Dovetail Saw

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, AND I CAME, I SAWED, BUT IT TOOK MY FRIEND TOM CALISTO HERE TO CONQUER THE ART OF MAKING BACKSAWS.

YOU NOT ONLY MAKE THEM.

YOU TEACH.

THAT IS TRUE.

AND THIS IS ONE TOM MADE FOR ME.

THIS IS A LONG MITER BOX SAW FOR ME.

BUT LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE.

CERTAINLY.

HE'S GONNA TEACH US NOW HOW TO MAKE OUR OWN BACKSAWS.

AND...WELL, LET'S START WITH THIS ONE.

LOOK AT THAT.

THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF MY EARLIER ONES, BUT IT'S STILL ONE OF MY FAVORITES.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT JUST CUTS BEAUTIFULLY FOR FINE, DELICATE WORK.

SO I LOVE IT.

IT'S GREAT.

IT'S GREAT.

JUST THIS LITTLE TINY DOVETAIL SAW, THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT YOU MADE FOR ME HERE.

AND THEN THIS ONE HERE, A MORE STANDARD SIZE, I GUESS.

BUT AGAIN, LOOK AT THE VERY, VERY FLAMBOYANT EXPRESSION YOU CAN DO WITH THE HANDLE THERE.

AND THIS...THIS IS SOME OF YOUR TEACHING.

A STUDENT OF MINE-- ACTUALLY A FRIEND, BILL ANDERSON, HE TOOK IT TO THE Nth DEGREE, AND HE'S GOT ONE IN HOLLY AND ONE IN EBONY.

USED THE TRADITIONAL SAW NUTS AND DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB WITH THOSE.

SO THIS IS THE KIND OF STUFF YOU TEACH, HOW TO MAKE THESE.

BUT REALLY, IN SPITE OF ALL THE VERY-- AND HERE'S A CHERRY HANDLE HERE-- IN SPITE OF ALL THE VARIATION THEY'VE GOT-- OH, GOSH.

AND HERE'S A WALNUT HANDLE.

HA HA HA!

ALL RIGHT.

SO IT JUST KEEPS GOING.

ALL THE VARIATION.

THERE'S REALLY 4 PARTS.

WE'VE GOT THE-- WHAT?

HANDLE.

YOU'VE GOT THE BACK, THE PLATE, AND THE SAW NUTS-- LIKE I SAY, VINTAGE ONES OR WE'VE GOT SOME SPLIT NUTS THAT I MAKE.

SPLIT NUT.

WOW.

SO, YOU KNOW, ONE IS FLUSH WITH THE SURFACE, AND ONE'S A LITTLE PROUD.

WOW.

THIS IS GREAT.

ALL RIGHT.

AGAIN-- AND THIS IS CALLED THE PLATE YOU SAY.

CORRECT, YEAH.

THE SAW PLATE.

AND THE THING WAS, OF COURSE, THIS CUTS A VERY THIN KERF, VERY THIN, BUT IT'S GOT THIS STIFFENING BACK ON IT TO MAKE IT STAY RIGID WHILE YOU'RE CUTTING.

THIS WAY WE CAN USE A LITTLE THINNER PLATE, AND YOU'LL STILL KEEP EVERYTHING CUTTING TRUE.

I'LL BE DARNED.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S SEE.

NOW, YOU JUST STARTED ON ONE.

WHAT YOU DOING HERE?

WORKING ON THE HANDLE A LITTLE BIT.

USUALLY, YOU KNOW, I'LL ROUGH-CUT THE BLANKS.

BUT I DO WANT TO SMOOTH OUT ALL MY CURVES.

AND THAT'S KIND OF STEP ONE, IS GETTING EVERYTHING KIND OF TRUE AND SQUARE TO THE SURFACE.

AND SO FOR THAT, I JUST USE A SIMPLE, YOU KNOW-- SO YOU'VE SAWN IT OUT.

THIS IS THE TRADITIONAL BEECH, IS THAT RIGHT?

AM I RECOGNIZING THAT?

TRADITIONALLY, YOU KNOW, BEECH IS A GREAT WOOD.

BUT, YOU KNOW, WHY NOT HOLLY?

BUT I SEE YOU'RE GETTING IT SQUARE.

DO YOU GO AHEAD AND FINISH IT UP AND DO ALL THIS ROUNDING?

NOT AT THIS STAGE.

BEFORE I GO TOO FAR WITH IT-- BECAUSE WE WANT TO SAW THE SLOT FOR OUR HANDLE NEXT.

OH, OK. ALL RIGHT.

AND THAT'S KIND OF A CRITICAL STEP.

