Upholstering Your Seat

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."

[CAR HORNS HONKING] CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HEY!

HELLO AGAIN.

WELCOME BACK TO "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

I'M ROY UNDERHILL.

I'M SO GLAD YOU COULD BE HERE WITH ME AGAIN TODAY BECAUSE WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE AS OUR GUEST IN THE SHOP MR. DAVE SALISBURY DOWN FROM THE CABINET SHOP IN COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG.

DAVE, GOOD TO SEE YOU.

HELLO, ROY.

NICE TO SEE YOU.

WONDERFUL.

NOW, THIS IS, UH-- I RECOGNIZE THIS.

IT'S A CHAIR.

VERY GOOD.

BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE GONNA WORK ON TODAY.

NO, IT'S THE OTHER IMPORTANT PART OF THE CHAIR.

IT'S THE SEAT.

THE SEAT.

THE SEAT.

OK.

BUT WE SHOULD SAY, WE HAVE AN 18th-CENTURY CHAIR.

IT WAS MADE BY AN APPRENTICE IN THE SHOP, BRANDON ULIN.

AND IT'S STILL UNDERWAY, NOW, ALL RIGHT?

JUST A LITTLE BIT OF WORK TO DO, BUT-- ALL RIGHT.

HERE WE WANTED TO SHOW YOU HOW THE SEAT FRAME WAS MADE.

NOW, THIS IS AN OFTEN-NEGLECTED PART, BUT WITHOUT IT... [CHUCKLES] YES, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE COMFORTABLE.

ALL RIGHT.

INTERESTING.

NOW TELL ME WHAT THE PARTS ARE.

WE'RE GONNA GET STEPS WE'LL GO THROUGH.

WE HAVE THE 4-PIECE WOODEN FRAME, THE LONDON WEBBING.

THEY HAVE A COARSE-- IT'S CALLED BOTTOM LINEN.

THIS IS GOING TO HELP SUPPORT THE HAIR THAT'S ON THE INSIDE.

A TOP LINEN, WHICH YOU CAN'T SEE BECAUSE OF THE LEATHER COVERING OF THE SHOW CLOTH.

AND ALL OF THIS WORK HAS REALLY BEEN LED BY MR. LEROY GRAVES IN UPHOLSTERY CONSERVATION, A MAN IN COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG.

SO HE'S REALLY COME UP BY STUDYING THE ORIGINALS.

IT'S AMAZING.

THE ORIGINALS HAVE A LOT TO TELL US.

MAYBE WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT AS WE GO ALONG.

EVERYTHING THAT WE'LL GO THROUGH IS BASED ON THE ORIGINALS THAT LEROY SHOWED ME HOW TO DO.

ALL RIGHT.

AND IT'S HORSEHAIR, YOU SAY.

THIS IS AMAZING.

WELL, WE'LL SEE THAT AS WE GO ALONG.

LET'S GO AHEAD AND-- WE HAVE TO START WITH YOUR FRAME.

YOU GOT TO START WITH YOUR FRAME, AND HERE WE'RE USING SOUTHERN YELLOW PINE.

THIS IS YOUR SECONDARY WOOD.

ALL RIGHT.

OK. AND THIS WILL-- YOU SEE THIS IN ENGLISH ANTIQUES AND AMERICAN FURNITURE.

LOCAL MATERIAL THAT'S CHEAP-- INEXPENSIVE-- AND THIS TELLS ME WHERE THE PIECE IS ACTUALLY FROM.

WHY, THIS WOULD BE SOUTHERN YELLOW PINE, SO IT'S FROM THE SOUTH OF NORTH AMERICA.

NOT FROM BOSTON.

NOT FROM BOSTON!

OK. OR FROM ENGLAND, YOU HAVE OAK, PERHAPS, OR BEECH, OR MAYBE SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE START WITH A FRAME, AND I CAN SEE THERE'S A RABBIT, A SHOULDER, THAT'S BEEN CUT INTO THE UPPER PART OF THE FRAME AND EVEN INTO THE LEG.

INTO THE LEG, RIGHT, THAT THIS FRAME WILL FIT IN EVENTUALLY.

BUT YOU'VE GOT TO START BY LAYING THE FRONT AND THE BACK PIECES ON.

AND OF COURSE, YOU WANT TO HAVE-- YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET THE CLEARANCE IN THERE, CLARENCE, FOR YOUR FRAME AND THE UPHOLSTERY.

SO I JUST LAY IT ON, LEAVE ABOUT A 16 SPARE, MARK A LINE, AND THAT'S WHERE I START FROM.

YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF YOUR PARTS ARE PROPERLY MARKED.

REALLY?

REALLY.

IF YOU'RE DOING A SET OF CHAIRS, WHICH AT OUR TIME IS 12, YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF THESE PARTS LAYING AROUND.

SO YOU HAVE YOUR FLAT FACE-- THIS IS FLAT FACE-- AND AN EDGE SQUARE TO IT.

SO THIS IS WHAT YOU PLANE FLAT, AND THEN THIS IS TRUE-- TO THAT FACE.

SO YOU'RE WORKING FOR THAT FACE.

NOW, PEOPLE DO THAT IN CABINETWORK, I KNOW, BUT EVEN IN THE SEAT, YOU'VE GOT TO BE THAT CAREFUL.

