Tapered Tail Tripod Table 2

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, HELLO AGAIN, AND WELCOME BACK TO "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

I AM ROY UNDERHILL, AND I DO MEAN BACK.

YES, WELCOME BACK, BECAUSE WE ARE BACK ON OUR TRICK TRIPOD TEA TABLE, YES, THAT WE STARTED LAST TIME WE WERE TOGETHER, WORKING ON MAKING THE TOP OUT OF A WONDERFUL PIECE OF BURL.

I'M REALLY PLEASED WITH THIS DESIGN.

BEAUTIFUL BURL WOOD.

WE SAW HOW WE USED A TOOTHING PLANE THEN A SMOOTHING PLANE TO REVEAL THE WONDERFUL GRAIN DOWN INSIDE THERE.

SO WE DID THAT.

WE ALSO WORKED ON THE LEGS, CUTTING OUT THE LEGS THERE.

WE SAW HOW TO SHAPE THESE OUT OF THE SPLIT WALNUT.

WHAT WE DID NOT SEE, HOWEVER-- AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DEAL WITH RIGHT NOW-- IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE LEG AND THE PEDESTAL HERE, AND WE'LL SEE HOW THAT THE TAPER... YOU SEE HOW THIS IS BIGGER UP HERE THAN IT IS DOWN AT THE BOTTOM?

THE COLUMN TAPERS DOWN.

HOW THAT'S A KEY INGREDIENT TO MAKING THE TAPERED DOVETAILS THAT THESE FIT IN.

I DO MEAN TAPERED DOVETAILS.

LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT I MEAN.

HERE IS A REGULAR UNTAPERED DOVETAIL.

ALL RIGHT.

AND YOU CAN SEE THIS IS A VERY PRECISE FIT ALL THE WAY DOWN.

IT'S STILL TIGHT.

IT'S ALMOST OUT, BUT IT'S STILL TIGHT.

AND SO THIS IS CONSISTENT ALL THE WAY DOWN ITS LENGTH, THE SAME MEASUREMENT.

SAME WITH THE SLOT, SAME MEASUREMENT.

SO THAT'S GOT TO BE VERY PRECISE IN ORDER TO HAVE A TIGHT MARGIN ALL THE WAY DOWN THE SIDES.

THAT'S A BIG DEAL, TO GET THESE THINGS NICE AND SNUG AND JUST A HAIRLINE RIGHT DOWN THERE.

WELL, TO DO A TAPER, THAT'S GOT TO BE A TOUGH LAYOUT.

YOU CAN THINK IT'S TOUGH ENOUGH LAYING OUT A DOVETAIL ON A CYLINDER, BUT THEN TO DO A TAPERED DOVETAIL ON A CYLINDER, AIY!

I MEAN, LOOK HERE.

HERE'S A TAPERED DOVETAIL.

THIS IS ON MY LITTLE CHOPPING BENCH.

AND I'LL KNOCK THIS.

REMEMBER WE DID THIS WITH THE TAPERED DOVETAILS?

SO THERE'S THE TAPERED DOVETAIL.

YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT RUNS ALL THE WAY DOWN.

AND THEN THIS GOES UP INTO A TAPER IN THE SIDE AND THEN FITS SNUG RIGHT AT THE VERY LAST.

WELL, NOW THIS IS RECTANGULAR STOCK.

THAT'S EASY TO LAY OUT.

BUT HOW CAN YOU DO IT ON A CYLINDER, MORE OR LESS A TAPERED CYLINDER?

WELL, GUESS WHAT.

THE TAPER IS WHAT MAKES IT WORK.

SO WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW THAT HAPPENS.

LET ME START HERE WITH THE WALNUT, BECAUSE WE STARTED WITH A WALNUT TREE THAT HAD FLOATED UP IN A FLOOD.

I'VE GOT SOME GREAT POTENTIAL INSIDE THIS PIECE HERE.

I SPLIT IT OUT, AND I HAVE TO CHOP OFF THE SAPWOOD.

I'LL JUST DO A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE WE...WE'VE GOT OTHER THINGS WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH WITH THIS DOVETAIL THAT WE WILL NEVER GET TO IF I SPEND ALL MY TIME ROUGHING THIS IN.

