Candle Box With Secret Drawer

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."

[CAR HORNS HONK] HEY, HELLO AGAIN.

WELCOME BACK TO THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP.

I'M ROY UNDERHILL.

NOW IMAGINE IT'S THE 1700s AND YOU'RE A GOOD GERMAN MINISTER AND YOU'RE COMING TO THE NEW WORLD, TO NORTH AMERICA, AND YOU'RE A MISSIONARY.

YOU'RE GONNA CIVILIZE THESE SAVAGES-- THESE ANGLO TYPES AND THESE NATIVE AMERICANS.

YOU'RE GONNA NEED ALL YOUR SMELLS AND BELLS, ALL YOUR TRICKS.

YOU'RE GONNA NEED ALL YOUR CANDLES.

YOU'RE GONNA NEED YOUR CANDLES IN A CANDLE BOX, AND THAT'S WHAT I'VE GOT RIGHT HERE--A LITTLE CANDLE BOX.

WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW TO MAKE THIS LITTLE GEM.

IT LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE COFFIN, BUT IT'S A 1700s CANDLE BOX.

YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE CHALLENGES OF DOING THESE BEVELED SIDES, DOING THE CORNERS, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE MOLDINGS, BUT FIRST, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT IT, OF COURSE.

NOW, HOW DO YOU OPEN IT?

WHERE'S THIS THING OPEN UP?

WELL, IT'S THIS TOP RIGHT HERE, SLIDES OVER.

SEE, THIS MOLDING IS ATTACKED TO THE LID, AND IT SLIDES OPEN LIKE THAT TO REVEAL OUR CANDLES SO WE'RE ALL READY TO GO AND HAVE OUR BIG, IMPRESSIVE SERVICE THERE, BUT MAYBE THERE'S SOME THINGS WE DON'T WANT FOLKS GETTING INTO, AND WE MIGHT KEEP THEM UP HERE.

AHA, LOOK AT THAT.

IN THE LID THERE IS A MOLDING THAT SLIDES OUT AND REVEALS THE NEXT THING WE WANT.

I'VE JUST PUT SOME SPILLS, OR SPILES, IN HERE, LITTLE THINGS THAT WE CAN USE TO LIGHT OUR CANDLES.

STICK THIS CURL OF WOOD IN THE FIRE AND THEN LIGHT OUR CANDLE.

THOSE ARE VERY NICE.

MIGHT KEEP, OH, WHATEVER YOU WANT UP IN THIS LID, SO THAT'S NICE.

WE HAVE A LITTLE SECRET COMPARTMENT THERE, YEAH, AND THE REST OF IT IS, OF COURSE, FILLED WITH CANDLES, OR IS IT?

AH, MAY BE ANOTHER TRICK TO THIS THING.

IN FACT, LET'S LOOK AROUND.

LET'S EXAMINE THIS THING.

HMM, SIDES LOOK FINE, BUT MAYBE IF WE WERE TO-- AH, I SEE A LITTLE LINE RIGHT HERE.

WHAT IF I WERE TO PULL UP ON THIS SIDE?

AH, IT LIFTS UP BECAUSE THERE IS A LITTLE SLIDING DOVETAIL KEY RIGHT THERE THAT GOES INTO THERE AND HOLDS THIS SIDE IN POSITION.

IT COMES FREE, AND WE HAVE YET ANOTHER SECRET DRAWER IN THE BOTTOM.

NOW, WHAT WOULD A MISSIONARY KEEP IN THE SECRET DRAWER IN THE BOTTOM OF HIS CANDLE BOX?

MAYBE "NAUGHTY MISSIONARY" MAGAZINE?

HMM, MAYBE PICTURES FROM THE WET BONNET CONTEST.

NO.

WE HAVE PICTURES OF THE ORIGINAL.

THE GENTLEMAN SENT THIS TO ME.

THIS IS THE ORIGINAL CANDLE BOX, PROBABLY MADE IN GERMANY, IN CONTINENTAL EUROPE.

YOU CAN SEE THAT WONDERFUL INLAY DONE IN THERE.

IT'S EASY TO DATE, OF COURSE, BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE THE DATE "1786" ON THERE.

SO, THIS IS WHAT I'M COPYING IN WALNUT, THIS ORIGINAL WAS.

WE'RE DOING THIS PIECE IN TULIP POPLAR, WAY TOO SOFT FOR THIS, BUT I WANTED TO FIGURE OUT THE DESIGN BECAUSE I HAVE AN EXTRA COMPLEXITY OF DOING MITERED CORNERS.

