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

[SAWING] [ROY CHUCKLES] HEY, WELCOME BACK TO "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

I'M ROY UNDERHILL.

WHO IS READY FOR BIG WOODWORKING FUN?

BECAUSE WHAT'S MORE FUN THAN MAKING A JOINT?

WELL, BREAKING A JOINT, AND DOING IT WITH WILL MYERS IS EVEN BETTER.

HEY, ROY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

WILL HAS, UH, BEEN TEACHING HOW TO MAKE THESE WONDERFUL WORK BENCHES.

COULD YOU SHOW US WHAT WE GOT HERE?

YEAH.

IT'S A, UH, MORAVIAN WORKBENCH, AND IT'S COPIED OFF OF ONE IN, UH, OLD SALEM COLLECTION, CENTRAL PIEDMONT IN NORTH CAROLINA.

AND, UH, IT'S A-- DATES FROM AROUND 1800, AND IT--IT'S ACTUALLY MEANT TO BE BROKEN DOWN.

THIS THING COMES APART, AND YOU CAN PUT IT IN A CLOSET OR THE BACK OF YOUR CAR OR...

BUT YOU COULD BREAK IT DOWN-- YOU COULD TAKE IT DOWN-- THEY BUILT IT TO--TO USE LIKE FINISHING HOUSES.

IT COULD BE TAKEN TO A WORK--A JOB SITE...

I GOT YOU.

AND USED FOR FINISH WORK.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF THIS JOINT DOWN HERE.

BUT, LIKE YOU SAY, AGAIN, AN OLD STYLE MORAVIAN WORKBENCH.

YEAH, AND WHAT MAKE-- YEAH, KIND OF THE SECRET OF THIS WHOLE THING IS--IS THIS JOINT RIGHT HERE.

IT'S CALLED A-- UH, A TUSK TENON.

AND IT'S GOT THE KEY-- UH, OR THE WEDGE IN IT.

YEAH, HOLDS IT TOGETHER.

AND THAT GOES THROUGH THERE.

AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE SEE-- LET'S SEE.

WHERE'S THAT PICTURE YOU HAD?

THAT SWEDISH WORKBENCH.

UH, VERY COMMON IN-- IN CENTRAL--YOU DON'T SEE IT IN ENGLISH WORKBENCHES SO MUCH, BUT THERE'S THOSE, UH, KEY TENONS RIGHT THERE ON THE END OF THIS CARL LARSSON UH, SKETCH OF A WORKBENCH THERE.

SO, CONTINENTAL--UH, AGAIN, THESE ARE MORAVIANS.

WHERE WERE THEY FROM?

THEY, UH, REGIONALLY ARE GERMANIC PEOPLE, MOSTLY CZECH-- CZECHOSLOVAKIA... AH.

AND CAME INTO NORTH CAROLINA TO KIND OF STRAIGHTEN THINGS UP.

YEAH, ESCAPE, UH, RELIGIOUS, UH, PERSECUTION THERE... OH, IN EUROPE?

IN MORAVIA, WHERE THEY'RE FROM-- THAT'S HOW THEY GOT THEIR NAME.

EXCELLENT.

WELL, THEY CAME HERE AND THEN BROUGHT THESE WONDERFUL WORKBENCHES HERE.

AND YOU'VE BEEN TEACHING THEM-- UH, BUT IT'S NOT WITHOUT-- THERE'S PERSECUTION ON THIS JOINT, IS THERE NOT?

YEAH, THIS JOINT HAS A PRETTY BAD REPUTATION, UH, NOWADAYS IN THE MODERN WOODWORKING WORLD.

BUT WHY?

IT SEEMS SO-- I THINK IT CAME, UH, PERSONALLY FROM, UH, ARTS AND CRAFTS STUFF.

ARTS?

HUH.

THEY--THEY KIND OF CAME BACK, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THAT ERA, AND THEY'RE MOSTLY DECORATIVE.

THEY'RE--I MEAN, THEY'RE FUNCTIONAL, BUT THEY'RE NOT REALLY MEANT TO HOLD A WORKBENCH TOGETHER.

SO, NOT MASSIVE, BUT THEY HAD THAT OLD-WORLDLY KIND OF THING.

THIS IS ONE I DID.

NOW, THIS IS BASED ON THE ROYCROFTERS THAT WAS-- WHO WAS IT?

ELBERT HUBBARD?

ELBERT HUBBARD, YEAH.

ELBERT HUBBARD'S-- HE DIED ON THE "LUSITANIA," OF ALL THINGS.

YEAH.

ELBERT HUBBARD WAS ONE OF THESE, UM-- HOW SHOULD I SAY, ARTS AND CRAFTS DESIGNERS, AND THIS IS A DEAD COPY OF AN ELBERT HUBBARD BOOKCASE KIND OF THING.

THIS IS ALSO, UH-- THIS IS, WHAT, "POPULAR MECHANICS" OR SOMETHING?

THEY HAD A BOOK ON HOW TO MAKE, UH, MISSION STYLE-- WHAT THEY CALL IT?

ARTS AND CRAFTS?

ARTS AND CRAFTS, YEAH.

YEAH, AND WITH THESE LITTLE TENONS HERE.

BUT YOU CAN SEE THERE'S JUST NOT A WHOLE LOT OF STRENGTH TO THAT TENON, IT LOOKS LIKE.