BUT NEVERTHELESS, WE'LL TAKE OFF THE SAPWOOD DOWN THE SIDES... AND THEN TRIM DOWN THE FACE.

SO WE DO A SERIES OF CUTS LIKE THAT AND THEN GO DOWN THE GRAIN.

WONDERFUL CHOCOLATE-COLORED WOOD.

AND THEN DOWN THIS WAY.

AND ROUGH THIS IN, DRAWKNIFE IT.

YOU COULD EVEN PLANE IT, PUT IT IN THE LATHE, AND TURN IT TO A CYLINDER.

AND I'M GONNA PICK THIS UP RIGHT NOW AT THE POINT OF IT BEING A CYLINDER.

SO WE SHALL MOVE ON TO THAT.

I'VE GOT IT HERE IN THE LATHE.

AND I'VE TURNED IT TO A CONSISTENT CYLINDER.

WE'LL BE DOING SOME TURNING.

WE'LL DO THAT TAPER TURNING IN A LITTLE BIT.

WHAT I WANT TO SHOW YOU NOW IS HOW WE PREPARE FOR THE LAYOUT.

I HAVE A LITTLE...

HERE IT IS.

OK.

SO I'VE CHECKED THIS NOW.

AND HERE'S MY FOOT-POWERED LATHE, YEAH.

AND SO I CHECK THIS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SEE THAT IT'S A CONSISTENT DIAMETER.

SO I'VE TURNED THAT ROUGH SPLIT WALNUT TO A CYLINDER.

DOWN HERE, HOWEVER, ON THE VERY END, I'M GOING TO TURN A LITTLE STEP THAT IS HALF THE DIAMETER.

HERE WE GO.

TURN A LITTLE STEP THAT'S HALF-- I'M SORRY.

HALF THE DIAMETER OF--THERE WE GO-- THE ENTIRE PIECE.

THAT'S ALL I NEED TO DO ON THIS END, BUT THAT LITTLE STEP IS GONNA BE VERY HELPFUL IN LAYING OUT THE ANGLE OF THE DOVETAILS WHEN WE GET TO THAT.

THE OTHER THING WE HAVE TO DO IS MAKE SURE-- LET ME SHOW YOU HERE--THAT THIS EDGE IS VERY SLIGHTLY...

HOLLOW.

BY THAT I MEAN I WANT IT SLIGHTLY DISHED IN HERE SO THAT WHEN WE RUN OUR TRY-SQUARE ON HERE, IT'S GONNA TOUCH LIKE THE EDGE OF A CAN AND BE ABLE TO GO 90 DEGREES DOWN.

SO WE WANT TO HAVE A VERY LEVEL SURFACE TOUCHING HERE AND HERE SO THAT THE SQUARE GOES THAT WAY.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT'S ALL WE HAVE TO DO ON THE LATHE RIGHT NOW, JUST GET IT READY, PREPARED TO GO THE DOVETAILING PROCESS, SO... A TRIPOD BEHIND ME.

ALL RIGHT.

SO HERE IT IS.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT CENTER PIECE THAT I'VE TURNED ON THIS ONE.

I'M GONNA MOVE TO THIS ONE BECAUSE I HAVE DONE A LOT OF THE WORK ON IT.

AND WHATEVER I DO, I'VE GOT TO DO THREE TIMES.

AND ONCE YOU SEE IT, YOU'VE GOT IT PRETTY WELL.

HERE WE GO.

I'M GONNA START LAYING OUT THESE DOVETAILS.

AND YOU CAN SEE I'VE GOT SOME OF THEM ACTUALLY EVEN CUT.

SO I TAKE THE DIVIDERS AND FIND THREE STEPS.

I NEED TO TUNE THESE IN A LITTLE BIT.

ONE...

SO I'M JUST DOING THE LEFT SIDE.

ONE, TWO... AND THEN WE'LL CHECK BACK AND SEE IF WE'VE COME TO THE SAME POINT.

THREE.

SO I FIND THREE POINTS AROUND THE CIRCLE ON THE BOTTOM.

