Campaign Furniture

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.

WELCOME BACK TO "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

I'M ROY UNDERHILL.

I KNOW HOW IT IS.

THERE YOU ARE.

YOU'VE BEEN STATIONED UP TO A HILL STATION IN THE UPPER PUNJAB.

YOU'RE WISHING YOU COULD TAKE A BIT OF OLD BLIGHTY UP THERE WITH YOU, BUT ALL THOSE OVERSTUFFED CHESTERFIELD SOFAS AND YOUR FALDERAL CARVED FURNITURE, THAT SIMPLY WON'T DO.

WHAT YOU NEED IS A NEW STYLE.

WHAT YOU NEED IS...

Together: CAMPAIGN FURNITURE!

YES, INDEED.

AND CHRISTOPHER SCHWARZ IS THE NEW MASTER OF CAMPAIGN FURNITURE.

ALL RIGHT.

BUT YOU COME BY IT HONEST HERE.

YOU, UH... HAD A FAMILY-- GREW UP WITH THE STUFF.

YES.

AND IS THIS ONE OF THE PIECES HERE?

THIS WAS MY GRANDFATHER'S DOCUMENT BOX, WHICH HE USED TO TRAVEL ALL OVER THE WORLD.

WENT TO ASIA, JAPAN, AND BROUGHT THIS STUFF BACK.

AND SO THIS WAS AROUND OUR HOUSE.

WHEN YOU WENT TO VISIT THEM, YOU PUT YOUR CLOTHES IN A CAMPAIGN CHEST.

AND WE WERE SURROUNDED BY IT.

SO I'VE ALWAYS...

ALWAYS LOVED IT AND APPRECIATED IT AND WONDERED WHY WOODWORKERS DIDN'T BUILD IT, AND SO THAT GOT ME INTO A VERY LONG RESEARCH PERIOD AND BUILDING PERIOD TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS AND HOW IT...HOW IT... HOW IT FUNCTIONED AND HOW TO DO THE JOINERY AND THE BRASSES, AND IT'S BEEN A VERY INTERESTING TRIP.

THE BRASSES ARE A BIG PART OF IT NOW, THESE FLUSH BRASSES.

FLUSH BRASSES AND THIS VERY ORNATE BRASS IS VERY MUCH AN INDIAN OR CHINESE KIND OF LOOK TO IT THAT YOU WOULD SEE.

AND A DRAWER ON THE END THERE.

I LIKE THAT.

SO VERSATILE FURNITURE, FLUSH BRASSES, AND IN THIS CASE, IT LOOKS LIKE EXOTIC WOOD.

LORD KNOWS WHAT YOU'VE GOT THERE.

YES, IT IS SOMETHING VERY MUCH FROM BELOW THE EQUATOR.

YES.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, NOW, I SEE YOU HAVE--I PASSED BY A BOOKCASE WHEN I CAME IN, BUT YOU SAID YOU WERE BRINGING TWO BOOKCASES.

YES, I DID.

WHERE CAN THE OTHER ONE BE?

I DID NOT SEE IT.

BELOW THE BENCH.

BELOW THE BENCH?

HOW CAN A BOOKCASE OF ANY SUBSTANTIAL DIMENSION BE BELOW THE BENCH?

CAN'T BE.

AH!

YOU CALL THIS A BOOKCASE, SIR?

WHY, THIS IS SIMPLY A PILE OF BOARDS.

HOW CAN THIS BE?

OH, MY GOSH.

HA HA HA!

THAT'S GRAND.

AND THIS SLIDES IN.

SO IT'S JUST HINGED.

SLIDE IT IN, AND THEN IT'S NICE AND SECURE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND IF WE HAD A FLAT PLACE...

THERE YOU GO.

SO YOU CAN PUT YOUR BOOKS IN HERE.

NOW, WHERE WOULD THIS GO IN YOUR...

YOUR HOUSE THERE?

OR YOUR TENT OR WHEREVER.

THIS WOULD BE ON TOP OF YOUR CAMPAIGN CHEST, AND YOU WOULD HAVE YOUR BOOKS, YOUR LIBRARY, MAYBE A LITTLE PORTRAIT OF THE QUEEN VICTORIA.

EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT.

AND I SEE THE HINGES... YOU'VE GOT A HINGE COMING IN DOWN HERE, A LITTLE HINGE RIGHT THERE, AND HINGES IN THE MIDDLE.

IT'S ALL HINGES AND A DADO.

VERY SIMPLE TO MAKE.

AND THE ONLY IMPORTANT PRINCIPLE IS THAT THESE HINGE BARRELS BE EQUIDISTANT, AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT FOLD UP.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S TRY IT.

HINGE BARRELS EQUIDISTANT.

SO THIS EQUIDISTANT FROM THE MIDDLE ONE?

WELL, YOU HAVE 3 HINGE BARRELS.

SO THEY ALL HAVE TO BE EQUIDISTANT.

I SEE.

OK. BOO.

