Tapered Tail Tripod Table 1

MAJOR FUNDING FOR "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP" IS PROVIDED BY... [CAT MEOWS] [THUNDER] [HORN HONKING] 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.

SO GLAD YOU CAN BE WITH ME AGAIN TODAY, AND I GUESS "AGAIN" IS THE KEY WORD, BECAUSE I AM AT IT AGAIN.

YES, FOLKS, IT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THESE TRIPOD-LEGGED LITTLE TEA TABLES.

NOW, THIS ONE, HOWEVER, THIS ONE HAS A TRICK.

I WANT YOU TO SEE SOME OTHER-- I REALLY LIKE THE WAY THIS HAS TURNED OUT.

THIS HAS GOT A WONDERFUL ROOT-BURL TOP, AND I'VE LEFT A NATURAL EDGE ON IT, A LITTLE MODERN TOUCH THERE.

SEE THE RAW EDGE THERE?

AND THEN THE FINISHED FORMAL OVAL AND THE WONDERFUL DEEP GRAIN OF THE ROOT DOWN INSIDE.

AND LOOK AT THE PEDESTAL THERE.

THAT'S KIND OF NICE THERE.

THOSE ARE HEAVY.

ONCE I FINISH IT, THIS HEAVY KIND OF TURNING.

BUT THE TRICK IS DOWN HERE.

THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT NOW.

ALL RIGHT, SO HERE'S THE QUESTION.

WHICH HAS MORE IN COMMON-- DOES THIS LITTLE TRIPOD TABLE HERE HAVE MORE IN COMMON WITH THIS ONE HERE IN THE SHAKER STYLE, OR DOES IT HAVE MORE IN COMMON WITH THIS BOX, THIS BOX MADE BY FRANK KLAUSZ.

THIS BOX IS A LITTLE WATER TROUGH MADE BY FRANK KLAUSZ.

SO WHICH IS IT?

THIS SHAKER TABLE OR THIS BOX THAT THIS HAS MORE IN COMMON WITH?

WELL, IF YOU LOOK AT THE JOINTS, IT'S ACTUALLY THE BOX.

THIS BOX HAS SLIDING DOVETAIL JOINTS THAT ARE TAPERED.

YOU CAN SEE RIGHT UP HERE A LITTLE SLIDING DOVETAIL, AND TO MAKE THIS A WATERTIGHT BOX, THIS DOVETAIL DIMINISHES AS IT GOES DOWN.

SO HE DRIVES IT IN, AND THEN ON THE FINAL HIT, BAM, IT HITS REAL, REAL TIGHT.

WELL, THAT'S HOW THE LEGS ARE DONE IN THIS TRIPOD TABLE.

LET ME SHOW YOU.

I'LL SHOW YOU THE DIFFERENCE IN THE TWO.

IF WE LOOK AT THIS ONE IN THE SHAKER STYLE, YOU CAN SEE THE DOVETAILED LEGS, THE SLIDING DOVETAILS, AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THIS ONE...

I THINK YOU CAN SEE HOW THIS ONE-- LET'S TRY THIS ONE.

ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S A LITTLE BETTER.

THIS ONE SLIDES OUT.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT IS CONSISTENT ALL THE WAY DOWN.

YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT'S TIGHT ALL THE WAY DOWN.

I'M HAVING TO REALLY PUSH TO GET THAT THING OUT OF THERE.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE SLOT THAT IT GOES INTO IS CONSISTENT IN WIDTH.

BUT NOW LET'S COMPARE-- OOP!

OOP!

LET'S COMPARE THIS ONE HERE.

THIS LITTLE TABLE HAS-- LOOK AT THIS.

NOW, HERE'S THIS LEG.

IT'S SNUG.

IT'S TIGHT ON THE SIDE THERE.

BUT WHEN I PUSH IT UP, POP, IT COMES LOOSE AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT FITS IN A TAPERED... A TAPERED SLOT THERE.