THE DIAMETER ON THIS ONE IS 2 1/4-- I'M SORRY.

3 1/4 INCHES.

THE ORIGINALS MADE BY THE DOMINYS ARE MORE 3 1/2.

THIS IS ABOUT WHAT I COULD GET OUT OF THIS.

SO I DO THAT AGAIN.

ONE, TWO, THREE.

FIND THE THREE POINTS.

THEN THERE'S AN EXTRA SET OF POINTS THAT WE HAVE TO DO.

I'M GONNA COME BACK A HALF-INCH, MARK.

COME BACK A HALF-INCH FROM THAT ONE, MARK.

AND A HALF-INCH HERE.

THAT'S THE WIDTH OF THE DOVETAIL GOING DOWN, THE ORIGINAL SLOT.

BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO-- LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT'S GONNA-- WELL, I'LL SHOW YOU IN JUST A SECOND.

WE'RE GONNA CUT A REGULAR DOVETAIL, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA SLICE IT AWAY.

SO THAT'S THE PLAN.

ALL RIGHT.

SO WE'VE GOT THAT DONE.

NOW WE HAVE TO DO THESE BEVEL ANGLES, THE SIDES OF THE DOVETAIL THAT MAKE IT HOLD IN PLACE.

AND THAT'S WHERE THIS RING THAT WE TURNED HERE THAT IS HALF THE DIAMETER OF THE ENTIRE PIECE...

IT JUST SO HAPPENS IN THIS THAT IT WORKS OUT TO GIVE ME...

THE DOVETAIL ANGLE, SO THE SPLAY.

AND WE TALK ABOUT A DOVETAIL BEING, OH, YOU KNOW, ONE IN FIVE OR ONE IN SIX WHEN WE'RE DOING CABINET WORK, WELL, THE RELATIONSHIP TO THIS CIRCLE GIVES ME A CONSISTENT LINE TO MEASURE FROM TO GET THAT DOVETAIL SPLAY.

ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE TO DO.

I'M GONNA TAKE THE LEG ITSELF HERE.

SO HERE'S THE LEG.

IT'S ABOUT AN INCH WIDE.

I'M GONNA SET IT ON HERE AND FIND THE POINT WHERE IT MEETS IN THIS EXPANDING, THESE DIVERGENT LINES.

IT JUST WILL FILL IT.

ALL RIGHT.

RUN A LINE ACROSS THERE.

AND I KNOW THAT I WANT TO COME BACK ABOUT HALF AN INCH.

SO I'LL TAKE A RULER.

IN OTHER WORDS, MY DEPTH TO MY SHOULDER OF MY DOVETAIL IS GONNA BE A HALF-INCH, AND I MARK RIGHT THERE.

AND YOU CAN SEE, I'VE TURNED A LITTLE LINE RIGHT THERE.

SO, HA HA HA.

ALL THAT'S DONE.

NOW I'VE GOT TO RUN DOWN AND SAW THE SIDES.

I'VE SAWED TWO OF THE SIDES, BECAUSE IT'S JUST NOT VERY THRILLING TO SEE DONE... YOU THINK TWO TIMES.

TRY SIX TIMES.

IT'S JUST NOT THAT INTERESTING.

BUT HERE, FROM THAT POINT-- AND HERE'S WHY WE TURN THAT SLIGHTLY HOLLOW, IS SO THAT THE TRY-SQUARE WILL SIT ON THERE AND HAVE TWO POINTS OF CONTACT, AND I CAN RUN LINES DOWN AND DOWN, AND SO WE CAN ACTUALLY SQUARE OFF THE BOTTOM.

WE KNOW THAT THIS IS 90 DEGREES TO THE LENGTH THERE.

SO, NOW SAWING.

SO HERE A DOVETAIL SAW, APPROPRIATELY.

AND IT'S CONSISTENT.

THIS IS A HALF-INCH AT ONE END WIDE, AND A HALF-INCH AT THE OTHER END WIDE.

I'M GONNA CUT QUITE ACCURATELY, AND I'M FOLLOWING THAT SLOPE ON THE INSIDE.

