIS LAST NAME.

SO HE WAS, OF COURSE, THE GREAT, UH, POST-IMPRESSIONIST PAINTER, AND THIS IS THE PAINTING OF THE CHAIR.

NOW, I WANT TO MAKE AN "IMPRESSION" OF THE POST-IMPRESSIONIST PAINTING OF THE CHAIR.

SO NOT MAKE, UH, THE CHAIR THAT THIS WAS BASED ON, BUT A CHAIR BASED ON THE PAINTING OF THE CHAIR THAT THIS WAS BASED ON.

ANYWAY, SO IF THIS IS POST-IMPRESSIONIST, THIS IS GONNA BE "POST-POST-POST-POST- IMPRESSIONIST," AND WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW.

OH, IN FACT, LET'S GET THE PAINTING BACK, BECAUSE THAT HAS THE INFORMATION ON THE SCALE, FIRST THING WE DO.

UH, NOTE THAT THE SEAT IS 18 INCHES FROM THE FLOOR IN HIS ROOM IN ARLES, AND WE SET A PAIR OF DIVIDERS AND PACE OFF 18 STEPS UP TO THE, UH, SEAT THERE, AND THEN THAT GIVES US, UH, AN INCH MARK WE CAN THEN PACE ACROSS--OR WHATEVER UNIT WE WANT TO WORK WITH-- AND GET THE DIMENSIONS ON EVERYTHING ELSE, ALLOWING FOR THE DISTORTION OF PERSPECTIVE AND ABSINTHE.

SO...OH, GOSH, WHAT A WONDERFUL THING.

SO HERE WE GO.

LET'S LOOK AT THIS.

NOW, THIS IS A, UH, JUST A REGULAR CHAIR WITH A NICE RUSH SEAT, AND THE BACK BENDS OUT WITH A CURVE LIKE THAT.

DO YOU SEE HOW THIS BACK, UH, SPLAT COMES OUT WITH A CURVE-- THE BACK POST, RATHER, COMES OUT WITH A CURVE.

THAT CAN BE MADE EITHER BY GETTING ROUND WOOD, A STRAIGHT PIECE, STEAMING IT, AND THEN BENDING IT IN A JIG, OR YOU FIND THE CURVES IN NATURE.

AND SO I'M TRYING TO WORK AS A FAUVIST, AS A BEAST HERE, WORKING, UH, WITH NATURE NOW, AND I HAVE FOUND SOME CURVED WOOD TO MAKE THE BACK, SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA START RIGHT NOW.

ALL RIGHT, SO WHERE DO YOU GET CURVED WOOD?

WELL, BEST WAY TO FIND CURVED WOOD IS TO FIND SOMEBODY WHO USES ONLY STRAIGHT WOOD, THEN YOU GO THROUGH THEIR SCRAP PILE.

I WENT TO, UH, ELIA BIZZARRI.

HE IS A CHAIR MAKER-- MAKES WINDSOR CHAIRS, NOT THIS KIND OF CHAIR-- AND, UH, HE ONLY USES STRAIGHT WOOD.

WELL, IN HIS SCRAP PILE IS ALL THE WOOD YOU NEED WITH ALL THE NATURAL CURVES YOU CAN IMAGINE IN IT.

SO THIS IS SOME WHITE OAK, SOME FRESH WHITE OAK, AND YOU CAN SEE-- LOOK AT THE CURVES CAUGHT IN THE WOOD RIGHT THERE.

NOW, I'M GOING TO OPEN UP ANOTHER PIECE HERE.

ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA GET TWO BACK POSTS TWO INCHES BY TWO INCHES, AND THEN FOLLOW THE PERFECT GRAIN STRUCTURE IN THE WOOD.

SO YOU SEE THERE'S THE SPLIT GOING DOWN, AND AS LONG AS WE DIVIDE THE PIECES RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE, WE ARE CAPTURING THE STRENGTH OF THE WOOD BUT ALSO THE NATURAL CURVATURE.

LOOK AT THAT, LIKE A SANDWICH THERE.

SO WE'LL TAKE THESE TWO PIECES THAT ARE CURVED AND MOUNT-- MOUNT THEM KIND OF OPPOSING SO THAT WE'LL HAVE THE BACK-- HA HA HA!

IT'S HARD FOR ME TO FIGURE OUT.

