Taming the Timber Bench

MAJOR FUNDING FOR "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" IS PROVIDED BY... [CAT MEOWS] [THUNDER] [ALARM BLARING] WHEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS, STATE FARM HAS THE TOOLS TO GET YOU TO A BETTER STATE.

PROUD SPONSOR OF "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

HEY, WELCOME BACK TO "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

I'M ROY UNDERHILL.

I AM SO GLAD YOU CAN BE WITH ME AGAIN TODAY.

WE ARE GOING TO WORK ON A MYSTERY 500 YEARS OLD.

WELL, MAYBE NOT THAT, BUT NEVERTHELESS, HAD TO GO BACK 500 YEARS FOR THE CONUNDRUM AND THEN RIGHT HERE TO WORK OUT THE ANSWER.

I'M GONNA BE WORKING WITH SOME BIG TIMBERS NOW.

THIS IS COMING UP.

I'VE GOT TO WORK WITH SOME HUGE MILLED TIMBERS THERE.

THIS BIG...THIS BIG IN CROSS-SECTION-- 30 FEET LONG, OAK, I MEAN, BIG TIMBERS.

SO I NEED SOME HEAVY-DUTY TIMBER SUPPORTS.

NOW, THE USUAL CARPENTER'S SUPPORTS WE USE JUST NOT GONNA CUT IT.

I'VE GOT TO HAVE SOMETHING VERY, VERY HEAVY AND STRONG TO SUPPORT THESE TIMBERS FOR HEWING, FOR MORTISING.

SO I STARTED TO LOOK BACK INTO AN UNUSUAL SOURCE FROM 500 YEARS AGO, THE WORK OF GEORG BAUER, OR AGRICOLA, AS HE WAS KNOWN AFTER HE WENT TO SCHOOL.

GEORG BAUER, AGRICOLA, HE DID THIS BOOK CALLED "DE RE METALLICA," AND THE WOODCUTS ARE WONDERFUL.

HERE'S ONE OF THE EARLIEST DEPICTIONS OF A SHAVING HORSE THERE.

YOU CAN SEE THE FELLA IS SHAVING.

AND THIS IS A MINING MANUAL, SO THIS IS ALL MINING TECHNIQUE, UH... MINERALOGY, METALLURGY, AND STUFF.

THE TECHNICAL ACCURACY IS WONDERFUL.

SO IT'S ALL THESE WONDERFUL ILLUSTRATIONS.

HE NOT ONLY GETS THE LOGS RIGHT.

HE GETS THE SNOGGING RIGHT THERE.

THE LITTLE DETAILS ARE JUST DELIGHTFUL ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

BUT AGAIN, VERY ACCURATE.

SO A GOOD SOURCE TO LOOK FOR THE ANSWER TO MY PROBLEM.

NOW HERE, FOR EXAMPLE, HERE'S A FELLOW WORKING.

HE'S MAKING WHAT MUST BE A RIFFLING TABLE OR SOMETHING.

HE'S MORTISING IN A BIG PLANK, AND YOU CAN SEE HE'S SITTING AND WORKING ON A HALF LOG WITH LEGS DRIVEN UP INTO IT.

SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE MIGHT EXPECT.

WHAT I DIDN'T EXPECT, THOUGH, IS THIS RIGHT HERE.

HA HA!

THIS BENCH HERE.

SO HERE'S A FELLOW AGAIN MORTISING.

HE'S STANDING UP MORTISING A TIMBER.

HE'S GOT SEVERAL TIMBERS.

HE'S GOT A SPIKE DOG IN THERE.

BUT LOOK HOW THE LEG COMES UP THE OUTSIDE.

THE LEG THERE DOES NOT GO UP TO THE INSIDE OF THE TIMBER.

IT'S ON THE OUTSIDE RIGHT THERE.

HOW CAN THAT BE?

WHAT'S GONNA HOLD IT THERE?

WELL, OF COURSE, YOU'D THINK DOVETAILS.

BUT, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A DOVETAIL, IT WOULD KEEP SLIDING ALL UP THROUGH.

SO THERE MUST BE A STOP, AND AS THE WOOD SEASONS, THAT DOVETAIL, YOU KNOW, COULD GET LOOSE.

SO IT MUST BE A TAPERED SLIDING DOVETAIL.