YES, I KNOW.

I COULD DO THIS ALL DAY.

IT'S GREAT.

IT REALLY IS NEAT.

SO THAT'S ONE OF THE GREAT ATTRACTIONS OF THIS CAMPAIGN FURNITURE-- THE CLEVERNESS OF IT, BUT ALSO YOU SAY IT'S A TRANSITIONAL PIECE.

IT IS.

IT IS.

THIS STUFF WAS VERY PLAIN BY VICTORIAN STANDARDS AND REALLY IS, ONCE YOU START LOOKING AT IT, THE LINK BETWEEN THE ORNATE VICTORIAN PERIOD OF THE 19th CENTURY AND MODERNISM AND BAUHAUS AND DANISH MODERN, AS THEY TOOK THEIR CUES FROM THIS VERY STURDY, VERY SIMPLE, AND NOT ORNATE FURNITURE.

SO IT'S A VERY INTERESTING MISSING LINK.

SO THE FUNCTION OF HAVING TO TRAVEL, OF BEING ROBUST, FORCED THE DESIGN.

FORCED THE DESIGN.

YEAH.

ABSOLUTELY.

I LOVE IT WHEN THE REAL WORLD STICKS ITS HEAD IN.

EXACTLY.

INTO THE DRAWING ROOM.

AND BEAUTIFUL WOOD.

WHAT IS THIS HERE?

THIS IS SAPELE, WHICH IS SORT OF AN AFRICAN-LIKE, MAHOGANY-LIKE WOOD.

GOSH, IT'S BEAUTIFUL.

YEAH.

IT'S VERY MAHOGANY-LIKE, AND MAHOGANY AND TEAK WERE VERY COMMON SPECIES IN CAMPAIGN FURNITURE, BUT THOSE WERE THE CHEAP-- THAT'S WHAT THE CHEAP STUFF WAS MADE OUT OF.

THE CHEAP STUFF?

THE INEXPENSIVE WORKADAY STUFF.

NOT NOW IT WOULDN'T BE.

NO, IT'S QUITE OPPOSITE.

THE TEAK WAS THE LEAST EXPENSIVE.

MAHOGANY WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE.

AND THEN IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GO OUT, YOU WOULD GET WALNUT OR OAK.

THE WHOLE WORLD WAS UPSIDE-DOWN ECONOMICALLY AS FAR AS WOOD GOES.

HOW FUNNY.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, LET'S SEE.

LET'S PUT THIS BACK, BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE ROOM FOR A VERY FAMILIAR PIECE OF CAMP-- BECAUSE YOU THINK OF THIS STUFF AS FROM MILITARY CAMPAIGNS, WHICH IS I GUESS WHERE IT GETS THE NAME.

I BROUGHT A STOOL SAMPLE.

VERY NICE.

HA HA HA!

AND THIS FOLDS RIGHT UP THERE.

THERE YOU GO.

YEAH.

THIS IS A VERY COMMON PIECE THAT YOU SEE NOT JUST IN CAMPAIGN FURNITURE, BUT CAMPING, YOU KNOW, REVOLUTIONARY WAR.

HERE WE'VE BEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ATLANTIC.

ARTISTS USE THIS WHEN YOU TAKE IT OUT TO, YOU KNOW, PAINT THE LANDSCAPE.

AND YOU KNOW, NICE LEATHER SADDLE, SADDLE-LIKE SEAT, AND THEN YOU CAN SIT ANY PLACE YOU'D LIKE.

IT'S BRILLIANT.

NOW, AGAIN IT'S GOT THE COMBINATION OF THE LEATHER, LOTS OF BRASS, EVEN ON A SMALL PIECE LIKE THIS ONE HERE.

NOW, THIS CHAIR OVER HERE... YOU'VE GOT A CHAIR THAT YOU HAVE GOT TO SEE.

NOW, THIS IS CALLED A WHAT NOW?

IT'S A ROORKHEE.

A ROORKHEE.

YES.

IT'S A VERY INTERESTING CHAIR THAT WAS INVENTED ABOUT 1898 BY AN UNKNOWN ENGINEER IN ROORKHEE, INDIA.

ANTHIS WAS THE ANSWER TO, YOU KNOW, THE BIG, HEAVY CAMPAIGN FURNITURE STUFF.

WHOEVER INVENTED THIS, THE MISSION WAS TO MAKE SOMETHING VERY LIGHTWEIGHT THAT CAN BE KNOCKED DOWN FOR TRAVEL.

AND SO IT HAS LOTS OF INGENIOUS THINGS TO IT, LIKE IT HAS THIS-- YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS STRAPPED.

YEAH.

SO ADJUSTABLE FOR THE LARGE OFFICERS.

AND I SEE, EVEN THE TENONS UP HERE, I'M JUST SLIDING THEM IN AND OUT.

THEY'RE TAPERED TENONS.

LIKE A WINDSOR CHAIR.

YOU CAN SEE IT'S JUST, UH...