WE'LL FIGURE OUT IN A SECOND THERE WHICH WAY TO ORIENT THIS, UH, TO MAKE THAT CURVED-OUT BACK, UH, FOLLOWING THE GRAIN.

WE'RE JUST GONNA LET WHAT'S NATURE, UH, SHOWS US HERE.

TAKE THIS PIECE HERE.

LITTLE BIT BIG, ALL RIGHT, BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

AND IF I GOT THIS SET--NO.

I GOT TO RESET MY LITTLE SHAVING HORSE HERE.

I'LL SET THIS UP.

SO THIS PAINTING OF THE CHAIR, UH, VAN GOGH WROTE TO HIS BROTHER THEO, UH, THAT, UH, HE HAS DONE TWO AMUSING STUDIES, TWO FUNNY STUDIES-- SO HERE I'VE GOT MY DRAWKNIFE GOING RIGHT UNDER THE BARK.

HIS BROTHER, UH, THEO-- VERY--JUST WONDERFUL.

I MEAN, IF YOU'VE GOT BIPOLAR DISORDER, IT'S VERY GOOD, UH, TO HAVE A SUPPORTIVE BROTHER, UH, WHO CAN GET YOU THROUGH THIS, OR SOMEBODY JUST HELPING YOU-- HELPING YOU DEAL WITH IT.

UH, AND THEO WAS, WHO, OF COURSE VAN GOGH DEPENDED UPON-- VINCENT, AS WE'LL CALL HIM-- AND HE WROTE TO, UH-- VINCENT WROTE TO THEO, SAID, UH, "I'VE DONE THESE TWO AMUSING STUDIES, "ONE OF MY CHAIR IN THE SUNLIGHT, "AND ANOTHER OF GAUGUIN'S IN THE DARK WITH THE CANDLE AND TWO NOVELS ON IT."

GAUGUIN WAS THERE IN ARLES WITH, UH...VINCENT.

VINCENT HAD THE IDEA THAT HE WAS GONNA SET UP THIS STUDIO, THE SOUTH, IN THE BRIGHT, SUNNY SOUTH WITH ALL THE COLORS AND STUFF, AND, UH, THAT, UH, HIS GREATLY ADMIRED COMRADE PAINTER GAUGUIN WOULD COME DOWN AND JOIN HIM THERE.

WELL, HE DID, WHICH WAS A GOOD THING BUT ALSO A BAD THING.

NOW, I'M GONNA SQUARE UP THIS PIECE TO TWO INCHES.

SO YOU SEE I'VE TAKEN A PAIR OF PENCIL DIVIDERS AND SET ONE LEG AT THERE AND THE OTHER AT 2-- I'LL GIVE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.

THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THAT'S HOW I'M GONNA LAY OUT THE WIDTH ON THE-- ON THE TIMBER HERE.

UH, SO, UH, VAN GOGH THINKS HE'S GONNA START THE STUDIO OF THE SOUTH DOWN IN ARLES, ALL THESE ARTISTS COMMUNE, AND, UH, GAUGUIN COMES DOWN.

WELL, IT KIND OF WORKS, BUT IT'S ALSO A DISASTER.

UH, GAUGUIN IS CRAZY, VAN GOGH IS CRAZY, AND THE TWO OF THEM ARE DOUBLE CRAZY, AND THEY GET ON EACH OTHER'S NERVES.

THEY'RE FIGHTING.

THEY FRIGHTEN THE NEIGHBORS.

UH, THERE'S JUST--THEY GET INTO, UH, JEALOUS DISPUTES OVER THE LADIES AT THE, UH, UH, NEARBY MAISON DE TOLERANCE, AS IT WAS CALLED, AND, UH, JUST CONSTANTLY FIGHTING.

AND, YOU KNOW, SOME PRODUCT-- YOU KNOW, VERY PRODUCTIVE TIME, BUT CRAZY, VIOLENT, AND-- WHICH IS TYPICAL OF, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY HIT WITH A BIPOLAR, UH, DISORDER.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S PEAKS OF HIGH ENERGY, INCREDIBLE PRODUCTIVITY, AND THEN THE--THE LOWS THAT WON'T LET ANYBODY SEE YOUR PAINTINGS OR BUY THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

"WHO CARES ABOUT THEM?