IN THIS SITUATION, YEAH.

THEY'RE FIRM, THOUGH.

IT'S JUST A BOOKCASE.

HA HA HA!

WELL, PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT IT BREAKING OUT.

YEAH, AND, WELL, I THINK WHAT HAPPENS, THEY'RE TELLING YOU SEASONAL EXPANSION CAN-- EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION-- THEY GET LOOSE, AND, YOU KNOW, EVENTUALLY SOMEBODY COMES BACK TO TIGHTEN THE WIDTH AND THEY GO TOO FAR.

TO WHACK IT DOWN, AND THEY COULD BREAK IT.

ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY--THIS IS THE FUN NOW-- WE'RE GONNA TEST THAT.

I HAVE MADE 5 COPIES HERE NOW, WILL, IN DIFFERENT KINDS OF WOOD.

I GOT POPLAR, CHERRY, WHITE PINE, YELLOW PINE, AND RED OAK, WHICH THIS IS MADE FROM.

YEAH.

AND WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY DESTRUCTO-TEST THESE, HIT THEM WITH A HAMMER AND SEE.

BUT I WANT TO SEE WHAT YOU'VE DONE.

YOU'VE TAKEN IT ONE-- YEAH, YEAH, I WENT A LITTLE FARTHER.

A HAMMER WOULDN'T BE STRONG ENOUGH.

BECAUSE YOU COULD HAMMER ON THIS WORKBENCH AND NEVER BREAK IT.

LET'S LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE GOT RIGGED UP HERE.

THIS IS CRAZY.

HA HA HA!

YEAH, YEAH, THIS IS A LITTLE EXTREME.

YEAH, I WENT TOO FAR.

WELL, YOU HAVE DONE IT.

THIS IS A "HEY, EVERYBODY, WATCH THIS THING" HERE.

YEAH.

WHAT IS IT?

IT'S JUST A FRAMEWORK, A STEEL FRAMEWORK WITH A HYDRAULIC CYLINDER MOUNTED IN IT THAT PULLS.

IT'S ACTUALLY-- WHEN WE PUMP THIS UP, IT'LL TRY TO PULL THAT JOINT UP THERE THAT WE'VE MOCKED UP, A PART.

AND ON THIS END, YOU'VE GOT THE JOINT ALL SET.

AND THIS IS JUST A REGULAR LOOSE JOINT... YEAH, YEAH.

AND YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO PUT HOW MUCH PRESSURE-- I'M GONNA GIVE THIS LITTLE HAND PUMP-- SO THERE'S 500 POUNDS ON THE GAUGE RIGHT NOW.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT, SO WE'RE GONNA TAKE THIS THING WAY UP AND SEE WHEN THE JOINT FAILS?

YEAH.

IT'S PRETTY UNBELIEVABLE.

HA HA HA!

WELL, WE'LL SEE-- WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

AND IT DEPENDS UPON THE GRAIN, THE GRAIN ORIENTATION, THE TYPES OF WOOD?

YEAH, TYPES OF WOOD.

YOU'VE GOT YELLOW PINE AND WHITE OAK?

YEAH-- YEAH, I'M COPYING-- THIS IS WHAT THE ORIGINAL BENCH AT--AT SALEM HAD: YELLOW PINE FRAMEWORK FOR THE MOST PART WITH OAK WEDGES.

AND THAT'S THE WAY YOU TEACH IT WITH THE CLASSES WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE MAKE THESE?

AND PEOPLE--YOU KNOW, THEY STILL EVEN DOUBT THIS, AND WE'LL--I THINK WE'LL DISPEL THOSE HERE... WELL, YOU ACTUALLY HAD SOMEBODY SAY, "I DON'T TRUST THIS."

THEY PUT A BOLT THROUGH THERE?

FROM AN ARTICLE I'D WRITTEN, YEAH.

HE HAD BUILT A BENCH, AND HE HAD, UH, CUT THE TENON OFF, AND HE PUT TWO BOLTS THROUGH HERE BECAUSE HE DIDN'T QUITE TRUST THE...

SO HE DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS GONNA WORK, SO HE JUST PUT BOLTS, AND THAT MADE AN EVEN SMALLER CROSS-SECTION TO RESIST THE PULL AND IT WAS WEAKER.

WELL, THAT, AND HE COULDN'T PULL IT TIGHT.

YOU KNOW, THOSE BOLTS-- AND THIS WOOD WILL SHRINK, OF COURSE.

IF YOU HAVE BOLTS, IT'S NOT GONNA RESPOND.

THIS, YOU CAN TIGHTEN UP WHEN THE WOOD SHRINKS.

YEAH, AND THAT'S ANOTHER ADVANTAGE TO IT, AS OPPOSED TO BOLTS.

I MEAN, IF YOU HAD, LIKE, A BED BOLT DESIGN WHERE IT DID PULL IT TOGETHER, UH, EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION, IT'S GONNA GET LOOSE AT SOME POINT, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE ANY TOOLS TO TIGHTEN IT EXCEPT OTHER THAN A MALLET OR A HAMMER.

OR A SCRAP OF WOOD, JUST... YEAH, ONE TAP AND YOU'RE DONE.

WELL, A LITTLE BIT MORE TO CUTTING IT NOW.

SO WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW TO DO THAT CUTTING AND LAY OUT THE JOINT.