BUT, YEAH, ON A WINDSOR CHAIR, YOU BETTER FIX IT IN PLACE HERE.

THIS ONE IS JUST LOOSE.

AND SO IT'S THE TENSION OF THE...

THE SITTER.

THE SITTER THAT HOLDS THIS THING TOGETHER.

WELL, WHAT'S THE ADVANTAGE WITH THAT?

I MEAN, YOU COULD TAKE IT APART, I GUESS.

ONE, YOU CAN TAKE IT APART, BUT IT MAKES THIS CHAIR JUST OUTSTANDING FOR THE BUSH.

SO, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND A LEVEL FLOOR, YOU KNOW-- NOT ON THE UPPER ZAMBEZI, NO.

OR IN THE WEST INDIES.

AND SO WHAT WOULD BE COOL ABOUT IT IS NO FIXED JOINERY ALLOWS THE LEGS TO ADJUST INDEPENDENTLY TO ALMOST ANY LANDSCAPE.

CAN I SIT ON IT?

YES, PLEASE.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S SEE.

NOW, THIS IS THE...

THE EMPIRE.

AND SO IT'S LIKE AN EXOSKELETON.

KICKS BACK.

YES, AND IT DOES, WITH HIS EXOSKELETON.

AND IT GRABS YOU AND ADJUSTS TO THE SITTER AND THE LANDSCAPE.

NO WONDER THESE FOLKS THOUGHT THEY RULED THE WORLD.

I MEAN-- YOU KNOW, THIS IS IT.

LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT THAT.

WELL...

CERTAINLY, YES.

NOW, HERE'S A NEAT PIECE OF HARDWARE.

I'M JUST INTRIGUED BY THAT, THAT YOU'RE STILL ABLE TO GET THIS PIECE THAT THE LEATHER COMES OVER AND HOOKS.

THAT'S CALLED A SAM BROWNE BUTTON, AND ALL THE LEATHERWORK IS VERY EASILY DONE, AND ALL THE HARDWARE IS STILL READILY AVAILABLE AND STILL MADE.

SO WE REALLY HAVEN'T LEFT THE ERA OF CAMPAIGN FURNITURE.

HOPING THAT MORE PEOPLE WILL GET INTERESTED IN IT.

WELL, IT IS WONDERFUL.

AND BEST OF ALL, IT'S NOT SHAKER, IT'S NOT COLONIAL.

WELL, IT IS COLONIAL, BUT IN A DIFFERENT SENSE THERE.

YEAH.

IT'S VERY ROBUST, VERY WELL MADE, NOT ORNATE, AND A LOT OF FUN TO BUILD AS A RESULT.

VERY NEAT.

NOW, THIS IS INTRIGUING HERE.

I'M LOOKING BACK HERE, HOPING THIS IS THE LIQUOR CABINET, BECAUSE MY MALARIA IS KICKING IN, AND I NEED A BIT OF GIN TO MIX WITH MY QUININE.

YES.

I'M SORRY, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU'RE GONNA FIND IN THERE.

THIS IS ANOTHER COMMON PIECE OF FURNITURE.

AND, UH...AND NOT ONLY WITH THE BRITISH OFFICERS, BUT STUDENTS WHEN THEY WOULD GO OFF TO OXFORD IS THAT YOU NEEDED... A BOOKCASE.

A BOOKCASE.

EXCELLENT.

EXCELLENT.

AND THIS OPENS RIGHT THE HECK UP THERE.

AH, LOOK.

VERY NICE.

AND IT'S LOCKING GLASS, GLAZED CASES THERE.

YEAH, AND THE MORE EXPENSIVE ONES WOULD HAVE THESE GLAZED DOORS, WHICH WOULD LOCK, OF COURSE, BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE GETTING INTO YOUR WHATEVER.

AND HERE YOU HAVE A BOOK, I SEE.

MM-HMM.

WHAT COULD THIS BE, THIS BOOK WITHIN YOUR BOOKCASE?

IT IS THE BOOK CALLED THE ARMY AND NAVY COOPERATIVE SOCIETY BOOK, AND SO THIS IS A 19th-CENTURY AND EARLY 20th-CENTURY CATALOG FOR BRITISH OFFICERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.

IT IS A CATALOG OF EVERYTHING.

OH, GOSH.

OK. NOW HERE'S GOLF BALLS, JUST WHAT YOU NEED.

ALL SORTS.

10 PAGES OF GOLF BALLS.

PICNIC HAMPERS THERE.

YES, THAT'S LUGGAGE.

CROCKERY, PROPER-- OH, LOOK AT THAT.

NICE SETTINGS FOR THE LADY THERE.

AND SO YOU COULD BE POSTED ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND ORDER FROM THIS IF YOU WERE AN OFFICER?

IF YOU WERE AN OFFICER, YOU WERE ALLOWED TO JOIN THE CLUB, AND THEY WOULD CHARGE YOU VERY LITTLE MONEY.

