Early Iron with Peter Ross

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HI.

I'M ROY UNDERHILL.

I'M HERE WITH PETER ROSS, AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A TRIP BACK TO THE 17th CENTURY.

IS THAT RIGHT?

THAT'S RIGHT.

GIVE ME A COUPLE MORE MINUTES TO STAY WHERE I AM.

OH, ALL RIGHT.

WELL, WE'RE HERE IN THE 21st WORKING ON-- NOW THIS IS PART OF A LOCK THAT PETER HAS SEEN AT JAMESTOWN.

WHERE THE FIRST SETTLERS, YOU KNOW, IN VIRGINIA, GOT OFF THE BOAT, AND I DON'T RECOGNIZE THIS PART AT ALL.

NO, THIS IS AN INTERESTING LOCK.

LET ME FINISH THIS.

ALL RIGHT.

LOOKS LIKE AN ARROWHEAD.

SO THIS... OK. ALL RIGHT.

THERE'S THE PART.

LET ME CUT IT FROM THE BAR.

AND THEN THE FORGING WILL BE DONE FOR THIS PART.

ALL RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, FOLKS THINK OF PILGRIMS IN 1620 UP IN MASSACHUSETTS, BUT WHAT PETER'S BEEN LOOKING AT IS STUFF THAT WAS FROM 1610.

IS THAT RIGHT?

YES, THIS IS LONG BEFORE THE PILGRIMS CAME.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

THIS IS A EARLY LOCK, ANYWAY.

UH-HUH, ALL RIGHT.

HERE IS THE FINISHED PART.

I STILL DON'T RECOGNIZE IT.

BUT THAT'S IT.

IT'S JUST A LITTLE ARROWHEAD.

AND THIS IS NOTX FOR A DOOR LOCK, THOUGH.

A DOOR LOCK, I FIGURED, BUT THIS A CABINET.

A CHEST LOCK?

IT'S INTERESTING.

ARCHEOLOGISTS FOUND ALMOST NO HOUSE HARDWARE IN THE EARLY YEARS OF JAMESTOWN.

LOTS OF FURNITURE HARDWARE, SO THAT'S WHAT THIS IS.

A KIND OF A TRUNK LOCK.

LET ME SHOW YOU ONE.

I'M NOT GOING TO PICK IT UP, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S HOT, BUT CAN WE LOOK AT WHATT YOU'VE GOT OVER HERE WHILE THAT COOLS OFF?

LET ME SHOW YOU ONE, YEAH.

SO...

THIS IS GREAT!

SO I KNOW YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH STANDARD ENGLISH 18th- AND 19th-CENTURY LOCKS.

SO THAT'S A TYPICAL HALF MORTISE.

YEAH, IF I WAS BUILDING A NICE 18th-CENTURY CHEST.

A 19th-CENTURY WOULDN'T LOOK MUCH DIFFERENT.

LOOK ALMOST THEV SAME, EVEN INTO THE 20th CENTURY.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

WE THOUGHT, WELL, MAYBE THE ENGLISH LOCKS FROM THE 17th CENTURY WOULD BE SIMILAR.

BUT THEY'RE ACTUALLY NOT SIMILAR AT ALL, THE ONES THAT SURVIVED.

THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING.

SO SHOW US ONE,P THE TYPICAL ONE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

WELL, FOR A VERY SMALL CUPBOARD DOOR, YOU'D HAVE A LOCK LIKE THIS.

THAT'S TYPICAL OF SOME OF THOSE EARLY 17th-CENTURY ONES.

BUT THE TRUNK LOCKS THAT TURNED UP ARE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FORM.

SO BEFORE I SHOW YOU THE ENGLISH ONE, LET ME SHOW YOU THE FORM, BECAUSE I HAVE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES HERE.

SO THE FIRST ONE WE'LL LOOK AT IS THIS REALLY EARLY, PROBABLY EUROPEAN, EXAMPLE.

CAN I OPERATE IT HERE?

SURE, SURE.

OH, OK, THAT'S THE CATCH.

YEAH, THE CATCH COMES IN THIS WAY.

OH, I SEE IT RIGHT HERE.

IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE...?

CAN I PUSH IT IN THERE?

YEAH, YOU CAN.

IT'D BE HARD TO GET IT OUT.

LET'S SAVE THAT FOR THE NEXT ONE.

BUT THAT WOULD GO IN THERE AND CATCH IN THERE.

IT SEEMS A LITTLE BIG FOR THIS ONE.