NOW, THIS ONE IN THE BENCH IS SLOPED, SO WE'RE JUST--LET ME SEE-- DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING I CAN HIT?

I'LL TAP THIS ONE APART.

THAT IS A COPY OF THE, UH-- IT'S ESSENTIALLY THE SAME THING THE BENCH IS DIMENSIONALLY.

UH-HUH.

AND THIS IS, UH, VERY PRECISELY CUT.

SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE WE'VE ALREADY GOT THE MORTISE AND TENON-- THE MAIN MORTISE AND TENON CUT.

AND YOU CAN SEE ON THIS BENCH, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE IT GOES THROUGH AT AN ANGLE.

AND THAT'S THE WAY YOURS ARE, TOO: RESIST THE THRUST.

THE ONE WE'RE CUTTING NOW IS STRAIGHT FOR OUR TESTER OVER THERE.

IT'S JUST A LITTLE EASIER TO HOLD THEM.

OK.

BUT, AGAIN, THE SAME GEOMETRY, THE SAME AMOUNT OF WOOD GOING OUT THIS WAY.

ACTUALLY, THIS JOINT MIGHT--WOULD BE-- GOING THROUGH AT AN ANGLE, WE'VE GOT JUST A LITTLE MORE SURFACE AREA.

SO THIS WOULD BE JUST A LITTLE BIT STRONGER THAN A STRAIGHT ONE.

SO NOT ONLY THE ANGLE TO RESIST THE THRUST OF THE WORKBENCH GOING BACK AND FORTH, BUT ADDS MORE STRENGTH TO IT.

THIS IS GREAT.

THERE'S A LOT OF NUANCE TO IT.

ALL RIGHT, BUT LET'S GET TO WORK.

LET'S SEE.

SO YOU'VE GOT YELLOW PINE.

YEAH, AND I'VE ALREADY RIPPED ONE SHOULDER-- OR ONE CHEEK, AND CUT A SHOULDER HERE, AND I WAS JUST FINISHING UP THIS OTHER ONE, UH, RIPPING IT.

AND YOU JUST, UH, KIND OF WORK FROM, UH, BOTH SIDES IN, UH, RIPPING THIS.

IT'S REALLY NOT THAT HARD.

A LONG RIP CUT LIKE THIS IS KIND OF A LITTLE WORRISOME FOR FOLKS.

BUT KIND OF--YOU KNOW, WORK BOTH SIDES, AND FLIP IT OVER A TIME OR TWO AS YOU'RE GOING, YOU KNOW, WATCH YOUR LINES-- IT'S REALLY NOT THAT HARD.

BUT YOU REALLY WANT-- YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANY MIS-CUTS THAT WOULD THIN THIS OUT SO MUCH.

YEAH, YEAH, YOU DON'T WANT TO GET, UH, YOU KNOW, RUNNING IN ONTO THAT-- IF YOU'RE AT THE CRITICAL POINT.

YEAH, IF YOU WERE GONNA ERR, YOU WANT TO TRY TO ERR INTO THE WASTE, IF POSSIBLE.

ALL RIGHT, WELL, WE'RE GONNA SEE--LET'S SEE.

I GUESS SO NOW TO THE SHOULDER.

YEAH.

SO, PICK THIS UP AT A POINT.

YOU CAN SEE I'VE KNIFED A LINE IN HERE... UH-HUH.

AND IT GOES ALL THE WAY AROUND.

AND I USED A KNIFE TO DO IT.

IT'S THE MOST ACCURATE WAY.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THAT WAY, WE GET EVERYTHING PARALLEL, STRAIGHT...HOPEFULLY.

WELL, TO-- THAT'S A BIG PART OF IT.

IT'S USING THE WOOD CORRECTLY.

AND--ALL RIGHT.

NOW, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

OK, I--MY KNIFE LINE HERE IS, OF COURSE, MY SHOULDER, SO NOW I'M GONNA MAKE A LITTLE-- JUST A LITTLE TROUGH TO START MY SAWING IN.

HMM.

AND, UH, JUST-- I'M ON THE WAYSIDE ALSO RIGHT THERE.

OK, SO YOU CUT A LITTLE "V" ON THE PART THAT'S GONNA-- THIS PART'S GONNA COME OFF, AND YOU GOT A RIGHT ANGLE THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND I'M JUST GONNA USE A LITTLE BACK SAW HERE THAT'S SHARPENED FOR CROSS-CUT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, A BIG, FULL-SIZE HAND SAW WILL-- YOU KNOW, IF YOU GOT A GOOD GROOVE THERE TO START IN, YOU CAN DO IT WITH THAT, TOO.

AH.

SO THIS IS JUST LIKE A TENON SAW BUT SHARPENED FOR CROSS-CUT.

RIGHT, RIGHT.

YOU'D THINK THAT'D BE VERY SLOW, BUT YOU ARE GOING TO TOWN.

YEAH, YEAH, IT'S-- THIS ONE'S SHARP AND...

THERE WE GO.

JUST RIGHT THROUGH IT.

AND LOOK AT THAT, HOW FINE THAT IS.

VERY IMPORTANT, I GUESS, TO HAVE THESE SHOULDERS LINED UP... YEAH, IT IS-- SO THE PRESSURE IS EQUAL.

