Japanese Planes With John Reed Fox
Season 26 Episode 8 | 26m 46s | Video has closed captioning.
A master craftsman shows how to sharpen, tune and use the Japanese plane.
Aired: 09/22/06
Problems Playing Video? | Closed Captioning
Season 26 Episode 8 | 26m 46s | Video has closed captioning.
A master craftsman shows how to sharpen, tune and use the Japanese plane.
Aired: 09/22/06
Problems Playing Video? | Closed Captioning
Announcer: MAJOR FUNDING FOR "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" IS PROVIDED BY... MORE THAN 40 MILLION PEOPLE WHO CARE FOR THEIR CARS AND HOMES CHOOSE STATE FARM FOR THEIR INSURANCE.
STATE FARM, A PROUD SUPPORTER OF "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."
[CARS HONKING] CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HI.
WELCOME BACK TO "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."
I'M ROY UNDERHILL.
SO GLAD YOU COULD BE WITH ME AGAIN TODAY, BECAUSE WE ARE HONORED TO BE IN THE WORKSHOP STUDIO OF A CRAFTSMAN DESIGNER WHO IS INFORMED BY THE TRADITION OF JAPANESE WOODWORKING, BUT NOT BOUND BY CONVENTION.
WE'RE JUST A STONE'S THROW FROM WALDEN POND UP IN MASSACHUSETTS HERE IN THE WORKSHOP OF JOHN REED FOX.
JOHN, THANKS FOR HAVING US UP HERE.
BOY, OH, BOY.
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT THERE?
I'M PLANING A BOARD TO FINISH HERE.
THIS IS A CHERRY-- CHERRY BOARD.
GOSH, LOOK AT THAT.
THAT'S LIKE ONE CELL THICK, THOSE SHAVINGS.
THAT'S INCREDIBLE.
BUT IT'S NOT ABOUT THE SHAVINGS.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE SHAVINGS, ROY, IT'S ABOUT THE FINISH THAT IT PUTS ON THE BOARD.
A PLANE FINISH IS AN ULTRA-SMOOTH, CLEAR, BRIGHT FINISH.
AND IT'S DONE WITH THE JAPANESE PLANE PULLED TOWARDS YOU.
PULLED TOWARDS YOU.
YES.
WELL, I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME, BUT YOU'RE GONNA SHOW US A LITTLE INTRODUCTION TO THE JAPANESE WOODWORKING TOOLS.
SO MUCH TO LEARN IN A LIFE SO SHORT.
I'LL TELL YOU, WHY DON'T WE BEGIN BY LOOKING AT SOME OF YOUR WORK, SOME OF YOUR WORK, INDEED, INSPIRED BY THE JAPANESE TRADITION.
THIS IS SHOJI INSPIRED?
IT'S A SHOJI-INSPIRED TRIFOLD SCREEN.
IT'S WONDERFUL.
THIS GRILLWORK, AND THIS IS CALLED...?
IT'S--ALL OF THE GRILLS ARE KUMIKO, AND THIS IS JUST A SPECIAL TYPE OF KUMIKO GRILLWORK.
IT'S CONSTRUCTED... KUMIKO?
OK.
BUT YOU MEAN BY CONSTRUCTED-- THIS IS BUILT-UP OF LONG STICKS, LONG PIECES OF WOOD THAT ARE JOINED TOGETHER WITH JOINTS AT EACH OF THESE INTERSECTIONS.
THAT IS CORRECT, YEAH.
A LOT OF JOINTERY.
SO THERE'S NO SAWING OUT.
AND WHAT KIND OF WOOD IS THIS?
IT'S ALASKAN YELLOW CEDAR.
IT'S OLD-GROWTH ALASKAN YELLOW, INCREDIBLY-PICKED FOR A VERY VERY TIGHT STRAIGHT GRAIN.
WELL, THIS IS A SPLENDID USE OF A VERY RARE WOOD.
IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL.
AND HERE WE SEE IT, TOO, IN A PIECE THAT YOU HAVE DONE, JOHN.
THIS IS A CABINET.
A CABINET--I SEE IT AS AN ENTRYWAY PIECE.
IT WAS DONE ON SPEC.
OH, IT'S WONDERFUL.
YOU'VE DONE, AGAIN, THAT KUMIKO WORK UP HERE ON THE DOOR.
AND I SEE BENEATH THAT THIS IS CHERRY AGAIN?
IT'S BOOKMATCHED CHERRY-- COURTESAN CHERRY.
WONDERFUL.
AND, BUT, YOU KNOW, IN THE WESTERN TRADITION, THIS WOULD BE THE MOST FLAMBOYANT PIECE YOU COULD DO WITH FLAME COMING OUT AND EVERYTHING, CRAZY STUFF.
RIGHT.
I TRY TO KEEP MY WORK VERY SUBTLE.
I'M LOOKING FOR A SORT OF RESTRAINED SUBTLE ELEMENT.
AH, THE QUIET-- BUT THE SAME IS TRUE ON THE FINISH, TOO.
THERE'S A WONDERFUL-- YOU CAN SEE THE TRUTH OF THE WOOD THROUGH THIS FINISH.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT A PLANE FINISH GIVES YOU, AND ALSO, THIS IS ALL HAND-- ALL OF THE SURFACES IN MY WORK ARE HAND-PLANED.