THAT CAREFUL BECAUSE IF IT DOESN'T FIT, THING'S GONNA BREAK DOWN OR IT WON'T FIT THE FRAMEWORK.

IT'S UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE.

I MEAN, LET'S FACE IT.

AND INCREASING PRESSURE AS HUMANS GROW, TOO.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE'VE GOT THAT NOW, AND THEN THE TWO OTHER PIECES.

NOW YOU NEED THE SIDE RAILS TO GO IN THERE.

AND AGAIN, THEY'RE MARKED-- HAVE I GOT THESE PROPERLY SET?

YES, IF WE SWITCH.

OH, IF WE SWITCH.

OK. THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.

THERE YOU GO.

OK. NOW, THIS GOES LIKE...LIKE THAT.

OK. SQUIGGLY LINE DOWN.

ALL RIGHT.

THEN I--NOW I'M RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, YOU NOTICE IT'S A TRAPEZOID.

OK.

SO WE'VE GOT A TRAPEZOID.

LET'S SEE.

THAT'S GOT TO COME OVER THERE.

THERE YOU GO.

AND AGAIN, WHAT I'LL DO TO GET THE ANGLES LAID OUT PROPERLY, I'LL DRAW THE WIDTH OF THE BACK, THE WIDTH OF THE FRONT, AND THEN THE DEPTH OF THE CHAIR... OH.

OK. TO LAY OUT FOR THE ANGLE.

AND THEN I'LL SET A BEVEL GAUGE FOR THAT.

AND THAT GIVES ME THE ANGLE.

AND AGAIN, IF YOU DON'T GET THE ANGLES RIGHT, THE SEAT WON'T FIT, AND IT'S GONNA PUT ADDED STRESS ON THE JOINTS.

IT'S GONNA COME APART.

IT'S GONNA COME APART ON YOU.

AND PINCH YOU, TOO.

RIGHT.

SO HERE I HAVE THIS BEVEL GAUGE, ONE FOR THE BACK, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE'S FOR THE FRONT.

AND THAT WORKS FOR THE FRONT AS WELL BECAUSE IF THE FRONT AND THE BACK ARE PARALLEL, IT'S A TRUE TRAPEZOID.

ONE HOPES.

OK.

SUPPOSED TO BE.

AND LAYOUT WORK IS DONE USUALLY WITH A KNIFE ON THAT, AND IT'S A TYPICAL MORTISE AND TENON.

MAN!

OH, MAN.

OK.

SO WE WANT A LOT OF CARE WITH THIS.

IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'VE ALREADY GOT A MORTISE STARTED.

CAN WE SEE HOW THAT GOES?

SURE.

SO... YOU START WITH THE LAYOUT WORK, AND UNLIKE A LOT OF YOUR MORTISE AND TENONS WHERE YOU HAVE A THIRD AND A THIRD AND A THIRD, HERE WHAT WE WILL DO IS THAT THE BOTTOM IS ACTUALLY CLOSER THAN THE TOP.

THIS IS THE UNDERSIDE OF THE CHAIR, YEAH.

WHY IS THAT?

I MEAN, WHY DO YOU OFFSET THE TENON?

YOU HAVE TO BEVEL THE OUTER PART OF THAT FRAME.

OH, OK. OK.

I'M NOT GONNA ASK HOW YOU DISCOVERED THAT YOU HAVE TO OFFSET THE TENON.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, THAT END-- YEAH, THANK YOU.

BECAUSE YOU HAVE A MORTISE ENGAGED, WHICH IS SET UP FOR THE SAME SIZE OF YOUR CHISEL.

OH, OK.

SO YOU'VE GOT THE TWO POINTS THERE, THE SAME WIDTH AS YOUR MORTISE AND CHISEL.

CORRECT.

AND USE THAT TO SCRATCH THE LINE.

RIGHT.

YOU MARK YOUR LINES.

NOW, SEE, I THINK YOU GO FROM THE OTHER SIDE ON THAT ONE.

MARK YOUR LINES.

AND THEN NOW THE NEXT THING WOULD BE TO CHISEL BETWEEN THE LINES ON THAT.

I'LL USE THE FAST.

YEP.

THE FAST.

AYE, MATEY.

ALL RIGHT.

AND I DON'T START RIGHT ON THAT-- THE ACTUAL CUTOFF OF THE LINE.

I JUST STEP BACK A LITTLE BIT.

COUPLE OF GOOD CHOPS.

IT RIDES FORWARD, ANYWAY, WHEN YOU DO THAT.

YES.

WELL, ACTUALLY, WITH THE BEVEL TURNED BACK, IT OUGHT TO PUSH IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.

BUT NOW WHAT'LL HAPPEN IS WHEN A MORTISE-- YOU SEE I'VE GOT A PLACE-- RIGHT.

OK. YOU'VE MADE A PLACE FOR THE CHIP TO GO.

OK.

RIGHT.

PRY THAT OUT.

AND THEN SINCE THIS IS THE BACK OF THE FRAME, IT'S ACTUALLY GONNA BE ANGLED THIS WAY.

OH, OK.