YEAH, I GUESS-- YEAH, IT COULD, UH, EQUALIZE THE PRESSURE BETWEEN THE TWO, AND IT MAKES THE JOINT GO TOGETHER NICE--OR, WHEN YOU PULL IT UP, EVERYTHING'S NICE AND STRAIGHT, YOU KNOW, SO-- MOST EXCELLENT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO, UH, THERE'S SEVERAL WAYS TO CLEAN THIS UP.

UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT SOME SAW CUTS HERE-- OR, YOU KNOW, ROUGHNESS FROM--FROM SAWING.

BUT, UH, USE A PLANE LIKE THIS THAT GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE SHOULDER, SO A LITTLE 10 1/2, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE IT.

YOU CAN DO, UH-- I'M JUST GONNA TAKE A CHISEL AND I'M ACTUALLY GONNA MAKE A LITTLE UNDERCUT RIGHT HERE, JUST A LITTLE LOW SPOT.

WHAT'S THAT, UH... WELL, THAT WAY, WE CAN USE JUST A REGULAR, UH... AH.

BENCH PLANE.

BECAUSE THE-- THE TWO PLANES...

THIS ONE HAS THE CASTING COMING OUT HERE WITH THE WEB ON THE BLOCK PLANE.

BUT THIS ONE HERE COMES ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE OUTSIDE.

SO THAT LITTLE GROOVE YOU MADE IS A PLACE FOR THAT CASTING TO RUN.

YEAH, AND YOU DON'T-- THESE PLANES HAVE GOTTEN KIND OF COLLECTABLE.

THAT'S WHAT WE SAY.

HERE IT IS, BECAUSE YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING-- SAYING, "WHERE IS MY-- WHERE IS MY PLANE?"

YEAH.

SO, UH... YOU DON'T WANT THAT TO DISAPPEAR ON YOU.

AS YOU CAN SEE, I CAN GO ALL THE WAY, JUST SQUARE UP...

FLUSH TO THE SHOULDER, AND IT CUTS ALL THE WAY UP.

BUT WITH THAT LITTLE UNDERCUT RIGHT THERE, WE CAN COME BACK WITH A BLOCK PLANE OR A BENCH PLANE AND DO THE SAME THING.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THIS TENON IS SO LONG, YOU CAN ACTUALLY GET OUT HERE AND-- AND, UH... AND SWEEP IT DOWN THE GRAIN.

YEAH, JUST-- YOU'VE SAWN PRECISELY ENOUGH THAT THIS IS READY TO GO.

SO IT'S NOT, UH, OUT OF SOME--SOMETHING WHERE YOU'RE HAVING TO TRIM IT DOWN NOW.

"OH, I CUT IT OVER, SO NOW I'M PLANING IT DOWN."

IT'S READY TO GO.

YOU LEAVE PART OF THE GAUGE MARK.

THERE WAS--YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THROUGH SOME OF THIS.

THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF THE GAUGE MARK STILL LEFT.

SO THIS ONE ACTUALLY MAY BE JUST A LITTLE FAT RIGHT THERE, BUT-- WELL, WE'LL SEE, BECAUSE YOU GOT TO FIT IT NOW TO THE--TO THE TENON.

HA HA HA!

OK.

THE MORE ACCURATE YOU CAN GET IT...

THERE YOU GO.

ALL RIGHT.

VERY NICE.

SO THAT COMES UP, AND, AGAIN, YOU SEE THE PRECISION HE'S GOT THERE ON THAT SHOULDER THERE.

AND WE TURN AROUND AND TRY AND GET BOTH OF THOSE SHOULDERS TO-- BECAUSE YOU REALLY GOT TO MAXIMIZE THE STRENGTH OF THIS JOINT.

AND ANOTHER THING, ACTUALLY, ON THIS PARTICULAR JOINT, WHEN YOU'RE PLANNING ON TAKING IT APART, YOU MAY WANT TO CUT THE MORTISE JUST A LITTLE BIT OVERSIZED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE SUMMER MONTHS, THIS ALL EXPANDS...

RIGHT.

THE WEDGE COULD EXPAND MORE THAN THIS PIECE HERE.

YOU'LL HAVE A PORTABLE WORKBENCH THAT'S ONLY PORTABLE IN THE WINTER.

HA HA HA!

YOU DIDN'T SEE THAT IN ANY MORAVIAN DIARIES?

"DECEMBER--AT LAST I CAN GET MY WORKBENCH OUT OF THE ROOM I HAD IT IN."

I FIGURED THAT OUT THE HARD WAY... OH, NO.

ON THIS BENCH RIGHT HERE.

I BUILT IT IN THE WINTER, AND THEN IN THE SUMMER, IT WOULDN'T COME APART.

NOW, LET ME CATCH UP TO WHERE YOU'RE GETTING READY TO GO HERE, BECAUSE--I'LL KEEP GOING.

YOU'VE GOT TO CUT NOW THE SECOND MORTISE AND TENON, REALLY, IN THIS JOINT, WHICH IS THE MORTISE THROUGH HERE.

YOU'VE ALREADY MADE THE KEY, SO YOU MAKE THAT FIRST.

YOU MAKE THE WEDGE FIRST.

AND I MAKE THEM IN GROUPS OF 4.

I'LL CLEAN UP ALL 4 OF THEM FOR BUILDING A BENCH, ALL 4 OF THEM TOGETHER.