I'M DOING MITERED CORNERS INSTEAD OF THE SQUARE-END CORNERS THAT THE ORIGINAL HAS.

SO, LET'S PUT THIS LITTLE GUY BACK IN THERE AND LOOK AT ONE OF THE PIECES HERE., HERE'S ONE OF THE SIDES.

NOW, THERE ARE ALL KIND OF COMPLICATIONS WHEN YOU HAVE A BOX THAT'S NOT SQUARE LIKE THIS.

YOU CAN DO A SQUARE BOX--YOU CAN JUST HAVE MITERS AND 45s-- BUT AS YOU DROP THE SIDES OPEN LIKE THAT TO DO WHAT'S CALLED HOPPER CONSTRUCTION, THE ANGLE IN BETWEEN CHANGES, AND ALSO THE SHAPE OF THE CORNERS OF THE PIECE AS IT SPLAYS OUT CHANGES.

NOW, THERE'S WAYS TO FIGURE THIS OUT YOU'LL FIND IN OLD WOODWORKING BOOKS.

THIS IS SO CLOSE TO 45 THAT WE CAN JUST ABOUT IGNORE THAT ISSUE AND JUST DO IT WITH THE TRIMMING.

LOOK AT EACH OF THE PIECES WE HAVE TO MAKE.

THE 4 SIDES, THEY HAVE THE GROOVE FOR THE LID, THE GROOVE FOR THE BOTTOM.

THE TOP IS BEVELED AND MOLDED-- YOU SEE THAT MOLDING ON THERE-- BUT, OF COURSE, THE KEY THING IS THE SPLAY TO THE SIDE THERE, THAT WE HAVE, THAT SPLAY ON THE SIDE, AND THE BEVEL ON THE END GRAIN, THE BEVELED END GRAIN THERE.

THIS THING HAS TO BE VERY PRECISE IN ORDER FOR THOSE CORNERS TO COME TOGETHER, SO YOU'LL SEE HOW TO DO ALL OF THAT.

NOW, I JUST LAY THESE ALL OUT.

I SAID, "I'M GONNA MAKE MY PIECES 7 1/2 DEGREES ON THE SHOULDERS AND JUST WHATEVER THE SPLAY IS IS FINE WITH ME," SO I'VE SET UP THE MITER BOX HERE, AND WHEN I WAS A KID, THIS USED TO BE MY NEMESIS.

I HATED THIS THING BECAUSE THE SAW THAT WAS IN IT AT THE SHOP I WORKED IN WAS SO DULL, IT TOOK FOREVER.

NOW, I'VE SHARPENED THIS SAW, SO LET'S SEE HOW THIS GOES ON THIS 7 1/2-INCH-WIDE TULIP POPLAR.

WOW, SOUNDS GOOD.

I HAVE CHANGED THE WAY I SHARPEN, TOO.

SOME OF THE FOLKS I HAVE MET HAVE BEEN MISSIONARIES WITH ME IN MY BAD PRACTICES IN WOODWORKING.

MR. RICKETTS TOLD ME TO SHARPEN INTO THE BLADE, INTO THE TEETH.

LET'S SEE.

THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW I'VE GOT IT THERE.

LOOK AT THAT.

HE TOLD ME TO SHARPEN INTO THE FACE OF THE TEETH OF THE SAW, AND THAT HAS WORKED BEAUTIFULLY.

IT DOESN'T LEAVE RAG.

INSTEAD OF COMING UP FROM BEHIND-- A COUPLE OF THINGS I HAVE CHANGED.

I'VE CHANGED THE WAY I SHARPEN THE CHISELS, JUST BEING MUCH MORE CONVENTIONAL.

I USED TO DO THIS OLD-FASHIONED, KIND OF ROUGH-AND-READY WAY OF, EH, BREAKING OFF THE FEATHER EDGE.

LET ME GET ONTO THIS EDGE RIGHT HERE.

WE'RE GONNA DO A BEVEL NOW.

IT'S KIND OF A SHARPNESS THING.

I'M GONNA DO A 45-DEGREE ON THIS FACE RIGHT HERE, THIS CORNER, AND SO I'LL SET MY LITTLE FINGER GAUGE THERE TO THE THICKNESS OF THE WOOD AND THEN COME OVER AND GO DOWN, WHOOP, AND THAT HAS LAID OUT A 45-DEGREE ANGLE DOWN THIS END BOARD, SO I'M GONNA DO THIS END BOARD AND PARE OFF A LOT OF THE WOOD.