I'M NOT--" UH, AND THAT TENDS TO DISTORT US.

YOU KNOW, ALL WE KNOW ABOUT, UH, VINCENT IS THAT HE CUT OFF HIS OWN EAR, YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT.

WHEW!

OR DID HE?

YOU KNOW, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO PRONOUNCE HIS NAME.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.

DID HE CUT OFF HIS EAR WITH A RAZOR AS GAUGUIN SAID LATER, OR DID GAUGUIN COME AFTER HIM WITH A SWORD AND SLICE HIM UP IN A FIGHT, AND THEN THEY TRIED TO HIDE IT SO THE POLICE WOULD NOT GET INVOLVED?

SO IF IT WAS NOT AN ASSAULT, UH...

NEVERTHELESS, JUST CRAZY.

WELL, YOU CAN SEE WHAT I'M DOING HERE.

I'VE COME DOWN, UH, TWO INCHES THERE.

I'M GONNA KEEP ON GOING DOWN.

LET ME GET A, UM--I'M GONNA GET ANOTHER PAIR THAT I'VE GOT.

SO I'M GONNA MOVE ON WITH THIS.

[CHUCKLES] SO JUST LIKE WET PAINT, WE USE, UH, WET WOOD TO START, THE GREENWOOD.

SO HERE'S A PAIR I'VE BEEN WORKING ON, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW NICELY, UH, THE GRAIN MATCHES THERE.

LOOK AT THAT.

DO YOU SEE HOW THEY SANDWICH TOGETHER?

UH, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND LAY OUT THIS NEXT ONE THAT'S ALREADY TO THE TWO-INCH SQUARE AND TRUE IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT, YES, USING OUR NEXT STEP HERE.

SO I'M GONNA WORK LIKE VINCENT-- WELL, AS THE DUTCH WOULD SAY HIS NAME OF "VON HOUGH," UH, BUT, OF COURSE, IT WASN'T EVEN PRONOUNCED THAT WAY, AS HE WAS FROM THE LITTLE-- [HOCKS]--FLEMISH TOWN, UH, WHERE THEY DIDN'T SPEAK EVEN IN THE STANDARD DUTCH DIALECT.

SO THAT'S NOT THE WAY HE SAID HIS NAME, EVEN THE WAY THE DUTCH WOULD DO IT.

THE, UH, BRITISH CALL HIM "VAN GOFF," UH, FRENCH HAVE ANOTHER WAY, AND IN WOODY ALLEN FILMS, IT'S "VAN GOUGH."

SO--HA!

UH, WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY HIS NAME.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED WHEN HE, UH-- HOW THE EAR GOT CUT OFF, REALLY.

UH, WE DON'T KNOW.

SO I'M RUNNING A--A LINE DOWN TO DO THE OCTAGON HERE.

WE DO KNOW THIS.

LET ME SHOW YOU THIS.

UH, WHAT I WAS LEADING TO WITH ALL THIS BUSINESS OF RUNNING THESE LINES AND USING THAT TOOL, WHICH WAS AN OCTAGONIZER-- I'LL SHOW YOU HOW THAT WORKS-- UH, WAS THAT, UH, VINCENT WAS NOT THIS MAD--JUST THIS MAD GENIUS, YOU KNOW, WHO, UH, DID, UH, CRAZY THINGS, AND HIS ART REFLECTED THE CRAZY VISIONS THAT HE HAD.

HE WORKED HARD.

HE WORKED HARD, AND, INDEED, IF THE EFFECT OF THE, UH, BIPOLAR WAS ANYTHING, IT, UH, YOU KNOW, GAVE HIM THE PAINTING, GAVE HIM A PLACE TO FOCUS HIS ENERGY.

SO THIS INCREDIBLE, CRAZY ENERGY, AND HE'S WRITING ALL THE TIME.

HE'S COMMUNICATING ALL THE TIME.

HE'S READING.

HE'S EXCITED.

HE HAD BEEN THROWN OUT AS AN EVANGELISTIC PREACHER BECAUSE HE WAS TOO EVANGELISTIC!

SO HE COMES TO PAINTING LATE, AND I THINK THE PAINTING AND THE DRAWING AND HIS STUDIES AND HIS HARD WORK GAVE SOME ORDER, UH, TO THE CHAOS OF, YOU KNOW, THE--THE MENTAL STATE OF THE BIPOLAR UPS AND DOWNS, THE CRAZINESS THERE.