AND THEN-- THAT WAY, THEY'RE ALL THE SAME ANGLE.

THEY ALL FIT ALL THE MORTISES.

I GOT YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT'S YOUR TEMPLATE REALLY FOR LAYING OUT THE--THE MORTISE.

SOMEWHERE AROUND THE-- ABOUT A 1/12 ANGLE ON THAT ALSO.

SO GOOD--A GENTLE SLOPE, NOT ONE TOO STEEP.

YEAH, I THINK THE BIGGEST MISTAKE YOU COULD MAKE IS GET TOO STEEP.

BECAUSE IT WON'T-- IT WON'T GRIP.

IT WON'T GRIP.

YEAH, YEAH, OK.

SO, UH--BUT ANYWAY, TO LAY THIS OUT, REAL SIMPLE.

GET YOUR, UH--YOU KNOW, YOUR LEG ASSEMBLY UP ALL--AS FAR DOWN THE TENON AS IT'LL GO, AND THEN WE JUST TAKE AN--I MOVE THE WEDGE UPHILL.

YOU SEE THAT MY FAT PART'S HIGH RIGHT HERE.

SO I'M GONNA--AND THE REASON IS THIS'LL COMPRESS A LITTLE BIT, AND OF COURSE THE LEG WILL PULL IN, AND ONCE IT'S DRIVEN IN, IT'LL BE DOWN HERE WHERE WE WANT IT TO.

START OUT A LITTLE BIT HIGH AND SCRIBE AROUND THE TOP OF IT.

AND THEN BEFORE YOU TAKE IT APART, SCRIBE THE TOP AND BOTTOM ON THE FACE.

SO THAT'S THE BACK LINE.

SO NOW I TAKE THAT OFF.

YEAH, THAT'S--THAT'S WHERE IT MEETS THE LEG.

SO WE KNOW THAT--BETWEEN THOSE LINES IS WHERE YOU'RE GONNA PUT THE, UH, MORTISE.

RIGHT.

EXACTLY.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT TRICK YOU DO RATHER THAN USING THAT TWO-TOOTH GAUGE.

YEAH, I SURE DO, AND IT REALLY WORKS WELL FOR THIS.

THIS FRONT LINE, I'M GONNA BRING IT ACROSS, AND OF COURSE THE BOTTOM ONE.

ALL RIGHT.

JUST, UH, JUST REAL QUICKLY THERE.

I GOT MY SQUARE SITTING ON THE SHOULDER-- THAT DOESN'T WORK TOO GOOD.

HA HA!

ALL RIGHT.

SO, UH-- THERE IT IS.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THERE IT IS.

THERE'S OUR LAYOUT FOR OUR MORTISE.

NOW WE NEED TO LAY OUT THE WIDTH OF IT.

SO THIS-- AND WE WANT THIS TO GO JUST RIGHT THROUGH THE CENTER.

SO THIS HAS GOT TO BE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE HERE.

SURE DOES.

AND I WOULD USUALLY USE A DOUBLE-TOOTH GAUGE AND RUN IT FROM ONE SIDE, BUT YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT TRICK.

YEAH, I USE JUST A SINGLE-PIN GAUGE JUST WITH A ONE-- ONE POINT.

HUH.

AND TO LAY IT OUT, I JUST TAKE THE MORTISE CHISEL I'M GONNA USE--AND THIS ONE'S ABOUT 3/8ths.

OK. ALL RIGHT.

AND ALL THESE OLD ONES ARE JUST A-- YOU HAVE TO SAY "ABOUT 3/8ths," BECAUSE THEY'LL VARY JUST A LITTLE BIT.

ALL RIGHT.

SOMEWHERE IN THE 3/8ths RANGE, AND I'M JUST GONNA PUSH IT IN WHAT LOOKS ABOUT LIKE THE CENTER, OR PRETTY CLOSE.

YOU'RE JUST EYEBALLING IT.

YEAH, I'M TRYING TO GET AN IDEA OF HOW WIDE MY CHISEL IS.

AND, UH, I TAKE AND SET THIS, UH, GAUGE... YOU CAN SEE I MADE ONE LITTLE PIN MARK THERE.

AND ONE--COME BACK A LITTLE BIT SO IT MAKES SENSE THERE.

SO THEY'RE RIGHT CLOSE TO WHERE THAT IT WAS, BUT YOU JUST DID THIS BY EYE.

YEAH, YEAH, JUST-- WELL, THE MORTISE CHISEL CAN ONLY MAKE A 3/8ths MORTISE, 3/8ths IN WIDTH.

OK.

SO...

SO--AND SO THESE ARE JUST BASICALLY GUIDELINES.

I MEAN, IF THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT NARROW OR A LITTLE BIT WIDE, IT DOESN'T MATTER.

THE CHISEL'S STILL GONNA MAKE 3/8ths.

BUT WHAT YOU'RE SURE OF WITH THESE TWO LINES-- I'LL DARKEN IT IN WITH A PENCIL-- IS THAT THEY ARE IN THE MIDDLE.

SO YOU DON'T HAVE ONE SIDE HERE THINNER AND WEAKER HERE, AND THAT WOULD-- TO BE THE ONE THAT BREAKS.

THIS HAS GOT TO BE IN THE MIDDLE.

AND IF THOSE LINES ARE SLIGHTLY WIDER OR SMALLER, IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE OF THE CHISEL.