SO YOU'VE GOT TWO SPRINGS AND TWO GRABBERS, AND THEY'RE ACTUATED BY A LEVER THAT WOULD BE PWORKED BY A KEY DOWN HERE, I GUESS YOU'D HAVE THE KEY FOR THIS ONE.

SO THE MODERN TERMINOLOGY FOR THIS IS A CRAB LOCK OR A GRAB LOCK.

AND THAT'S A COMMON FORM.

THIS IS A COMMON FORM IN CONTINENTAL EUROPE.

HERE'S AN EXAMPLE THAT MAYBE YOU'VE SEEN MANY OF.

THAT'S A GERMANIC EXAMPLE FROM PENNSYLVANIA.

THIS ONE WAS MADE ABOUT 1780 IN PENNSYLVANIA BY A GERMANIC SMITH.

GOD.

IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

THEY'RE RATHER SMALL-- THERE'S SEVERAL OTHERS BY THE SAME MAKER THAT ARE SIGNED AND DATED.

WOW.

SO THAT'S THE ATTRIBUTION.

YEAH, SO THIS WOULD GO AGAINST THE WOOD HERE, AND THEN THIS SIDE WOULD BE EXPOSED ON THE INSIDE OF THE CHEST.

RIGHT.

THE SAME KIND OF A CATCH COMES IN FROM THE LID.

PUSHES IN THROUGH THERE.

SPRINGS THE CRABS OPEN.

SO HOW DOES THIS WORK?

SO I HAVE ONE HERE THAT I'VE MADE, THAT'S NOT FULLY ASSEMBLED YET.

WHY DON'T YOU LET ME DISASSEMBLE IT, AND I'LL SHOW YOU HOW THE PARTS WORK.

WE'LL TAKE THE COVER OFF.

AND THAT EXPOSES THE WORKS INSIDE.

SO HERE'S THE KEY.

ALL RIGHT.

AND WHEN THE KEY TURNS... SHOULD I TURN IT THIS WAY?

YEAH.

YOU CAN TURN THE KEY.

OK, I'VE GOT IT, SO I CAN SEE THE KEY DOWN THERE PUSHING ON THAT LEVER.

IT PUSHES THE LEVER, AND IT KICKS BOTH CRABS OUT SIMULTANEOUSLY.

SO NOW, WILL THE LITTLE CATCH THAT YOU WERE MAKING THERE, THAT ARROWHEAD, FIT IN THIS ONE?

IT MIGHT.

THIS IS AUALLY FOR THIS OTHER LOCK, OH, I'VE GOT IT, OK. WELL, SEE IF Y CAN SPRING IT OPEN.

YEAH, I'LL SEE IF I CAN UNLOCK IT THERE.

ALL RIGHT, BUT IF YOU TURN IT THAT WAY, THE CRABS OPEN.

SO THIS IS KIND OF NEAT.

IT'S SELF-ALIGNING, THIS WILL BE ON THE LID OF THE CHEST.

COME DOWN, PUSH IN THERE, LOCK, AND ONLY IF YOU HAD THE KEY, COULD YOU GET BACK IN.

RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, SO THIS IS A COMMON, AGAIN, GERMAN PATTERN, SAY, UH, WHAT-- RIGHT, AND I'VE NEVER SEEN A LOCK LIKE THIS ON AN ENGLISH-- YEAH, BECAUSE THESE WERE ENGLISH SETTLERS, WEREN'T THEY?

IN JAMESTOWN IN 1610, THEY'RE PRIMARILY ENGLISH.

THEY BROUGHT MOST OF THEIR STUFF FROM ENGLAND.

SO I DIDN'T SEE ANY PARTS LIKE THIS IN MOST OF MY TIME SPENT AT JAMESTOWN.

BUT UNTIL THE LAST 5 YEARS OR 8 YEARS, THEY'VE BEEN EXCAVATING NEW AREAS AROUND THE FORT THAT WAS DISCOVERED THERE, AND THEY TURNED UP TWO TRUNK LOCKS FROM THAT 1610 PERIOD, AND HERE'S-- THIS IS ONE.

LET'S TRADE.

ALL RIGHT, WELL, THIS IS A COPY.

THIS IS A COPY OF THE ORIGINAL, SO...

SO, THE SAME MECHANISM, BUT THIS TIME IT'S IN KIND OF A CASE.

RIGHT.

WHEN THIS ONE IS MOUNTED IN THE TRUNK, THIS IS WHAT'S VISIBLE ON THE INSIDE OF THE TRUNK.