WELL, I THINK I'VE CONFIRMED THAT THAT'S WHAT IT WAS.

I FOUND SOME LATER SOURCES.

BUT I WANT TO SHOW YOU HOW TO CUT THAT WONDERFUL JOINT.

AND I REACH FOR MY MALLET FIRST BECAUSE I'VE GOT TO KNOCK IT APART BECAUSE I ACTUALLY MADE SOME OF THOSE JOINTS PROPERLY.

THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT, THIS TAPERED SLIDING DOVETAIL JOINT, AND YOU CAN SEE IN THE TOP RIGHT THERE THE WAY THESE ARE DOVETAILED IN, AND THEY HAVE A SHOULDER UNDERNEATH.

NOW, ONE OF THE LEGS CAME RIGHT OUT IN MY HAND, AND THAT'S A PROBLEM.

I MADE IT TOO LOOSE RIGHT THERE.

SO I HAVE A VERY LOOSE LEG.

I'M GONNA HAVE TO PUT THIS INTO ANOTHER ONE OF THESE BENCHES AND TIGHTEN IT UP.

I DIDN'T CUT IT TIGHT ENOUGH.

IT SHOULD BE LIKE THIS.

YOU CAN SEE THESE TWO LEGS HERE ARE BELOW THE SURFACE THERE.

DO YOU SEE HOW THEY GO DOWN BELOW THE SURFACE?

WELL, WE'LL DRIVE THEM UP IN THERE AS WE GET A LITTLE BIT MORE SURE ABOUT THE SEASON OF THE WOOD AND GET IT TO SIT RIGHT ON THAT SHOULDER.

SO THIS IS THE WAY YOU WANT IT WHEN THE JOINT IS DONE.

SO LET'S GET GOING.

WE'RE GONNA CUT THAT OUTSIDE PART FIRST.

WE'LL CUT THIS JOINT FIRST AND THEN MAKE THE SOCKET TO MATCH IT, AND THAT'S THE WAY WE WORK WITH DOVETAILS.

YOU CUT ONE ELEMENT AND THEN THE OTHER.

TAKE A LOOK AT IT AGAIN.

IT'S BEVELED ON THE TOP HERE.

SO HERE'S OUR...

HERE'S OUR BLANK LIKE THAT.

BEVELED ON THE TOP.

WE'VE GOT A TAPER ON THIS INSIDE FACE WHICH IS UNDERCUT TO MAKE THE DOVETAIL.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE GOT TO DO TO THIS PIECE.

ALL RIGHT?

SO WE'LL START OUT VERY SIMPLY.

I'M GONNA CHECK THIS BEVEL HERE TO MAKE SURE IT MATCHES WHAT I HAVE ON THE TOP.

SO THIS IS THE SPLAY THAT I'M GONNA HAVE, AND IT'S ABOUT ONE IN FOUR, IN THAT IF I PUT IT SO THAT I TOUCH THE ONE HERE, WHEN IT COMES OUT HERE ON A RIGHT ANGLE, IT'S ABOUT AT THE FOUR MARK ON THE TOP.

SO A RATIO OF ONE AND FOUR.

ALL RIGHT?

AND THAT'S GONNA BE OUR SPLAY.

SO THAT'S GOOD.

I'VE GOT THE BEVEL SET.

BUT NOW, HOW FAR DOWN DOES THAT GO INTO THIS BENCH TOP?

WELL...I'LL FIGURE THAT BY SETTING IT RIGHT ON THERE.

SO WE ALWAYS TRY AND WORK BY SUPERIMPOSING ONE PIECE ON THE OTHER IN THIS OLD WAY OF WORKING.

SO HERE WE ARE.

NOW, THIS IS GONNA GO IN LIKE THAT WITH THE SPLAY COMING OUT.

SO THIS SHOULD BE ACCURATE HERE.

I'M GONNA ACTUALLY TURN IT AROUND THIS WAY, BECAUSE THIS IS THE FACE THAT I WANT IT ON.

AND I GET THE ANGLE JUST RIGHT... AND MARK IT RIGHT THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, THAT LINE IS GONNA GO ACROSS, AND THIS IS GOING TO BECOME THE SHOULDER, THE SHELF THAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW.

SO WE'LL START WITH THAT.

SO THE FIRST THING-- SYSTEMATICALLY.

WE'RE JUST GONNA WORK REAL SYSTEMATICALLY.