PLANED.
ALL RIGHT.
SO WE'RE GONNA ACHIEVE THIS TRUTH IN THE WOOD.
WE'VE GOT TO SEE HOW WE'VE GET TRUTH IN THE PLANE.
SO MAYBE WE NEED TO MOVE TO THE TECHNIQUE.
LET'S START WITH LOOKING AT THE ELEMENT-- BUT FIRST OF ALL LET'S LOOK AT THE TECHNIQUE ONCE AGAIN AND HOW YOU USE THE PLANE.
THE PLANE IS PULLED INSTEAD OF BEING PUSHED.
AND THIS IS SET FOR A VERY VERY FINE CUT RIGHT NOW.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT GIVES YOU A... AH, THAT IS TREMENDOUS.
IT'S LIKE ONE-CELL THICK.
YEAH, IT'S VERY THIN.
OH, ALL RIGHT.
WELL, NOW WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE PLANE, YOU SAY--I'VE HEARD YOU SAY THAT A BLACKSMITH WHO MADE THIS PLANE.
NOW, THAT'S SOMETHING IN THE WESTERN TRADITION WE WOULD NOT SAY, "THE BLACKSMITH."
WE'D SAY, "THE PLANE-MAKER" AND FOCUS ON THE WOOD, BUT HERE IT'S ABOUT THE IRON.
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE IRON.
ALL THAT A PLANE IS, REALLY, IS PLAIN IRON, WHICH IS THE HEART OF IT, AND A JIG TO CARRY THAT THROUGH THE WOOD OR ACROSS THE WOOD.
COULD WE TAKE A LOOK AT IT UP CLOSE?
SURE.
THERE'S NOT EVEN A WEDGE IN THIS.
DO YOU WANT TO USE A DIFFERENT ONE HERE?
LET'S TAKE THIS ONE APART.
WOW.
IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE PUT A LOT OF USE ON THIS GUY.
RIGHT.
YOU CAN ALWAYS TELL SOMEONE'S BEST-- THEIR BEST TOOL OR THEIR FAVORITE TOOL BECAUSE IT'S ALL WORN-OUT.
HA HA HA!
AND THAT'S--THAT'S HOW IT SHOULD BE.
THEY HAVE A LIFE-- A WORKING LIFE OF THEIR OWN.
YOU TAP ON THE BACK-- AND IT JUST POPS OUT.
BECAUSE IT'S A WEDGE, IT JUST POPS.
AH.
AND THAT'S HOW IT'S ADJUSTED.
AN I CAN SEE ON THAT FACE THERE THIS IS HOLLOW THERE.
THAT'S BEEN HOLLOWED ON THE BACK FACE.
IS IT 2 LAYERS?
IT'S LAMINATE STEEL, SO IF YOU TURN IT OVER, ON THE BEVELED SIDE, YOU CAN SEE THIS VERY BRIGHT AREA ON THE BOTTOM.
THAT'S AN IRON WITH-- WITH CARBON.
SO IT'S A HIGH-CARBON STEEL.
AND IT CAN BE MADE BY-- EACH INDIVIDUAL BLACKSMITH CAN FORGE THAT TO HAVE CERTAIN PROPERTIES.
AND THAT'S THAT BRIGHT LAYER DOWN THERE RIGHT CLOSE TO THE EDGE.
SO LIKE A LAYER 16th ON AN INCH THICK ON THE FLAT SIDE, AND WHAT IS-- WHAT'S THE MATERIAL?
THAT'S THEN THE BLACKSMITH FORGE WELD'S THAT TO A BACKING MATERIAL, AND IN THIS CASE, IT'S WROUGHT IRON, WHICH IS JUST A NO-CARBON IRON.
SO IT'S VERY TOUGH.
SO YOU'RE COMBINING THE TOUGHNESS OF THE IRON WITH THAT HARD HARD CARBON STEEL THERE.
YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.
AND IT ALSO GIVES MASS, AND IT MAKES IT A VERY-- YOU CAN SEE THESE BLADES ARE MUCH MUCH MORE MASSIVE THAN A WESTERN IRON.
SO THEY'RE THEIR OWN WEDGE.
BUT WHY THE HOLLOW?
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE HOLLOW WOULD STRENGTHEN IT.
THIS STEEL-- THE CUTTING STEEL-- IS SO HARD THAT IF THIS WASN'T HOLLOWED OUT, YOU WOULDN'T REALLY BE ABLE TO FLATTEN THE BACK, SO YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SHARPEN THE TOOL.
AH, I SEE.
AND SO IT'S JUST-- THE HOLLOW IS SCRAPED IN AFTER IT'S FORGED, AND IT'S JUST A SHARPENING AID.
NOW, SPEAKING OF SHARPENING, THIS HAS GOT TO BE INCREDIBLY SHARP TO BE ABLE TO CUT THAT FINE.
THAT'S RIGHT, ROY.
COULD YOU SHOW ME JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT?
AND I KNOW AS IN WESTERN SHARPENING, YOU'RE JUST GOING FROM ONE ABRASIVE-- FROM COARSE TO FINER TO FINER.