SO THE WORKS ARE THE SAME, BUT IT'S ENCLOSED IN AN IRON CASE.

AND IS THAT UNUSUAL?

IT'S VERY UNUSUAL.

I'VE NEVER SEEN ANOTHER CRAB LOCK ENCLOSED IN A CASE LIKE THIS.

ALL THE OTHERS I'VE SEEN ARE LIKE THESE GERMAN EXAMPLES.

SO IT'S A MYSTERY SO FAR, THIS COULD BE AN ENGLISH FORM OF A CRAB LOCK.

THIS IS GREAT.

WELL, CAN I TAKE A LOOK AT THE DETAIL OF IT HERE?

SURE.

THE KEY, I MEAN, THAT'S THE PART OF YOUR SECURITY SYSTEM DOWN THERE, IT STARTS WITH THIS KEY, I GUESS, BEING HOLLOW.

ANY GOOD LOCK VHAS SEVERAL LAYERS OF SECURITY.

SO THE FIRST LAYER IS THAT THERE'S A POST.

ALL RIGHT, AND THAT'S HELD THERE AND KEEPS ANYTHING EXCEPT A HOLLOW KEY.

IT HAS TO BE A HOLLOW KEY.

A SOLID KEY LIKE THIS ONE CAN'T ENTER THE LOCK AT ALL.

ALL RIGHT, YOU'LL BE FRUSTRATED THERE WITH THAT.

ALL RIGHT, THEN YOU HAVE THE-- WHAT ARE THESE CALLED?

THOSE ARE CALLED WARDS, THE OBSTRUCTIONS AND THE SLOTS, THE CORRESPONDING SLOTS ON THE KEY ARE BOTH CALLED WARDS.

AND SO THIS KEY HAS TO HAVE WARDS TO CORRESPOND TO THE OBSTRUCTIONS.

AND THEN ON THIS SIDE, WE CAN SEE HOW THAT KEY PUSHES AGAINST, IN THIS CASE, TWO LEVERS HERE.

RIGHT, SO THERE'S A THIRD LAYER OF SECURITY.

OH, I SEE.

OK, OH, SO YOU COULDN'T JUST REACH IN AND PUSH ONE LEVER.

YOU HAVE TO REACH IN AND PUSH BOTH OF THEM.

SO THAT MAKES IT A LITTLE HARDER FOR YOU TO PICK THIS LOCK.

ONE LEVER ONLY OPERATES ONE ARM.

SO IF I PUSH THIS ONE, IT PUSHES THAT OVER IN, AND IF I PUSH THIS ONE,P WHICH HAS A TIGHT SPRING DOWN INSIDE...

THE SECOND LEVER WILL JUST PUSH THE OTHER ARM.

I GOT YOU.

SO BOTH LEVERS HAVE TO MOVE SIMULTANEOUSLY.

AND WHAT IS THIS FOR?

THIS IS JUST TO KEEP EVERYTHING ALIGNED?

THAT'S A COVER, IT KEEPS--IF WE TAKE THAT OUT... OH, OK. OH, ALL RIGHT.

ALL THE OTHER PARTS ARE LOOS.

THEY CAN ALL COME IN AND OUT EASILY.

LET ME TAKE THEM OUT.

YOU'RE GOING TO SHOW US, HOW TO MAKE SOME OF THESE PARTS HERE?

LET ME SEE.

I'LL PUT A LITTLE BIT OF SPREAD ON IT THERE.

ALL RIGHT, AND SO THIS IS THE FIRST OF THE LEVERS.

AND HERE'S THE SECOND LEVER.

LET ME SEE IF-- WANT TO SEE IF I CAN PULL THESE OUT.

YEAH, YEAH.

I WAS READY FOR YOU THIS TIME.

YEAH, IT'S HARD TO GET OUT.

SEE IF WE CAN GET THAT-- THERE WE GO, OK. AND THEN WE HAVE-- SO, VERY SIMPLE PARTS.

BUT YOU SAID THE SIMPLICITY, OR THE FORM, OF THESE PARTS, AS OPPOSED TO THIS ONE SHOWS A REAL WATERSHED.

THERE'S A BIG CHANGE IN THESE TWO.

WHAT IS IT?

CORRECT.

ALL THE PARTS IN THIS CRAB LOCK CAN BE FREE-HAND FORGED AT THE ANVIL WITH ALMOST NO SPECIAL TOOLS.

SO A BLACKSMITH-- NOT ANY BLACKSMITH, BUT A SKILLED SMITH, COULD MAKE THIS LOCK...