SO I'M WORKING TO MAKE AN OCTAGON SHAPE, AND THE TOOL I USED IS AN OCTAGONIZER, UH, RIGHT HERE.

IT HAS SPIKES.

I THINK THESE ARE AN INCH AND A--LET ME MEASURE THEM.

I THINK IT'S AN INCH AND A HALF APART RIGHT THERE, THESE TWO LITTLE SPIKES ON THE INSIDE.

SEE HOW THERE'S TWO LITTLE TEETH IN THERE?

THERE THEY ARE, ONE THERE AND ONE THERE.

THEY'RE AN INCH AND A HALF APART.

THE FENCES ARE AN INCH, UH, FROM EACH OF THOSE.

SO WE HAVE AN INCH AND A HALF AND AN INCH, AND BY HOLDING IT ON ANY PIECE, IT WILL RUN A LINE THAT, IF WE CONNECT IT, UH, WILL GIVE US AN OCTAGON IN THE, UH, FINAL ESTIMATION.

SO I AM OCTAGONIZING THIS PIECE HERE.

SO, HOLD IT IN THE SHAVING HORSE IF I CAN.

THERE WE GO.

AH.

SO I WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, BRING THIS UP THAT HE WAS NOT A-- A MAD--MAD GENIUS.

HE WAS A MAN OF INCREDIBLE TALENT WHO WORKED HARD, WORKED HARD, AND HIS, UH-- AS IT SHOULD, HIS, UH, UH, REACH EXCEEDED HIS GRASP, THE IDEA THAT HE WAS GONNA START A-- AN ARTIST COMMUNE WITH, UH, WITH GAUGUIN, UH, WHO'S JUST OFF THE HOOK.

NOW, YOU THINK ABOUT GAUGUIN COMING DOWN-- NOW, HERE'S A GREAT GUY TO HELP YOU OUT.

UH, HE'S A FORMER STOCKBROKER, UH, WHO, UH, LEFT HIS WIFE AND 5 CHILDREN BEHIND, AND, UH, HE'S IN ARLES AND, UH, UH, VINCENT IS WRITING TO THEO SAYING, UH, "I KNOW, UH, UH, GAUGUIN IS MARRIED, "BUT, BOY, HE DOESN'T BEHAVE LIKE IT.

HE IS MAKING QUITE A LOT OF HEADWAY WITH THE ARLESIENNE."

UH, THE WOMEN OF ARLES WERE RENOWNED-- AND STILL ARE, LET ME SAY-- UH, FOR THEIR ENCHANTING BEAUTY, AND, UH--THERE WE GO.

SO, UH, IN ANY CASE, HE WAS A LITTLE BIT OFFENDED BY IT.

BUT BY THIS TIME, UH, INDEED, UH, VINCENT IS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE MAISON DE TOLERANCE NEXT DOOR, ALONG WITH, UH, GAUGUIN, AND, UH, DRINKING ABSINTHE, WHICH IS LIKE PASTIS, BUT IT HAS WORMWOOD IN IT.

SO IT'S JUST, UH, MAKING HIM CRAZY.

UH, ANYWAY, IT'S MAKING A BAD THING WORSE.

LET'S LOOK AT THIS CHAIR NOW.

WE'RE GONNA DO SOME MORE HERE.

UH, LOOK AT THE, UH, YELLOW IN THIS.

THE WHOLE THING WITH--YOU KNOW, WHEN I LEARNED ABOUT IT, UH, VINCENT VAN GOGH, THE, UH, FIRST THING I SAW WAS THE SUNFLOWER PAINTINGS.

IT WAS THE YELLOW, AND THE KID WHO WAS SHOWING IT TO ME SAID, "YEAH, THAT'S, UH, VAN GOGH.

"HE, UH, WENT CRAZY, CUT HIS EAR OFF, GAVE IT TO HIS GIRLFRIEND, "AND HE USED YELLOW IN ALL HIS PAINTINGS.

AND, UH, THE CRAZIER HE GOT, THE MORE YELLOW HE USED."

WELL, I'VE GOT SPINDLES HERE TO GO WITH THE OAK.