COULD WE GO TO THE FINAL-- YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.
I MEAN THE FINAL STONE-- I MEAN, THAT'S CORRECT.
I USE A SERIES OF-- ACTUALLY, I'M NOW USING CERAMIC STONES TO MAKE--CREATE THE GEOMETRY THAT IS THE SHARPNESS, WHICH IS ONE FLAT PLANE INTERSECTING ANOTHER FLAT PLANE.
SO THEY REALLY JUST HAVE TO COME DOWN TO THAT LAST POINT.
IT'S 2 STRAIGHT LINES CONVERGING, AND THAT'S THE CUTTING EDGE.
CONVERGING, AND IDEALLY, IT'S INFINITELY SMALL AND VERY SMOOTH.
BUT TO CREATE AN EDGE HERE THAT'S REALLY REALLY SMOOTH SO THAT YOU DON'T GET MARKS FROM THAT JAGGEDNESS IN YOUR FINISH, YOU NEED TO GO TO PROGRESSIVELY FINER STONES.
AND MY FINAL STONE IS THIS HONYAMA STONE.
IT'S FROM ONE QUARRY IN KYOTO.
AND IT'S-- IT'S A WATER STONE, SO IT'S USED WET.
AND I JUST WILL-- AT THE VERY VERY END, I'LL BE JUST LIGHTLY, VERY LIGHTLY WORKING ON THE STONE.
THIS IS PROBABLY AN EQUIVALENT TO AROUND A 30,000 GRIT STONE.
AND THE STONE IS CALLED A WHAT STONE?
HONYAMA.
HONYAMA.
AND I IMAGINE THIS IS QUITE A VALUABLE STONE HERE?
IT'S A QUITE VALUABLE STONE.
THE NATURAL STONES-- WHEN I TEACH, I DON'T SUGGEST THEM FOR BEGINNERS OR INTERMEDIATES.
THEY'RE VERY EXPENSIVE, AND THEY REQUIRE TOUCH, AND ALSO A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF A STONE YOU WANT--HARD OR SOFT-- AND YOU CAN SEE HOW IT'S BUILDING A LITTLE PASTE.
I SEE IT, YEAH.
THERE'S A LITTLE DARKNESS COMING.
THAT'S STEEL PARTICLE AND THIS IS STONE?
THAT'S THE STEEL.
EVEN WITH A STONE THIS FINE, IT'S CUTTING REALLY NICELY.
WOW.
WHAT A SPECIAL-- AND I SEE HOW YOU'RE VERY CAREFULLY WORKING OVER IT WITH THOSE SHORT STROKES.
RIGHT, AND ALL OVER THE STONE AND TRYING TO KEEP THE STONE FLAT.
BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT'S ONE--YOU CAN SEE IT ALMOST STICKS.
IT'S SO FLAT, IT ALMOST STICKS-- GOOD HEAVENS.
THE VACUUM.
YEAH.
WOW.
NOW, JOHN, YOU KNOW, WHAT I WOULD DO IS I WOULD GET OUT TO A BURR.
I'M SORRY, JUST BAD SHARPENING HABITS.
I WILL LET A WIRE EDGE COME OUT, AND THEN I'LL SAY, "OK, I'M JUST GONNA KIND OF STROKE THAT OFF," BUT THAT'S THE WRONG THING TO DO YOU SAY.
RIGHT.
WELL, WHAT I DO ON THESE TOOLS IS WE JUST SHARPEN OFF THE BURR.
IF YOU FOLD THAT BURR BACK AND FORTH, IT'S A FORM OF WORK HARDENING, AND WHEN IT RIPS OFF, WHEN IT FINALLY DOES BREAK, ACTUALLY, IT CREATES A VERY JAGGED FINISH.
AND ALSO YOU'VE CHANGED THE WORKING PROPERTIES OF THAT STEEL ON THE END, SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE WHAT YOU REALLY WANT.
SO IDEALLY, YOU'RE JUST SHARPENING THAT OFF.
YOU'RE CUTTING ON ONE FACE AND THEN CUTTING ON THE OTHER, AND YOU GET THAT REAL SMOOTH FINAL FINISH.
SO IF YOU WANT TO DO THIS KIND OF WORK EVEN WITH WESTERN PLANES, YOU BETTER LEARN SOMETHING FROM JAPANESE SHARPENING TECHNIQUE?
YES, YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO SHARPEN-- I MEAN, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE SHAVINGS ARE ON THE ORDER OF 5 MICRONS THICK.
THAT'S THIS.
YES.
WHAT THAT DOES TELL US IS THAT THERE'S NO DEFECT IN THE IRON THAT'S THAT GRADE.
OH, RIGHT.
I UNDERSTAND.
OK. WELL, NOW, THIS GOES INTO THE--WHAT IS THIS CALLED?
THE DIE HERE, YOU SAY?
THE BODY OF THE PLANE?
THE BODY, IN JAPANESE, IS CALLED THE DIE.
AND THIS IS OAK HERE IT LOOKS LIKE.
IT'S JAPANESE-- THIS PARTICULAR ONE IS JAPANESE RED OAK.