IF THERE'S...

IF I HAD TO SAY IS THERE ONE THING I'VE LEARNED IN THE YEARS OF WORKING, IT'S THAT A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH, DOING ONE STEP AT A TIME, IN MECHANICAL WORK DOES GIVE YOU BETTER RESULTS.

SO HERE I'M MATCHING THAT TOP ANGLE AND BRINGING IT DOWN TO THAT SHOULDER THERE.

SO YOU'VE GOT A SHOULDER, AND THESE ARE GONNA KIND OF...

THESE SPLAY, LEANS IN, AND SO IT JUST GETS TIGHTER.

THE MORE LOAD WE HAVE ON THERE, THE TIGHTER IT GETS.

ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW WE'RE GONNA COME DOWN AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE TOP.

AND I'M GONNA SET MY SQUARE ON TOP, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A RATHER PRECARIOUS PURCHASE THERE.

SO I'VE GOT THAT.

AND THEN COME OVER ONE MORE INCH.

AND I'VE GOT A LITTLE TINY FRAMING SQUARE HERE, A LITTLE BITTY SQUARE.

THAT IS INDEED ONE INCH ON THAT ARM.

SO HERE AGAIN, I'M GONNA COME DOWN AT 90 DEGREES TO THE TOP.

I'LL DO THAT OUT HERE IF I CAN.

90 DEGREES FROM THE TOP... AND THEN ONE INCH OVER.

THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW WE'RE GONNA SQUARE THAT ACROSS THE TOP AND THEN RIPSAW IT.

SO WE HAVE TO HAVE A RIPSAW TO CUT THIS SHOULDER.

IN ANY GOOD TIMBER WORK, WE'RE GONNA TRY AND HAVE MOST OF THE LOAD, MOST OF THE WOOD IN COMPRESSION IF WE CAN.

WOOD IS VERY, VERY STRONG IN COMPRESSION.

AND SO WE WANT TO WORK WITH ITS STRENGTHS, PARTICULARLY IN A CRITICAL STATE LIKE THIS.

SO NOW I'VE GOT A RIPSAW.

THESE ARE WONDERFUL CHISEL TEETH.

BIG OLD CHISEL TEETH THERE.

AND I'LL RIP DOWN THE GRAIN FIRST.

SO RIP IT, RIP IT GOOD...

RIGHT ON DOWN.

THERE WE GO.

THERE WE ARE.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

SO I'LL LOOK TO SEE IF I'M DOWN TO TOUCH.

GOOD.

ALL RIGHT.

AND GENERALLY I'VE FOUND IT'S GOOD TO RIP-- IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA SPLIT THE PIECE OUT, DO THE RIPPING FIRST AND THEN THE CROSSCUT BECAUSE THEN THE WOOD IS CONTROLLED.

IT'S HELD TOGETHER AT THE BOTTOM.

YOU CAN IMAGINE A LITTLE BIT OF WIGGLE OR WAVERING IN THAT...IN THIS...

IN THE OTHER SAW COULD HAVE SPLIT THAT PIECE OFF.

ALL RIGHT.

THAT TAKES MOST OF THE LOAD RIGHT THERE, THIS SHOULDER THAT WE'VE CUT.

BECAUSE IF WE'RE, AGAIN, DOING GOOD HEAVY TIMBER WORK, WE WANT TO HAVE THIS...

THE LOAD RIGHT IN THERE.

SO THIS IS ACTING AS A COLUMN.

AND THE REST PART THAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS JUST A DOVETAIL THAT HOLDS THIS IN PLACE AS IT...THROUGH USE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO LET'S LAY OUT NOW THE NEXT STAGE.

I'M GONNA USE NOT THE RULER AND THE...STRAIGHTEDGE.

I'M GONNA USE A GAUGE, BECAUSE I'VE ESTABLISHED A STRAIGHT FACE RIGHT HERE.

SO I'M GONNA USE A GAUGE THAT I'VE SET WITH THE TOOTH ONE INCH IN, IN THIS CASE.

AND, UH... THAT'S ABOUT RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW DOWN AROUND THE END.

AND SO THIS NEXT STEP IS I'M GONNA PREPARE THAT LONG TAPER, AND THEN THE FINAL STEP WILL BE TO CUT THE DOVETAIL.