THESE ARE, UH, YELLOWHEART, UH, SPINDLES, SO WE'RE GONNA DO THOSE NEXT.

YOU CAN JUST A LITTLE BIT FOR A SECOND HOW THE DRYWOOD WORKS, A LITTLE BIT OF YELLOWHEART SPINDLE WORK.

WE'LL COME BACK TO THESE PIECES.

UH, HERE IT IS.

NOW, THESE, AGAIN, UH, JUST LIKE, UH, THE PAINTERS OF THE TIME, THE IMPRESSIONISTS, POST-IMPRESSIONISTS HAVING TO BUY PAINTS, AND IT'S EXPENSIVE.

VERMILLION YELLOW, LOTS OF YELLOW.

GOSH, YELLOW IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE IN THE SUNSHINE.

LET ME SEE IF-- I'VE LOST MY DRAWKNIFE THERE.

HA HA HA!

UH, THIS IS YELLOWHEART KIND OF WOOD FROM BRAZIL.

I GOT IT FROM THE SCRAP OF A, UH, CABINET, FURNITURE SHOP, DESIGNER FURNITURE SHOP, AND SO THIS WAS JUST GOING, UH, TO THE LANDFILL.

NOW, I'VE GOT TO READJUST THIS AGAIN HERE.

THIS IS A NICE LITTLE ENGLISH STYLE SHAVING HORSE.

THEY SAY IF I'M TRYING TO DO FRENCH AND DUTCH, WHY DO I GOT A ENGLISH SHAVING HORSE HERE, A BODGER'S BENCH?

UH, VINCENT "VON HOUGH," TO USE THE, UH, DUTCH PRONUNCIATION, UH, STUDY--WORKED IN ENGLAND, WORKED IN LONDON.

LOVED READING ENGLISH, UH, NOVELS, LOVED DICKENS, YOU KNOW, THE ROMANCE AND ALL THAT.

JUST GOT INTO IT, KIND OF A DON QUIXOTE, UH, FIGURE.

IT DIDN'T WORK OUT.

HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN ART DEALER LIKE HIS BROTHER, UH, THEO, BUT, UH, IT WAS NOT WORKING.

SO--SO HERE WE GO.

YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY THE DRYWOOD RESPONDS.

I HAVE TO BE A LITTLE MORE CAREFUL, UH, WITH THE WAY THE GRAIN GOES.

YOU SEE HOW SMOOTH IT IS.

I WANT TO LEAVE THESE PIECES FACETED SO THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN THE FINISHED CHAIR IMPASTO.

I WANT YOU TO SEE THE BRUSHSTROKES THERE.

DO YOU SEE THE BRUSHSTROKES IN THIS PIECE?

SO ALL I HAVE TO DO IS WORK THEM DOWN TECHNICALLY, JUST LIKE THEY HAVE TO FIT ON THE CANVAS.

NOW, OF COURSE, I DIDN'T CLEAN UP.

IN HONOR OF VINCENT VAN GOGH, I DID NOT CLEAN UP AND I HAVE LOST MY LITTLE GAUGE IN THIS MESS.

"GAUGUIN, WHERE ARE YOU?

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO COOK AND CLEAN UP FOR ME."

UH, NEVERTHELESS, UH, I HAVE A LITTLE GAUGE WHERE I BORED A HOLE THROUGH A BOARD, AND I CAN FIT, UH, THESE ENDS IN TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE GONNA MATCH MY AUGER.

YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.

I'VE GOT THE ENDS DOWN THERE.

WHAT MATTERS IS THE ART.

WHAT DOES AN ARTIST CARE ABOUT GAUGES?

THAT'S RIGHT.

SO I'VE GOT THE SEAT AND, UH, ONE OF THE RUNGS.

WE'RE GONNA WORK ON THAT BACK, UH, BUSINESS THERE OF THE CHAIR.

WE'LL WORK ON THE BACK.

WE'VE GOT ANOTHER PIECE TO MAKE, THOUGH, HOWEVER.

WE GOT TO DO THE SPLATS.

WE MUST DO THE SPLATS NOW.

AND YOU CAN SEE HERE THE BACK SPLATS OF THE CHAIR, HOW THEY'RE--THEY'RE CURVED VERY SLIGHTLY, BUT-- WELL, YOU CAN'T BECAUSE IT'S IN TWO DIMENSIONS.