MOST OF MY NEWER ONES-- THIS IS A VERY OLD PLANE--IS JAPANESE WHITE OAK.
THEY'RE MADE EITHER ON THE WRIST SAW OR A FLAT SAW.
YOU CAN SEE THE RAY PATTERN.
YEAH.
SO HERE'S THE BARK OF THE TREE.
THE BARK IS OUT.
AND IT DOESN'T HAVE A WEDGE.
IT JUST GOES RIGHT IN?
THEY'RE--EACH ONE IS-- YOU'LL TAKE YOUR IRON AND HAND-FIT IT TO EACH DIE--EACH BODY.
EACH BODY.
AND THE IRON IS WEDGE-SHAPED IN THIS DIRECTION SO THAT-- AND YOU WILL JUST CREATE A WEDGE-SHAPED BED THAT FITS IT EXACTLY.
AND THE IRON IS ALSO HOLLOW A LITTLE BIT ON THIS SIDE SO THAT IT KEYS IN.
SO THEY LOOK VERY SIMPLE--THEY ARE SIMPLE, BUT THEY LOOK VERY SIMPLE, BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY QUITE SOPHISTICATED.
IT'S ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON HERE.
THEY'RE VERY SUBTLE, AND THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.
AND DIFFERENT PLANES WILL HAVE DIFFERENT BEDDING ANGLES DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPE OF WOOD YOU'RE WORKING.
AND DIFFERENT IRONS WILL BE MADE WITH SPECIFIC WORKING QUALITIES FOR DIFFERENT WOODS IN MIND.
SO THEY'RE VERY VERY SUBTLE TOOLS THAT ARE QUITE SPECIFIC.
THIS IS BASICALLY THE JIG HERE, AND YOU'VE GOT THIS ONE ADJUSTED TO CUT-- BUT I NOTICED WHEN YOU TURNED IT OVER IT'S POLISHED.
AND THIS IS THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL.
IT'S POLISHED RIGHT HERE AND HERE.
THIS SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN SCRAPED AWAY.
YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.
THE JAPANESE PLANE ONLY HITS THE WOOD, THE SURFACE, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE BLADE AND RIGHT AT THE VERY FRONT END OF THE PLANE.
SO IT'S HOLLOW IN HERE, AND THEN THIS IS GIVEN CLEARANCE, AS WELL.
MOST IMPORTANTLY COMPLETELY GIVEN CLEARANCE IN BACK OF THE BLADE.
THAT DOESN'T TOUCH.
NOW THE HOLLOW HERE JUST MAKES IT VERY EASY TO MAKE IT HIT IN A CO-PLANER MATTER ON 2 SURFACES.
SO THAT'S JUST VERY EASY.
AND THERE'S LESS FRICTION, TOO.
AH, WELL THAT'S HELPFUL.
NOW HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THAT THESE THINGS ARE LINED UP?
YOU HAVEN'T GOT IT TWISTED.
RIGHT.
YOU'LL TAKE YOUR WINDING STICKS, WHICH TRADITIONAL TOOL IN ANY WOODWORKING TRADITION.
YES, WE ALL HAVE AREAS TO AMPLIFY.
EXACTLY, AND WHAT THE WINDING STICKS DO, OF COURSE, IS THEY AMPLIFY YOUR AREA, AND YOU'LL SIGHT ACROSS THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STICKS LINE UP EXACTLY.
AND BY JUST SCRAPING GENTLY WITH A CHISEL, YOU CAN ADJUST THIS SURFACE TO BE FLAT.
YOU CAN CHECK FOR FLATNESS AND ALSO THAT THESE 2 ARE-- ARE NOT IN WINDING, ROY.
YEAH, THEY'RE JUST A STRAIGHT FLAT PLANE.
EXACTLY.
AND THEN YOU WOULD PUT A STICK ACROSS-- OH, AND SIGHT... AND SIGHT, AND MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR HOLLOWS.
SO A HOLLOW HERE, AND RELIEF IN BACK.
LET ME SEE IF--MAYBE JUST ONE MORE PASS WITH THE PLANE BEFORE WE MOVE ON, 'CAUSE I WANT TO SEE SOME OF THE OTHER JAPANESE PLANES, AS WELL, THAT YOU HAVE HERE.
AND I KNOW-- THIS PLANE IS CALLED-- THIS ONE HAVE A SPECIFIC NAME?
JUST A FINISH PLANE?
YEAH, I MEAN THIS IS JUST A FINISHING PLANE.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE THE OTHER ONES HERE THAT COME IN, I KNOW.
THE JAPANESE PLANE IS AGAIN A PULL PLANE, BUT HERE IS ONE WE RECOGNIZE.
THIS IS FOR DOING SLIDING DOVE TAILS?
EXACTLY.
THIS IS A PLANE FOR MAKING SLIDING DOVE TAILS, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW IT'S GOT SPURS TO CREATE THE SHOULDER.
AND THIS WILL ACTUALLY, IF YOU TAKE IT APART, WILL MAKE THE GROOVE, ALSO.
OH, ALL RIGHT.
AND SO THERE'S THAT LITTLE VERY SUBTLE, AGAIN, IT'S A VERY GENTLE SLIDING DOVE TAIL.