NOW, I CAN'T OBVIOUSLY GO DOWN ALL THE WAY.

SO I HAVE TO USE THE SQUARE TO BRING IT DOWN THIS WAY.

IF I CAN GET IT RIGHT... AS I SAY, THAT SECOND PART...

THE SOCKET.

WE'RE GONNA LAY OUT THE SOCKET BY SUPERIMPOSING THIS PIECE ON IT ONCE THIS PIECE IS CUT.

SO WE WILL CUSTOM-FIT THAT OTHER END TO THIS...THIS PIECE.

SO YOU SAY THERE CAN BE A LITTLE BIT OF PLAY IN THIS.

WELL, THERE CAN BE, BUT YOU REALLY WANT TO DO IT AS PRECISELY AS YOU CAN ALL THE WAY THROUGH, BELIEVE ME.

PLENTY OF FUNK WILL COME INTO IT AS WE WORK.

SO NOW I'VE GOT DIVIDERS, A COMPASS HERE, A PAIR OF DIVIDERS SET TO A QUARTER-INCH.

I'M GONNA COME IN A QUARTER-INCH, AND IN THIS ABOUT 3 1/2 INCH RUN, THAT'S GONNA BE THE TAPER.

SO THERE WE ARE-- A QUARTER-INCH, QUARTER-INCH.

AND I'LL SHOW YOU THIS COMPARED TO THE OTHER ONE JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE... WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.

THERE WE GO.

A TAPERED SLIDING DOVETAIL.

SO WHAT WE'RE LAYING OUT NOW IS THIS ELEMENT HERE, THE TAPER THAT COMES DOWN, NOT THIS... NOT THIS UNDERCUTTING RIGHT HERE THAT MAKES IT A DOVETAIL, JUST THIS WEDGE SHAPE THAT ALLOWS IT TO FIT IN SO FAR AND THEN STOP AND THEN BE DRIVEN IN DEEPER AS WE TRIM IT TO A PERFECT COMPRESSION FIT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW TAKE THESE SIDES OFF WITH THE RIPSAW AGAIN.

AND RIGHT ON DOWN.

AND DOWN.

YEAH.

GOOD.

WHOO!

CLOSE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THE SAME THING HERE.

RIGHT ON DOWN AND STOP.

SO I'D BE TEMPTED IN MY OLDER, WILDER DAYS TO TRY AND DO THIS ALL AT ONCE, BUT I'VE FOUND OUT DOING THIS SYSTEMATICALLY IS A LITTLE BIT MORE PRODUCTIVE.

SO THERE YOU ARE.

THERE'S OUR WEDGE.

WE'RE GONNA TRIM IT UP WITH THE CHISEL... AND MAKE A NICE FLAT, AND THEN FROM THAT, WE WILL CONSTRUCT THE UNDERCUT THAT GOES DOWN.

HERE'S MY CHISEL.

JUST ONE REALLY GOOD, SHARP FRAMING CHISEL.

RIGHT UP TO THE LINE.

THERE WE ARE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THEN THIS WAY.

OH, GOOD--IT DUG IN.

THIS IS SOME NICE SHORTLEAF PINE.

SOME OF THE... LOCAL FELLOWS CUT THIS FOR ME FOR BEAMS.

BUT WHERE I STORED IT, IT GOT BEETLE-INFESTED.

AND YOU SAY, "ALL RIGHT.

WELL... "IF IT WASN'T STRONG ENOUGH FOR BEAMS, IT SHOULDN'T BE STRONG ENOUGH FOR A BENCH."

BUT I DON'T SEE ANY BEETLES DOWN HERE.

WE NEVER KNOW.

WE MAY ENCOUNTER ONE, WHICH BRINGS ME BACK TO AGRICOLA.

IN HIS BOOK, "DE RE METALLICA," THAT WE'RE KIND OF LEARNING FROM HERE FROM THE 1550's, HE TALKS ABOUT DWARVES DOWN IN THE MINES, LIKE IN THE "SEVEN DWARVES" KIND OF THING.

HE SAYS YOU'LL SEE THESE WEE FOLK DOWN IN THE MINES, AND HE SAYS JUST LEAVE THEM ALONE, JUST THEY'LL BE FINE.

DON'T WORRY ABOUT THEM.

BUT I THINK IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE BAD VENTILATION IN THE MINES THAT PEOPLE WERE SEEING THEM.