I'VE GOT A LITTLE, TINY, VERY FAINT STOP LINE I WANT TO SAW TO.

GOOD.

MM-HMM.

AND NOW HERE.

AH... YEAH.

OH.

I'M RUNNING OFF.

SO WE'RE GOING DOWN THE GRAIN.

THIS IS...

THERE'S A LOT OF GRAIN DIRECTION-- BLOW THAT AWAY-- THAT CAN GUIDE YOUR SAW.

SO I'M TAKING IT A LITTLE HESITANTLY.

THAT'S WHY IT TAKES A LITTLE WHILE.

BUT THERE WE ARE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO I'VE GONE DEEP HERE.

I'VE CUT AT AN ANGLE.

YOU CAN SEE FROM THE SIDE WHAT I'VE DONE HERE.

I'VE SLICED IN.

THAT'S ALL I CAN DO.

I CAN CUT IN AT AN ANGLE.

I CAN'T DO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.

HAVING DONE THAT NOW, WITH THIS CONSISTENT PARALLEL ONE, I'M GOING TO MAKE IT A TAPERED DOVETAIL.

NOW, HOW DO I DO THAT?

I TURN IT.

I TURN THE TAPER ON THE BOTTOM.

LET ME SHOW YOU.

SO THIS IS READY TO GO TO THE LATHE AND SET IT IN, AND THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW HERE COMES THE FUN PART.

I'M GOING TO-- LET'S THINK ABOUT THIS.

HERE'S A CYLINDER WITH A REGULAR DOVETAIL ON IT.

I'VE GOT HERE-- HERE'S A MODEL OF A DOVETAIL.

ALL RIGHT.

AND HERE YOU SEE-- IMAGINE THIS BEING THE NEGATIVE SPACE INSIDE THERE.

SO THAT'S THE WAY IT IS NOW.

WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS TURN OFF THE TOP AND TAPER IT.

DO YOUEE HOW NOW I'VE GOT A SPLAYED-OUT DOVETAIL.

AND IF I TAKE OFF... TAKE IT OFF EVENLY, I'VE GOT A SLIDING TAPERED DOVETAIL.

DO YOU SEE HOW IT'S THINNER AT THE TOP?

IT'S NARROWER AT THE TOP THAN IT IS DOWN HERE AT THE BASE SO THIS WILL DRIVE UP IN THERE LIKE A WEDGE AND ENSNUGGEN ITSELF INSIDE THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S GO AHEAD AND DO THE TURNING.

SO, I'VE GOT, UH...

THE PARTING TOOL.

TAKE THE PARTING TOOL OR THE SIZING TOOL AND LET IT DELINEATE THAT SHOULDER A LITTLE BETTER.

GET MY FEET ON THE PEDALS.

ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S GOOD.

SO NOW THAT'S PUT THE SIZE THAT I WANT TO GO TO.

NOW I'VE GOT TO DO THIS WHOLE THING DOWN.

SO WE'LL TAKE THE GOUGE TO START.

OOP.

NOT THAT GOUGE.

I'LL TAKE THIS GOUGE TO START.

A LITTLE SHARPER, EH?

AND BRING IT ON DOWN.

SO, AS ALWAYS, YOU USE THE GOUGE TO START.

THERE WE GO.

AND THEN NOW IT'S ROUGHED IN PRETTY WELL.

NOW I'M GONNA GO TO THE SKEW CHISEL TO GIVE IT SMOOTHNESS, BECAUSE THIS HAS TO BE A PERFECT TAPER ALL THE WAY DOWN.

SO I'VE LEFT JUST THE SAW CUTS THERE.

I'VE LEFT THE MEAT IN THERE.

AND THAT IS GOING TO KEEP MY TOOLS FROM DIGGING INTO A HOLLOW.

SO I CUT, BUT JUST THE SHOULDERS.

BEFORE...

I'M TRYING TO SIGHT THIS.

AH.

I KIND OF WISH THIS WAS... NOW I'VE GOT TO GO THIS WAY.

I HAVE TO CUT FROM LEFT TO RIGHT BECAUSE THAT'S THE DIRECTION OF THE TAPER.

ALL RIGHT.