NOW I'M GONNA DO THE END, AS WE DO, AND BECAUSE IT'S SLOPING, I'M GONNA HAVE TO COME FROM THIS SIDE.

SO, I'LL PARE OFF THAT END TO KEEP IT FROM SPLINTERING.

WE DO THAT FIRST AND THEN RIGHT ON DOWN.

WORK ON DOWN.

I LOVE DOING THIS.

I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A KNOT IN THIS ONE.

UH... TULIP IS WHAT I CALL TULIP POPLAR.

SOME PEOPLE JUST CALL IT POPLAR, BUT THERE'S POPUL.

YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THIS POPUL ASPEN IN THE NORTH, BUT THIS IS GREAT WOOD FOR PROTOTYPING, IF NOTHING ELSE.

WHEN YOU GET A LITTLE HEART POPLAR, IT'S GREEN.

IT'S A WONDERFUL COLOR, DECAY-RESISTANT, AND TOUGHER THAN I THOUGHT HERE.

SO, ALL YOU'RE GONNA DO IS TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF BEVEL THERE.

YEAH.

I USED TO GET A WIRE EDGE ON THESE CHISELS AND PLANE IRONS AND STUFF AND THEN BREAK IT BY STROPPING LIKE THAT AND, AS JOHN FOX TOLD ME, THAT WORK-HARDENS THAT EDGE.

THERE'S THAT KNOT.

WHAT A NASTY KNOT.

THERE'S LEARY'S LAW, MY OLD FRIEND BOB LEARY, THAT A KNOT WILL APPEAR IN WOOD WHEREVER IT WILL DO THE MOST DIFFICULTY TO WHATEVER IT IS YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE.

THE POINT IS HERE, WE'RE TRYING TO GET AS MUCH AS WE CAN OF THIS WOOD OFF JUST PARING.

NOW, PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH HAND TOOLS SOMETIMES DON'T TAKE THE STAGES AND TRY AND PLANE THIS WHOLE THING DOWN.

I MEAN, COME ON.

NOW GET IT AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN WITH THE BIG PARING CHISEL, AND THEN WE'LL GO AFTER IT WITH THE PLANE.

I'M GOING A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH RIGHT THERE, BUT THAT'S GOOD.

NOW I'M GONNA CHECK THIS WITH MY BEVEL.

HERE IT IS.

I'VE SET UP A BEVEL TO 45 DEGREES SO WE CAN CHECK THAT AND SEE.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S PRETTY GOOD THERE.

45 DEGREES NOW, AND THAT'S JUST DONE WITH THE CHISEL, THE PARING CHISEL, PARING IT OFF.

NOW WE'RE GONNA DO IT WITH THE PLANE, SO I TAKE A HINT FROM THE COOPERS AGAIN AND SET UP LIKE A COOPER'S JOINTER.

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN COOPERS?

THEY MAKE, OF COURSE, ALL KIND OF COOPERED CONTAINERS, CASKS.

BARRELS IS ONE SIZE OF THAT.

THEY WILL SET UP A PLANE LIKE THIS CALLED A COOPER'S JOINTER.

NOW HERE, I'VE ALSO SHAVED MY HAND RIGHT OFF BECAUSE THAT'S A RAZOR-SHARP BLADE RIGHT THERE.

SET THIS UP AND THEN WORK THE WOOD DOWN IT LIKE THAT, AND IT'S MUCH EASIER BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS YOU CAN DO IS CHECK--OOP, THIS IS THE WRONG BEVEL HERE--MUCH EASIER.

YOU CAN IMAGINE, IF THIS WAS IN A VISE, IT'S A LITTLE HARDER TO KEEP CHECKING, SO JUST WORK THIS AND TRY AND GET A GOOD 45 FLAT.

OOH, I NEED TO KICK OPEN A LOT MORE.

SHOULDN'T BE TALKING AND DOING THIS BECAUSE THERE'S PLENTY TO LISTEN TO.

YOU CAN HEAR HOW WONDERFULLY SHARP THAT PLANE IS.

YOU CAN SEE, I'M STARTING TO GET THAT JUST RIGHT DOWN THERE.

YEAH.

ISN'T THAT NICE?

ALL RIGHT.

SO, I KEEP CHECKING IT.

LITTLE BIT THICK RIGHT THERE, SO LET'S JUST DO THIS UPPER PART, AND YOU HEAR A LITTLE BIT OF SPLINTERING AT THE TOP.

THE MOLDING IN THE NEXT STAGE, YOU'RE GONNA TAKE CARE OF THAT.

WE'LL GET THAT DOWN ALL THE WAY.