DO YOU SEE HOW THE DOVETAIL DIMINISHES AS IT GOES UP THERE?

AND YOU CAN SEE AGAIN HOW THIS DOVETAIL MATCHES IN A RECIPROCAL MANNER, HOW IT'S A WEDGE THAT GOES UP INSIDE AND FITS TIGHT.

NOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S VERY COMPLICATED.

WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW TO DO THIS NEXT TIME, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY MADE EASY BY THE FACT THAT THE BOTTOM HERE, THE BOTTOM OF THE COLUMN IS TAPERED.

THAT'S WHAT GIVES US OUR DOVETAIL FOR FREE.

BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO NEXT TIME.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE GONNA DO A LOT ON THE LEG AND A LITTLE ON THE TOP, SO LET'S GET GOING HERE.

THIS IS ALL MADE FROM ONE-- AH!

ONE TREE THAT FLOATED UP IN A FLOOD HERE.

I'M GONNA PUT THIS BACK TOGETHER AGAIN BECAUSE I'M SO PROUD OF IT.

LET ME GET THAT RIGHT-SIDE TOP UP.

SO THERE IT IS-- THE BURL OF ROOT FOR THE TOP AND THEN THE COLUMN AND THE LEGS DOWN HERE ALL DONE OUT OF THE SPLIT STOCK OF THE LOG.

AND THIS IS FROM WALNUT.

WALNUT HAS THIS WONDERFUL CHARACTERISTIC-- WELL, LOTS OF WONDERFUL THINGS.

YOU CAN EAT THE WALNUTS, FOR ONE.

BUT ALSO, DOWN ON A FLOOD PLAIN, IN A LOG JAM, SOMETIMES YOU'LL SEE THESE WHITE...WHITISH BARK, VERY STRAIGHT STRIATION IN THE GRAIN THERE IN THIS PUNKY, PUNKY SAPWOOD ON THE OUTSIDE.

WELL, ONCE YOU GET TO KNOW THESE TREES, YOU'LL RECOGNIZE WHAT'S DOWN INSIDE IS ACTUALLY BLACK, BLACK WALNUT.

IT SPLITS VERY EASILY, IT'S VERY DECAY-RESISTANT, AND IF YOU LEARN TO RECOGNIZE THAT WHITE OUTER PUNKY BARK THAT'S OUT THERE, THAT SAPWOOD, YOU'VE GOT A TREASURE ON YOUR HANDS.

NOW, THE BASE, OF COURSE, THE BASE OF THE TREE ACTUALLY FLOATED UP IN THIS FLOOD, TOO, AND THAT WE HAD TO SAW.

BUT FOR THE LEGS AND EVERYTHING-- WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE LEGS-- THAT'S ALL DONE BY SPLITTING.

SO THE GRAIN IS ALWAYS WITH US THROUGHOUT THIS.

HERE'S A PIECE NOW.

I'M GONNA SPLIT OUT A BLANK FOR THE LEG.

AND I THINK I'VE ESTABLISHED A GOOD SURFACE HERE.

I'LL SET THE FROE.

I WANT TO GET ABOUT AN INCH-THICK PIECE OF STOCK HERE.

NOW, IT'S GOT TO BE AT LEAST AN INCH WHERE IT GOES INTO THE COLUMN.

SO I'VE GOT A FROE.

THIS IS A WEDGE THAT ENDS UP AS A LEVER.

AND YOU CAN SEE I'M ABLE TO CLEAVE FLAT PLANES OFF OF THE WOOD.

ISN'T IT GREAT?

SO VERY EASY TO WORK.

IN FACT, THAT'S HOW WE GOT THE LOG UP OUT OF THERE.

WE WERE ABLE TO SPLIT IT INTO HALVES THAT WERE NOT QUITE SO HEAVY THAT WE COULDN'T MOVE THEM OUT.

SO HERE'S THE SAPWOOD NOW COMING OFF.