WITHOUT TOOLING UP.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THIS HALF MORTISE LOCK IS ESSENTIALLY CUT OUT OF SHEETS IN A FLY PRESS.

SO A FLY PRESS IS A BIG THING THAT USES THE LEVERAGE... SPECIAL GUIDES, BIG PUNCHES... AND WHAM, AND PUNCHES THIS OUT.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A LOT OF CAPITAL INVESTMENT, AND INDUSTRIALIZATION AND MASS PRODUCTION HERE, AND HERE THE HANDWORK OF THE SKILLED ARTISAN.

THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE.

THIS IS THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION.

YOU TOOK THE WORDS RIGHT OUT OF MY MOUTH.

WELL, IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO UNDERSTAND IT!

I COULD'VE SAID IT IN FEWER WORDS, BUT YOU DO OK. [LAUGHS] WELL, YOU'RE GOING TO SHOW US HOW TO MAKE SOME OF THESE PARTS, SO IN CASE YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUR OWN CRAB LOCK FROM THE 17th CENTURY.

SO WHICH PART SHOULD WE START WITH HERE?

LET'S BRING EVERYTHING ELSE WITH US.

OK, SO I'VE GOT DOWN TO PRETTY MUCH-- THESE ARE THE LAST PARTS THAT ARE RIVETED IN HERE.

YEAH, LET'S BRING THAT OVER TO THE ANVIL, AND WE'LL DO SOMETHING.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW WHICH PART SHALL IT BE?

LET ME STA BY MAKING THIS WARD POST.

THE WARD.

OK. AND SO HERE'S ONE SIMILAR.

YOU CAN SEE, THAT'S THE FORGING.

I WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T HOT.

AND SO AT SOME POINT, THE TWO LEGS GET BENT DOWN, AND THEY EXTEND RIGHT THROUGH THE CASE.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY RIVETED OVER.

IF YOU TURN THE LOCK OVER... YEAH.

THAT RIVET, AND THAT ONE ARE THE TENONS, ON THE ENDS OF THE LEGS OF THE WARD POST.

GOSH.

IT'S BUILT JUST LIKE WOOD... WITH MORTISE AND TENON JOINTS.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT, WELL, I'LL LET YOU GET THE FIRE HOT THERE.

SO THEY HAVEN'T-- SO PART OF THE PREMISE IS TO BE ABLE TO FORGE THE PARTS VERY CLOSE TO THEIR FINAL SHAPE.

AND THE DESIGN OF THE LOCK IS TO SUPPORT THAT.

AND WE ALSO WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THE-- COME UP WITH A METHOD THAT MAKES THE PART MOST TO ITS FINAL SHAPE RIGHT AT THE END.

AND VERY LITTLE WASTE IN MATERIAL AND ENERGY, BUT THIS IS A FORM, I GUESS, THAT EVOLVED IN THAT ENVIRONMENT OF THE SMITH-- THE LOCAL SMITH MAKING THESE THINGS, AND LEARNING THIS TRADE, AND, GOSH, THAT CHANGED WITH MORE TRANSPORTATION, AND CENTRALIZATION OF PRODUCTION.

ALL RIGHT, SO I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU A QUICK WAY... TO MAKE THIS FORM... OK. THAT'S MORE HANDY.

WITH VERY LITTLE EFFORT, WITH VERY LITTLE STRUGGLE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THIS IS HOT.

GETTING OUT OF THE WAY IS MY JOB?

ALL RIGHT.

SHOO.

I'LL MOVE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE'RE HERE VAT THE ANVIL.

WHAT I WAS SAYING, THIS IS BEING DONE IN ENGLAND NOW, NOT IN THE COLONIES.

RIGHT, SO...

I THINK YOU'LL SEE IN A SECOND... AND THIS PROCESS HERE IS CALLED WHAT?

I'M JUST DRAWING, DRAWING OUT.

SO WHEN YOU THIN SOMETHING, THAT'S DRAWING IT OUT.

ALL RIGHT.

AND WE'LL CUT THE BAR.

ROLLING IT ON THE HARDY.

SO THAT'S A CHISEL THAT FITS IN THE TOP OF THE ANVIL.

ALL RIGHT.

THIS IS IRON, SO IT CUTS EASILY.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THAT'S DIFFERENT.

MILD STEEL BEHAVES A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH.

IF YOU'VE GOT WROUGHT IRON, IT WAS MADE A WHILE AGO.

YES.

YEAH.