SO NOW YOU START YOUR UNDERCUTTING, OR ACTUALLY, INNERCUTTING, I GUESS YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.

NOW WE JUST CONTINUE THIS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO MY DEPTH, MY WORKING DEPTH.

ALL RIGHT.

INCH, INCH AND A QUARTER, INCH AND A HALF, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT'S THE MORTISING, AND THEN THE TENONING IS GOING TO BE JUST SAWING OFF THE CHEEKS THERE SO THAT YOU HAVE A PIECE THAT'LL FIT IN.

AND YOU'RE SET BACK.

AH.

SORRY.

GET SOME OF THAT OUTER FACE.

SO THAT REMAINS INTACT.

OK. IS THIS ONE READY TO GO TOGETHER?

IT'S READY TO GO TOGETHER.

ALL RIGHT.

AND LET'S SEE IF I CAN FIGURE OUT THESE SQUIGGLY MARKS.

I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU KEEP TRACK OF ALL THESE PIECES.

ALL RIGHT.

IT SAYS--YEAH.

OK.

THERE'S THE SQUIGGLE.

YOU ALSO MATCH UP THE SHOULDERS.

AND THIS IS THE FRONT.

SO I THINK THIS IS RIGHT, ISN'T IT?

CORRECT.

OK. GOOD.

I THINK I FINALLY GOT ONE RIGHT.

THIS ONE.

ALL RIGHT.

COMING IN.

WE DON'T PUSH THEM ALL THE WAY DOWN IN.

AND WE'VE GOT A TRAPEZOID.

I'LL GET MY SQUIGGLY LINES LINED UP.

ALL RIGHT.

AH, IT'S GREAT.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW THAT'S READY TO DRIVE IT DOWN.

DRIVE IT IN.

OF COURSE, YOU GLUE IT.

RIGHT.

OK.

SO THERE YOU'VE GOT YOUR FRAME TOGETHER.

OK. AND YOU JUST SAW THOSE OFF.

CORRECT.

AND THEN YOU END UP, I GUESS, WITH SOMETHING LIKE THIS PIECE RIGHT HERE.

YES.

SO NOW WE'VE GOT TO FIT IT TO THE FRAME.

YOU MEAN... WELL, NOW THIS WON'T FIT IN.

SO WHAT YOU'VE GOT TO DO IS YOU'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT DROPS IN-- INTO THE SEAT AND THAT YOU HAVE THE PROPER CLEARANCE.

OK.

SO YOU'VE GOT CLEARANCE ALL AROUND.

YOU CAN ADD TO IT RIGHT NOW.

RIGHT.

AND WHAT YOU DO TO GET THAT-- AND AGAIN, TO GET THE BEVEL--THE LAYOUT FOR THE BEVEL, JUST TAKE A PENCIL AND DRAW A LINE.

AND YOU WANT THAT PENCIL LINE TO BE ABOUT 1/16" BELOW THIS RAIL BECAUSE AS YOU ADD YOUR UPHOLSTERY, IT'S GONNA LIFT THE FRAME UP.

SO YOU GOT TO ACTUALLY DROP IT DOWN.

AND THEN ABOUT A MIDDLE-- MIDDLE OF THE FRAME DRAW LINE.

AND THEN YOU BEVEL THAT OFF.

MAY I BEVEL THAT OFF?

YES, YOU CAN DO THE BEVEL.

USE YOUR PLANE THERE?

YES.

LET'S SEE IF I CAN GET THIS IN.

AS LONG AS YOU HAVE CLARENCE.

ALL RIGHT.

I THANK YOU.

ROGER.

NOW, I SEE THAT THIS IS VERY...

IT'S FLAT-SAWN, TOO, HERE.

YOU HAVE THE FLAT GRAIN UP HERE AND THE EDGE GRAIN ON THE FACE.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE, WE START DRIVING TACKS INTO IT, IT'LL START SPLITTING IF IT'S CORNER-SAWN.

UH-HUH.

AND THAT'S JUST BASED ON MAKING A LOT OF FRAMES.

OH, IT SMELLS NICE, BUT I NEED A BETTER WORKING POSITION.

BUT NEVERTHELESS, A WONDERFUL OLD-GROWTH, LONGLEAF PINE THERE.

YEAH, WONDERFUL.

IT FLATS ON VERY HARD AND REALLY HOLDS THE TACKS WELL.

SO THAT'S THE DIRECTION YOU WANT THE TACKS TO GO IN.

SO OK. WELL.

ONCE THIS IS BEVELED ALL AROUND, AND NOW YOU'RE READY-- NOW WE'RE READY TO START THE ACTUAL UPHOLSTERY WORK.

THAT'S--OK. GOT ONE SET UP HERE THAT'S BEVELED DOWN.

I ONLY WENT AHEAD AND POPPED ON A COUPLE OF YOUR PIECES OF WEBBING.

AND I'M USING LINEN ON THAT.

IT'S OF COURSE A FIBER, AND IN THE 18th CENTURY, LINEN IS VERY IMPORTANT.

IT'S WHERE YOU GET YOUR LINSEED OIL FROM.

OH, YOU'RE WEARING THE LINEN CLOTHING INSTEAD OF COTTON.

RIGHT.

BUT IT'S VERY EXPENSIVE.