BUT NEVERTHELESS, IT'S CURVED ALL THE WAY AT THE BACK, SO WE WILL ACTUALLY, UH, BOIL AND BEND THAT.

SO I'VE TAKEN A PIECE THAT I'VE SPLIT OUT, UH, SPLIT LIKE A SHINGLE, AGAIN A RED OAK HERE.

YOU CAN SEE THE RED.

OH, THE COLOR IS SO IMPORTANT.

I GOT THE RED IN HERE, AND I'LL SIT ON THIS AND PLANE IT DOWN.

JUST TEAR AT IT MADLY, SOMETIMES TAKING MY TUBE OF PAINT AND RUBBING IT DIRECTLY ON THE CANVAS, BRING IT DOWN, SMOOTHING IT MORE AND MORE, MAKING IT THE SIZE THAT WILL BEND AFTER BOILING!

[GRUNTS] ALL RIGHT, AND WE'LL TAKE THAT PIECE AND BOIL IT.

NOW, I'VE GOT A PIECE IN THE, UH, POT UP HERE, AND, UH, GAUGUIN APPARENTLY DID ALL THE COOKING AT THE HOUSE, THE YELLOW HOUSE IN ARLES WHERE THEY LIVED.

SO I'VE GOT IN HERE, UH, A, UH, GAUGUIN STEW, UH, OF A OAK THAT WE WILL BEND.

THIS ONE CAN GO IN, AND WE'LL BEND THIS GUY USING A LITTLE JIG FROM A-- A LITTLE MORE CALM PLACE, THE, UM-- OH, GOSH, WHAT IS IT?

THE DOMINY WORKSHOPS.

I MADE A JIG HERE BASED ON ONE FROM THE DOMINY WORKSHOPS.

UH, THESE ARE NEW YORK CABINETMAKERS, AND ALL THEIR TOOLS AND SUCH HAVE BEEN PRESERVED AT THE WINTERTHUR MUSEUM, AND YOU SEE HOW I HAVE A BENT SPLAT THERE READY TO GO.

NOT A HEAVY BEND, BUT THIS IS A COPY, UH, JUST OF WHAT THEY HAD AT THE DOMINY SHOPS.

I'LL TAKE THIS FRESHLY BOILED PIECE--AND IT COULD BE STEAMED, BUT THE BOILING'S A LITTLE MORE, UH, CONVENIENT-- AND SET THAT UP UNDER THERE, BEND IT AROUND.

SO I HAVE THESE LITTLE FILLER BLOCKS HERE THAT CAN GO IN.

YOU CAN PUT DIFFERENT SIZE CURVES IN THERE AS YOU WISH.

SO YOU CAN PUT THOSE IN AND LET THEM-- HERE WE GO--COME DOWN.

URR!

ALL RIGHT.

THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT.

AND SO THAT'LL SIT THERE FOR A DAY.

IT'LL COME OUT AS THE BEND FOR THE SPLAT.

SO WE'VE GOT THE SPLATS.

UH, ONE WILL BE READY SOON.

I'VE GOT THE ONES I JUST TOOK OUT.

I'VE GOT MY, UH, LEGS.

WE'RE GONNA DO THE BACK FRAME NOW.

SO TAKE THESE GUYS, SET THEM UP ON THE BENCH WITH THE BEND, UH, TO THE OUTSIDE.

SO LET'S SEE.

THIS GOES HERE... AND THIS GOES HERE--ALL RIGHT-- AND I'M GONNA MATCH THE BENDS AWAY FROM EACH OTHER.

SO I'VE GOT THAT ONE THERE, AND THAT ONE THERE-- ALL RIGHT--AND WE'LL START BORING THE HOLES.

SO DO SEE HOW I'VE GOT THEM SPLAYED OUT TO THE SIDE?

SO HERE'S THE LOWER PART OF THE SEAT COMING UP VERTICALLY, AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA BEND OUT BECAUSE WHEN I PUT THEM TOGETHER, THE BENDS WILL GO IN THE SAME DIRECTION, AND HERE'S THE FRONT OF THE CHAIR.

SO I'VE GOT BOTH BACK LEGS DOWN, AND I'VE LEFT THEM IN THE OCTAGON RIGHT NOW.