SO THE BEST WAY TO MIMIC THE EARLY WORK IS TO TRY TO USE THE SAME MATERIAL.

WELL, PART OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS THE EXPERIMENTAL HISTORY OF TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT.

IT'S LIKE YOU SAID, WE DON'T KNOW WHY THIS IS THE ENGLISH STYLE.

BUT YOU NEVER KNOW WHETHER YOU WON'TV FIND SOME CLUES BY TRYING TO REPLICATE IT.

EXACTLY RIGHT.

NOW, THAT'S ALREADY HOT.

SO THAT'S GOING TO HEAT UP REAL FAST.

TAKE THAT HARDY OUT OF THE ANVIL.

ALL RIGHT.

PUT IT DOWN HERE?

YEAH.

OK.

SO NOW WE'LL DO THE SECOND END.

A VOID.

YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE IT HANGING OVER THE EDGE OF THE ANVIL.

THAT VOID IS DOING AS MUCH WORK AS THE SURFACE.

WELL, THIS IS ACTUALLY... A VERY GOOD WAY OF MAKING AN ACCURATE SHAPE.

WOW.

INSTEAD OF TRYING TO HIT THAT SPOT...

RIGHT.

WITH YOUR HAMMER...

I GOT YOU, OK.

HANG IT OVER THE ANVIL... YOU LET THE ANVIL MAKE THAT, AND JUST--THE HAMMER HANGS OVER THE EDGE.

IT'S LIKE YOU HAVE A SHAPE.

YOU'VE PUT--A HAMMER THAT NEVER MISSES DOWN THERE UNDERNEATH.

AND AGAIN, WE'RE HEADED FOR THIS PART RIGHT HERE.

CORRECT.

HOLY COW!

OK, ONE MORE HEAT AND WE'LL HAVE IT.

NOW, I KNOW ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THESE GUYS TRIED TO DO AT JAMESTOWN-- WELL, WHEN THEY FIGURED THERE WAS NO GOLD RUNNING EVERYWHERE, WAS--THEY TRIED TO MAKE IRON?

WHEN WAS THAT TACKLED?

WELL, 1608.

REALLY?

RIGHT AWAY.

THEY WERE EXPERIMENTING WITH SMELTING IRON ORE. YEAH.

WHEN DID THEY START EATING EACH OTHER?

THAT WAS A BAD TIME.

THEY HAD TO HAVE IRON FIRST.

TO MAKE THE FORKS, I GUESS.

GOD.

THIS WAS TA HORRIFIC, ROUGH TIME FOR THESE FOLKS.

ALL RIGHT... AGAIN, WHEN IT'S HOT--I KNOW IT HEATS REALLY, REALLY QUICKLY.

SO NOW I'M GOING TO USE THE REALLY FLAT PEENP OF THE HAMMER... ALL RIGHT.

AND JUST STRETCH.

SO THAT IS SPREADING ONLY TO THE SIDE... THAT'S HALF OF IT.

YEAH, I GOT YOU.

TO LOOK AT THIS, I WOULD SAY HERE'S A PIECE OF SHEET IRON THAT WOULD'VE BEEN CUT OUT FOR THIS SHAPE, BUT INSTEAD IT'S A BAR THAT'S SPREAD.

EXACTLY.

IT'S JUST SPREAD OUT TO THE SHAPE YOU WANT, NOT CUT OUT.

AND THEN YOU WOULD BEND THATV AND BRING IT DOWN AND SOME MINIMAL FILING TO BRING IT TO THE SHAPE THAT YOU NEED.

SO CUTTING IT OUT WOULD MEAN LOTS OF WASTE.

ALL THIS STUFF YOU CUT OFF WOULD BE WASTE.

THIS WAY, YOU CAN HAMMER ALMOST EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT.

NO WASTE.

ALL RIGHT, SO THIS IS GREAT.

IT CAME OUT OF THE WORLD THAT IT WAS IN.

IT'S NOT LIKE THESE ARE ARBITRARY DESIGNS.

THEY COME OUT OF THE TIME WHEN THE RESOURCES WERE SCARCE, AND THE LABOR AND THE TECHNOLOGY OF THEIR TIME.

IT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW THE DESIGN OF THE LOCK, IS, IN SOME REGARD, A RESPONSE TO THE MATERIAL CHARACTERISTICS AND THE TECHNOLOGY YOU HAVE AVAILABLE.

NOW, SPEAKING OF WHICH, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU ABOUT SOME OF THESE OTHER PARTS HERE.

THIS IS THE SPRING.

NOW, IS THAT WROUGHT IRON AS WELL?