AND SO THIS WAS A BIG TURNING POINT FOR NOT ONLY, YOU KNOW, COMMERCE DURING THE VICTORIAN ERA, BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR HOW THINGS WERE MADE AND SOLD, BECAUSE THIS WAS A BIG ERA OF INDUSTRIALIZATION.

AND YES, GET YOURSELF A CANNON.

COULD YOU GET...

THERE'S EVERYTHING IN HERE.

ABSOLUTELY.

I MEAN, YOU NAME IT, AND IT'S PROBABLY IN HERE IF IT EXISTED IN THE 19th CENTURY.

YOU SAY YOU COULD GET A PLAY OR A PARADE?

YOU CAN ORDER A MARCHING BAND IN THIS CATALOG TO COME TO YOUR HOUSE AND LIQUOR FOR YOUR LIQUOR CABINET, ALL FORMS OF DRUG-- OOH, LIVER TONIC, MY FAVORITE.

BUT HERE, LET'S GET BACK ONTO-- I SEE YOU'VE MARKED A SPOT HERE.

THAT MUST BE THE FURNITURE.

THE CAMPAIGN FURNITURE.

AND SO YOU WOULD ORDER YOUR FURNITURE FROM HERE.

SUMMER ENCAMPMENT.

BUT WHAT WAS INTERESTING ABOUT IT IS THAT WHEN CAMPAIGN FURNITURE STARTED IN THE 1740's, IT WAS BUILT BY INDIVIDUAL CABINET MAKERS.

YOU KNOW, OH, YOU'RE AN OFFICER.

YOU HAVE YOUR COMMISSION.

YOU HAVE TO BUY YOUR OWN FURNITURE.

YOU GO TO THE CABINET MAKER.

"I NEED THIS."

AND THEY WOULD MAKE IT FOR YOU.

WELL, THE OFFICERS, I GUESS, GOT A LITTLE TIRED OF THE HIGH PRICES, AND SO THEY STARTED MAKING IT THEMSELVES.

SO THEY FORMED THIS COMPANY TO MANUFACTURE THIS FURNITURE FOR THEIR MEMBERS.

SO YOU COULD BUY-- THIS WAS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON ONES, ALL THE TRUNKS.

YOU NEED A TRUNK TO GO ABOARD.

AND HERE ARE THE-- THESE ARE THE CLASSIC CHESTS THERE.

MOST PEOPLE, WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT CAMPAIGN FURNITURE, YEAH, THEY THINK OF THE CAMPAIGN CHEST, AND THESE ARE TWO UNITS USUALLY, SOMETIMES THREE, THAT STACK ON EACH OTHER.

ONE SIDE GOES ON EACH SIDE OF THE CAMEL OR ELEPHANT.

HA HA HA!

NO, I'M NOT LYING.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

AND THE FLUSH HARDWARE WOULD KEEP FROM CHAFING YOUR ELEPHANT HERE.

YES.

YOU DON'T WANT A CHAFED ELEPHANT.

I WANTED TO COME BACK TO THIS UP HERE, THIS UP TOP HERE.

THIS LOOKS LIKE A ROORKHEE BED.

IT IS A ROORKHEE BED, AND SO IT USES THE SAME TURNINGS, THE SAME LOOSE TENONS, ALL THE SAME PRINCIPLES, AND PACKS UP INTO A TINY, LITTLE CANVAS BAG THAT SOMEONE ELSE CAN CARRY FOR YOU.

IT IS THE BRITISH.

NO, NOT QUITE.

BUT WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL.

NOW, AGAIN, SO THE CHARACTER-- LET ME MOVE THAT KEY FOR A SECOND HERE, BECAUSE I WANTED TO JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THIS HANDLE HERE.

CONCEALED OR FLUSH BRASS HERE.

SO THAT'S A BIG PART OF IT THERE AGAIN.

AND FLUSH CORNERS, THE CORNER BRASS IS ALSO ALL FLUSH.

AND THAT IS SO-- SOMETIMES THIS WOULD GO INTO A SEPARATE CONTAINER, A WOODEN CONTAINER, AND THE FLUSH BRASS ALLOWED THEM TO GET IT IN THERE.

NOW, IF I LOOK AT THE UPPER CORNER HERE, THIS ONE, I SEE AGAIN THAT-- OPEN THAT A LITTLE BIT BETTER THERE-- THIS FLUSH BRASS IN THE CORNER REINFORCEMENT, AND THAT'S JUST TO KEEP-- IS THIS BELT AND SUSPENDERS?

WHAT HAVE WE GOT AS A JOINT UNDERNEATH THERE?

WELL, UNUSUALLY YOU HAVE A JOINT THAT YOU DON'T SEE MUCH UNLESS YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR IT IN CAMPAIGN FURNITURE.

IT'S CALLED, YOU KNOW, THE FULL-BLIND LAPPED DOVETAIL.

SO THIS IS ALL DOVETAILED, EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN'T SEE A SINGLE DOVETAIL.