IF WE SCREW UP AT THAT POINT, IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW WE ONLY SPENT 30 MINUTES ON IT VERSUS 3 HOURS.

ALL RIGHT.

SO LET'S GO AHEAD WITH THAT.

WHICH SAW DO YOU WANT ME TO GET HERE?

THE ONE WITH THE WALNUT HANDLE, PLEASE.

WALNUT HANDLE.

HERE YOU ARE, SIR.

I'M KIND OF PARTIAL TO THAT SAW.

YEAH, THIS IS NICE.

BUT YOU'VE GOT TO LAY IT OUT FIRST, I GUESS.

CORRECT, YEAH.

THE FIRST THING YOU WANT TO DO IS-- EXCUSE ME A SECOND.

KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHERE WE WANT TO TERMINATE OUR SAW CUT.

AND SO FOR THAT, I'LL JUST MAKE A LITTLE LINE.

SO THAT'S HOW FAR BACK INTO THE HANDLE THE PLATE IS GONNA BE SET.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW I'LL JUST TRANSFER THOSE OVER TO THE EDGES THERE.

USING A PRECISE TRANSFER MECHANISM.

ABOUT RIGHT THERE.

YES.

THIS IS KIND OF, YOU KNOW-- PLUS OR MINUS A LITTLE BIT.

BUT THOSE LINES MATTER.

THAT'S THE HANG OF THE SAW, ISN'T IT?

HOW THAT GOES UP AND DOWN.

CORRECT.

AND ACTUALLY IN THE HANDLE ITSELF, I'VE KIND OF GOT THE HANG BUILT IN.

WHEREVER, ON MY PATTERN-- OH, OK. THAT'S 90 DEGREES, YEAH.

IT'S GONNA COME STRAIGHT OFF OF THAT SHOULDER.

CORRECT.

SO, YOU KNOW, IF I ADJUSTED MY PATTERN A LITTLE BIT, THEN I CAN ADJUST THE HANG A LITTLE BIT.

THAT WOULD GO UP AND DOWN.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT'S IN THE PATTERN.

SO WE KNOW WHERE WE WANT TO STOP THE CUT.

NOW WE JUST WANT TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING TO PUT IT, IF YOU WILL.

AND THE IDEA IS TO MAKE A SAW KERF DEAD-CENTER DOWN OUR PLATE.

AND FOR THAT, I'LL JUST BREAK OUT A MARKING GAUGE.

AND I'M GONNA TEST IT FIRST.

I'VE GOT IT EYEBALLED CLOSE TO THE MIDDLE.

AND I JUST WANT TO KIND OF TEST IT AND SEE WHERE I AM.

AND... YOU WERE IN THE MIDDLE.

I GOT LUCKY ON THAT ONE.

SO AT THIS STAGE, I JUST WANT TO TRANSFER THIS LINE NICE AND DEEP.

THAT'S WHAT YOU DID-- RUN IT DOWN FROM BOTH...

BOTH FACES.

BOTH FACES.

OK. BECAUSE WHAT MATTERS IS THAT YOU'RE IN THE CENTER OF THIS SAW HANDLE.

OTHERWISE, YOU'LL BE SAWING AROUND CORNERS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITH YOUR OFFSET SAW.

YEP.

YEP.

BRING IT ON DOWN.

KIND OF DEEPEN IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.

THAT WOULD BE TOUGH-- YOU'VE GOT TO SAW THIS NEXT.

IT WOULD BE TOUGH TO MAKE A SAW WITHOUT A SAW.

I GUESS THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG.

I'M NOT SURE WHICH CAME FIRST, BUT... LET'S SAY THANK YOU TO THE PERSON WHO MADE THE FIRST SAW.

ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, SO THIS IS A CRITICAL ASPECT.

SO YOU WANT TO TRY TO GET THIS RIGHT.

AND THE WHOLE SECRET OF ACCURATE SAWING IS ONLY CUTTING WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE LINE.

OK.

SO YOU WOULDN'T KEEP PROCEEDING HERE BECAUSE IT'S OUT OF EYESIGHT.

OK. AND SO MY GOAL HERE IS I'M JUST GONNA MAKE A THIN KERF AROUND THE ENTIRE PERIMETER ABOUT AN EIGHTH-INCH DEEP OR SO, JUST SO I CAN GET SOMETHING ESTABLISHED FOR THIS SAW TO TRACK WELL IN.

ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO... AND LET ME THROW THESE GUYS ON HERE.

IT HAPPENS.

YEAH, I THINK SO.

OVERNIGHT.

I JUST GONNA SLOWLY BRING IT DOWN.