AND WHAT I DO, I HAVE MY SPACE, AND I JUST EYEBALL IT.

NOW, I GOT THESE NAILED DOWN.

SO I'LL START ON THIS OPPOSITE END.

I'M GONNA USE A NUMBER 10 TACK.

ALL RIGHT.

AND... YEAH.

JUST KIND OF SET THAT IN THERE.

AND EVENTUALLY, I'M GOING TO USE 6 TACKS ON THIS.

YOU CAN JUST FOLD THAT ONE OVER FOR ME.

OH, OK. YOU'VE GOT A LITTLE EXTRA.

LIKE THAT?

IT CREATES, LIKE, A WORSHER.

A WORSHER.

ALL RIGHT.

IS THAT HOW YOU CAN TELL A SOUTHERN CHAIR, BECAUSE THEY SAY "WORSHER"?

PUT A WORSHER ON THAT, YES.

SO HERE YOU GET YOUR...

I GOT YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

SO YOU HAD THIS TRIANGLE.

SO NOW THAT'S SUNK DOWN ON THAT SIDE, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO GET IT TIGHT.

I MEAN, THIS ONE'S LIKE A DRUM OVER HERE.

AND THAT'S WHERE YOU GET YOUR WEBBING STRETCHERS.

AH, ALL RIGHT.

AND JUST GRAB IT-- WEBBING OR CANVAS STRETCHERS, YOU ALSO SEE IT SOLD-- I SEE.

LET ME SEE.

THAT'S GOT, LIKE, A LITTLE LEVER THERE.

SO THAT'S NOT THE HAMMER.

THAT'S A LEVER POINT.

THAT'S A LEVER POINT, AND IT'S SERRATED JAWS SO YOU CAN REALLY GRIP ON THAT-- I'VE NEVER USED MINE.

I LOOKED AT THAT AND THOUGHT, WELL, THAT'S THE HAMMER FOR DRIVING TACKS.

NO, NO.

YOU GET DOWN AND YOU JUST LEVER THE THING OVER.

ALL RIGHT.

AND NORMALLY WHAT I WOULD DO IS JUST...

LISTEN TO IT.

OH, GOSH.

IS TAP ON IT TILL I GET A GOOD SOUND.

AND WITH A MAGNETIC HEAD, YOU CAN USUALLY DO THAT ONCE YOU GET A LOT OF TACKS ON IT.

YEAH.

I NORMALLY TRY TO KEEP THESE SPREAD OUT ON MY BENCH.

OH, THAT'S GREAT.

OK.

SO THERE'S THAT FIRST TRIANGLE.

THE SECOND TRIANGLE IS THE OPPOSITE.

RIGHT.

OH!

CLOSE.

[LAUGHING] MAN, OH, MAN.

ALL RIGHT.

AND NOW ANOTHER WAY, IF YOU WANTED TO-- ANOTHER WAY OF STRETCHING IF YOU DIDN'T WANT TO BUY IT BY THE STRETCHERS-- LET ME JUST PUT ONE UP HERE REAL QUICK.

LET ME REVERSE THAT ONE.

ALL RIGHT.

YOU'RE GONNA FOLD IT OVER AGAIN THE SAME WAY.

OK. JUST DOING A TEMPORARY HERE?

YEAH, JUST ENOUGH TO HOLD IT.

THAT'LL BE FINE.

OK.

HERE WE HAVE-- I MADE UP A WOODEN BLOCK.

OH, I LIKE THAT.

I HAVE SEEN THESE, AND I NEVER FIGURED OUT WHAT THE HECK THEY WERE.

BUT AGAIN, YOU SHOWED ME ONCE.

THIS IS--THIS IS ONE MADE FOR WORKING ON THE TRAPEZOIDAL EDGE HERE.

RIGHT.

SO THE NAILS WOULD JUST GRAB A HOLD OF THAT WEBBING.

AND THEN YOU JUST WRENCH DOWN.

START PULLING DOWN.

PULL DOWN?

I HEAR IT.

YES.

IT'S GONNA GET TIGHTER AND TIGHTER.

AND THEN TACK IT DOWN THE WAY YOU WOULD NORMALLY.

OK.

SO THIS IS GONNA BE-- THIS IS REALLY COARSE WITH THOSE SPIKES THERE.

THIS IS SOMETHING YOU USE FOR JUTE WEBBING?

JUTE WEBBING.

AND WHAT'S WRONG WITH JUTE?

YOU'RE USING LINEN.

THAT'S REAL EXPENSIVE, NOW.

YES, EXPENSIVE, BUT IT'S NOT VERY ACIDIC.

IT'S NOT AS ACIDIC.

SO IT WON'T EAT INTO YOUR FABRIC.

IT WON'T EAT INTO THE NAILS ON THAT.

OH, OK. JUST A LOT NICER.

SO JUTE HAS ACID THAT EATS AWAY AT THIS STUFF?

RIGHT.

SO NOW LET'S SAY WE GOT THE WEBBING DOWN.

AND NOW WE NEED TO FILL THESE GAPS, AND THAT'S WHERE THIS PIECE OF LINEN COMES IN.

IT'S CALLED A BOTTOM LINEN.

IT'S JUST A COARSER, HEAVIER-DUTY LINEN.