MY GOODNESS.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, AND THAT'S... YOU'RE PREPARED TO SHOW US HOW TO DO THAT, I BET.

YES, I'D LOVE TO SHOW YOU HOW TO DO THIS JOINT.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THAT'S GONNA-- IN FACT, I THINK I APPRECIATE YOU SHOWING US THIS JOINT BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO REQUIRE A SPIRITUAL TRANSFORMATION FOR YOU.

YES.

I'M GOING TO HAVE TO CROSS THE CHANNEL.

HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO DO-- WELL, YOU'LL SEE.

ALLOW ME TO MOVE MY STOOL.

OH, PLEASE.

THERE WE GO.

WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS THIS.

SO HERE IS A MOCK-UP OF THE JOINT.

AND I HAVE TO LOOK ACTUALLY.

AND YOU'RE SAYING THIS WAS A REAL KEY, THAT YOU LOOKED INSIDE THE JOINTS AND SAW THESE OVERCUTS.

YOU SEE HOW WE'VE GOT SAW CUTS GOING DOWN ON THE INSIDE?

AND THAT TELLS YOU, UH...

WHICH IS THE TAIL BOARD.

WHICH IS THE TAIL BOARD.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT WOULD MAKE THIS THE TAIL.

MM-HMM.

BECAUSE THEY'RE ANGLED.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THESE ARE THE PINS, AS WE HAVE IN DOVETAILS.

AND LET'S SEE IF I'M RIGHT.

BECAUSE IF YOU GET THIS WRONG AND TRY AND KNOCK YOUR--THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THERE ARE THE PINS.

AND THESE ARE THE TAILS THERE.

AND YOU CAN SEE HOW THOSE EXTENDED CUTS TELL YOU WHERE THEY ARE.

NOW, NORMALLY WHEN WE CUT IN OUR-- "NORMALLY," I SAY, BUT I MEAN-- WE ARE NORMAL, NOT ABNORMAL.

IS TO CUT THESE DOVETAILS FIRST AND THEN TRANSFER THOSE MARKS TO THE PIN PIECE, BUT DO YOU SEE HOW-- THAT CAN BE DIFFICULT.

YEAH.

YOU CAN'T REALLY GET IN THERE.

SO THIS IS GOING TO REQUIRE YOU TO-- I HESITATE TO EVEN SAY IT-- BUT TO TRANSFER CUTTING THE PINS FIRST.

ARE YOU READY FOR THIS?

I HAVE TO GO FULL-ON CONTINENTAL.

ALL RIGHT.

BECAUSE REALLY, IT IS ANOTHER PART OF THE TRADITION.

ALL RIGHT, BUT LET'S GET STARTED HERE.

I HAVE TO SIT DOWN FOR THIS.

I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN HANDLE THIS.

AND I'M NOT MAKING THIS STUFF UP.

I MEAN, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, UH...

THESE...THESE JOINTS, EVEN IN THE ENGLISH BOOKS, LIKE CHARLES HAYWARD, A FAMOUS ENGLISH WRITER-- BRING THAT DOG UP.

YEAH.

I'LL BRING THE DOG UP.

FETCH THE DOGS!

THERE WE GO.

HE DISCUSSED THIS AT GREAT LENGTH AND SAID, "WELL, YES, WE ALL CUT TAILS FIRST HERE, "BUT WHEN YOU CUT A FULL-BLIND DOVETAIL, "WE HAVE TO REVERT TO WHAT THEY DO OVER IN GERMANY AND THE OTHER..." SO OUR FRIEND FRANK KLAUSZ WILL BE VERY HAPPY.

A HUNGARIAN SOMEWHERE IS SMILING.

IS SMILING.

ALL RIGHT.

WE DON'T HAVE A LOT TO... ALL RIGHT.

NOW, WHAT HAVE YOU GOT?

THIS IS A... MOVING FILLISTER PLANE.

MOVING FILLISTER, OK. AND SO THIS IS GOING TO CUT THE RABBET THAT WE REQUIRE THAT IS GOING TO GO-- AND THAT'S THE RABBET.

THAT'S THE SHOULDER STEP RIGHT THERE.

RIGHT.

SO WE HAVE TO CUT THAT.

AND SO THIS DEPTH STOP IS SET SO THAT IT WILL STOP THE RABBET EXACTLY.

SO WHEN THE DEPTH STOP CONTACTS THE WORK, THEN THE PLANE WILL STOP CUTTING.

AND WE HAVE A FENCE, WHICH SETS THE WIDTH OF THE RABBET.

THAT'S HOW FAR IN IT IS THIS WAY.

EXACTLY.

AND THEN WE HAVE NICKERS.

NICKERS?

YES.

NICKERS.

AND SO THIS NICKER SCORES--WHEN WE'RE WORKING ACROSS THE GRAIN, IT SCORES THE WORK BEFORE THE IRON LEVELS IT UP AND OUT OF THE MOUTH.