THIS TENON'S ONLY 1 1/8-INCH WIDE.

IT'S PRETTY THIN, REALLY, I MEAN, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT... AND WHEN WE PULL ON IT HERE IN A MINUTE, IT'S-- HA HA HA!

WE'LL SEE!

IT'S AMAZING.

SO IF IT WAS OFF TO ONE SIDE, YEAH, YOU'D DEFINITELY WEAKEN IT.

SO--AND, TOO, WITH THE MORTISE GAUGE, SEE, I'M ACTUALLY GONNA TAKE OUT THOSE LAYOUT MARKS RIGHT THERE.

SO IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT NARROW, BUT THAT'S OK.

BUT THE REASON FOR THAT IS, UH, BY THE TIME WE SAW ALL THESE, THEY COULD BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT WIDTH.

SO WE CAN USE ONE GAUGE SETTING, WE CAN GET THEM ALL IN THE CENTER, AND THEN JUST CHOP THEM OUT WITH YOUR CHISEL AND THEY'LL ALL BE THE RIGHT WIDTH.

BUT THE MAIN THING IS IN THE CENTER.

NOW, HERE'S THE TEST OF THE BENCH BECAUSE HE'S GONNA BE REALLY DRIVING DOWN.

AND, UH, THE RIGIDITY OF THIS BENCH IS DEPENDENT-- OF THE JOINT THAT HE'S MAKING IS DOWN THERE AND HOW STRONG THAT IS... YEAH, THOSE TENONS ARE KEEPING THE BOTTOM OF THIS BENCH BECAUSE-- THE DAGGONE LEGS FROM GOING OUT.

SO, YEAH, THEY'RE HOLDING ALL THE TIME.

SO YOU'LL SEE ALL THIS FORCE-- WATCH THIS NOW.

SO, UH, TO START OFF-- SOMETHING I FORGOT TO MENTION.

WE'RE GONNA-- BACK HERE AT THE BACK OF THE MORTISE-- THIS IS--THIS IS WHERE WE SCRIBED AROUND THE FACE OF THE LEG-- WE'LL COME BACK ABOUT 1/8 OF AN INCH OR SO PAST THAT OR A LITTLE BIT MORE.

AND THE REASON IS IF WE DON'T, THAT WEDGE, WHEN WE GO DRIVE IT IN, IT'LL JUST WEDGE IN THE MORTISE...

INSTEAD OF GETTING TIGHT AGAINST THE FACE OF THE SHOULDER.

ALL RIGHT, SO THIS IS ROOM FOR IT TO PUSH?

RIGHT.

OK, OK.

IF YOU DRIVE IT IN THERE AND THE LEG'S LOOSE, THAT'S THE PROBLEM.

IT'S WEDGING IN THE MORTISE, SO JUST TAKE A LITTLE MORE OFF THE BACK.

SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND-- AND THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AN EXACT AMOUNT-- I JUST PENCILED IT IN.

SO--SO WE'RE JUST GONNA CHOP STRAIGHT DOWN.

THIS IS KIND OF A MODEL OF THE, UH, WAY THE JOINT WORKS.

YOU'RE CHOPPING WITH THIS.

REALLY, IT'S A WEDGE, YEAH.

YEAH.

WELL, YEAH, THAT'S TRUE.

I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.

AND WEDGING AND-- BUT VERY, VERY STRONG.

YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING HOLDING THE WOOD TO KEEP IT FROM SPLITTING APART THERE.

NO, NO, IT-- THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

WE'RE WEDGING ALONG THE GRAIN, AND THE WOOD CAN TAKE THAT, I MEAN, AS YOU CAN SEE.

YEAH.

BUT IF WE TURN THIS SIDEWAYS... GIVE IT ONE HIT... YEAH, IT'S GONE.

BAM, THE WHOLE THING IS SPLIT.

SO THAT'S IMPORTANT WITH YOUR WEDGE THAT YOU PUT IN HERE, THAT IT'S NOT FAT ON THE SIDES AND TAPERING IN.

YEAH, YEAH, EXACTLY.

YEAH, YOU DON'T WANT TO-- I LIKE FOR THE WEDGE TO JUST SLIDE IN, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, TAP IT UP TO TIGHT-- YOU DON'T WANT TO DRIVE IT IN BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FIT.

WE DON'T WANT THAT WEDGE, I GUESS, ROUNDED ON THE FACE OR ANYTHING.

IT REALLY WANTS TO BE SQUARE SO IT'S BEARING ACROSS THE FULL SURFACE THERE.

YEAH.

AND IF YOU'RE CHOPPING, WE WANT TO GO ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH.

AND YOU CAN STAND BACK AND KIND OF EYEBALL THE--THE CHISEL, MAKE SURE YOU'RE GOING FAIRLY STRAIGHT.

AND WE'LL CHOP IT HALFWAY FROM, UH... THAT'S IT.

ALL RIGHT.

EITHER-- EITHER DIRECTION.

AND YOU'RE ALREADY AN INCH AND A HALF DEEP THERE.

YEAH, WE'RE ALMOST HALFWAY NOW.

I'M GONNA STOP YOU NOW, THOUGH, BECAUSE THIS IS READY TO GO IN HERE, AND IT WOULD BE LIKE THIS.