I JUST CHOP THAT OFF REAL QUICK.

AND THE MORE I DO WITH AN AX HERE, THE LESS WE'LL HAVE TO DO-- SEE, LOOK AT THAT STRAIGHT GRAIN.

I'M GONNA GET--OH, THERE'S A CHECK RIGHT HERE.

SO THAT'S GOT TO COME OFF.

NOPE.

RIGHT THERE.

THE MORE I DO WITH THIS HATCHET, THE LESS WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO WITH THE PLANE.

AH, SO HERE WE GO.

WORK DOWN THIS FACE.

THAT'S GOOD WOOD.

THERE'S AN INCH THERE.

GOSH, THIS IS NICE.

HA HA HA!

AND THERE'S THAT CHECKED SIDE.

PLANE THAT A LITTLE BIT WITH THE HATCHET FIRST.

AND THERE WE GO.

LOOK AT THAT.

THAT'S AN ACCEPTABLE BOARD RIGHT THERE, AND IT JUST COMES RIGHT OUT OF THE LOG, BECAUSE WE'RE USING THE NATURAL PLANES OF THE WOOD, AND THAT ALSO CAPTURES THE STRENGTH OF THE WOOD.

NOW, I SEE A LITTLE BUMP RIGHT THERE.

I'M GONNA TAKE THAT OFF.

AND THEN WE'RE GONNA PUT IT ON THE BENCH AND PLANE IT DOWN.

ALL RIGHT.

SO GETTING THIN DOWN THERE.

THAT'S GONNA BE OUR FOOT END.

AND HERE WE GO, RIGHT IN THE BENCH.

AND I'M GONNA START WITH A SCRUB PLANE.

THIS SCRUB PLANE HAS A REAL ROUNDED SCOOPY, SCOOPY.

IT'S SPOONING OFF THE WOOD THERE.

YOU CAN SEE THAT ROUNDED CUTTER THERE, THE IRON, VERY HEAVILY CAMBERED IRON, AND THEN JUST RIGHT ON IN.

SO I'M WORKING WITH THE GRAIN NOW.

VERY OFTEN WE'LL SCRUB ACROSS THE GRAIN.

NOW, THERE'S SOMETHING YOU CAN TELL THAT JUST MAKES THIS WONDERFUL... ASIDE FROM THE WOOD, THAT THE WOOD IS FREE, THAT IT'S BEAUTIFUL, BUT ALSO THAT IT'S AIR-DRIED.

WE PULLED THIS UP OUT OF A CREEK BOTTOM.

GOING TO A REGULAR JACK PLANE NOW.

UH...AND JUST LET IT DRY BY IGNORING IT FOR 5 YEARS.

SO IT DIDN'T TAKE MUCH WORK THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW I'VE GOT TO SET A LEVEL.

I'LL TELL YOU WHAT.

I'M JUST GONNA PLANE IT.

NORMALLY WHAT I'D DO IS RUN A GAUGE LINE AND... DO THE OTHER END, BUT I CAN SEE THAT I'VE GOT TOO MUCH TAPER ON THIS ONE.

IT'LL STILL MAKE A FINE LEG, BUT JUST LIKE THOSE DOVETAILS THAT WE'RE GONNA DO NEXT TIME, IT WILL BE SLIGHTLY TAPERED.

ALL RIGHT.

SO AS SOON AS I HEAR THE CUT GOING FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER, ONE END TO THE OTHER, I KNOW THAT I'VE REACHED THE WHOLE THING.

AND THEN BRING IT DOWN THE REST OF THE WAY.

ALL RIGHT.

SO I'M GONNA SAY THAT'S DONE.

I'VE GOT AN INCH AT THE TOP.

PLENTY.

I CAN DO IT A LITTLE BIT LATER.

NOW WE'RE GONNA FIT THIS HERE.

AND I KNOW I'M GONNA RUN MY PIECE DOWN THE GRAIN.