BECAUSE THE GRAIN IS ALWAYS WITH YOU.

I'LL JUST SEE IF I'M STRAIGHT HERE.

I'M RIGHT ON STRAIGHT.

OK. GOOD.

SO NOW THIS HAS TAPERED, AND WE SHOULD SEE-- IT MAY BE A LITTLE HARD TO SEE, BUT LOOK RIGHT HERE.

DO YOU SEE HOW THIS IS WIDER HERE THAN IT IS HERE?

BECAUSE WE'VE TAKEN THE TOP OFF.

WE'VE TAPERED IT.

AND SO NOW WE HAVE A TAPERED SLIDING DOVETAIL.

ISN'T THAT GREAT?

ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW WE'VE GOT TO JUST TAKE OUT THE WOOD THAT IS WITHIN IT.

SO WE'RE GONNA HOLLOW THAT SPACE OUT AND MAKE IT THE DOVETAIL SOCKET, AND THEN CUT THE PIECE THAT FITS IN THERE.

SO TIME IS MARCHING ON.

I'M GONNA HURRY THROUGH THIS.

SO HERE IS THAT CUT.

I'LL TAKE A BRACE AND BIT AND BORE A HOLE RIGHT HERE AT THE TERMINUS OF THAT PIECE RIGHT THERE.

OK. GOOD.

AND TRY AND BORE DOWN JUST THE DEPTH I WANT, JUST A HALF-INCH OR SO.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT'S GIVEN MY CHISEL A PLACE TO GO.

TIGHTEN THE VISE AND GET A MALLET AND A CHISEL AND CAREFULLY, BECAUSE YOU CAN SEE WE'RE AGAINST THE GRAIN NOW.

AND I'VE ALSO GOT ENTRAPPED WOOD HERE DOWN UNDER THIS HOLLOW.

I DON'T WANT IT TO GET-- SEE WHAT I MEAN?

GET UNDERNEATH THERE AND SPLINTER STUFF OUT.

I DON'T WANT TO DAMAGE THAT CORNER THERE.

SO DON'T DO THAT.

BUT WE'VE GOT TO GET THIS DOWN, JUST LIKE THIS, CHISELING AWAY BIT BY BIT, TRY AND TAKE OFF THAT SIDE WITHOUT SPLINTERING THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THEN INSTEAD OF HURRYING, TAKE YOUR TIME, AS I AM NOT DOING, TO WORK THIS DOWN.

HERE WE GO.

OH, GOSH, LOOK.

LOOK HOW THAT CAME OUT SO NICELY THERE.

SO HERE I'VE GOT MY PARING CHISEL, AFTER YOU'VE ROUGHED IT OUT.

BECAUSE I DO WANT TO GET TO THE DOVETAIL THAT FITS IN HERE.

AFTER YOU'VE ROUGHED IT OUT.

YOU'RE SHAVING IT DOWN WITH YOUR PARING CHISEL, AND CRITICALLY, A LITTLE ROUTER PLANE.

THIS IS A LITTLE PLANE THAT HAS A TOOTH HANGING DOWN THERE THAT CAN CUT TO A GIVEN DEPTH.

SO I CAN REACH DOWN IN HERE AND ROUT OUT THE SHAVINGS...

FLUSH TO THAT SURFACE.

AND MAKE SURE THAT I'M CUTTING THE RIGHT DEPTH ALL THE WAY DOWN.

SO THIS IS GOING TO GIVE ME THE PROPER DEPTH FROM BACK TO FRONT.

I'M GONNA LOWER IT A LITTLE BIT SO I ACTUALLY GET SOME CUTTING HERE.

THERE WE GO.

AND SO I'VE GOT THAT TAPERED DOVETAIL NOW LEVEL ON THE BOTTOM AND A GAUGE SET TO THAT DEPTH.

I'M GONNA TAKE OFF A LITTLE OF THAT DEPTH, MOVE IT UP A LITTLE BIT, AND USE THIS TOOTH HERE TO LAY OUT MY DOVETAIL.

I'M GONNA HAVE A DRINK OF WATER FIRST.