SO WE'D HAVE, UH, THAT JOINT CUT FROM BOTH SIDES ALL--ALL THE WAY THROUGH THERE.

AND THE WEDGE GOES IN, AND THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE ON THE HEAVY MORAVIAN WORKBENCH, THIS JOINT RIGHT HERE.

BUT WE WANT TO TEST SOME OF THE ART-- LET'S TEST OUR ARTS AND CRAFTS BRETHREN HERE.

SOME OF THE ONES THAT CAUSED THE REPUTATION, POSSIBLY.

NOW, I'VE GOT A HAMMER HERE.

ALL RIGHT, SO I'M GONNA-- WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH A HAMMER AND THESE MODELS OF THE JOINT.

START WITH THAT POPLAR.

LET'S START WITH THE POPLAR.

IF YOU HOLD IT, I'LL DO THE FIRST ONE.

SO THIS IS A REPLICA RIGHT HERE.

IT'S A DEAD-ON REPLICA OF THE, UH, ROYCROFTER FURNITURE, UH, ARTS AND CRAFTS STYLE JOINT THERE, EXCEPT IT'S DONE IN POPLAR.

SO WE'RE GONNA TRY DIFFERENT WOODS.

THE ORIGINAL IS IN-- UH--AH, THERE YOU GO.

AND SEE WHAT HAPPENED?

THE WOOD SHEARED OUT ON EITHER SIDE OF THE-- JUST WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT.

SO--BUT, AGAIN, WE'RE TESTING IT IN POPLAR.

LET'S SEE.

SO WHAT YOU GOT NOW?

CHERRY?

LET'S TRY THIS CHERRY ONE HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

I GOT TO TOSS THAT ONE.

HERE YOU GO.

YOU GET TO DO THIS ONE.

IT DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT, DID IT?

NO, IT DIDN'T.

ALL RIGHT.

SO HERE WE GO.

THIS IS CHERRY.

YOU WHALED ON IT!

SO CHERRY IS NOTORIOUSLY BRITTLE.

SO, AGAIN, WE'RE DOING MUCH MORE ABUSE THAN THESE WOULD EVER-- YEAH, BUT-- BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S KIND OF WHAT'S CAUSED THE REPUTATION.

THEY GOT LOOSE, AND SOMEBODY JUST OVER-TIGHTENED IT.

ALL RIGHT, SO HERE WE GO.

WHAT IS THIS?

OH, WHITE PINE.

ALL RIGHT, I GET TO DO WHITE PINE.

NOW, THIS IS ABOUT THE WEAKEST, SOFTEST WOOD WE COULD COME UP WITH HERE FOR THIS, SO... GIVE IT SLOPE.

NOW, ONE THING IT-- AH, I THOUGHT IT MIGHT COMPRESS ENOUGH IN THE WEDGE BECAUSE, REMEMBER, THE COMPRESSION ON THAT WEDGE WILL SOMETIMES DO IT.

BUT, AGAIN, IT'S TOO CLOSE TO THE END, IT FAILED.

SO HERE WE GO.

LET'S TRY YELLOW PINE.

OK. HA HA HA!

GIVE IT ANOTHER WHALE.

LET'S SEE.

WHOSE TURN IS THIS?

THIS IS YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

YOU WANT ME TO JUST TAP OR-- NO, JUST WORK IT ON DOWN.

LET'S GIVE IT A-- GIVE IT A CHANCE, NOW.

AND AGAIN--LOOK AT THAT.

IT SHEARED OUT.

JUST PERFECT PLUG OUT THERE.

SO THAT'S--THAT'S A NICE WOOD, BUT, BOY, IT FAILED AGAIN.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S TRY THE RED OAK NOW.

RED OAK.

ALL RIGHT, NOW, SOMETIMES THIS WILL ACTUALLY-- YOU CAN DRIVE THIS DOWN.

LET'S SEE IF IT'LL DO IT.

IF YOU'LL HANG ONTO IT THERE, WILL, I'M GONNA DRIVE IT DOWN, AND OFTEN THE WEDGE WILL COMPRESS ALL THE WAY.

IT DIDN'T QUITE MAKE IT.

ALL RIGHT.

THERE IT IS.

BREAK OUT.

SOMETIMES YOU GET THAT WEDGE TO COMPRESS ALL THE WAY DOWN, AND THIS WILL ACTUALLY STAY INTACT RIGHT HERE.

BUT IT WAS MUCH STRONGER IN THE RED OAK.

SO I JUST--WHO THE-- JUST--YOU CAN MAKE YOUR FURNITURE, BUT JUST DON'T GO BASHING ON IT WITH A POUND-AND-A-HALF HAMMER.

REALLY, FOR BOOKCASES, CLOCKS WHERE YOU SEE THESE THINGS, I THINK THEY'RE FINE.

DON'T HAMMER ON YOUR CLOCK.

IT'S NOT WORKBENCH JOINTS, THOUGH.

ALL RIGHT, BUT NOW WE WANT TO TEST-- YES, WE'RE GONNA TEST THE WORKBENCH JOINT, AND--LET'S SEE-- THAT'S THIS ONE HERE.

SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW THE HYDRAULIC PULLER WORKS TRYING TO BREAK THIS JOINT.

SO LET'S BRING IT ON OVER HERE... OK. AND WE WANT TO TAKE THIS APART JUST TO SHOW THAT IT'S, UH... LET'S SEE.