I'M NOT GOING TO, UH, DO THEM FULLY ROUND BECAUSE THIS HELPS THEM SIT A LITTLE BIT BETTER.

THEY ARE AWKWARD, AND I'VE GOT THE HOLDFAST ON THE BENCH, HOLDING IT DOWN, OK. AND NOW I'M GONNA BORE THE HOLES FOR THE FRAME USING A SPOON BIT.

I'LL SHOW YOU THIS IN A SECOND.

LET ME GET THIS, UH, DOWN, UH, CHECKING IT TO SEE THAT IT'S CUT PRETTY MUCH SQUARE.

OH, THERE WE GO.

AND THIS IS THE OLD CHAIR MAKER'S BIT-- LET ME HIT THAT ONE MORE TIME-- THE OLD CHAIR MAKER'S BIT, AND--GOOD-- IT HAS FILED ON ITS BACK A LITTLE, UH, MARK RIGHT THERE, A LITTLE SILVER, UH, PLACE WHERE IT WAS FILED.

A LITTLE HARD TO SEE THERE, BUT YOU CAN TELL WHEN IT GETS TO THAT LITTLE NICK RIGHT THERE, UH, THAT IT'S GONE DOWN AN INCH AND A HALF DOWN INTO THE WOOD.

SO NOW DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THAT, BORE THE JOINING HOLE.

AND THESE ARE NICE IN THAT IF YOU GET OFF A LITTLE BIT, YOU CAN STEER THEM IN THE START OF THE CUT.

THEY WILL STEER LIKE A, UH, UH--LIKE A BALL IN A SOCKET.

I'M GONNA COME DOWN HERE AND DO THESE LAST TWO.

YEAH, I'LL GET THAT IN THERE.

AH!

YEAH, SEE?

I'M STEERING AND I'M PUSHING IT OVER.

NOW, ANY KIND OF BIT WILL WORK, BUT I WAS LUCKY TO GET THESE OLD CHAIR MAKER BITS, AND THEY ARE JUST CLASSIC.

ONE THING--AGAIN, YOU SEE THIS IS GREEN-GREEN IN THE POSTS, AND YOU KNOW I HAD THAT DRYWOOD, UH, FOR THE RAILS THAT STRETCH BETWEEN THE TWO.

UH, THAT'S GOOD, IN A SENSE.

THIS IS NOT GREAT, UH, IN THAT THESE ARE SO GREEN.

I'M GONNA CERTAINLY WORK ON THEM A LOT, UH, DRIER.

BUT--[GRUNTS]--THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT.

WHEW!

SO, THAT'S THE AUGERS.

NOW, ON THE BACK I JUST HAVE THE TWO, UH, SETS OF HOLES HERE-- HERE'S THE SECOND ONE--BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE MORTISES FOR THE, UH, BACK SPLATS.

LET ME SHOW YOU HOW YOU CUT THEM.

SO I'VE GOT--HERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THIS IS VERY QUICK.

UH, AGAIN IN THE GREENWOOD, THE WOOD HAS TO BE WELL SUPPORTED, BUT HERE'S ONE OF THE BACK SPLAT HOLES LAID OUT.

SO THESE ARE THOSE CURVED BACKS, AND JUST START DRIVING THE MORTISING CHISEL IN ACROSS THE GRAIN.

THIS IS CLASSIC CHOPPING... AND WALK ALONG, TAKING OUT THE WASTE AND GET DOWN PRETTY DEEP.

YOU'LL NEED SOME MANEUVERING ROOM FOR THE BACK BECAUSE, UH, YOU WANT TO PUT THE FRAME TOGETHER FIRST, I THINK, BEFORE YOU PUT THE SPLATS IN, OR DO A TEST ASSEMBLY ONE.

SO I'VE GOT THIS JUST ABOUT READY TO SHOW YOU THE NEXT STEP OF PUTTING IT TOGETHER.

THERE WE ARE.

SO YOU'LL SEE HOW WE WORK THAT-- YOU CAN SEE HOW GREEN THE WOOD IS.

THIS IS--THIS IS WAY TOO GREEN.

UH, WE'RE WORKING WOOD THAT REALLY NEEDS TO HAVE SAT FOR A MONTH OR SO BEFORE WE EVEN BEGIN TO DO THIS KIND OF WORK, BECAUSE OTHERWISE YOU SEE IT'S JUST TEARING UP, BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT..."AND WE PUT IT OUT IN THE MISTRAL WIND."