OH, I WAS RAISED ON WALNUT DUST, BUT, MMM, BLLL... [COUGHING] ALL RIGHT.

SO HERE WE GO.

WE'RE GONNA LAY OUT NOW ON THIS PIECE THE DOVETAIL THAT FITS IN THERE.

REMEMBER, I HAD THIS SET TO THE DEPTH.

I CAN NOW RUN THAT ACROSS.

AND SEE HOW THAT MAKES A NICE LINE THERE?

ALL RIGHT.

SO ESSENTIALLY IT'S A GAUGE, IT'S A CUTTING GAUGE.

AND AROUND.

SO I HAD A HALF-INCH SLOT SPLAYING OUT.

THIS IS AN INCH WIDE HERE.

AND I'M GONNA WORK IN EIGHTHS NOW.

I'M GONNA SAW DOWN THIS SHOULDER HERE AFTER I CUT IT WITH A KNIFE.

A KNIFE IS HERE SOMEWHERE.

IF I DON'T HAVE MY KNIFE-- HERE IT IS.

I CAN DO IT WITH A CHISEL.

WE'LL CUT WITH A KNIFE.

RIGHT ON DOWN.

HERE WE GO.

SO I GET THAT DOWN AND THEN CUT THIS WAY ON THE WASTE SIDE.

SO I'VE MADE A LITTLE TROUGH FOR THIS SAW TO GO INTO.

SAME OVER HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, A KNIFE, I CAN GET AWAY WITH THE GRAIN DIRECTION.

WHEN WE GO TO THE CHISEL, I'M GONNA HAVE TO FLIP THIS AROUND IN WHAT SEEMS LIKE A VERY AWKWARD POSITION, BUT IT'S JUST THAT YOU HAVE TO CHISEL DOWN THE GRAIN.

ALL RIGHT.

SO GOOD.

WE'VE GOT THIS READY NOW.

I AM ON THE THIN SIDE HERE.

THIS IS THE THIN SIDE UP HERE, THE NARROW END OF THE WEDGE.

SO I'M GONNA SAW DOWN ONE-EIGHTH OF AN INCH ON THIS SIDE.

SO I'LL START WITH AN EIGHTH-INCH TAPER, BECAUSE THE TAPER FROM TOP TO BOTTOM IS A QUARTER-INCH TOTAL, SO THAT'S AN EIGHTH ON EACH SIDE.

SO THERE'S ONE.

I'LL DO THIS SIDE HERE.

AGAIN, ON THE FAR SIDE, AWAY FROM ME IS NOW THE ONE THAT GOES DOWN AN EIGHTH, AND THIS END TOWARDS ME GOES TO ZERO.

SO WHAT I'M DOING IN STEPS HERE IS CUTTING A, UH...

I'M CUTTING A LITTLE PLATFORM HERE.

SO THIS HAS TO NOW GO DOWN.

THIS IS THE LOW PART.

AND IT SEEMS AWKWARD, THE WAY I'M HOLDING IT.

I'VE EVEN GOT MY HAND DOWNRANGE PRETTY BADLY.

BUT I WANT TO WORK WITH THE GRAIN.

SEE HOW THE GRAIN IS FEEDING INTO THE SHOULDER INSTEAD OF SPLINTERING AWAY FROM ME?

SO I REALLY AM CUTTING RIGHT TOWARDS MY HAND, AND, UH...BUT THAT'S BECAUSE I'VE GOT TO OBEY THE GRAIN.

SO I SHOULD HAVE AN EIGHTH-INCH STEP RIGHT HERE.

WE GO TO THE OTHER SIDE.

LET ME SEE IF I CAN GO THIS WAY HERE.

DO YOU SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING?

SEE HOW IT'S TEARING, IT'S STARTING TO DIG IN THERE?

CAN'T DO IT.

YOU'VE GOT TO GO DOWN THE GRAIN PROPERLY.

THERE WE GO.

FEED THAT IN SO I'VE GOT THE DEEP PART TOWARDS ME.

YEAH.

GOT TO GET IT.

THERE WE ARE.

AND NOTHING DOWN AT THAT FAR END.

SO THIS IS THE THIN END OF THE WEDGE.