THAT'S CORRECT.
YEAH.
CUT WITH THIS PLANE, SO AGAIN PULLING-- PULLING THIS WAY.
ALWAYS PULL WITH THESE PLANES.
AND I USE THIS QUITE A BIT IN MY WORK BECAUSE SINCE I WORK WITH SOLID WOOD, I'M USING TAPERED SLIDING DOVE TAILS QUITE A BIT.
AH.
TO JOIN THEM IN THE JOINER.
AND THIS IS GREAT.
THIS LOOKS LIKE A SPOKE SHAVE HERE?
CORRECT.
YEAH, A SPOKE SHAVE IS OBVIOUSLY-- IT'S JUST A SMALL PLANE, A TINY PLANE.
THIS ONE HAS A CURVED BOTTOM, BUT I HAVE THEM WITH FLAT BOTTOMS AND WITH DIFFERENT RADIUSES ON THE BOTTOM.
AND THIS IS HOW YOU WOULD DO A FLARE, SAY-- FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE LEGS OF THE LITTLE CABINET.
I SEE.
AND THEN THIS ONE HERE.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT COMES WITH A--A LOT OF STUFF HAPPENING HERE.
THERE'S A TRACK FOR IT AND SKATES ON IT AND ALL KIND OF THINGS HAPPENING HERE.
THIS IS A VERY SPECIAL PLANE THAT'S REALLY NO LONGER BEING MADE.
AND THE PERSON WHO MAKES THE BODIES FOR ALL OF MY PLANES MADE THIS FOR ME AS A GIFT.
IT'S A SPECIAL PLANE THAT'S MADE SO THAT YOU CAN VERY PRECISELY THICKNESS THE TINY LITTLE BARS THAT I USE FOR THAT VERY VERY FINE GRID WORK.
SO THIS IS SET FOR THE THICKNESS PLUS THIS-- WHY DO YOU HAVE THIS SEPARATE TRACK THAT IT RUNS ON?
WHY DO YOU DO THAT?
WELL, THESE NEED TO BE SO PRECISELY THICKNESS-- AND PRECISELY, EXACTLY THE SAME THAT MY BENCH IS NOT REALLY FLAT-- EVEN WHEN I FLATTEN MY BENCH, IT'S NOT FLAT ENOUGH, SO I HAD TO MAKE A SPECIAL TRACK.
THIS IS QUARTERED, A VERTICAL GRAIN CHERRY.
AND SO IT STAYS VERY VERY STABLE.
SO YOU'RE PULLING THIS ALONG, AND THERE SEEMS TO BE LIKE A ROLLER HERE?
WHAT IS THIS?
RIGHT.
OR THE COOLEST THING ABOUT IT IS THAT BECAUSE THESE ARE NARROW, THEY'LL TEND TO WANT TO FLAP A LITTLE BIT.
OH, HEAVENS.
LOOK AT THAT.
AND IT'S A SPRING-LOADED TURNED BAMBOO PRESSURE BAR.
AHEAD OF THE BLADE.
SO THIS IS HOLDING IT DOWN JUST BEFORE THE BLADE COMES INTO CONTACT WITH IT.
GOSH, AND WHAT A WONDERFUL COMMUNITY, TOO, OF PEOPLE.
I LOVE THIS-- YOU ALWAYS SAY-- YOU KNOW WHO MADE THIS PLANE.
YES, YES.
I KNOW WHO MADE THE PLANE, AND I KNOW WHO MADE THE IRON, YEAH.
IN HONOR OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
WELL, SO THERE YOU GO.
THERE'S-- THE STICKS NOW.
SO I GUESS WE'RE MOVING ON TO THE STICKS, BUT TO DO THIS KIND OF WORK HERE, YOU MAKE THE PIECES WITH THE PLANE, BUT IT'S OF COURSE THE JAPANESE SAWS THAT CUT THIS OUT.
CAN WE TAKE A MOMENT AND LOOK AT THOSE?
SURE.
SURE.
AND WHAT HAVE YOU GOT HERE?
AH, WELL HERE WE HAVE 2 DIFFERENT TYPES OF SAW.
THIS IS A RYOBA STYLE.
IT'S GOT RIPPED TEETH ON ONE EDGE AND CROSSCUT TEETH ON THE OTHER EDGE.
AND THE SAW IS SCRAPED HOLLOW IN THE MIDDLE.
AND THE SET ON THE TEETH ON BOTH SIDES IS EXACTLY THE SAME SO THAT YOU CAN CUT-- THIS COULD CUT AS DEEP AS YOU NEEDED TO IN EITHER DIRECTION, AND YOU WOULD BYPASS THE TEETH ON THE OTHER SIDE WITHOUT THE TEETH MARKING YOUR MATERIAL.
AND UNLIKE WESTERN SAWS, IT CUTS ON THE PULL STROKE, OF COURSE, AGAIN, LIKE THE PLANES, IT CUTS ON THE PULL SO THE STEEL CAN BE SO THIN.
IT'S SO THIN, AND YOU CAN SEE REMARKABLY FLEXIBLE.