AH, I GUESS WE'LL SEE THAT WORKING.

YOU NEED THAT.

YOU HAVE TO DROP THE NICKER BEFORE YOU CAN CUT YOUR RABBET.

SO DROP YOUR NICKERS... AND THINK OF THE FIELDS OF ENGLAND?

YES.

ALL RIGHT.

THERE YOU ARE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO--AH.

SO YOU CAN SEE THE NICKER IS CUTTING BEFORE THE WOOD IS BEING SWEPT OUT BY THE DIAGONAL SKEWED CUTTER.

YEP.

AND YOU SEE THE DEPTH STOP APPROACHING...

SLOWLY.

SLOWLY STEP BY STEP...

Both: INCH BY INCH.

HA HA HA!

CLOSER AND CLOSER.

YES.

THERE YOU ARE.

ALMOST THERE.

AND IT'S STARTING TO CONTACT.

MADE SHORT WORK OF IT.

SHORT, KIND OF.

ALL RIGHT.

SO, WE'LL RELEASE-- SEE WHAT WE'VE GOT THERE.

RELEASE THE DOGS.

RELEASE...THE HOUNDS.

THE KRAKEN.

SO THERE IT IS.

THAT'S YOUR STEP RIGHT THERE.

MM-HMM.

ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S THE FOUNDATION.

RIGHT.

AND SO NOW WE ARE GOING TO...

I'LL LAY IN A BASELINE HERE.

AND YOU COULD DO THIS BEFOREHAND, TOO.

IT MAKES IT A LITTLE EASIER TO BALANCE, YEAH, AND YOU BRING THIS AROUND.

MAKES IT A LITTLE EASIER, EVEN THOUGH IT IS THE PIN BOARD.

AH, OK.

SO I'M GONNA JUST STICK IT HERE IN THE TAIL VISE AT AN ANGLE.

DON'T DESPAIR THE PIN BOARD.

THAT'S PART OF-- IT HAS ITS WORK TO DO.

IT HAS ITS PLACE.

AND I'M GONNA LAY IT OUT.

I USE A LITTLE GAUGE USUALLY.

AND SO WE JUST JAM IT UP AGAINST THE RABBET HERE.

SO THAT'S WHERE IT'S SQUARING OFF OF.

SQUARING OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE RABBET.

PUT IT OVER HERE.

AND THIS HAS THE ANGLE INTOT.

SO IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S ONE IN FOUR?

ONE IN FOUR.

I CAN TELL BECAUSE IT SAYS "ONE IN FOUR."

ALL RIGHT.

SO A ROBUST DOVETAIL THERE.

AND NOW DOWN THE FACE AT 90 DEGREES.

AT 90 DEGREES, YEAH.

AND YOU CAN SEE I DON'T CARE ABOUT...

THIS LINE AND CROSSING THE BASELINE HERE, BECAUSE AS YOU SAW BEFORE, CROSSING THE BASELINE WILL HELP FURNITURE CONSERVATORS KNOW HOW YOU CUT YOUR... WELL, JOLLY GOOD.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW...

SO HERE YOU'VE GOT YOUR DOVETAIL SAW.

SO A LITTLE, VERY FINELY SET RIPSAW.

AND JUST CUTTING WITH ABANDON, EXCEPT...

I DON'T WANT TO CUT THAT.

DON'T WANT TO CUT INTO THIS LITTLE SHOULDER HERE, BECAUSE THAT WILL SHOW.

THAT WILL SHOW, YEAH.

AND THAT'S KIND OF HARD TO CONCEAL.

YOU VERY RARELY SEE ANYONE NICKING YOUR RABBET.

NOW WE'LL MAKE SURE-- AGAIN, IT'S THIS VERTICAL CUT DOWN THE SIDE THAT THAT'S 90 DEGREES.

THAT'S THE MORE CRITICAL THING.

YOU COULD VARY THIS ANGLE ON THE END GRAIN.

EXACTLY.

THAT'S WHY I DREW THOSE LINES, IS BECAUSE I'M WAY MORE CONCERNED WITH HAVING THIS VERTICAL THAN WITH HAVING...

THE SLOPE IS IRRELEVANT BECAUSE IT'S JUST A PATTERN FOR THE TAIL BOARD.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT'S ISOLATED.

OK. LET ME MARK YOUR WASTE HERE JUST FOR MY BRAIN HERE.

SO THAT'S RIGHT THERE.

THAT'S COMING OUT, AND THAT'S COMING OUT.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA CHOP AWAY.

YEAH, I HOPE.

AND THAT'LL LEAVE THE PINS.

ALL RIGHT.

VERY GOOD.

SO THEN WE'RE GONNA HIT...

UNDER THE HOLDFAST.

YEP.

SO NOW WE CAN JUST CHOP THIS AWAY.

[HAMMERING] LOOK AT THAT.

NOW, YOU PUT YOUR BEVEL TO THE OUTSIDE AGAIN TO EJECT... YEAH.