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE GOT THE SLOTS FOR THE, UH, BACK SPLATS.

WE GOT THE HOLES BORED.

WE'LL DO AN ASSEMBLY NOW OF THE CHAIR WITH THE PARTS.

LET'S SEE.

HERE'S THAT, UH, CURVED PIECE.

I'VE GOT IT TO THE BACK.

ALL RIGHT.

GOOD.

AND THIS ONE HERE--ALL RIGHT.

AGAIN, MY YELLOW WOOD, YELLOWHEART SCRAPS-- AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THIS-- THIS RAIL RIGHT HERE BOWS OUT TO STRENGTHEN IT.

THAT'S THE ONE THAT TAKES THE FULL LOAD OF THE WEIGHT OF THE SITTER, SO-- OR IN CASE OF GAUGUIN, THROWS IT AT YOU, OR ONE OF THE OTHER, OR YOU THROW IT AT HIM.

[GRUNTS] THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT, SO THAT'S OUR BACK FRAME.

NOW WE CAN TAKE THOSE SPLATS.

HAVE I GOT ONE HERE?

OK. AND WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER THIS WILL SPLAY OUT FARTHER, UH, AS A RESULT OF THESE BEING PUT TOGETHER.

SO HERE'S THE BACK OF MY CHAIR.

I'VE GOT THE BACK POSTS LEANING OUT, BUT THEY MAY ALSO DIVERGE, UH, FROM THE TOP A LITTLE BIT THIS WAY.

SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO FIT THESE IN BETWEEN, UH, TO MAKE-- MAKE THEM FIT WHATEVER THE RESULTANT ANGLE OF THE, UM, BACK IS.

I CAN SHOW YOU ON THIS ONE.

THIS ONE, AGAIN, HAD MUCH-- THIS WAS THE START OF THE TREE, AND I CHOSE THE, UH, CURVIEST PART HERE.

HA HA.

VAN GOGH, I'M GONNA MOVE YOUR TOBACCO HERE.

YOU CAN SEE HOW THE BACK SPLAYS OUT LIKE THAT SO IT'S FUNNEL-SHAPED IN THAT DIRECTION.

THAT'S WHY YOU WANT TO FIT EACH OF THESE INDIVIDUALLY.

SO, FINALLY, WE'RE GONNA GET THE, UH--WE'LL MAKE THE FRONT FRAME AND THEN FIT THE, UH, PIECES IN BETWEEN, AND THEN WE GOT TO PUT THE SEAT IN.

I THOUGHT THIS WAS GREAT.

I FOUND A TILE OF DUTCH CHAIR MAKERS, YOU KNOW, FROM THE LITTLE-- [HOCKS]--FLEMISH CHAIR-MAKING TOWN.

YOU CAN SEE THE FELLOW WEAVING THE RUSH SEAT THERE, AND THE, UH, FELLOW OVER HERE AT THE LATHE AND BRINING IN THE BACK POSTS THERE.

SO, THAT'S GREAT, UH, KIND OF WORK.

I CHOSE A VERY COARSE MEDITERRANEAN RUSH SO THAT THIS WOULD GO FAST, AGAIN, TO GET THAT IMPASTO, THAT BRUSHSTROKE LOOK TO MAKING OUR LITTLE CHAIR FROM VAN GOGH.

SO, IF ANYBODY SAYS THAT WOODWORKING CANNOT CHANGE YOUR LIFE, THEY HAVE NOT TRIED MAKING VAN GOGH'S CHAIR, BECAUSE IT BRINGS YOU IN TOUCH-- AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN GET-- WITH YOUR STUDIES TO A TORTURED GENIUS, GENIUS OF OUR TIME.

SO, THANKS FOR JOINING ME.

THIS IS ROY UNDERHILL HERE AT "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

MAY THE GRAIN BE WITH YOU.

SO LONG.

MALE ANNOUNCER: LEARN MORE ABOUT TRADITIONAL WOODWORKING ON OUR WEBSITE.

YOU CAN FIND US AT pbs.org/woodwrightsshop.

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."

FEMALE ANNOUNCER: BE MORE--PBS.

MALE ANNOUNCER: 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.