THAT IS STEEL.

THAT'S A MEDIUM CARBON STEEL.

UH-HUH, OK, SO THE WROUGHT IRON DIDN'T DO AS WELL FOR YOU THERE?

YOU KNOW, I TRIED MAKING AN IRON SPRING TO SEE IF THAT WOULD WORK, AND I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET ONE TO SUCCEED YET.

BUT I HAVEN'T-- I HAVEN'T MADE A REAL CONCLUSION YET.

[LAUGHS] WELL, YOU HAVEN'T DONE THE METAL.

YOU DO HAVE THE ARTIFACT, THOUGH.

BUT YOU'RE NOT REALLY GOING TO DO A DAMAGING... CAN'T DO A DESTRUCTIVE TESTING.

TESTING ON THAT.

SO THIS IS USEFUL HERE TO EXPERIMENT.

SO WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO WORK ON NOW?

WELL, I'M GOING TO START ANOTHER PART.

AND LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT IT IS AS WE PROGRESS HERE.

SO IT'LL BE A MYSTERY...

IT'S ABOUT HOT.

I'M READY.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO KNOW WHEN TO GET OUT OF THE WAY.

SO DRAWING OUT OVER THE HORN.

YEAH, I CAN SEE THAT'S A MUCH FASTER THING.

SO, AGAIN, THAT'S LIKE A SHAPED HAMMER UNDERNEATH.

IN THIS WORK, WHERE THE WORK IS RESTING IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS WHERE YOU'RE HITTING IT.

HUH.

THAT WAS--YOU MADE SHORT WORK OF THAT THERE.

SO YOU'VE MADE A ROD, A LONG ROD.

I MADE A ROUND TENON.

OK, WELL, I SEE THE ONLY THING ON HERE THAT LOOKS LIKE THAT... IS THAT POST RIGHT THERE.

THAT'S THE KEY POST, IS WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

EXACTLY.

SO THE KEY POST, THEN, WAS IT JUST TENONS INTO THE PLATE HERE, INTO THE BOX?

WELL, LET ME FINISH IT.

HANG ON.

MOVE THAT OUT A LITTLE... OH, OK. [LAUGHS] I AM AMAZED YOU'RE ABLE TO WORK UNDER THESE CONDITIONS.

THIS IS TERRIBLE.

[LAUGHS], THERE'S AMAZEMENT TO GO AROUND.

YOU GET IT ROTATING ON THE HOT CUT-- YEAH, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW EASILY IRON BREAKS ONCE IT'S NOTCHED LIKE THAT.

YEAH, ALL RIGHT.

SO YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH IT OR IT'LL BREAK UNINTENTIONALLY.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW WE'LL TAKE THE HEAT ON THAT.

AND I'M GOING TO USE A SPECIAL TOOL... CALLED A BOLSTER.

IT'S FOR BENDING OR FOR...?

WELL, WE'LL SEE.

A BLOCK WITH A FEW HOLES IN IT.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S-- ALL RIGHT, I THINK I UNDERSTAND, BUT I'M NOT QUITE SURE.

PREPARE THE ANVIL.

YOU CAN TAKE THE HARDY OUT.

ALL RIGHT.

YOU ALWAYS WANT TO LOOK AT THE ANVIL TO MAKE SURE IT'S READY BEFORE YOU GET THERE.

ALL RIGHT, CLEAN.

I'VE SEEN YOU USE THESE BOLSTERS WHEN YOU'RE MAKING NAILS.

AND SO THAT FITS DOWN IN THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, YOU HAMMERED IT IN THERE.

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET IT BACK OUT?

WHAT?

WERE YOU SAYING SOMETHING?

OK, SO THAT FOOT THAT YOU HAVE ON THERE IS WHAT I SEE RIGHT HERE.

ALL RIGHT, SO THAT'S THAT FOOT STICKING OUT THERE.

WOULD THAT JUST MAKE IT VERY-- SO IT'S ONE PIECE, ONE BIG OLD PIECE WITH A FLANGE ON IT, AND THEN THAT FLANGE IS RIVETED DOWN.

YOU CAN THINK OF THE TECHNICAL CHALLENGE OF GETTING THAT POST TO BE SOLID AND NOT LOOSEN UP.

OR SOMEBODY COULD JUST KNOCK IT.

I MEAN, YOU JUST HIT THE DARN THING AND BREAK IT OUT.

IF YOU WERE TRYING TO GET THROUGH INTO THIS LOCK.