I USE THAT TO PUSH THE... PUSH THE WASTE OUT, AND I'M JUST TRYING TO HIT IT, REMOVE ABOUT AN EIGHTH OF AN INCH OF WASTE AT EACH TIME AND TRYING TO GET ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM JUST TO MAKE MY LIFE EASIER.

WALK YOUR WAY RIGHT ON BACK.

YEP.

I DON'T WANT TO CROSS THE BASELINE.

THEN IT'S ALL DONE.

YEP.

CHOP, CHOP.

CHOP, CHOP.

AND ALMOST THERE.

NOW, THE ONE-- OH, GO AHEAD.

I WAS GOING TO SAY, IT LOOKS LIKE-- I JUST WANT TO SAY I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

YOU'RE PREPARING THE LAST CUT, BECAUSE ALL THIS WORK IS JUST PREPARING FOR THAT FINAL SHEARING CUT THAT GOES RIGHT INTO THAT LINE.

SO YOU HAVEN'T DONE THE FINAL CUT YET.

NO, NO.

HERE IT IS.

THIS IS WHERE I'M STANDING TO THE SIDE FOR SURE SO I CAN SEE THAT THE BACK OF THE CHISEL IS 90 DEGREES TO THE WORK SO I DON'T HAVE ANY PARING TO DO AT THE BOTTOM.

AND THEN WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS JOINT IS THAT I HAVE THIS RABBET HERE THAT HELPS ME GUIDE MY...MY TOOL IN.

SO I CAN JUST HOG OUT THAT WASTE.

IT GIVES YOU LIP, AND YOU LIKE IT.

YES, I LIKE A LITTLE LIP.

YEAH.

WELL, THAT'S IT.

SO THAT'S YOUR GUIDE ALL THE WAY BACK THERE.

YEAH, AND YOU DO HAVE TO DO A LITTLE CHOPPING DOWN THE...YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU COULDN'T SAW.

SO YOU HAVE TO GO DOWN THE SOCKET WALL THERE A LITTLE BIT AND...

TRY AND SAW AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, THOUGH.

OH, YEAH.

SAWING IS EASIER FOR WASTE REMOVAL.

DO AS MUCH OF THAT AS POSSIBLE.

SO I WOULD JUST CLEAN THAT UP.

AND, BOY, THAT LOOKS ROUGH, BUT AFTER DISASSEMBLING A FEW OF THESE, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THAT'S PRETTY TYPICAL ACTUALLY.

NONE OF THIS SHOWS.

SO IT'S REALLY MORE OF A STRUCTURAL JOINT.

NOW LET ME SEE.

YOU'RE GONNA DO THE SAME THING OVER HERE.

BUT COULD WE JUST GO AHEAD WITH THIS ONE NOW?

AND SO HE'S GONNA REMOVE THE SECOND WOOD HERE.

LET'S GO ON WITH THIS GUY HERE TO THE NEXT STEP.

SO REALLY THE PINS ARE DONE.

YEP.

SO WE'RE GONNA GET A TAIL BOARD HERE.

AND, UM... WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS WE'RE GONNA TRANSFER THAT SHAPE.

AND HERE YOU CAN SEE, LIKE, ANOTHER ONE OF THE BIG ADVANTAGES.

THE LIP IS YOUR FRIEND.

IF THIS DOVETAIL COULD TALK, IT WOULD BE THE FRIENDLIEST, FRIENDLIEST OF ALL DOVETAILS.

TO GET IT ALIGNED, IT REGISTERS RIGHT THERE ON THAT LITTLE LIP.

SO YOU JUST PUSH THAT IN LIKE THAT.

MAKE SURE YOU'RE FLUSH LEFT AND RIGHT, AS FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, AND THEN YOU CAN REACH IN THERE.

REACH IN THERE WITH A PENCIL.

YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO USE A KNIFE.

AND GET IN THERE AND... YOU SEE HOW THIS IS A LITTLE EASIER TO GET TO.

YEAH.

THERE YOU ARE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THAT LAYS OUT THE TAILS.

NOW LET ME MARK YOUR WASTE PLACES HERE JUST FOR MY BRAIN AREA.

SO THAT'S YOUR WASTE THERE, WHERE THE PIN GOES.

THAT'S WASTE, AND THAT'S WASTE.

NOW WE'VE GOT TO PUT THE BASELINE IN ON THE TAIL BOARD.

AND SO WE TAKE THE BASELINE FROM OUR... WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY ON THE DEPTH STOP OF THE MOVING FILLISTER.

ESSENTIALLY THE DEPTH STOP OF THE MOVING FILLISTER.

AND THEN WE TAKE IT AND JUST PULL THAT ACROSS.

BUT THIS IS ONE WHERE YOU GO... YEAH.

OK. YOU GO ALL THE WAY AROUND.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THE OUTSIDE, THOUGH.

SO NOT LIKE WITH A TRUE DOVETAIL.