NEVERTHELESS, IT'S A GREAT...

INTERESTING CONTRIBUTION TO OUR HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY.

TAKE A LOOK AT THAT NOW.

WE'RE READY WITH TWO FACES THERE.

FLAT, THOUGH.

NOW WE'VE GOT TO DO THAT UNDERCUT DOVETAIL.

AND AGAIN WE'RE GONNA GO IN THAT QUARTER-INCH.

SO WE'RE GONNA GO IN THE SAME DISTANCE THAT WE WENT BEFORE JUST BECAUSE WHY THE HECK NOT?

WE'RE GONNA GO IN THAT DISTANCE AND THAT DISTANCE RIGHT THERE.

SO OUR LINE OF DOVETAIL IS FROM THAT HOLLOW RIGHT THERE TO THE OUTSIDE... AND THAT HOLLOW TO THE OUTSIDE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THERE WE ARE.

SO NOW THIS IS GONNA COME OUT.

AND IT'LL BE EASY TO DO IT DOWN AT THIS END HERE BECAUSE WE CAN...WE'RE GOING WITH THE GRAIN DOWN HERE.

AGAIN, STEP BY STEP, INCREMENT... SHAVING BY SHAVING, TAKE IT DOWN TO THAT LINE.

DON'T TRY AND DO IT ALL AT ONCE.

THERE YOU GO.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

GOOD.

NOW WE'LL HAVE TO COME BACK TO DO THIS BACK END HERE.

BUT LET'S DO THE OTHER SIDE THE SAME WAY.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO HONOR OUR SYSTEMATIC APPROACH HERE.

AND AGAIN-- THERE WE ARE-- DOWN THE GRAIN.

[BLOWS] NICE WOOD.

THAT IS SHORTLEAF PINE.

SHORTLEAF.

THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO LONGLEAF IN ITS CHARACTERISTICS.

IT'S VERY GOOD, STRONG, RESINOUS, DECAY-RESISTANT PINE.

VERY STRONG.

GOOD STUFF.

ALL RIGHT.

THERE WE ARE.

SO...NOW WE'RE GONNA CUT THAT UNDERCUT INSIDE THERE.

AND TRY TO THINK OF THIS AS A... YOU KNOW, IF WE SAY THIS IS FROM AGRICOLA, WELL, THEN IT'S FROM SAXONY, THE...SAXONY.

WHEREVER.

IT'S NEAR CZECHOSLOVAKIA, THE...WHAT LATER...

BECAME...YOU KNOW, GERMANY WAS NOT ONE NATION, BUT A BUNCH OF SMALLER, UH...KINGDOMS, AND SAXONY WAS WHERE AGRICOLA WAS.

THIS IS A...

VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR A LOT OF FOLKS.

THIS WAS THE REFORMATION, AND THINGS WERE BEING QUESTIONED.

SO HERE'S THIS GUY THAT'S PART OF RENAISSANCE KNOWLEDGE, BECAME THE FATHER OF... WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?

UM...MINERALOGY.

HE HAD A FEW QUIRKS THERE, I'VE GOT TO SAY.

HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT FOSSILS WERE THE REMNANTS OF LIVING ORGANISMS.

HE SAID THERE WAS A KIND OF A FAT IN THE EARTH THAT WHEN EXPOSED TO HEAT WOULD TURN INTO SHELL SHAPES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

I'M NOT QUITE SURE ABOUT HIS EXPLANATION, BUT NEVERTHELESS, HE'S THE FATHER OF MINERALOGY, NOT OF PALEONTOLOGY.

THAT WOULDN'T GET HIM A GOOD BEGINNING THERE.

NEVERTHELESS, EXCITING TIMES.

PEOPLE QUESTIONING THE CHURCH.

THEY'RE FINDING ALL KINDS OF NEW ANIMALS FROM THE NEW WORLD.

THIS IS 1550's, SO WHAT THEY CALLED THE NEW WORLD HAS JUST BEEN DISCOVERED.

AND SYSTEMATIZING KNOWLEDGE.

SO THIS IS THE RENAISSANCE.

AND THERE WE ARE.

SO NOW WE HAVE THIS PIECE ALL CUT OUT.

THAT'S IT.

YOU CAN SEE IT'S TAPERED IN THAT DIRECTION AND THEN CUT AS A DOVETAIL IN THE OTHER DIRECTION.