OOP.

SHOOT.

IT JUMPED.

THERE.

I'VE GOT THIS LITTLE TEMPLATE HERE.

THESE ARE CALLED SPIDER LEG.

THIS IS FROM THE BOOK "WITH HAMMER IN HAND," BY CHARLES HUMMEL, AND IT'S THE STORY OF THE WINTERTHUR PRESERVATION OF THE DOMINY SHOPS.

THE WINTERTHUR MUSEUM IN DELAWARE PRESERVED THE WORKSHOPS OF THE DOMINY FAMILY.

AND THEY HAD THE PATTERN REPRODUCED IN THE CATALOG, AND I FIGURED LITTLE HARM I WOULD CAUSE IN COPYING THAT PATTERN.

BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY IT WORKS.

YOU COPY-- YOU KNOW, THESE GUYS DID NOT INVENT A NEW-- I'M JUST EXTENDING THE LINES RIGHT NOW.

THEY DON'T INVENT THESE OUT OF WHOLE CLOTH OR WHOLE WOOD WHEN THEY MAKE A NEW DESIGN.

OF COURSE, YOU LOOK FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S PIECE AND SAY, "OH, SO-AND-SO HAS THIS.

I'D LIKE ONE LIKE THAT.

OK. THAT'S NEW.

CAN I COPY THAT?"

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT EVOLVES.

ALL RIGHT.

I'M GONNA CUT THE FLATS NOW, THE MECHANICAL PARTS.

LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT WE'RE AIMING FOR.

WELL, HERE.

HERE'S ONE THAT GOT SAWED OFF, BECAUSE I HAD TO...

THEY WOULDN'T LET ME DO THIS TO THE PIECES IN THE MUSEUM TO FIGURE OUT THE SECRET, BUT THERE WE ARE.

THAT'S HOW I STARTED EXPERIMENTING TO DO IT.

SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE MAKING-- A LEG JUST LIKE THIS.

AND IT'S GONNA HAVE THE DOVETAILS ON THIS END, BUT YOU CAN SEE THESE ARE SQUARE.

THAT'S GOT TO BE MECHANICAL.

THEY'VE GOT TO BE ACCURATE.

SO I'M GONNA MOVE THIS.

DON'T WANT TO KNOCK THAT NICE TOP OFF.

AND I'M JUST GONNA USE A SAW TO BRING DOWN THE SQUARE CUTS FIRST.

THERE WE ARE.

AH.

NOW AGAIN, IF YOU'RE USED TO THIS STUFF, IF YOU GET USED TO WALNUT, YOU CAN TELL THAT IS AIR-DRIED WALNUT.

OH, IT'S WONDERFUL.

AND THEN HERE, TWO MORE CUTS DOWN.

AH... AND THESE HAVE TO BE PRETTY SQUARE...

BUT NOT FROM THE SAW.

WE'RE GONNA PLANE THAT TO A FULL SQUARE WHEN WE GET BACK TO IT.

AND I'VE GOT ONE MORE CUT TO DO DOWN AT THIS END.

REMEMBER, I SAID IT WAS UNDER-SIZED.

SO I PUT THAT UNDERSIZED PART DOWN THERE AT THE FOOT.

THE UPPER PART HAS TO HAVE FULL SIZE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO... NOW LET THE FUN BEGIN.

WE'RE GONNA CUT THESE CURVES OFF.

I THINK I'LL CUT THIS CURVE FIRST.

OK.

I'LL CUT THIS CURVE FIRST.

AND I'VE GOT MY BOW SAW ALREADY TIGHTENED UP.

BE SURE YOU LEAVE THESE LOOSE.

GOT A LITTLE BEESWAX ON IT.

AND YOU'LL HEAR AGAIN THE BOW SAW... ALL RIGHT.

IT WOULD GO MUCH FASTER IF MY BOW SAW WASN'T WIGGLING SO MUCH, OR MY BENCH WASN'T WIGGLING UNDER MY... OOP.