BUT EXACTLY--THE ZEN EXPLANATION THAT'S GIVEN IS THAT IF YOU PUSH A BLADE OF GRASS BETWEEN YOUR FINGERS, OF COURSE IT BUCKLES, BUT IF YOU PULL IT, IT BECOMES STRAIGHT BY ITSELF.
SO THIS WILL CUT STRAIGHT?
SO IT CUTS--THEY CUT REALLY STRAIGHT, AND THEY DON'T RUN INTO THAT HAVING TO BEEF UP THE SAW BLADE AS IN WESTERN SAWS WHERE YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE SAW BUCKLING.
A LOT THICKER.
BUT NOW HERE YOU HAVE ONE WITH A BACK ON IT.
TELL ME ABOUT THIS SAW.
RIGHT.
THIS IS CALLED A DOZUKI, AND IT'S GOT-- IT CAN BE-- COME WITH A CROSSCUT OR RIPPED TEETH.
THIS HAS RIPPED TEETH ON IT.
AND AGAIN, THE SAWS ARE VERY SUBTLE AND VERY SPECIFIC.
THE SIZE OF THE TEETH RELATES-- AND NUMBER PER INCH RELATE TO THE SIZE OF WORK YOU'LL BE DOING.
AND WHETHER THE SIZE AND STYLE OF TEETH MIGHT BE RELATED TO THE TYPE OF WOOD YOU'RE WORKING-- A HARD WOOD OR A SOFT WOOD.
AND THE-- WHAT WOULD YOU USE THIS ONE FOR?
I USE THIS--THIS IS MY DOVE TAIL SAW FOR WHEN I'M MAKING DRAWERS.
CAN WE DO A LITTLE BIT OF THAT?
HAVE YOU GOT SOME... SURE.
YOU CAN SEE HOW REMARKABLY FINE-- THEY CUT VERY STRAIGHT.
SORT OF TAKES ALL THE MAGIC OUT OF DOVE TAILING IF YOU'VE GOT A NICE SAW.
IT'S JUST TOO EASY.
BUT AGAIN, RIPPED TEETH BECAUSE WE'RE GOING DOWN THE GRAIN.
RIGHT AND THEY HOOK A LITTLE MORE THEN.
YES, AND I APPLY VIRTUALLY NO PRESSURE.
THIS SAW CUTS RAPIDLY AND STRAIGHT AND BEAUTIFULLY.
AH.
WELL, OF COURSE BECAUSE THE HOOK TENDS TO FEED ITSELF.
IT'S A HUNGRIER SAW THAT WHAT WE'RE USED TO.
AND WE'RE NOT TRYING FOR THE PERFECT DOVE TAIL HERE, BUT I WOULD STOP AT MY SCRIBE LINES, AND I LIKE TO--MY FRIENDS MAKE FUN OF ME WHEN I DO THIS, BUT I LIKE TO... OH, YOU SET--YOU SET YOUR CUT AT AN ANGLE-- SO IT'S VERTICAL.
I CUT MY--SET MY CUT-- THE BOARD VERTICAL, AT AN ANGLE, AND CUT STRAIGHT DOWN.
YEAH.
MOST OF MY FRIENDS THINK THIS SHOWS THAT MY HAND SKILLS ARE JUST NOT-- NOT WHERE THEY SHOULD BE.
WELL, IT'S ASTOUNDING.
EVEN IF PEOPLE ARE NOT USING JAPANESE PLANES, CERTAINLY JAPANESE SAWS HAVE MADE INROADS TO AMERICAN PRACTICE HERE.
AND THESE ARE VERY-- THERE ARE ALSO VERY FINE HANDMADE SAWS.
ACTUALLY, THE RYOBA IS A LITTLE BIT OF A PRODUCTION SAW, BUT THIS IS A VERY VERY FINE HANDMADE SAW.
YOU CAN SEE IN THEM THE TENSIONING MARKS ON THE BLADE.
WHERE IT'S BEEN STRUCK WITH A HAMMER?
WHEN IT'S STRUCK TO TENSION IT, TO GET THE--MAKE IT SO IT WILL LIE STRAIGHT.
AND ON EACH TOOTH, YOU CAN SEE THE TINY LITTLE STRIKE MARKS FROM THESE--THE PERSON WHO SHARPENED IT SETTING THE TEETH IN.
SO YOU CAN SEE IT'S ON EVERY OTHER ONE ON THE OTHER SIDE.
OH, MY GOSH.
TAP, TAP, TAP.
TAP, TAP.
AND YOU CAN REALLY SEE HOW REMARKABLY FINE THOSE LINES ARE.
THERE'S HARDLY ANYTHING THERE.
WELL, SPEAKING OF WHICH, NOW YOU'RE READY FOR A CHISEL TO TAKE THAT OUT.
YEAH, AND SO IF I WERE MAKING DOVE TAILS IN A DRAWER...
I WOULD... OH, LOOK.
I SEE THE CHISELS ARE THE SAME THING HERE.
JUST PICK THIS UP TO LOOK AT IT.
SURE.
CAN I SEE ON THE BROAD ONE AND THE NARROW ONE-- AGAIN, THEY'RE HOLLOW.
IS THAT FOR THE SAME REASON?
RIGHT.
THAT'S FOR THE SAME REASON.