AND WE'LL START.

I'LL DO A LITTLE FOLD IN IT.

AND THIS IS ALL BASED ON WORK THAT LEROY'S SEEN-- I WAS GONNA SAY, STUDYING THESE THINGS TELLS YOU ABOUT WHERE THE CHAIR CAME FROM.

AND WHEN YOU'RE REPLICATING THIS STUFF-- I KNOW YOU TRY AND REPLICATE THE SIZE OF THE MORTISE, THE SIZE OF THE TENON...

THE FABRIC.

THE FABRIC, EVERYTHING.

THE TECHNIQUE, EVERYTHING.

EVERYTHING.

WOW.

EXCEPT FOR THE MAGNETIC HAMMER.

HA HA HA!

WHICH THEY DIDN'T HAVE.

WHAT THEY HAD WAS-- THEY JUST HAD JUST A PLAIN HEAD, AND I HAVE ONE HERE THAT WAS MADE BY STEVE MANKOWSKI IN OUR BLACKSMITH SHOP.

THAT'S ONE THING-- WORKING AT WILLIAMSBURG, YOU HAVE ALL THE OTHER CRAFTSMEN YOU CAN CALL ON THERE.

YOU CAN CALL ON TO MAKE STUFF FOR US.

SO THIS IS AN 18th-CENTURY STYLE STRAP UPHOLSTERER'S HAMMER.

RIGHT.

YEAH.

BUT NO MAGNET.

NO.

NO MAGNET ON THIS ONE.

SO I HAVE TO LITERALLY TAKE MY FINGERS AND PLACE EACH TACK, BUT WITH THE ADVENT OF THE MAGNET HERE, WHICH IS REALLY NICE, YOU CAN JUST CONTINUE ON DOWN LIKE THAT.

PRETTY NICE, YEAH.

SO YOU'RE USING VERY SMALL TACKS HERE BUT A WHOLE BUNCH OF THEM.

RIGHT, TO HOLD ALL THIS DOWN.

SO I JUST CONTINUE ON DOWN.

BUT THE PROBLEM, AS YOU CAN SEE, IS THAT IT'S SAGGING THERE.

SO WE NEED TO STRETCH IT.

IF I GOT THAT DOWN, I'D JUST PULL THIS TIGHT IN MY HAND.

PUT IN TACKS, AND THEN COME OVER HERE AND PUT IN TACKS TO CREATE THAT FOUNDATION OR AREA TO START LAYING THE HAIR ON.

OK. GOSH.

IT'S SOLID THERE.

SO THERE'S REALLY SOLID WEBBING, AND IT STILL HAS SOME GIVE TO IT.

LITTLE BIT RIGHT NOW.

RIGHT NOW?

OH, REALLY?

WELL, ONCE... OH, ONCE--I SEE.

ONCE IT GETS THE HAIR ON.

YEAH, ONCE WE GET THE HAIR ON, OK-- THIS IS WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT, SOME PEOPLE TELL YOU-- HORSEHAIR-- AND WHAT A THING.

I HAD NO IDEA THIS MATERIAL WAS SO MARVELOUS.

IT'S REALLY NEAT STUFF.

THIS IS RECYCLED HAIR.

IT'S THE MANE IN THE TAIL THAT'S CURLED.

OK?

SO IT IS RENEWABLE RESOURCE, TOO.

AND IT'S-- WELL, IT'S GRAY, TOO.

THIS IS THE OLD GRAY MARE.

ALL RIGHT.

BUT YOU PULL APART.

WHEN I GET IT, IT'S JUST LIKE THIS, BECAUSE TODAY A LOT OF IT'S RECYCLED FROM OLD MATTRESSES AND OLD FURNITURE.

OH, REALLY?

OK. AND SO I NEED TO PULL IT APART AND FLUFF IT.

AND SO, STARTING IN THE CORNERS, WHERE I LIKE TO START-- ONE OF-- IT'S AMAZING.

WHEN I FIRST SAW YOU DO THIS, I MEAN, IT TOOK, LIKE, AN HOUR TO GET THIS WHOLE THING DONE.

SO IT REALLY IS THAT MUCH OF UNCOILING ALL THESE MILLIONS OF LITTLE SPRINGS.

AND THAT'S JUST THE HORSEHAIR.

THIS IS JUST THE START.

YOU NOTICE HERE I'VE JUST KIND OF LAID IT ON ON THE EDGE OF THE CHAIR-- EDGE OF THE FRAME-- BUT I'VE GOT IT-- IT'S HANGING OVER.

THAT'S NOT GONNA WORK, BECAUSE WHEN YOU GO TO PUT THAT OTHER LINEN ON, IT'S GONNA PULL OVER.

SO YOU NEED TO COME BACK AND YOU NEED TO TRIM IT.

JUST KIND OF CUT IT BACK EVEN WITH THAT FRAME.

CUT IT STRAIGHT.

AND YOU DO THAT EVEN AT THIS STAGE?

OH, YES.

THAT'S WHAT EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE BUILT OFF OF.

AH, OK.

SO I'LL PUT DOWN THIS HORSEHAIR ALL OVER THE-- A GOOD LAYER OR SO.

AND THEN I'LL USE A FILLER.