SO NOW ALL WE NEED TO DO IS CUT THE SOCKET THAT THIS GOES INTO AND CUT IT JUST A LITTLE BIT SMALLER SO THAT WE CAN TAKE SOME TIME AND THEN TUNE UP THE JOINT.

SO HERE WE GO.

I'VE GOT THE PIECE IT'S READY TO GO INTO.

AND WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES.

SO I'M GONNA, AGAIN, LAY IT ON TOP.

AND WE'RE GOING TO WORK OUR-- LET'S CHOOSE A TOP.

ALL RIGHT.

I'M GONNA WORK IN THIS PLANE, EVEN THOUGH I... OH, JEESH.

THIS DOES HAVE BEETLE DAMAGE.

I WISH I HAD CUT BACK A LITTLE FARTHER.

YOU CAN SEE THE BEETLE BORERS GOT IN THERE, AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS JUST THE EXIT HOLES.

SO WE MAY ENCOUNTER ONE AS WE WORK OUR WAY IN THERE.

LET ME SAY, NO PINE BEETLES WERE HARMED IN THE... HA HA HA.

MAKING OF THIS THING.

IN FACT, WHAT WOULD YOU CALL THIS THING?

I THINK IT'S A ZIMMERN BANK IN THE GERMAN.

ALL RIGHT.

SO I'VE TRACED THAT BROAD PART.

BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE HAVE OUT HERE.

THIS IS THE NARROW PART.

SO LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT WE HAVE TO DO, IS AGAIN COME IN THAT QUARTER-INCH.

LET'S DO THAT NOW.

SO WE'LL COME IN THAT MUCH, AND WE WON'T SAW ON THESE LINES.

WE'RE GONNA SAW INSTEAD INSIDE.

WE'RE NOT EVEN GONNA SAW ON THESE LINES.

WE'RE GONNA SAW INSIDE THESE TO MAKE THIS JUST A LITTLE TIGHTER... JUST A LITTLE BIT TIGHTER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE.

AND THEN WE'LL EASE IT IN THE PROPER MANNER TO BRING IT DOWN.

SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE'VE GOT THERE, THE TWO LINES.

THESE LINES NOW, THEY ARE GOING TO INDICATE FOR US ON THE TOP HERE, AS IS FACING YOU, THAT OUTER PERIMETER, THE OUTERMOST POINT.

BECAUSE REMEMBER, THESE LINES OUT HERE REPRESENT THE BIG PART OF THE DOVETAIL.

AND I'LL DO THAT ON THE BOTTOM AS WELL.

NOW, HERE I'VE GOT A... HA HA!

I CAN...

THE SIDE CAN BE TOP OR BOTTOM.

BELIEVE ME, ONCE YOU PUT A LEG IN HERE, IT ONLY COMES IN FROM ONE DIRECTION, SO YOU DON'T WANT TO GET IT... YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE A LEG COMING OUT THE TOP AND ONE OUT-- THREE OUT THE BOTTOM.

THEY'RE NOT REVERSIBLE.

SO HERE WE GO.

NOW WE'LL RUN THIS LINE, WHICH IS THE SAME SETTING ON THE GAUGE THAT WE USED EARLIER.

SO THAT REPRESENTS THAT BACK.

THAT'S EQUIVALENT TO THAT DISTANCE.

DO YOU SEE RIGHT THERE?

SEE HOW THAT'S THE SAME?

SO NOW WE'VE GOT TO GET THE TAPER THAT WE HAVE TO FIT IN HERE.

THAT IS A CONNECTION OF THIS BIG PART, THE BIG BASE, WITH THE NARROWER PART ON THE FACE.

SO WE--OOP.

SO WE USE THE SAME TOOLS WITH THE SAME SETTINGS ON THEM.

WE SHOULD END UP WITH THE SAME CONNECTION.

SO I'LL DO THIS ONE HERE.

AGAIN, I'VE ALREADY BROUGHT THOSE LINES BACK.

SO NOW I NEED THE GAUGE LINE.

THAT GOES RIGHT THERE, AND THEN WE CONNECT THE DOTS.

SO IT'S NOT A TERRIBLY COMPLEX JOINT.

BUT IT DOES NEED TO BE CUT PROPERLY IN ORDER TO HOLD THE THOUSAND-POUND TIMBER THAT YOU ARE POUNDING ON.