ALL RIGHT.

ONE STROKE NOW.

COULDN'T BE BETTER.

ALL RIGHT., NOW, AS I SAY, SPLAYING OUT, THIS IS NOT A PRECISE 45-DEGREE ANGLE, BUT THIS IS CLOSE ENOUGH BECAUSE IT'S LIKE THE AREA YOU GET WHEN IT SPLAYS OUT JUST 7 DEGREES IS GONNA BE, LIKE, A HALF A DEGREE, SO WE WILL DO THAT FINAL FITTING WHEN WE PUT THIS THING TOGETHER, MAKE SURE IT LOOKS GOOD FOR US NOW.

WE'VE GOT A FEW MORE THINGS WE HAVE TO DO TO THIS PIECE NOW, AND THEY START WITH THE OUTER SPLAY., WE'VE DONE THIS CORNER SPLAY, BUT THE TOP ALSO HAS TO BE LEVEL, AND HERE'S A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN MAKE MISTAKES, AS I HAVE DONE MANY A TIME.

I'VE GOT LOTS OF PIECES THIS SIZE.

THAT'S WHY YOU WANT TO DO THIS IN TULIP POPLAR INSTEAD OF IN NICE WALNUT.

MARK THE SIDE THAT YOU KNOW YOU'RE GONNA TAKE SOME WOOD OFF WITH A PENCIL AND THEN DO PENCIL LINES ACROSS TO HELP SHOW YOU WHERE YOU HAVE PLANED ALREADY.

SO, I KNOW THAT THIS IS GONNA SPLAY OUT, SO THIS IS GONNA BE HIGH CORNER.

THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO TAKE OFF TO MAKE THE TOP OF OUR BOX LEVEL, THE TOP--OOH, WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?-- THE TOP EDGES LEVEL.

SOMETHING IS GRABBING THERE.

YEAH.

WASN'T HOLDING THE PLANE QUITE RIGHT.

LET'S CHECK THAT NOW, AND THIS IS SET, AGAIN, TO THAT 7 1/2-DEGREE ANGLE., SO, I'VE GOT IT PRETTY GOOD THERE, AND I JUST BRING OVER UNTIL THE PENCIL LINES DISAPPEAR.

HARD TO PLANE SOMETIMES A SHORT PIECE LIKE THIS.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND CUT THAT UPPER GROOVE THERE.

WE NEED THAT GROOVE WHERE THE LID GOES.

I'M GONNA USE THIS PLANE HERE.

THIS IS A PLOW PLANE.

IT'S ACTUALLY A COMBINATION PLANE, OR, YOU COULD SAY, A STANLEY 45, VERY MODERN.

THIS IS 100 YEARS LATER THAN THE TIME WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, 1780s, TO USE THIS PLANE, BUT THERE ARE CERTAINLY WOODEN ONES, OF GREAT BEAUTY THAT DO THIS JOB, BUT THE POINT IS, I'VE GOT NOW THAT BEVEL ON TOP, AND SO THIS WILL KEEP THE GROOVE FOR THE LID ALSO HORIZONTAL BECAUSE THE SIDES SLOPE OUT AND WE HAVE GOT TO KEEP THAT GROOVE LEVEL, NOT AT THE SLOPE.

NOW, SEE, IT BOTTOMS OUT AND STOPS BECAUSE IT HIT THE BOTTOM OF THAT DEPTH STOP RIGHT THERE.

THIS IS GREAT, THE SAME THINGS THAT YOU HAVE IN GERMANY OR WHEREVER IN THE 1780s TO MAKE THIS KIND OF WORK.

NOW WE WANT TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF MOLDING ON THIS TOP EDGE.

YOU SEE, YOU DO THE MOLDING LAST BECAUSE ALL THESE OTHER PROCESSES WOULD RUB ON IT, YOU KNOW, AND MESS IT UP, AND HERE, I HAVE A COMPOUND MOLDING PLANE THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE RESHAPED.

YOU'LL SEE WHEN I USE IT, I'M GONNA HAVE TO JUST KIND OF-- IT'S GONNA TAKE A BIG CUT.

LET ME PUT IT THAT WAY.

SO, THIS WILL BE VERY BOLD.

I BETTER REALLY GRAB THIS.

THIS IS GONNA CUT WHAT'S CALLED AN OVALO.

NOT TOO BAD, BUT I DO NEED TO RESHAPE THE IRON BECAUSE IT'S TAKING A HECK OF A BITE, BUT, AGAIN, IT HAS A DEPTH STOP ON IT, TOO, WHEN IT HITS BOTTOM.