I DON'T USE HORSEHAIR ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

I COME BACK AND USE HOG HAIR AS A FILLER.

AND THAT'S--I GUESS YOU WOULDN'T DO IT UNLESS YOU FOUND IT ON THE ORIGINALS.

YES.

AND ANOTHER THING IS THAT IT IS A SHORTER FIBER THAN WHAT YOU'VE GOT.

OH.

YEAH.

SO IT'S MUCH DIFFERENT TEXTURE TO IT, AND WHAT THAT DOES, IT FILLS IN, SORT OF FILTERS DOWN IN AND FILLS IN SOME OF THE GAPS.

YEAH, HOG BRISTLE.

SO YOU DON'T USE SO MUCH OF THIS HORSEHAIR.

SO YOU HAVE THESE-- THESE ARE SPRINGY SPIRALS, AND THOSE ARE KIND OF STRAIGHT, AND TOGETHER THEY FORM THIS SPRING THAT'S IN THERE.

THAT REAL HARD SEAT THAT YOU REALLY WANT.

AND THE NEAT THING ABOUT THE HORSEHAIR IS THAT AS THE YEARS GO BY AND WE GET BIGGER, WE PUT MORE STRESS ON THE FRAME AND THE WEBBING SAGS, THE HORSEHAIR WILL EXPAND OUT AND ACTUALLY KEEP THE FRAME OF THE SEAT, OR KEEP THE SHAPE OF THE SEAT NICE.

YEAH!

SOME OF YOUR MODERN SYNTHETIC MATERIALS WILL BREAK DOWN.

THIS HORSEHAIR DOESN'T.

AND IT DOESN'T SMELL.

I MEAN, THIS HAS BEEN WASHED.

IT DOESN'T SMELL LIKE ANIMALS.

NO, IT'S ALL CLEANED AND READY TO GO.

OH, MY GOSH.

VERY NICE.

SO, AN HOUR LATER... AN HOUR LATER!

KEEP BUILDING IT UP.

AN HOUR LATER, WE'VE GOT THIS.

AND EVEN THIS ONE'S PUSH-- IT'S AMAZING HOW IT'LL COMPACT WHEN YOU'RE DOWN TO IT, BUT I MEAN, YOU REALLY PUT THESE THINGS UP 8, 12 INCHES TALL?

8-12 INCHES TALL.

RIGHT.

AND THEN THAT'S GOT TO GET PULLED DOWN WITH YOUR TOP LINEN.

OK. LAY THAT ON.

OK. NOW I GOT TO SEE HOW THE HECK YOU TURN THIS THING OVER, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T NAIL FROM THIS SIDE.

CORRECT.

OK. FLIP THE PANCAKE.

FLIP THE PANCAKE.

YEAH!

AND HERE AGAIN, YOU SEE THAT WORK YOU DID BEFORE.

THERE'S THE WEBBING AND THE UNDERCLOTH.

THEY'RE ALL FINISHED UP THERE.

ALL FINISHED UP, READY TO GO.

I'VE GOT THE HAIR ON, AND I'LL JUST START BY KIND OF PULLING.

BUT, YEAH, YOU NOTICE THAT-- IT'S ANOTHER REASON WHY WE WANT TO TRIM THAT EDGE.

BECAUSE NOW YOU'VE GOT TO-- THE HAIR WILL BUILD UP.

OH, YOU DON'T WANT TO GET IT CAUGHT THERE.

YOU WANT IT JUST ONE LAYER OF CLOTH BUT NOTHING UNDER.

RIGHT, BECAUSE, SEE, IF YOU PULL THERE--PULL.

ME?

OK. OH, OK.

I'VE GOT IT CAUGHT RIGHT THERE.

RIGHT.

NOW IF YOU JUST TAKE IT AND WORK IT BACK AND FORTH WITH YOUR FINGER, SEE, YOU WORK THAT OUT.

IT'S GONE, YEAH.

AND [INDISTINCT] MY HAMMER.

YOUR MAGNETIC ONE.

YOU GOT ANOTHER SIZE TACK HERE.

WELL, THIS IS SMALLER THAN THE 10 BUT A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN THE 2 ON THAT.

THAT'S USED ON THE OTHER ONE.

BECAUSE THIS TAKES A LOT OF STRESS.

THIS WE'LL GET INTO.

AGAIN, YOU SEE WE'VE GOT THE HAIR THERE.

IT'S AMAZING.

YOU SEE ANOTHER REASON TO PAY REAL ATTENTION TO THAT FRAME.

YOU DON'T WANT TO BE GOING BACK INTO THIS THING AGAIN TO FIX IT.

I DON'T WANT TO BECAUSE I'M GONNA END UP WITH AT LEAST 4-- 4-5 HOURS OF WORK INTO THIS FRAME.

NO KIDDING?

BY THE TIME I GET THIS ON, TRIMMED UP, SHOW CLOTH ON, I'LL EASILY HAVE-- IT TOOK AN HOUR TO PUT THE HAIR ON-- ROUGHLY AN HOUR-- AND IT'LL TAKE A GOOD 45 MINUTES TO PULL THIS ALL DOWN.

SO, SEE, I'VE JUST STARTED THAT PROCESS.

MM-HMM.