GETTING OUT OF TRACK HERE.

LET'S GET BACK IN IT NOW.

THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW I'VE GOT TO TURN THE SAW A LITTLE BIT AND TAKE IT ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THAT BOTTOM CUT THERE.

SEE THAT RIGHT THERE, WHERE I'VE ALREADY MADE THE SQUARE CROSS RELEASE CUT.

ALL RIGHT.

COME ON.

THERE WE GO.

I WAS HURRYING IT TOO MUCH.

I'M GONNA FINISH THAT CUT.

ALL RIGHT.

THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT ONE'S OFF.

NOW, THAT'S LEFT A LOT OF ROUGHITUDE IN THERE.

WE'RE GONNA DEAL WITH THAT WITH ANOTHER TECHNIQUE.

I'M GONNA COME BACK THE OTHER WAY AND COME DOWN AND FINISH THE CUT.

[PANTING] HA HA!

ALL RIGHT.

THESE ARE ALCOHOL-POWERED TOOLS HERE, AND SO I'M RUNNING A LITTLE EMPTY.

UH!

I'M HURRYING THROUGH THIS BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO SEE THE NEXT STEP, AND IT LOOKS LIKE I'M LEAVING PLENTY FOR THE NEXT STEP.

I MEAN, IF I WERE TO CALM DOWN A LITTLE AND GO RIGHT ON THAT LINE, THE PERFECT LINE...

BUT, WELL, LET'S SEE.

I'VE CUT CLOSE ENOUGH THAT I CAN SHOW YOU THE NEXT STEP HERE, USING THE PARING CHISELS NOW.

SO THESE WONDERFUL GOUGES AND STUFF.

AND OF COURSE, UNLOOSE THE BOW SAW WHEN YOU PUT IT AWAY.

AND NOW WE'RE GONNA TRIM THIS DOWN.

I'VE LEFT TOO MUCH WASTE ON HERE.

WE'RE GONNA USE SOME VERY WONDERFUL TOOLS CALLED PARING CHISELS AND A PARING GOUGE-- VERY LIGHT, VERY SHARP THIN CHISELS THAT ARE WAY TOO...

THEY'RE TOO THIN.

LOOK HOW THIN THEY ARE.

WAY TO THIN FOR YOU TO DRIVE WITH A MALLET.

YOU NEVER HIT THESE WITH A MALLET.

THESE ARE JUST PUSHED, AND YOU HAVE TO WORK THEM WITH THE GRAIN.

I'M GONNA START WITH THIS FLAT ONE FIRST AND THEN GO TO THIS CURVED ONE.

AND SO WE START RIGHT HERE ON TOP OF THE CROWN OF THE GRAIN.

THE GRAIN IS ALWAYS WITH US, AND I DON'T MEAN GOING WITH US.

I MEAN, IT NEVER GOES AWAY.

THE GRAIN IS ALWAYS WITH US.

SO START ON THAT CROWN.

AND START WALKING, REFERENCING AGAINST THE PREVIOUSLY CUT FACE, UNTIL I START GOING INTO A CONCAVE AREA.

SO HERE, NOW I'LL COME DOWN THE CROWN ON THE OTHER SIDE, REFERENCING AGAINST THE FACE, JUST SHEARING DOWN.

MY LEFT HAND IS HOLDING IT BETWEEN THE FINGERS TO STEER IT.

MY BACK OF MY HAND IS ON THE WOOD.

THERE WE ARE.

AND JUST RIGHT ON DOWN TO THE END GRAIN.

NOW, JUST TRY...

THIS DOES NOT WORK NEARLY AS WELL IN KILN-DRIED WOOD.

THIS IS JUST GREAT, THOUGH, IN THIS AIR-DRIED STOCK.

SO HERE WE ARE.

I'M GONNA COME DOWN AGAIN, STILL DOWN THE HILL, BUT NOW WITH A SLIGHTLY CURVED PARING GOUGE, RIGHT ON DOWN.