LET'S SEE HOW THAT LOOKS.

NOW, YOU CAN'T SEE IT REAL WELL.

I HAVE TO HOLD IT IN THE SHADOW FOR YOU TO SEE IT, BUT THERE IT IS.

YOU SEE THE HALF ROUND THERE?

SO, ISN'T THAT NICE?

THAT'S ONE OF OUR ENDS THERE.

WE'VE GOT THE LID CUT, GROOVE.

WE GOT TO DO THE BOTTOM GROOVE DOWN HERE FOR THE FALSE BOTTOM.

LET'S GO AHEAD AND SEE HOW WE START TO GLUE IT TOGETHER BECAUSE WE WANT TO START ASSEMBLING THESE PIECES.

LET'S SEE IF I'VE GOT ANOTHER-- OH, HERE IT IS.

ALL RIGHT.

WE WANT TO START PUTTING THESE PIECES TOGETHER.

I DO IT UPSIDE DOWN SO YOU'RE BUILDING LIKE A PYRAMID.

THE PIECES TEND TO LEAN TOGETHER A LOT BETTER THAN THEY DO SPLAYED OUT LIKE THAT, SO ASSEMBLE IT UPSIDE DOWN.

CHECK YOUR FIT AND EVERYTHING.

MAKE SURE EVERYTHING LINES UP ON THE INSIDE AND THAT THE BEVELS ARE RIGHT, THAT THIS EDGE IS SQUARE AND THEN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AS NECESSARY, AND THAT'S FINE.

NOW YOU'RE READY TO PUT GLUE ON THIS.

GLUE IT TOGETHER OR, YOU KNOW, HAVE YOUR DOVETAILS OR SPLINE OR HOWEVER YOU'RE GONNA DO IT.

I'M JUST DOING PROTOTYPES, SO THE GLUE IS FINE WITH ME.

A PROBLEM IS, HOW DO YOU CLAMP THIS TOGETHER?

HOW ARE YOU GONNA CLAMP THOSE THINGS TOGETHER?

WELL, THE WAY WE'LL DO IT IS MAKE GLUE BLOCKS.

I'VE GOT ONE RIGHT HERE.

WE'LL MAKE--OOP-- LITTLE GLUE BLOCKS AND THE DAY BEFORE WE GLUE THE WHOLE THING TOGETHER, PUT THESE GLUE BLOCKS ON.

THEY WILL ENABLE THE CLAMPS TO GRIP.

I'VE GOT ONE ALL READY TO GO DOWN HERE UNDER THE BENCH.

WE'LL GET THESE GUYS OUT OF THE WAY,, AND WE'LL SEE HOW THAT INTERMEDIATE STAGE OF GLUING IT ALL TOGETHER-- OH, IT LOOKS TERRIBLE.

GOSH, LOOKS LIKE IT'S BEEN IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT THERE.

THIS IS ALL THE CLAMPS AND EVERYTHING.

I'M GONNA JUST TAKE THEM OFF AND SEE HOW WE HAVE DONE.

YEAH.

IT'S GLUED UP NICE.

THE CORNERS ARE TIGHT.

LET ME TAKE THIS OFF, AND NOW WE HAVE GOT THIS THING THAT LOOKS LIKE A PUNK CANDLE BOX.

WHAT'S THAT?

IT'S GOT STUDS ON IT, SO WE NEED TO TAKE THAT OFF.

LET'S SEE.

I'M GONNA JUST USE A HATCHET HERE AND SEE IF WE CAN DO IT.

HERE'S WHERE YOU WANT GLUE NOT TO BE AS STRONG AS THE WOOD BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH THE CLAMPING-- WE'LL TRY THIS ONE RIGHT HERE AND JUST SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

MAYBE I'LL JUST SPLINTER THIS WHOLE THING AND RUIN IT, OR MAYBE THE GLUE WILL JUST COME RIGHT CLEAN OFF, SEE?

SO, THERE'S THE GLUE BLOCK.

OOP, HIT THE WRONG END.

THERE WE GO, AND THEN WE CAN JUST PLANE AND SCRAPE OFF THAT EXTRA GLUE ON THAT CORNER, AND WE'VE GOT A NICE CORNER, BUT THAT'S THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN GET THE CLAMPS TO GO ON THERE, IS TO PUT ON THOSE GLUE BLOCKS THE DAY BEFORE.

SO, YOU SEE HOW THIS FITS WITH THE 45s.

THERE'S THAT COMMON END ON THERE, VERY NICE.