SO NOW I NEED TO COME BACK AND START ACTUALLY PULLING ALL OF THAT DOWN AND GETTING MY TENSION IN THE SHAPE.

SO THAT'S KIND OF A TEMPORARY TACKING-- THAT'S A TEMPORARY.

I GOT YOU.

THAT'S JUST TO HOLD IT IN PLACE.

RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW WE COME BACK, AND IT'S JUST WORKING BACK AND FORTH.

AND LET'S SWITCH BACK THIS WAY.

SO LITTLE BY LITTLE-- I'M MOVING QUICK HERE, I KNOW.

YEAH.

NO, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

I GET TO SEE HOW TO DO THIS, BECAUSE I IMAGINE DOING 12 OF THESE THINGS, YOU HAVE TO JUST FLY.

AND THAT'S ONE THING THAT'S REALLY HARDEST TO REPLICATE, I THINK, IN THE-- WHEN WE TRY AND REPLICATE 18th-CENTURY HISTORIC PROCESS, THE SPEED WITH WHICH THESE GUYS WORKED.

YEAH.

BUT NOW YOU CAN SEE IT'S STARTING-- STARTING TO DO IT ON THOSE SIDES.

WE'RE STARTING TO GET SOME SHAPE.

HA HA HA!

BUT I'D STILL HAVE A WHILE TO GO-- YOU GOT A LOT LEFT, A LOT MORE TO GO.

OK.

BUT I GET THE IDEA OF HOW YOU DO THAT.

KEEP PULLING IT DOWN, PULLING IT DOWN.

UNTIL WE GET THIS.

WOW.

OH, GOSH.

IT'S, LIKE, GONE DOWN FROM-- IT'S LIKE A 12-1 COMPRESSION.

GEE WHIZ.

OK. NOW YOU'RE GETTING AN IDEA OF HOW HARD THIS THING IS GOING TO BE.

BUT THAT'LL LAST.

ALL THOSE SPRINGS COMPRESSED DOWN IN THERE.

THAT'S NOT GONNA-- IT'S NOT GONNA FAIL ON YOU ANYTIME SOON.

BUT YOU'VE GOT A PROBLEM.

OH, WE HAVEN'T DONE THE CORNERS YET.

OK. YEAH, SEE, YOU JUST CAN'T TAKE IT AND BUNCH IT OVER LIKE THAT.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO-- GONNA TURN AROUND THIS WAY.

YOU SEE, IF YOU JUST PULL IT OVER, IT'S GONNA BUNCH UP ON YOU.

IT'S NOT GONNA FIT GOOD.

SO-- OH, I SEE.

AND YOU'VE KIND OF GOT THE NAILS GOING UP INTO THE CORNER.

WHAT I NEED TO DO IS CREATE AN OPENING RIGHT THERE.

BARE WOOD.

ACCESS TO BARE WOOD.

ALL RIGHT.

FINISH TACKING THIS ONE DOWN REAL QUICK.

SO THE PROBLEM IS GETTING RID OF ALL THAT FABRIC IN THERE.

I'M GONNA COME IN ON A DIAGONAL.

YOU CAN DO IT WITH SCISSORS.

ALL RIGHT.

I'M GONNA TAKE MY KNIFE.

AND THIS IS ALL STUFF THAT'S BASED ON WHAT LEROY HAS FOUND ON ORIGINAL SEAT FRAMES.

AH.

I'M GONNA FLIP IT THIS WAY.

MM-HMM.

NOW, WHEN YOU'RE GETTING THIS OLD HAIR AND IT'S THE OLD HORSEHAIR, I MEAN, DO YOU FIND LITTLE BITS OF-- DO YOU FIND STUFF IN IT?

BECAUSE I ALWAYS LOSE STUFF DOWN IN THE OLD SOFA.

OH, WE FIND BITS OF ODDS AND ENDS IN THERE OCCASIONALLY.

MAYBE I DON'T WANT TO KNOW.

NO, IT'S JUST PIECES OF STRING-- OH, OK. NO UNKNOWN TREASURES.

OH, TOENAILS.

THAT'S GOOD.

BUT SEE, NOW, SEE WHAT WE'VE GOT.

NOW YOU GOT ALL OF THIS FABRIC.

AND A LITTLE BIT OF SPACE THERE, BUT YOU'RE STILL TRYING TO KEEP IT AS FEW LAYERS OR ONE LAYER.

ONE LAYER AS I CAN.

SO NEXT STEP IS, I GOT TO SWING IT THIS WAY.

I'M GONNA PULL UP.

YOU CAN ALMOST SEE THAT IT FORMS-- IT SHOULD FORM, LIKE, A LITTLE "U" IN THERE.

ALMOST A LINE TO FOLLOW.

I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

THERE'S THE "U."

IT'S REALLY A LITTLE CONTOUR FROM GRABBING THE CORNER.

AND YOU TRIM RIGHT ON THE ARCH OF THE "U."

RIGHT DOWN ON THE ARCH OF THAT "U."

OK. AND THEN JUST PULL STRAIGHT UP.

AND SEE HOW THESE THINGS FOLD IN?

YEAH.

OH, AND YOU WANT THAT TO MAKE LIKE A TUBE?

SURE.