SO AGAIN, DO YOU SEE HOW I HOOK RIGHT THERE AGAINST THE PREVIOUSLY CUT SURFACE AND THEN ROCK IT ON DOWN UNTIL I GET ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM HERE OF THE CURVE, AND THEN I'VE GOT TO GO BACK UP.

IN FACT, I'VE GOT TO GO TO THE MIDDLE A LITTLE BIT.

WELL, I'LL START ON THIS END HERE.

AGAIN, IT WORKS GREAT, EVEN ON THESE VERY TIGHT CURVES.

WE JUST GO TO A TIGHTER GOUGE.

AND I'LL SHOW YOU ANOTHER TOOL-- NOW SEE, THIS IS WHY-- YOU SEE IT SPLINTERING RIGHT THERE ON THIS SIDE.

SO THERE I'VE TAKEN TOO MUCH OUT.

I'VE GOT TO GO TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VALLEY AND CUT DOWN.

THERE WE GO.

THAT'S IT.

THAT'S PARING.

SO ABLE TO BRING IT RIGHT BACK TO THE LINE.

AND IT'S RELATIVELY SMOOTH.

WE CAN MAKE A VERY SMOOTH, SMOOTH CUT IF WE WANT TO.

BUT I'M GONNA GO TO ANOTHER COOL TOOL THAT WORKS, AGAIN, GREAT IN THE WALNUT WHEN IT'S AIR-DRIED, AND THAT IS... OOP.

LET'S SEE.

I POPPED OUT THERE.

A SPOKESHAVE.

AND I'VE GOT IT RIGHT HERE.

OK.

THIS IS A WOODEN SPOKESHAVE.

NOW, YOU'D THINK THESE WOULD BE EXTINCT, BUT FOLKS, CHAIR-BUILDERS, REALLY LIKE THESE, AND THEY'RE COMING BACK.

PEOPLE ARE MAKING WOODEN SPOKESHAVES AGAIN.

I'VE GOT TO KNOCK SOME JUNK OUT THAT'S IN THERE.

SO THAT'LL HELP YOU SEE THE CUTTER THERE, THE IRON, THE WAY THAT FITS IN THERE.

PUSH THAT BACK DOWN.

AND THEN I CAN WORK EVEN UP IN HERE IF I MAKE A SIGHT...SLIGHT...

SLIGHT SIDESWIPE WITH IT.

WELL, LET ME SEE.

I'LL JUST PULL BACK TO ME.

THERE WE GO.

JUST SMOOTHENING IT ALL DOWN.

NOW, I DID SEE ONE THING DOWN HERE IN THIS END.

THERE'S A CHECK.

THIS LEG IS NOT GONNA BE MUCH GOOD TO US, BUT THAT HAPPENS.

THIS WILL BE A LESSON FOR US.

THERE'S A CHECK DOWN THERE IN THAT END.

THAT MAY HAVE BEEN IN THE SEASONING AS THE WOOD DRIED.

AH, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

YOU CAN SEE HOW NICE THAT WORKS ON THE END GRAIN.

AND HERE ON THE BACKSIDE, LET'S JUST DO IT WITHOUT EVEN TRYING THE, UH...PARING.

YOU CAN BRING IT RIGHT ON DOWN.

WORK THE SIDES, WORK THE EDGE, WORK THE EDGE, AND THEN WORK THE MIDDLE, AND THEN TAKE IT OUT RIGHT ON DOWN.

SO YOU CAN SMOOTH IT ON DOWN WITH THAT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THERE'S OUR LEGS.

WE'RE GONNA MAKE A BUNCH OF THESE LEGS.

WE'RE GONNA MAKE HOW MANY?

3 OF THEM.

BUT WE'RE DONE WITH THAT.

I WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE TABLE TOP NOW.

AND HERE'S THE TOP THAT I DID.