ON THE OTHER SIDE, THOUGH, WE HAVE TO PUT IN A THIN PIECE.

NOW REMEMBER, THIS IS WHERE THE SECRET DRAWER COMES OUT, SO WE'RE GONNA DO A QUARTER-INCH-THICK PIECE HERE AND FILL OUT THE REST WITH A HALF-INCH RIGHT HERE, SO THIS IS OUR NEXT STEP HERE.

THIS IS JUST CHISELED IN.

AFTER WE'VE DONE IT, MAKE SURE IT'S EXACTLY TO MATCH THE OTHER END.

MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS SQUARE AND GLUE THAT PIECE IN.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S GO AHEAD AND LOOK AT HOW WE DO THE GROOVE, HOW WE DO THAT FAKE END SO WE CAN DO OUR SECRET DRAWER BECAUSE THAT IS THE TRICK, ISN'T IT?

NOW, THE ORIGINAL HAD A SQUARE END, SO IT WAS EASIER.

IT ACTUALLY COULD SLIDE IN THE GROOVES.

HERE, TO MAKE MINE WORK, THE BEVELS-- ON A BEVELED EDGE, IT WOULD REVEAL ANY GROOVES THAT THIS SLID IN--SO, LIKE, SLIDING GROOVES THERE-- SO I HAD TO CENTER THE SAME THING BY DOING THAT SLIDING DOVETAIL.

YOU SEE HOW THE MOLDING, GLUED ON THE BOTTOM, COMES UP.

THIS IS A HALF-INCH THICK WITH A DOVETAIL SLOT UP THE MIDDLE AND I DOVETAILED KEY RIGHT THERE.

SO, WE'RE READY TO DO THAT NOW.

IT WILL, OF COURSE, GIVE US THE HIDDEN PLACE FOR THIS TO SLIDE ON, AND, OF COURSE, THE DOVETAIL HAS THE ADVANTAGE THAT AS YOU SLIDE DOWN, IT GETS TIGHTER.

YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT CAPS OVER AND CONCEALS ITSELF.

LET'S JUST SEE HOW TO DO THE DOVETAILS.

I THINK YOU GET THE POINT THERE.

AGAIN, YOU USE A LOT OF THE PLOW PLANE IN THIS WORK, SO WE GOT THAT--ALL RIGHT-- OUT OF THE WAY.

HERE'S A PIECE THAT I HAVE DONE, AGAIN, 3/4 INCH THICK, BUT YOU SEE ALL THESE GROOVES THAT ARE IN IT?

THAT IS HOW YOU LEVEL IT.

YOU PLOW QUARTER-INCH-DEEP GROOVES BECAUSE WE WANT TO BRING THIS 3/4 INCH DOWN TO A HALF-INCH.

WELL, FIRST THING YOU NEED TO DO IS HAVE SOME KIND OF DEPTH STOPS, AND ALSO, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO CHISEL THE WHOLE FACE, SO YOU DON'T CHISEL THE WHOLE FACE.

YOU CUT GROOVES DOWN, OH, EVERY 3/4, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER YOU FEEL APPROPRIATE, HOW PRECISE YOU WANT TO DO THIS, AND THEN YOU CAN SPLIT OUT LIKE I'M DOING OR PROBABLY MORE CAREFULLY PARE OUT THE WOOD, OK?

LEVEL IT OUT THERE, AND THEN YOU HAVE THAT DEPTH STOP BECAUSE THIS HAS GOT TO BE PRETTY PRECISELY A HALF-INCH THICK.

THE OTHER WAY YOU COULD DO IT IS, OF COURSE, TO RIP SAW, GET YOUR RIP SAW AND RIP DOWN THE END AND SAW THAT WHOLE FACE OFF, BUT I FIND THIS IS JUST AS QUICK, SO THERE WE GO.

WE'VE GOT THAT DOWN WITH THE, AGAIN, ROUGHING IT IN AS WE DID BEFORE AND WE'LL DO ALL OF THIS.

THIS GOES ALL THE WAY UP TO THAT SHOULDER.

LET ME JUST GO AHEAD AND PLANE RIGHT HERE.

GOT A LITTLE NUMBER 2 PLANE.

SO, YOU GET IN THERE AND THEN JUST PLANE DOWN THAT FACE, AND WE HAVE THIS THING EXACTLY A HALF-INCH THICK BECAUSE THOSE DEPTH STOPS ALL THE WAY DOWN, KIND OF THE WAY WE HEW A LOG, SO DEPTH STOPS ALL THE WAY DOWN TILL WE GET TO A PIECE LIKE THIS RIGHT HERE.