BUT HAVING THAT BIG PIECE RIGHT THERE, THAT'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE.

SO YOU PUNCH A HOLE IN THE CASE FOR THE STEM TO GO THROUGH, AND THEN RIVET DOWN THE HEAD OF THE NAIL, ESSENTIALLY.

OH, BOY.

ALL RIGHT.

IN FACT, LET ME SHOW YOU A COUPLE.

WE CAN SEE THAT ON THESE OLD LOCKS.

OH, THAT'S WONDERFUL.

SO LET'S LOOK AT THIS GERMAN ONE AGAIN.

AND WHAT YOU MIGHT THINK IS JUST DECORATION IS REALLY THE HEAD OF THE KEY POST.

IN THIS CASE, THOUGH, IS KIND OF A T-HEAD THERE INSTEAD OF...

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE IT, BUT THERE'S A TRACE OF ONE OF THE RIVETS THAT'S HOLDING IT TO THE REST OF THE WARD.

OH, I DO SEE IT.

YEAH, RIGHT THERE.

THERE'S A RIVET RIGHT THROUGH THERE.

WHAT THEY FILED ON THE TOP HERE.

LET'S LOOK AT THIS REALLY OLD EXAMPLE AS WELL.

IT'S THE SAME THING.

AGAIN, THE "T," AND THERE'S A RIVET.

I CAN SEE BOTH OF THEM, YES.

OK, SO TWO RIVETS THERE.

AND THAT'S WHAT HOLDS THIS KEY POST SOLID.

NOW WE CAN EVEN LOOK AT THIS SMALL CUPBOARD LOCK.

THIS ONE RIGHT HERE?

YEAH.

THAT'S THE SAME FEATURE.

OH, YEAH!

OK, SO YOU SEE THAT, THAT'S WHERE THIS HAS TO STRENGTHEN THAT KEY POST, WHICH IS A PRIMARY ELEMENT OF SECURITY, IS TO HAVE THAT HOLLOW KEY THAT HAS TO GO ON THAT POST.

SO IF YOU SEE ONE OF THOSE, ON A LOCK, YOU KNOW IT'S A HOLLOW BIT KEY, EVEN WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE OTHER SIDE.

OH, OK.

THIS, I'VE GOT TO SAY, THIS IS JUST WONDERFUL FILE WORK ON THIS PIECE HERE.

YEAH, REALLY TYPICAL OF NICE 15th- OR 16th-CENTURY WORK.

GOOD GRIEF.

AND YOU SAID THIS IS THE ONE FROM--WHERE DID THIS COME FROM?

SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE.

BUT I THINK THEY'RE FOUND ALL OVER NORTHERN EUROPE AND SCANDINAVIA.

YEAH, THEY'RE QUITE A UNIVERSAL.

YOU SEE THE ART OF THE CRAFTSMAN THERE, THAT WONDERFUL DECORATIVE FILE WORK.

WELL, ONE THING WE HAVEN'T LOOKED AT IS THAT RIVETING, HOW YOU DO THE RIVETING EXPERIENCE.

RIGHT THERE.

THIS IS RIVETS HERE, RIVETS HERE, RIVETS HERE ALL AROUND.

CAN WE TAKE A PEEK AT THAT?

SURE, I HAVE SOME SCRAPS HERE.

I'LL SHOW YOU THE WHOLE PROCESS.

ALL RIGHT, WELL, I'D LIKE TO SEE.

YOU'VE GOT A LITTLE BENCH ANVIL.

I HAVE A BENCH ANVIL, I HAVE JUST A THIN SCRAP OF MATERIAL, ABOUT THE SAME THICKNESS AS THE CASE.

RIGHT.

AND I HAVE TWO TOOLS, A PUNCH... LET'S HOLD IT.

WE'LL JUST SET THAT RIGHT THERE.

AND A [INDISTINCT].

AND A DIE.

A DIE.

I'M SORRY.

YEAH, ALL RIGHT.

SO YOU'VE GOT A DIE, AND THAT'S GOING TO BE UNDERNEATH.

SO WE'RE GOING TO PUNCH A HOLE.

SO THIS A VERSION, THIS IS THE PREDECESSOR THEN, TO--WHERE'S THIS ONE?

IF YOU HAD THIS KIND OF PUNCH AND DIE.

IS THAT HOW THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN CUT OUT?

IT IS, IN THIS CASE, THE PUNCH AND THE DIE ARE BOTH HELD PERFECTLY ALIGNED.

AND THEY'RE HUGE.

AND THEY'RE HUGE.