WELL, THIS IS HALF OF ONE.

THIS IS HALF.

I RIPSAWED, WITH A HAND SAW, RIPPED THIS RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE TO GET TWO 3/4-INCH PIECES OUT OF A THICK PIECE.

I'M GONNA SHOW YOU HOW THAT STARTED NOW.

IT STARTED LIKE THIS.

THIS IS THE ROOT END OF THE WALNUT TREE.

AND YOU ALWAYS THINK OF WALNUT CROTCH VENEER, WHERE THE BRANCHES COME OUT.

THERE'S REALLY CONVOLUTED GRAIN IN THERE.

WELL, THIS IS THE ROOT STOCK, AND IT'S USUALLY A LITTLE BIT LESS SPECTACULAR.

YOU DON'T HAVE THE FLAME, BUT IT'S STILL NEAT.

THIS IS THE ROOT, BOTTOM PART, AND WHEN THE TREE WASHED OUT IN THE RIVER BOTTOM, IT...WELL, THIS IS UPSIDE-DOWN, OF COURSE.

THIS IS WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET, AND THIS WE HAD TO SAW.

THERE'S NO WAY YOU COULD SPLIT THROUGH THIS, BECAUSE IT IS SO CONVOLUTED IN THE GRAIN.

NOW YOU SEE AN ODD THING HERE.

THERE'S 3 TACKS, A TRIANGLE, AND A STRING GOING AROUND IT.

WELL, THAT'S HOW I GENERATED THE OVAL HERE.

SO WE'VE GOT THIS OVAL SHAPE THAT I'M GONNA FIND IN HERE, AND I FOUND IT ON THIS PIECE BY SEEING HOW WIDE IT WAS, HOW LONG I WANTED IT TO BE, THEN FOUND THE DISTANCE HERE FROM THIS INTERSECTION, FROM HERE TO HERE, PUT A NAIL THAT EQUIVALENT DISTANCE FROM THAT CENTER POINT OF THOSE TWO AXES.

AND NOW, WITH THE STRING TIED AROUND IT, I'VE GOT THE HOLDER FOR AN OVAL.

THIS SHOULD GENERATE A NICE OVAL ALL THE WAY AROUND THAT FITS EXACTLY WITHIN THAT RECTANGLE THAT I DELINEATED.

SO THEN, AGAIN WITH A BOW SAW, A LITTLE BIT HEAVIER ONE-- THERE WE GO.

HEAVIER ONE THAN THE ONE I WAS USING TO CUT OUT THE LEGS, SAW THIS OUT FIRST, AND THEN PLANE THE SURFACES, AND THEN RIP THIS DOWN THE MIDDLE.

OY.

YEAH, I KNOW.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT PLANING, BECAUSE THIS IS, AGAIN, A ROUGH ONE.

WELL, I SAID THE GRAIN IS ALWAYS WITH US, AND INDEED IT IS.

AND IT'S A PROBLEM WHEN WE GET TOWARDS THE END HERE.

SO I'VE GOT A PIECE HERE, THE OTHER HALF OF THIS TOP THAT I'M WORKING ON HERE.

LET ME PUT THIS BACK.

IT IS THE OTHER HALF, AND IT'S STILL IN PROCESS.

SO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE HOW I WORK IT DOWN.

I'M USING AN UNUSUAL PLANE FOR THESE DAYS.

HA HA HA!

THAT'S LIKE SAYING AN UNUSUAL DINOSAUR FOR THESE DAYS.

IT'S AN UNUSUAL PLANE FOR THESE DAYS.

IT'S A TOOTHING PLANE THAT ACTUALLY WORKS REGARDLESS OF THE GRAIN.

SO THIS IS VERY GNARLY, VERY HARD TO WORK.

YOU CAN WORK IT GREEN A LITTLE BIT.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW I'M PUTTING IT IN BENCH HOOKS HERE.