KEEPING AN EYE ON THE SECTIONS WE DON'T WANT TO CUT.

SO YOU DON'T WANT TO NICK THIS.

THAT'S GREAT.

I LIKE THE VISE YOU'VE GOT IT HELD IN, TOO.

YEAH, JUST A HAND SCREW.

IT KIND OF BRINGS IT UP JUST TO THE RIGHT HEIGHT FOR ME.

BUT YOU'VE PUT SANDPAPER IN THE JAWS.

YEAH.

IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE GRIPPING POWER.

AND AGAIN, I'M JUST GONNA TRY TO...

FOLLOW THE LINE THAT I CAN SEE.

I KNOW WE'RE GONNA GET TO THE PLATE LATER, BUT THIS IS A RIPSAW, I GUESS, YOU'RE WORKING WITH HERE.

YEAH.

THIS ONE'S MOSTLY RIP, I GUESS.

IT'S GOT A SLIGHT MODIFICATION TO THE TEETH.

SPOKE TOO SOON.

ALL RIGHT.

ONE OF THEM HYBRID TEETH.

I SEE.

ALL RIGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

FOR CUTTING WOOD DIAGONALLY.

BUT, OF COURSE, YOU HAVE DIFFERENT TEETH FOR DIFFERENT SAWS.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER REASON THIS IS GREAT-- YOU CAN MAKE BIG TENON SAWS, YOU CAN MAKE LITTLE DOVETAIL SAWS.

NOW WE'LL JUST CONTINUE ON AROUND.

WE'RE ALMOST THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THIS IS IT-- YOU'RE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME AND CARE AT THE START TO GET THIS LINE CORRECT, AND THEN YOU CAN START WHALING.

YEAH, THEN I CAN GET A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH IT.

AND YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT, WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO WIND UP WITH A SAW KERF THAT'S ALL THE WAY DOWN THE CENTER.

AND SO THIS IS WHERE THAT PLATE IS GONNA GO.

CORRECT.

YOU WANT TO MOVE ON TO THIS...THIS...

CERTAINLY.

WELL, OUR NEXT STEP IS TO ACTUALLY MORTISE THE BRASS BACK INTO THE HANDLE, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET SET UP FOR THAT.

AND I IMAGINE THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT'S HOLDING THE-- SO THAT'S GOT TO BE PRETTY PRECISE, TOO.

YEAH.

YOU WANT IT TO BE A GOOD, SNUG FIT.

OK. AND NOT OFFSET TO ONE SIDE.

EXACTLY.

THEN YOU COULD SAW AROUND CORNERS.

SO HERE YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE THE BACK ALREADY AND THE PLATE.

YOU'VE GOT KIND OF EVERYTHING LINED UP KIND OF WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE.

AND I'M GONNA USE THIS TO LAY EVERYTHING OUT.

I GOT YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT GOES INTO THE SLOT.

SO IT'S WONDERFUL.

YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS-- THIS IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT SEEMS VERY COMPLICATED, BUT IF YOU FOLLOW IT STEP BY STEP... YEAH, IT'S QUITE EASY.

AND I WANT THE TOP OF THE BACK TO BE ABOUT AN EIGHTH-INCH PROUD OF THAT SURFACE.

SO I'M JUST GONNA GET IT LINED UP.

JUST BY EYE.

THERE WE GO.

AND I'M GONNA DO A LOT OF FITTING-- TESTING, RATHER, OF THE FIT BEFORE I GO TOO FAR WITH IT.

THEN WE CAN BRING IT OVER ON THE TOP AND MARK THE TOP.

AND THERE WE'VE GOT EVERYTHING DELINEATED.

THE LITTLE HOUSING FOR THE BRASS TO GO INTO.

THAT IS CORRECT.

AND THEN WE'LL... HAND ME THE CHERRY-HANDLED SAW, PLEASE.

THE FAR RIGHT.

THERE WE GO.

THIS ONE.

THE LITTLE FAVORITE THERE.

MY FAVORITE ONE.

I JUST WANT TO-- I LIKE TO SAW INSIDE THE LINES JUST A LITTLE BIT.

IT'S MUCH EASIER TO TAKE WOOD AWAY THAN TRY TO ADD IT, SO I WANT TO-- I'LL REMEMBER THAT.

TRY TO REMOVE THE BULK OF THE WASTE.

UH-HUH.

AND AGAIN, PAYING ATTENTION TO WHERE YOU'RE SAWING.

IT'S REAL EASY TO-- ON A FEW OF MY SAWS, I PROBABLY HAVE A LITTLE SCAR THERE, BUT THEY WORK THE SAME.