BUT THE NOTION CAN BE DONE EVEN WITH SIMPLE HANDHELD TOOLS.

SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO HOLD THE PUNCH WHERE WE WANT THE HOLE.

LINE IT UP OVER ONE OF THE HOLES IN THE DIE.

AND DRIVE IT THROUGH.

AND THAT'S IT.

CAN I PULL IT APART?

WELL, USUALLY YOU CAN'T.

BUT WE LIFT UP THE DIE.

THERE'S THE LITTLE PLUG THAT'S COME OUT.

OK. YEAH.

SO THAT LEAVES A HOLE WITH A BIT OF A BURR.

SO THAT ACTUALLY LEAVES A COUNTERSUNK HOLE, WHICH IS AN ADVANTAGE.

THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT, YEAH.

YEAH, I'M GOING TO USE A WIMBLE AND JUST OPEN UP THE HOLE A LITTLE BIT.

ALL RIGHT, SO HERE'S A SAMPLE POST.

LET'S LOOK ON THE ORIGINAL LOCK, AND YOU CAN SEE 3 OF THOSE POSTS.

YEAH, OK, RIGHT THERE.

AND LOOK ON THE OTHER SIDE.

YOU'LL SEE WHERE THEY HAVE COME THROUGH.

OH, OK.

SO WE'LL JUST FILE THE TENON ON THIS, JUST FREEHAND.

AND, SEE, IT FITS THROUGH THE HOLE.

AND WE'LL YOU USE AGAIN THE PEEN OF THE HAMMER, JUST TO-- WHY DO YOU USE THE PEEN INSTEAD OF THE OTHER SIDE?

YOU USE THAT TO SPREAD OVER THE END OF THE TENON, AND IT'S A LITTLE MORE CONTROLLABLE IN DIRECTION.

SO NOW IT'S SPREADING ONLY IN THIS DIRECTION.

YEAH, YOU CAN SEE IT'S MOVING THAT WAY.

AND I CAN TURN IT TO MOVE THE OTHER WAY.

BY HAVING THAT DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, IT'S NOT GOING-- YEAH, YOU CAN STEER.

EXACTLY.

THIS IS A HAMMER YOU CAN STEER.

AND THAT IS TIGHT.

YEAH.

TIGHT RIVETED, WOW.

THERE YOU GO.

SO THAT'S THE SIMPLE WAY OF FASTENING THE PARTS TOGETHER.

ALL RIGHT, SO ALL OF THESE PIECES WOULD GO BACK INSIDE.

IS THAT IN THE RIGHT PLACE THERE?

THAT'S THE RIGHT ONE.

ALL RIGHT, AND THEN ANOTHER ONE HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO I'VE GOT TWO OF THESE, AND WE'D HAVE THE LEVERS TO OPEN IT.

LET'S SEE WHERE THE LEVERS ARE.

THEY'RE RIGHT HERE.

I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN GET THIS ALL TOGETHER.

HERE.

I'LL HOLD THESE APART.

ALL RIGHT, AND I'LL PUT THAT IN.

IS THATP GOING RIGHT?

THAT'S CORRECT.

ALL RIGHT, AND THAT GOES LIKE THAT.

IS THAT RIGHT?

THAT'S CORRECT.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S GET IT DOWN UNDER THAT LITTLE... TAIL FIRST.

THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT.

AND NOW, LET ME SEE.

HERE'S THE KEY.

ALL BRAZED UP.

WE'LL TRY-- LET'S TRY THE KEY IN THE PROPER SIDE AND SEE IF IT'LL MAKE IT PAST THE WARDS, AND OPEN UP.

AND LET'S SEE, DO YOU HAVE YOUR-- YEAH, TRY THAT IN THERE.

THERE IT GOES.

PUSH IT IN?

LET ME CLOSE THE LID FIRST.

AND THERE WE GO.

AND WE CAN UNLOCK IT AND OPEN IT UP.

I'M GLAD WE GOT THAT OFF OUR CHEST.

PETER ROSS, THANK YOU FOR SHOWING US SO MUCH.

AND THANKS FOR JOINING US 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 WEBSITE.

YOU CAN FIND US ONLINE AT pbs.org.

MAJOR FUNDING FOR "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" IS PROVIDED BY... [CAR ALARM] Different Announcer: WHEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS, STATE FARM HAS THE TOOLS TO GET YOU TO A BETTER STATE.

PROUD SPONSOR OF "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

BE MORE PBS.

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 AT BOOKSTORES AND LIBRARIES.