THEY'RE ALSO LAMINATED STEEL, YOU CAN SEE ON THE BEVELED SIDE.
AND THAT STEEL IS SO HARD THAT WERE THIS TO BE ONE LARGE AREA, IT WOULD JUST TAKE YOU FOREVER.
IT PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO SHARPEN.
SO THE HOLLOWING IS A SHARPENING AID.
IT'S A SHARPENING AID.
AND THIS ONE HAS MULTIPLE HOLLOWS.
IT'S KIND OF A STYLE.
SOME PEOPLE FEEL THAT IF YOU'RE--IF YOU'RE UP AGAINST AN EDGE, HAVING THE MULTIPLE SUPPORT IS EASIER SO THAT YOU DON'T SORT OF FALL INTO THE HOLLOW.
OH, I SEE.
AH.
THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO YOU'RE TRACKING ALONG.
SO IT'S DEAD FLAT-- EXACTLY.
YOU'VE GOT LANDS ALL THE WAY ACROSS.
ALL RIGHT.
WELL, LET ME LET YOU GO AHEAD AND DOVE TAIL.
I'M SORRY.
I'M RELUCTANT TO GIVE UP THESE CHISELS ONCE THEY GET INTO MY HANDS.
YEAH, AND SO IF IT WAS ME, I WOULD JUST OBVIOUSLY-- THIS IS NO DIFFERENT THAN HOW YOU WOULD DO YOUR WESTERN DOVE TAIL NOW.
GENTLY SET MY LINE.
GOT TO TURN IT AROUND AND WORK IN BY HAND.
SO THERE'S YOUR START.
AND THEN I WOULD COME IN A LITTLE BIT.
THE CHISELS ARE-- ON THE EDGES YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS IS A BENCH CHISEL, BUT THEY'RE NOT VERTICAL.
EVEN THE TINY LITTLE BOTTOM PART, WHERE IT'S HARD STEEL, IS IN AT A SLIGHT ANGLE, AND THIS REALLY HELPS YOU DOING WORK LIKE DOVE TAIL WORK BECAUSE YOU CAN GET RIGHT UP TO THE EDGE WITHOUT DAMAGING THE EDGE OF YOUR WORK.
SO, AGAIN, THEY'RE ALSO VERY VERY THOUGHTFUL-- THERE ARE SUBTLETIES ALL THE WAY THROUGH THIS THAT YOU DON'T SEE.
YOU NEED TO TAKE THE TIME TO LOOK AND LEARN.
AND OF COURSE THAT'S PART OF YOUR WORK, JOHN.
I KNOW YOU TEACH AROUND THE COUNTRY JAPANESE WOODWORKING AND DESIGN, TOO.
YEAH, I TEACH BOTH SORT OF MORE TECHNIQUE- ORIENTED CLASSES IN JAPANESE WOODWORKING TOOLS, BUT I ALSO TEACH CLASSES IN--IN DESIGN.
BECAUSE REALLY IN THE END, ROY, THE WORK NEEDS TO STAND ON ITS OWN.
IT'S NOT A COLLECTION OF A BUNDLE OF TECHNIQUE.
IT HAS TO HAVE ITS OWN VOICE, AND, YOU KNOW, BE POETRY ON ITS OWN.
SO THE AESTHETIC, REALLY THE AESTHETIC CONSIDERATIONS AND HOW YOU CHOOSE WOOD, HOW YOU LOOK AT FORM IN ORDER TO MAKE THE STATEMENT THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE, WHATEVER STATEMENT THAT IS, IS REALLY THE PRIMARY-- THE PRIMARY GOAL WHEN I'M TEACHING IS TO WORK ON THOSE THINGS.
I SEE.
WELL, I'M GONNA HAVE TO ASK YOU MORE ABOUT TECHNIQUE, 'CAUSE I KNOW EVERYBODY WANTS TO SEE ABOUT THIS HERE.
WE WILL HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE DESIGNS AND THE TRUTH OF THE WOOD, THE LAYER HERE.
WE'VE GOT SOME-- WE'VE JUST GOT TO SEE HOW THIS GOES TOGETHER.
I WONDER IF YOU COULD GO AHEAD AND PIECE SOME-- OK, THESE ARE MADE OF-- I CAN GET THE BIG ONE-- THIS IS ONE HEXAGON.
OK.
THIS IS A TEACHING TOOL-- IT'S A LITTLE BIT SLOPPY-- AND THIS IS HOW IT GOES TOGETHER IN MANY SECTIONS.
SO YOU HAVE AT EACH INTERSECTION OF THE HEXAGON AND IN THE CENTER, YOU'VE GOT A TRIPLE LAP JOINT.
AH, SO YOU HAVE TO CUT AWAY 2/3 OF EACH PIECE.
2/3 OF EACH PIECE GET CUT AWAY, AND NOW WHEN I DO THEM IN REAL LIFE, THEY'RE MUCH FINER.
THEY'RE ALMOST-- THEY'RE ONLY 2/3 THE THICKNESS OF THESE.
BUT--SO YOU HAVE A BOTTOM PIECE THAT'S GROOVED OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN A SMALL LITTLE FIXTURE WITH A SAW--WITH ONE OF MY HAND SAWS.