THE FAT END IS AWAY AT THE END OF THE CHISEL STROKE.

SO NOW IT SHOULD BE TAPERED.

AS I TURN IT UPSIDE-DOWN, IT'S JUST EASIER TO SEE.

IT'S TAPERED DOWN TOWARDS THIS DIRECTION.

NOW, TWO MORE SAW CUTS NOW, THIS TIME AN EVEN EIGHTH OF AN INCH DOWN.

SO THIS IS THE TAPER OF THE DOVETAIL.

SO I'M LOOKING TO SEE THAT THE SAW HAS SUNK AN EIGHTH OF AN INCH ON THE SIDE TOWARDS ME, THE THICK END, AND A QUARTER-INCH AT THE TOP.

LOOKS LIKE I'VE GOT IT.

AND AGAIN HERE, A QUARTER-INCH TOWARDS ME AND AN EIGHTH-INCH TOWARDS YOU THIS TIME.

SO I'M CUTTING DEEPER AT THE TOP.

AND THAT'S GOT IT.

ALL RIGHT.

AND HERE AGAIN, THE GRAIN.

I'M LOOKING SO THAT GRAIN IS FEEDING IN AS I CUT THIS CONTOUR HERE, THIS SLOPE.

THERE WE ARE.

OH, YEAH.

OH, YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

THIS IS WONDERFUL STUFF.

THIS IS AIR-DRIED.

I KNOW BECAUSE I PULLED IT OUT OF THE CREEK, AND I'VE DRIED IT FOR FIVE YEARS, SITTING IN THE HALF LOG.

AND THAT IS WHAT MAKES IT WORK SO BEAUTIFULLY.

A LITTLE BIT OF STRINGOCITY THERE.

AND A LITTLE BIT RIGHT THERE.

AH, AH.

NOT THUMB.

JUST WOOD, PLEASE.

ALL RIGHT.

THERE WE GO.

SO THAT'S ONE TAPER THERE.

YOU CAN SEE HOW IT'S TAPERED ON ONE SIDE BUT NOT THE OTHER.

HERE AGAIN, I'VE GOT TO COME DOWN ON IT.

THERE'S JUST NO WAY OUT OF THAT.

AGAIN, FEEDING IT IN.

SO HERE I'M FROM THE THIN END DOWN.

BUT A CONSISTENT SLOPE.

SO WE DO THE TAPER FROM BOTTOM FULL TO TOP, AN EIGHTH IN ON EACH SIDE, AND THEN THE DEPTH OF THE SHOULDER AN EIGHTH.

NOW, WHERE WE'RE GONNA FIT THIS INTO THAT SOCKET, I KNOW IT'S GONNA--I HOPE IT'S GONNA BE TOO BIG.

YOU WANT IT TO BE TOO BIG, AND WE'LL THEN BE ABLE TO TRIM IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT.

NOW, I'M GONNA DO ONE MORE CUT HERE.

AND THIS IS CRITICAL, BECAUSE REMEMBER, THIS IS FITTING ON A CYLINDER.

SO I'VE GOT THESE TWO FLATS HERE.

AND IT'S GONNA FIT ON A CYLINDER.

I WANT TO UNDERCUT THIS VERY SLIGHTLY HERE.

SO I CUT DOWN AND DO THAT SO THAT JUST THAT KNIFE EDGE FITS IN THERE.

NOW, THIS MAKES IT REACH A LITTLE DEEPER.

THAT'S WHY I TOOK THE SETTING OF THE LITTLE ROUTER PLANE.

THAT'S WHY I BACKED IT OFF, BECAUSE DID YOU SEE HOW THIS UNDERCUTTING HERE IS GONNA MAKE IT GO DEEPER?

AND THERE WAS AN AGAINST-THE-GRAIN CUT.

THE GRAIN IS ALWAYS WITH YOU.

SO THERE WE ARE.

THAT'S OUR DOVETAIL.

THERE YOU GO.

YOU CAN SEE IT A LITTLE BETTER THERE.

IT'S THIN AT THE TOP, IT'S BIG, BIGGER AT THE BOTTOM, CONSISTENT ALL THE WAY DOWN.