SO, LET'S MOVE ON.

WE'LL CHANGE OUT TO THIS PIECE, AH, AND I GUESS THEY WERE TRYING TO BRING PEACE INTO THE WILDERNESS, THE MISSIONARIES.

ALL RIGHT.

SO, NOW WE'VE GOT THAT READY TO GO.

SO, WE'RE DOWN A HALF-INCH ALL THE WAY ACROSS, AND, REMEMBER, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT KEY THERE SET IN, AND IT IS GOING TO FIT IN LIKE THIS.

SEE, IT'S GONNA FIT UP IN THERE LIKE THAT, ALL RIGHT, BUT THIS IS THE SURFACE THAT WE WANT TO COPY, SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER AND SQUARE IT UP.

WE JUST RUN THE PENCIL DOWN THE INSIDES HERE.

THE BEAUTIFUL THING WITH A DOVETAIL IS THAT YOU CAN JUST KIND OF FUDGE IT.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY UP FLUSH.

YOU DON'T WANT IT TO BECAUSE IT GETS TIGHTER AND TIGHTER AS IT GOES UP THERE, SO YOU CAN ADJUST IT VERY EASILY.

ALL RIGHT, SO FROM THERE, YOU CAN THEN GO DOWN-- HERE.

IN FACT, LET ME CHANGE.

I GOT ANOTHER PIECE RIGHT HERE READY TO GO IN THAT I'VE ALREADY STRUCK.

I GOT A BUNCH OF THESE IN-PROCESS.

ALREADY STRUCK THE LINE DOWN.

SO, YOU MOVE THAT IN.

I TIGHTENED THIS UP JUST A HAIR FROM THAT DOVETAIL KEY THAT I'VE LAID OUT.

I USE A KNIFE.

AH.

WE'LL CUT THAT LINE AND THEN CUT IT AGAIN ON THE INSIDE, THE WASTE SIDE, TAKING OUT A LITTLE SHAVING-- THERE WE GO; OOPS, TRASH THAT KNIFE-- AND THEN WE CAN GO IN WITH THE SAW.

NOW, LET ME FIND MY DOVETAIL KEY.

HERE IT IS.

ALL RIGHT.

SORRY.

THIS IS GONNA GUIDE US ON THE ANGLE THAT WE WANT THAT CUT TO BE AT SO IT'S GONNA SLIP UP INSIDE THERE, SO USE THAT NEXT TO US AS A GUIDE TO JUST EYEBALL THE ANGLE.

NOW, IF YOU WANT TO CUT ONE OF THESE INTO A BULLNOSE LIKE THIS OR IF YOU'RE THE KIND OF PERSON, WHO LIKES TO DO A LITTLE MORE EXTRA WORK, TO MAKE IT EASIER ON YOURSELF, YOU CUT A LITTLE POCKET RIGHT THERE FOR THE SAWDUST TO GO INTO.

ALSO, IF YOU SHARPEN YOUR SAWS-- THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT.

SO, CUT DOWN EXACTLY A QUARTER-INCH ON THAT SIDE, A QUARTER-INCH ON THAT SIDE.

WE CAN CUT ALL THE WAY UP TO THAT END.

NOW WE'RE READY TO CHISEL OUT, SO GOING STEP BY STEP, WORKING ALONG, AND CHISEL BACK AND SPLINTER OUT THAT WOOD.

SO, WE CAN SPLINTER OUT DOWN UNDERNEATH... THAT SLIDING DOVETAIL SHOULDERS THAT WE HAVE SAWN.

WELL, LOSING MY VISE HERE.

I SAY, I'VE GOT JUST A QUARTER-INCH TO GRIP IT DOWN THERE WITH MY FACE VICE, SO I'M A LITTLE LEERY OF HITTING IT WITH THE CHISEL.

WE'LL GET THAT DOWN, ALL RIGHT, AND THEN DOWN HERE.

ALL RIGHT, SO THAT'S CLEAR NOW.

SO, THAT'LL CLEAR OUT MOST OF THE WOOD DOWN THERE, AND THEN WE START WORKING WITH A PARING CHISEL, A NARROWER PARING CHISEL.

YOU KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THE CHISELS ARE IN THIS WORK?

LAYING IT DOWN AND JUST TAKING OUT THE WOOD IN THAT UNDERCUT.

NOW, WE KEEP WORKING OUR WAY DOWN, TEST-FITTING THE DOVETAIL KEY THAT'S GONNA FIT INSIDE THERE.