AND THEN THE NEXT PIECE GOES ON THAT.
THE NEXT PIECE, WHICH IS--OBVIOUSLY NEEDS A GROOVE FOR THE TOP AND THE BOTTOM.
SO IT HAS THE 1/3 IN THE MIDDLE REMAINS AND LINES UP SO THAT IT FORMS A PATH FOR THE TOP 1/3.
YEAH, AND HOPEFULLY ALL YOUR-- HOPEFULLY ALL YOUR SHOULDERS LINE UP.
AND THEN THE THIRD ONE IS SIMILAR TO THE BOTTOM.
IT'S CUT AWAY 2/3.
BUT IT NEEDS A SHOULDER BECAUSE IT ONLY GOES-- 1/2 OF IT ONLY GOES 1/3 OF THE WAY.
I SEE.
I'M NOT GONNA TOUCH IT 'CAUSE THIS SEEMS SO FRAGILE.
AND THEY ARE FRAGILE, AND THEY ALSO FIT ONLY BY PRESSURE.
THERE'S NO GLUE.
SO THEY NEED TO DENT THE WOOD A TINY LITTLE BIT.
SO THEY REALLY ONLY GOT TOGETHER ONE TIME.
OH, MY GOSH.
WELL, DON'T DO IT THEN IF WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE IT APART.
BUT WHAT'S ASTOUNDING IS EVEN THOUGH IT'S SO FRAGILE WHEN YOU DO THAT, WHEN YOU PUT IT TOGETHER, THIS IS VERY STRONG.
RIGHT.
ONCE YOU GET THE GRID ASSEMBLED, AND THIS IS TRUE OF THE REGULAR KUMIKO PATTERN IN SHOJI, THE WHOLE DOOR BECOMES EXTREMELY RIGID BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT MULTIPLE LAPPING JOINTS.
IT'S KIND OF LIKE BUILDING A TORSION BOX.
I SEE.
WELL, JOHN, THIS HAS SOME INFILL, TOO, INSIDE EACH TRIANGLE NOW.
YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.
I HAVE DIFFERENT PATTERNS THAT I CAN USE TO FILL IN THE TRIANGLES.
AND THEN I CAN FILL IN-- CHOOSE TO FILL IN DIFFERENT TRIANGLES OR NOT FILL THEM IN AND CREATE DIFFERENT PATTERNS, AND DIFFERENT DECORATIVE PATTERNS-- BUT YOU'D GO NUTS.
I MEAN FOR EACH TRIANGLE, YOU'VE GOT TO PUT IN 3 MORE PIECES.
IT GETS PRETTY INSANE.
ALTHOUGH IN THIS, IT'S ONLY 2 PIECES.
THIS TOP PIECE IS A SINGLE PIECE THAT'S MITERED ON BOTH ENDS, SAW CURVED IN THE MIDDLE, AND THEN HINGED OPEN.
THIS ONE RIGHT HERE?
THAT ONE.
AND THEN THIS THIRD LITTLE PIECE ACTS BY BEING A LITTLE BIT TIGHT AS A WEDGE FIT-- A PRESSURE.
YEAH.
WE GOTTA SEE HOW YOU DO THAT.
YOU HAVE, LIKE YOU SAY, THE PLANE ITSELF IS JUST A JIG, SO YOU JUST USE ANOTHER JIG-- EXACTLY.
EXACTLY.
IT'S PRETTY SIMPLE.
IT'S JUST A DONKEY'S EAR.
UH-HUH.
AND THERE'S YOUR PIECE.
THERE'S YOUR LONG PIECE.
MY LONG PIECE, AND THIS IS GONNA HOLD THE PLANE AT AN ANGLE SO I'LL CREATE MY MITERS THIS WAY.
AND THEN I FLIP THE PIECE OVER AND DO IT AGAIN.
UH-HUH.
SO YOU GOT THE ENDS DONE.
I WOULD TURN IT AROUND.
AND THEN I TAKE A SPECIAL SAW THAT HAS NO SET, SO IT'S VERY FINE BLADE.
OH, MY GOSH.
AND I CURVE IT ALMOST ALL THE WAY THROUGH, BUT NOT QUITE.
I PUT A LITTLE BIT OF WATER ON THE BACK.
AH, AND THAT ALLOWS YOU TO-- MAKE IT FLEXIBLE.
TO OPEN IT UP.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE HINGE, YEAH.
AND THEN... THAT GOES IN.
THAT GOES IN, AND BY PRESSURE-- I GOT YOU.
ALL RIGHT.
WELL, SPEAKING OF KEY, JOHN REED FOX, YOU'VE GIVEN US THE KEY TO OPEN THE DOOR TO JAPANESE WOODCRAFT.
THANKS SO MUCH.
THANK YOU.
MY PLEASURE, ROY.
AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME HERE IN "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."
THIS IS ROY UNDERHILL.
SO LONG.
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Announcer: ROY UNDERHILL IS THE AUTHOR OF "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" AND OTHER BOOKS ABOUT TRADITIONAL WOODWORKING PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS AND AVAILABLE AT BOOKSTORES AND LIBRARIES.