THERE WE ARE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW THIS COMES OUT.

ALL RIGHT.

QUICK WORK WITH THE SAW.

I'LL TURN THE FACE TO ME.

UH!

LET ME GET IT IN THERE.

THERE WE ARE.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW WE GO TO THE CROSSCUT SAW.

SO WE HAVE A FINER-TOOTH SAW.

AND AGAIN, I'M NOT GONNA GO IN RIGHT ON THAT LINE.

I'M GONNA COME IN FROM THAT LINE ABOUT A SKINNY SIXTEENTH OF AN INCH.

[BLOWS] ALL RIGHT.

AND I MAKE THAT MIS-CUT, THAT EXTRA SPACE ALL THE WAY CONSISTENTLY ALL THE WAY DOWN, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT THIS TO HAVE ANY PART THAT'S TIGHTER THAN THE OTHER.

[BLOWS] ALL RIGHT.

CHISEL AND SAW.

THERE WE GO.

GOOD.

AND THESE SAW CUTS ARE ACTUALLY ACTING AS DEPTH STOPS.

SO I'M GONNA MAKE ANOTHER...COUPLE MORE.

THERE WE ARE.

ONE.

AND TWO.

THERE WE ARE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO LET'S SEE IF I CAN KNOCK THESE OUT.

I'M GONNA SET THEM THIS WAY.

THEY'LL BE KIND OF BOUNCING AROUND, BUT IT'S EASIER TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IF I POINT IT THIS WAY HERE.

AND WE SHOULD HAVE THIS SMALL ENOUGH THAT I CAN KNOCK THEM OUT.

SO WE COME ACROSS THE GRAIN LIKE THAT.

THAT TOOK A PIECE OUT, DIDN'T IT?

ALL RIGHT.

AND WE'LL DO IT AGAIN.

AND TAKE THAT PIECE OUT AND THIS PIECE OUT.

THERE WE ARE.

NOW I'LL HIT FROM THIS END.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THERE'S TWO.

IT'S COMING OUT ALL AT ONCE AND NOT BAD.

I DON'T SEE ANY WORMS YET, ANY BEETLE LARVAE.

[BLOWS] ALL RIGHT.

NOW WE'VE GOT THOSE TWO PIECES THERE.

I'M GONNA JUST SEE IF I CAN'T GET THEM FROM THIS SIDE HERE.

NORMALLY I WOULDN'T WANT TO DO THAT... AND I STILL DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.

I'M GONNA JUST TURN IT AROUND AND WORK DOWN THE FACE THIS WAY.

BECAUSE THIS IS THE TOP, AND I WANT TO SEE IT FROM THIS SIDE.

SO I'VE MADE THIS TIGHT.

I KNOW WHEN I PUT THIS IN, IT IS NOT GONNA FIT, BUT I'M GONNA TRIM IT THEN TO FIT... AS I THINK I NEED TO...

THERE WE ARE.

ONCE I'VE PUT IT IN.

SO I'LL BRING THIS BACK WALL BACK FLUSH.

I DON'T WANT IT PUSHED OUT.

I WANT THIS TO JUST SLIP RIGHT UP AGAINST THAT THERE.

AND THAT SHOULD GO IN.

OK.

SO NOW LET'S SEE HOW IT FITS.

SO HERE'S THE DOVETAIL READY TO GO IN.

THAT SLIDES IN FROM THE BOTTOM, AND IF I GIVE IT A HIT, IT SHOULD STOP JUST SHY OF THE TOP... [HAMMERING] WITH THESE SHOULDERS TIGHT RIGHT THERE.

THEN WE CAN DRIVE IT IN THE REST OF THE WAY.

AND THEN WE WILL HAVE OUR ZIMMERN BANK, OUR TIMBER BENCH.

YES, INDEED.

WELL, I'M HAPPY.

WE'LL NEED A FOURTH LEG ON THIS ONE.

BUT THAT'S FOR THE NEXT TIME.

SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

THIS IS ROY UNDERHILL.

SO LONG.

WAH!

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... [CAT MEOWS] [THUNDER] [ALARM BLARING] WHEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS, STATE FARM HAS THE TOOLS TO GET YOU TO A BETTER STATE.

PROUD SPONSOR OF "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

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.