YOU WANT THAT TO LAY DOWN, JUST LIKE THAT.

OK. OK. YOU WANT ME TO HOLD IT FOR YOU?

OH, NO, YOU GOT IT.

THIS IS AMAZING.

I KEEP WANTING TO HELP YOU, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE USED TO DOING THIS-- I'M SO USED TO DOING IT BY MYSELF.

HA HA HA!

THERE WE GO.

OK.

I SEE HOW THAT DOES-- YOU PULLED THAT OUT AND LAID IT DOWN.

I'M GONNA PUT ANOTHER TACK.

USUALLY I'LL PUT TWO TACKS IN IT.

HA HA HA!

JUST TAKE THE KNIFE AND CUT OUT THE EXCESS.

OH, MY GOSH.

OK.

SO THAT'S THE WAY TO DO THE CORNER.

RIGHT.

THAT'S HOW YOU DO A CORNER.

AND IT CREATES A REAL NICE, CLEAN LINE SO YOU DON'T GET ANY OF THE BUNCHING.

AND IT'S JUST ONE LAYER OF FABRIC THICK THERE INSTEAD OF THAT FOLDER OVER TO PUSH IT UP AND PUT PRESSURE ON IT SO IT'S GONNA WEAR OUT RIGHT THERE.

CORRECT.

CORRECT.

AND IT'S ALL SITTING EVENLY.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, SO I SEE HOW THAT GOES AROUND.

WE'VE GOT 4 CORNERS TO DO.

THIS, I GOT TO SAY, THAT'S REAL SCRATCHY.

I MEAN, THE LITTLE BORE BRISTLES ARE COMING UP THROUGH MY-- THROUGH THIS TOP ONE.

WELL, LEATHER, IT'S OK.

IT WON'T COME UP THROUGH THE LEATHER IF YOU'RE USING LEATHER ON THERE.

SO YOU JUST GO AHEAD AND PUT YOUR SHOW CLOTH OR THE LEATHER ON NOW.

AH.

NOW, IF YOU WANTED TO USE FABRIC... UH-HUH.

THEN YOU WANT TO PUT DOWN A LAYER OF COTTON BATTING.

OH, OK.

THE SAME AS QUILTERS USE WHEN THEY QUILT.

YOU JUST LAY-- I USE TWO LAYERS, USUALLY, IS WHAT I USE.

AND OF COURSE, WITH MATERIAL, YOU GOT TO BE CONSCIOUS OF YOUR PATTERN.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THIS IS CALLED THE SHOW CLOTH.

I LIKE THAT.

BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE PUTTING ON LAST.

I DON'T THINK I'D CHOOSE WHITE FOR A DINING ROOM CHAIR.

NO, I WOULDN'T, EITHER.

THAT'S WHY I HAVE THIS.

I TALKED A CUSTOMER OUT OF IT.

I SEE.

ALL RIGHT.

YOU STILL GOT IT IN.

THE PROBLEM IS, WITH FABRIC, YOU'VE GOT A WARP AND A WEFT.

THE WARP IS THE LONG STRING THIS WAY, AND YOUR WEFT IS THE CROSS STRING.

YOU CAN'T PULL THIS WAY.

THE WARP IS VERY, VERY TIGHT.

RIGHT.

AND YOU SEE HOW IT'S DISTORTING THE PATTERN?

RIGHT.

SO WHAT YOU NORMALLY DO, YOU WOULD START BY PULLING ON OPPOSITE CORNERS-- JUST A LITTLE BIT, NOT MUCH.

YOU CAN ALMOST PULL ON ALL 4 CORNERS.

THAT'LL STRAIGHTEN OUT YOUR PATTERN AND MAINTAIN THE SHAPE OF YOUR DESIGN ON THAT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO I GOT IT.

WELL, THAT'S GREAT.

NOW LET'S LOOK AT THAT LEATHER SEAT YOU HAVE THERE, BECAUSE THIS HAS ALL THE FEATURES WE HAVE SEEN SO FAR, INCLUDING THE WAY THE CORNERS ARE DONE.

THE CORNERS ARE JUST WONDERFUL THERE, LAYING DOWN FLAT.

AND SO THERE YOU GO.

THAT'LL SIT DOWN INSIDE THE RABBIT, AND AGAIN, A SET OF CHAIRS, THOUGH-- THERE'S GONNA BE A DOZEN IN A SET?

A DOZEN IN A SET.

OH, MY GOSH.

THERE'S LOTS TO DO.

BUT THAT'S WONDERFUL.

IT'S GONNA LAST A GOOD, LONG TIME.

SOME PEOPLE NEGLECT THAT, BUT IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT-- I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT.

DAVID SALISBURY, THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

THANK YOU, ROY.

APPRECIATE IT.

THANKS FOR JOINING ME, ROY UNDERHILL, HERE IN "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

SO LONG.

YEAH.

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" AND TRADITIONAL WOODWORKING, VISIT PBS ONLINE.

YOU CAN FIND US AT... CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION CAPTIONED BY THE NATIONAL CAPTIONING INSTITUTE --www.ncicap.org-- MAJOR FUNDING FOR "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" IS PROVIDED BY... LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, STATE FARM IS THERE.

WE ARE PBS.

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.