LET ME SEE IF I CAN FIND... NOW, THIS IS THE NICE THING WHEN YOU HAVE--HA HA HA--THREE SLOTS.

YOU CAN SEE WHICH ONE IT FITS IN.

BUT I JUST CUSTOM-FIT THESE TO EACH ONE VERY QUICKLY, TRIMMING OFF A LITTLE BIT MORE AS NEEDED.

SO THIS SHOULD GO IN AND JUST ABOUT GET DOWN THERE.

AND YOU CAN SEE, BY UNDERCUTTING IT, LOOK HOW TIGHT.

LOOK AT THAT JOINT RIGHT THERE, THAT KNIFE EDGE.

SO I CAN WORK THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE UNTIL... GOSH.

IT LOOKS LIKE THIS ONE IS GONNA DRIVE UP JUST FINE.

YOU DON'T WANT TO OVERDRIVE IT, OR YOU'LL SPLIT IT OFF.

BUT NEVERTHELESS, THAT IS A PRETTY TIGHT LEG.

IT'S A GOOD FIT ON THIS SIDE AS WELL.

SO THERE WE ARE.

THAT'S HOW YOU CUT THAT.

NOW...HA HA!

NOW I'M GONNA HAVE TO KNOCK THAT LEG OUT, BECAUSE I WANT TO TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THE-- WELL, I HARDLY HAVE A SECOND LEFT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE TURNING.

BUT NOW, ONCE YOU'VE DONE ALL OF THE LEGS, ALL THE LEGS ARE FITTED, YOU CAN TAKE THIS TO THE LATHE AND START DOING YOUR DECORATIVE TURNING HERE.

SO LET ME SEE IF I CAN BRING THIS GUY IN A LITTLE BIT HERE AND BRING THAT GUY OVER HERE.

AND LOOSEN UP THE... YEAH, THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT.

SO NOW THIS CAN SIT HERE.

SO NOW THE DECORATIVE WORK CAN BEGIN.

NOW, ON THIS BARNES NUMBER-THREE LATHE, I HAVE TO UNDO THE SEAT TO MOVE THE TOOL REST DOWN.

BUT NOW THAT CAN GO UP INTO PLACE.

AND SO HERE COMES THE FUN.

I CAN DO ALL OF THIS DECORATIVE WORK LIKE THIS JUST FREE-FORMING IT.

AND IF I HAVE A PIECE THAT HAS A FLAW IN IT, LIKE THIS ONE, I CAN JUST KEEP TURNING DOWN BENEATH THAT FLAW.

SO HERE'S WHERE YOU'RE GONNA START MAKING THE CHIPS FLY, CUTTING DOWN THE BEADS AND THE HOLLOWS AND THE VASE SHAPE.

AND YOU DO THIS AFTER YOU'VE DONE THE MECHANICAL WORK BECAUSE THAT REALLY GIVES A BEADING TO IT THERE.

AND WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS GIVE IT A BEADING, NOT A BEATING.

NOW, THERE WE ARE.

AGAIN, JUST AS WE WERE DOING BEFORE.

HA, YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

AND WE WORK WITH THE GOUGE TO START.

ROUGHING IN THE PATTERN.

AND THEN COME BACK WITH THE SKEW CHISEL AND SMOOTH IT UP.

YES, SIR, BUDDY RO.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT'S ALL OUR DECORATIVE WORK WE'RE GONNA DO IN THIS PIECE.

THAT'S ALL THE TIME WE HAVE.

BUT REMEMBER, IT WAS THAT TAPER INTO A REGULAR DOVETAIL THAT GAVE US OUR LITTLE TAPERED SLIDING DOVETAIL FOR FREE.

SO HERE WE FIND TONGUES IN TREES, BOOKS IN THE RUNNING BROOKS, SERMONS IN STONES, AND GOOD IN EVERYTHING.

I WOULD NOT CHANGE IT.

THANKS FOR JOINING ME.

I'M ROY UNDERHILL HERE IN "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

MAY THE GRAIN BE WITH YOU.

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 AT BOOKSTORES AND LIBRARIES.