AND THEN WITH ANOTHER GAUGE...

IT LOOKS HARDER, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY EASIER.

OH, IT'S SO EASY.

IT'S THE EASIEST DOVETAIL.

BECAUSE NO ONE'S GONNA SEE IT WHEN IT'S DONE.

OK. NOW THIS MARK IS...

THIS IS, UH... FAR THAT WAY.

RIGHT.

AND SO I AM GETTING..

I WANT TO GET HOW THICK THE TAILS ARE, STEALING IT FROM THAT PART, AND THEN WE BRING THIS OVER.

AND BRING IT ALSO AROUND ON THE EDGES.

IT MAKES IT MUCH EASIER, BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA BE ACTUALLY SAWN OUT, FOR THE MOST PART.

ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO PUT THIS IN THE VISE.

AND JUST TO MAKE THINGS CLEARER, I'M GOING TO TAKE A SQUARE, AND I'M GONNA SQUARE THIS ACROSS, AND I'LL MARK THE WASTE HERE SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT I'M DOING HERE.

AND WITH THIS PART OF THE JOINT, YOU HAVE TO OBVIOUSLY STAY OUTSIDE OF THE PENCIL LINES, RIGHT NEXT TO THE PENCIL LINE SO THAT THE JOINT FITS, BUT I REALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT WHERE I STOP THE CUT.

I CAN CROSS THE BASELINE.

OH, RIGHT, YEAH.

JUST SO YOU DON'T COME INTO THE OUTER FACE TOWARDS ME.

AS LONG AS I DON'T MAKE IT A THROUGH DOVETAIL BY ACCIDENT.

OOPS!

YEAH.

MAYBE THAT'S HOW THROUGH DOVETAILS WERE INVENTED, SO... WELL, YEAH, YOVE GOT TO WONDER.

PEOPLE SAY, OH, GOSH, "WELL, THIS IS A STEP UP IN DOVETAILING."

BUT IT ACTUALLY ALLOWS YOU TO DO QUICKER WORK WITH LESS WORRIES.

JUST HAVE TO BE STRUCTURAL.

AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THE BRASS TO HOLD IT JUST IN CASE.

WELL, THE BRASS IS JUST IN CASE.

I MEAN, YOU DID HAVE, IN A LOT OF THESE PLACES, THE BRITISH NEVER ENCOUNTERED MONSOON SEASON.

AND SO THEY HAD... YOU WOULD HEAR LETTERS BACK FROM INDIA.

IT WAS LIKE, "OH, PLEASE SEND MORE FURNITURE.

THIS HAS FALLEN APART."

THE HIDE GLUE WAS DESTROYED BY THE MONSOONS.

AND SO WE ARE... YEAH, WE'LL SECURE THAT.

AND THEN WE WILL JUST CHOP THIS STUFF OUT.

BUT, YEAH, THE BRASSES DEFINITELY HELPED, AND THEY PROTECTED THE EDGES WHEN THE CAMEL DECIDED TO UNCEREMONIOUSLY DEPOSIT YOUR FURNITURE UPON THE JUNGLE FLOOR LIKE CAMELS DO.

YEAH.

SO THIS IS GONNA GO DOWN ALL THE WAY IN THE MIDDLE.

SO VERY MUCH THE SAME THING, CUTTING A SOCKET.

YEP.

BETWEEN THE TAILS.

ALL RIGHT.

YOU CAN SLIGHTLY UNDERCUT THESE IF YOU LIKE.

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DO.

AND THEN I KIND OF COME IN HERE AND THEN CHOP THAT OUT, AND, UH...HERE WE GO.

TRY TO JUST PUT IT ON THE BASELINE AND, UH...

RIGHT ON UP.

I HOPE.

AND THAT'S THE SPACE FOR THE PIN TO GO.

AND THEN, CHRIS, I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA CUT THE REST OF THIS OUT, AND YOU COULD CHOP IT OUT LIKE THIS.

BUT ALSO YOU SAID YOU COULD SAW IT LIKE THAT, YOU COULD SAW IT THE OTHER WAY.

BUT ANYWAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND PUT THIS TOGETHER HERE.

SO YOU'LL SEE HOW THAT'S GONNA COMPLETE.

MM-HMM.

AND THEN YOUR PIN BOARD GOES RIGHT ON INSIDE, AND THERE IT IS.

AND ON THE OUTSIDE, YOU DON'T SEE ANYTHING EXCEPT THAT LITTLE STRIP OF END GRAIN.

THEN YOU'RE GONNA PUT THE BRASSES ON IT.

AND YOU'RE GONNA SHOW US ABOUT THE BRASSES NEXT TIME.

CHRISTOPHER SCHWARZ, THANK YOU SO MUCH ONCE AGAIN.

I APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU, ROY.

ALL RIGHT, AND HEY, THANKS FOR JOINING US HERE IN "THE WOODWRIGHT'S SHOP."

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

SO LONG.

THAT'S GREAT.

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.