CAN YOU HANG ONTO THAT END?

YEAH.

LET ME LIFT THE-- ALL RIGHT.

SO I WANT YOU TO SEE THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE A-- AN ACTUAL JOINT.

AND, UH, THAT'S IT; SLIDES ON THERE.

SAME--DIMENSIONALLY, THE SAME AS THE ONE ON THE WORKBENCH, IT'S JUST STRAIGHT INSTEAD OF ANGLED.

AND WHAT IS THE WEDGE AGAIN IN THIS ONE?

SO WE HAVE YELLOW PINE AND WHITE OAK?

UH, YES, THAT WEDGE IS WHITE OAK.

I TRIED SEVERAL DIFFERENT ONES.

NOW, I HAVE A HYDRAULIC-- ALL RIGHT, YOU GOT YOUR PRESSURE GAUGE THERE?

ALL RIGHT, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, SO WE'RE GONNA SEE.

YOU'RE IN THE MOST DANGEROUS POSITION, TOO, ROY.

SO WE'RE GONNA PULL-- TRY AND PULL THIS APART.

I'LL WATCH THE GAUGE NOW.

AND THIS IS JUST PUMPING-- ALL RIGHT.

OH, GOSH.

WE'RE ALREADY AT 500 POUNDS OF PRESSURE.

OK. AND YOU SHOULD SEE-- WHEN WOULD WE CALL IT FAILURE?

WHEN IT PULLS OUT, SAY, A HALF INCH, IF IT DOES?

YEAH, YEAH.

OR THIS EXPLODES, OR ONE OF US GETS...

KILLED.

GETS KILLED HERE DOING THIS.

SO WE'RE UP TO... WHAT IS THAT?

YEAH, WE'RE ABOUT 2,700.

SO WE'RE A TON AND A HALF-- WE'RE A TON AND A HALF OF PRESSURE.

A TON, ALMOST.

SO IT'S A HYDRAULIC HAND JACK.

WHEN I PUSH DOWN, WE'RE GONNA GO UP AGAIN AT-- [WOOD CREAKS] I HEAR THINGS HAPPENING.

YEAH.

IT'S...

THERE'S 3,000.

THAT'S 3,000 POUNDS OF PRESSURE.

[WOOD CREAKS] I HEAR MORE HAPPENING.

SO WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN?

WE DON'T KNOW.

SOMETHING'S BREAKING DOWN THERE.

YEAH, I THINK THE WEDGE JUST LET GO.

THE WEDGE JUST, UH, SHEARED?

SO IT'S TIGHT-GRAIN OAK THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.

YEAH, WE'RE-- I THINK WE'RE AT A HALF INCH THERE.

SHOULD I STOP?

ALL RIGHT, LET'S SEE.

WE'VE GOT ABOUT ALMOST TWO TONS OF-- THAT'S--THAT'S WHAT I WOULD CALL-- I'M NOT GONNA STICK MY HAND IN THERE, BUT THAT'S WHAT I WOULD CALL A FAILED, UH, JOINT.

BUT LOOK AT THAT.

LOOK AT THE COMPRESSION PULLED OUT THERE.

SHOULD I EASE IT OFF NOW?

YEAH, YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

HERE WE GO.

LET'S SEE WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED.

AND YOU CAN SEE--HA HA!

IT STILL--IT NEVER LET GO, THOUGH, AND IT HELD-- IF I COULD SET-- IT BETTER COME OUT.

I THINK IT WILL.

IT HELD--YOU COULD HA-- YOU COULD HANG A MAJOR TRUCK FROM THE CEILING... WITH--WITH ONE.

WITH ONE JOINT, AND THERE'S 4 OF THESE ON THE BENCH.

THERE'S 4 ON THE WORKBENCH--THAT'S WHAT'S AMAZING.

AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT HAPPENED.

LOOK HOW IT DEFLECTED THE--THE WEDGE THERE.

HA HA HA!

WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S MORE FUN WITH THESE JOINTS-- MAKING THEM OR BREAKING THEM.

WELL, WHAT'S AMAZING, THOUGH, IT'S THE WEDGE THAT HAS FAILED, NOT THIS END.

NOT AT ALL.

WE COMPRESSED A LITTLE BIT INTO THE END GRAIN RIGHT THERE, BUT THAT'S--THAT'S AN ASTONISHING SURVIVAL.

BUT THAT'S KIND OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN-- THAT--THE-- YEAH, THE KIND OF PROPERLY MADE-- YOU KNOW, THE MORE ROBUST JOINT, ANYWAY.

THERE IT IS.

YOU CAN SEE HOW IT COMPRESSED DOWN INSIDE THERE, AND THERE WAS A LITTLE ROOM FOR THIS, UH, TO DEFLECT.

WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S MORE FUN, MAKING THEM OR BREAKING THEM, BUT IT'S ALL FUN WHEN YOU'RE HERE WITH US.

I LIKE BREAKING THEM.

HA HA HA!

ALL RIGHT!

WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHOWING US ALL OF THIS.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME, ROY.

WELL, THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

MAY THE GRAIN BE WITH YOU ALWAYS.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME HERE IN "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

SO LONG.

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] [BIRD SQUAWKS] [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."

SECOND ANNOUNCER: BE MORE--PBS.

FIRST 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.