HOLDING IT IS A PAIN ONCE IT'S DOWN TO AN OVAL.

LET'S SEE.

I'VE GOT TWO BENCH HOOKS.

AND THEN VERY CAREFULLY I'M GONNA PUT THE HOLDFAST IN HERE AND LET THE HOLDFAST GRAB IT RIGHT THERE.

AND MAKE SURE IT'S WELL SUPPORTED.

I DON'T WANT TO CRACK THIS TOP.

SO...SEE?

SO THERE'S GOOD SUPPORT THERE.

THERE'S NO FLEXING ON THIS TOP.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, I CAN USE THIS PLANE HERE, AND YOU CAN SEE IT HAS ODD TEETH.

LOOK AT THIS.

THIS CUTTER IS ACTUALLY SERRATED.

DO YOU SEE HOW IT'S SERRATED ON THE FLAT FACE, AND THEN ON THERE, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S TINY, TINY LITTLE TEETH.

THERE.

IT'S CALLED A TOOTHING PLANE.

IT HAS SAW TEETH, VERY, VERY FINE ALL THE WAY ACROSS AND A HIGH, HIGH ANGLE.

AND THAT KIND OF... MACERATES THE GRAIN, CUTTING ACROSS THE GRAIN OR HOWEVER YOU HAVE TO WORK IT.

YOU CAN GO THROUGH BURLED STOCK LIKE THIS, LEVELING IT AND BRINGING IT DOWN, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A ROUGH, ROUGH, ROUGH SURFACE.

THOSE LITTLE SERRATIONS KEEP THE GRAIN FROM TEARING.

IF WE WERE TO USE A REGULAR PLANE, LIKE THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR, IT COULD GRAB A LITTLE BIT OF RISING GRAIN AND JUST POP IT RIGHT OUT.

SO WE'LL USE THAT TOOTHED PLANE AND THEN FOLLOW IT WITH A VERY, VERY FINE SMOOTH PLANE.

SO I'VE GOT A SMOOTH PLANE HERE.

I HAVE JUST A TINY LITTLE BIT OF VERY SHARP CUTTER EXPOSED.

YEAH.

AND YOU'LL SEE WHAT I'M DOING.

I'M STARTING TO BRING THAT DOWN TO LET US SEE DOWN INSIDE THAT CONVOLUTED GRAIN.

THERE YOU GO.

SMOOTH CUTS.

I'M HOLDING IT AT A SLIGHT ANGLE TO IT.

AND THEN FINALLY IF WE HAVE TO, WE CAN USE A CABINET SCRAPER, BENDING IT AWAY FROM US, AND PUSHING IT DOWN, AND DO THAT FINAL REVEAL OF THAT CRAZY GRAIN DOWN INSIDE THERE.

SO THE GRAIN IS ALWAYS WITH US.

FROM THE BEGINNING WHEN WE SPLIT THE PIECE OUT FROM THE LOG, WE START FOLLOWING THE GRAIN TO SPLIT IT, TURN IT DOWN, YOU KNOW, CHOP IT DOWN, PLANE IT DOWN TO GET THE LEGS AND THE COLUMN, AND ON THE TOP, WHERE WE HAVE THAT BURLY STUFF, WE TRY AND GET AROUND THE GRAIN BY USING TOOTHING PLANES.

NOW WE'VE GOT THE TOP, WE'VE GOT THE LEGS.

NOW ALL WE'VE GOT TO DO IS THE MIDDLE.

WE'RE GONNA DO THAT NEXT TIME.

WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW THE WONDERFUL TAPER AT THE BOTTOM OF THE COLUMN HERE GIVES US A TAPERED DOVETAIL CUT FOR FREE.

BUT THAT'S NEXT TIME.

UNTIL THEN, MAY THE GRAIN BE WITH YOU.

THIS IS ROY UNDERHILL HERE IN "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

SO LONG.

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] [HORN HONKING] 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 IN BOOKSTORES AND LIBRARIES.