SEE HOW THAT FITS IN THERE?

THAT'S WHAT'S GONNA HOLD IT.

SO, THIS WONDERFUL SLIDING DOVETAIL JOINT IS WHAT MAKES THIS WORK, SO WORK IT ON DOWN UNTIL YOU'RE READY TO REALLY GET IT SMOOTH.

SO, I'M GONNA CHANGE OUT TO YET ONE MORE STEP.

I'LL DO THAT WITH THE ROUTER AND WORK THAT UP THERE-- HERE WE GO-- AND THE ROUTER PLANE JUST FITS RIGHT IN THERE.

IT HAS A LITTLE IRON THAT HANGS DOWN BELOW.

YOU SEE THAT IRON DOWN THERE HANGING DOWN BELOW THERE?

THAT'S SET JUST TO THE RIGHT DEPTH BENEATH THE BED OF THE PLANE WE HAVE HERE THAT IT WILL SHAVE OUT DEAD SMOOTH.

ALL RIGHT, SO YOU CAN SHAVE OUT DEAD SMOOTH.

OF COURSE, YOU CAN DO IT ALL WITH THE GOUGE,, BUT THE ROUTER PLANE MAKES A VERY NICE JOB OF IT.

SO, THIS IS GONNA FIT UP IN THERE.

THERE'S THAT KEY.

NOW WE'VE GOT THIS SET UP IN THERE, SET ALL THE WAY UP, FLUSH IN THERE.

LET'S SAY THAT'S SET IN.

NOW WE WANT TO SET IT.

HOW DO WE BLINDLY GLUE THIS PIECE ONTO THE BOX, YOU KNOW, AND MAKE IT ACCURATELY ALIGNED?

YOU DO THAT BY THE SAME OLD WAY YOU DO, I GUESS, DOWELING A LOT.

TAKE A TINY, LITTLE BRAD.

DRIVE IT IN THERE AND DRIVE ANOTHER ONE HERE-- A LITTLE BRAD, LIKE A TINY 3/4-INCH SPRIG-- AND THEN SNIP IT OFF JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE, AND THEN YOU'RE READY TO FIT IT ONTO THIS FACE BY TAKING THE THING-- IT'S ALL PUSHED UP INTO PLACE THERE,, AND LET'S TRY THIS ONE HERE.

THIS ONE IS READY TO GO.

IT'LL GLUE BETTER.

SO, THERE'S THOSE LITTLE SPRIGS.

YOU GET THIS ALIGNED JUST RIGHT AND PUSH IT UP IN THERE, AND THE LITTLE SPRIGS THAT ARE IN HERE WILL MARK THIS BACKBOARD, AND THEN YOU CAN TAKE THIS OUT AND GLUE IT ON PRECISELY IN THE SPOT WHERE YOU NEED IT, AND THAT WILL ENABLE YOU TO MAKE A DOVETAIL SLOT THAT FITS PERFECTLY DOWN INSIDE THERE.

THERE YOU GO, SO ALL YOU HAVE TO DO THEN AFTER YOU GOT THE GROOVES, YOU GOT THIS THING GLUED, YOU HAVE THAT SECRET COMPARTMENT THERE-- LET'S SEE--YOU GOT TO MAKE YOUR LITTLE DRAWER TO GO DOWN IN THE BOTTOM.

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO TO FOLLOW UP IS TO MAKE YOUR MOLDINGS.

YOU JUST DO THAT, AGAIN, ROUGHING IN WITH THE PLOW PLANE AND MAKE THE CURVES WITH OUR CURVED MOLDING PLANES, AND IF WE PUT THIS TOP TOGETHER WITH ONE OF THEM LEFT LOOSE AND THE MOLDING GLUED TO THE LID INSTEAD, WE HAVE OUR OTHER COMPARTMENT, SO THERE YOU GO.

AGAIN, THIS IS A PROTOTYPE I'M WORKING ON.

I'LL TRY IT, ONCE I GET THE DESIGN WORKED OUT, IN WALNUT.

THAT'S THE WAY WE DO IT.

ALL RIGHT.

I'M READY TO GO AND CONVERT SOME OF THE HEATHENS.

THIS IS ROY UNDERHILL.

THANKS FOR JOINING ME HERE IN THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP.

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

SO LONG.

Announcer: LEARN MORE ABOUT "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" AND TRADITIONAL WOODWORKING ON OUR WEB SITE.

YOU CAN FIND US ON-LINE AT... 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 IN BOOKSTORES AND LIBRARIES.