THIS IS WONDERFUL.

THERE'S BEEN SUCH A REVIVAL IN MAKING QUALITY BACKSAWS AROUND.

IT STARTED YEARS AGO, I GUESS, WITH THE GUYS AT INDEPENDENCE AND THEN TOMMY NEILSEN GRAMERCY, WENZLOFF, AND BAD AXES-- ALL THESE FOLKS DOING IT, BUT YOU'RE TEACHING AS WELL.

SO YOU'VE GOT FOLKS MAKING THEIR OWN DARNED SAW.

LITTLE BOUTIQUE SAWS.

AND THOSE GUYS DO A BEAUTIFUL JOB.

I MEAN... AND NOW YOU'RE JUST CUTTING A SHOULDER ON THE BACK THERE.

OK.

CORRECT, YEAH.

I'M JUST GONNA START TAKING IT ON DOWN, OPEN MY MORTISE UP.

UNFORTUNATELY, I WASN'T ABLE TO SAW ALL THE WAY TO THE BACK.

BUT MOST OF THE WOOD IS GONE.

AND THEN CAREFULLY-- SO IT'S LIKE A LOT OF THOSE DOVETAILS.

YEAH.

HERE WE'RE GOING.

AND JUST KEEP WHITTLING AT IT.

NOW, LET'S SEE.

I THINK THERE'S ONE BACK HERE.

I DO BELIEVE WE HAVE-- THAT'S GOT IT FITTED HERE.

WE HAVE THAT ONE AND ALSO, LIKE I SAY-- AND THAT'S THE SLOT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO LET ME SEE.

WHERE IS OUR PIECE?

RIGHT HERE.

WHERE WE'RE AT NOW.

CAN YOU FIT THAT TOGETHER?

YEAH.

LET ME FLIP IT AROUND FOR YOU.

OH, OK.

I'M SORRY.

THAT WAS FOR PUTTING WOOD BACK IN.

OK. AND THERE WE GO.

AND A GOOD, SNUG FIT.

AND WE CAN KIND OF-- SO THAT'S JUST CHISEL WORK AND SAW WORK TO GET IT TO THIS FAR.

CORRECT.

ALL RIGHT.

AND NOW WHAT?

DO YOU CONTINUE ON WITH THE HANDLE?

I'LL CONTINUE ON WITH THE HANDLE.

AND THE IDEA IS JUST TO ROUND EVERYTHING OVER, PARTICULARLY ON THE GRIP, WHERE YOU'RE ACTUALLY GRABBING.

YOU KNOW, YOU WANT THAT REALLY DEEPLY RAD-- OR ROUNDED OVER TO MAKE IT COMFORTABLE.

AND YOU KNOW, JUST SOME OF THE DETAILS-- THAT LITTLE LAMBS TONGUES.

OH, OK.

SO NOW YOU'RE FAR ENOUGH ALONG THAT YOU CAN DO THIS REFINING.

RIGHT.

THIS IS JUST TO MAKE IT PRETTIER.

I MEAN, BUT STEP ONE-- GET IT COMFORTABLE.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW YOU'VE GOT TO ALIGN THESE BOLTS HERE THROUGH, BECAUSE EVERYTHING HAS GOT TO FIT TOGETHER.

HOW DO WE DO THAT NOW?

NEXT WE WANT TO ACTUALLY GO AHEAD AND BORE OUR HANDLE FOR OUR HOLES.

AND THAT'S WHY YOU WANTED MY DRILL PRESS.

AH...ALL RIGHT.

FOR THIS FIRST STEP, IT'S KIND OF CRITICAL-- WE'VE GOT OUR SAW NUTS THAT ARE GONNA PASS ALL THE WAY THROUGH, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE A COUNTERBORE ON THIS SIDE AS WELL AS THIS SIDE.

IT'S IMPORTANT THEY BOTH LINE UP.

SO YOU WANT THOSE TO BE IN ALIGNMENT.

SO THAT'S WHERE THAT COMES IN HANDY.

ALL RIGHT.

BECAUSE YOU COULD DO THIS BY EYE, JUST TRYING TO SQUARE IT UP, BUT IF YOU HAVE A LITTLE DRILL PRESS, THAT'S GONNA MAKE IT GOOD.

I'LL BE THE MOTOR HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

YOU BE THE MOTOR.

LET ME GET THINGS MARKED OUT HERE.

SO WE'RE GONNA PUT A SAW NUT HERE.

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHERE TO PUT THE NUTS?

JUST BY EYE.

SO IF YOU'RE DOING A HISTORICAL ONE, YOU MIGHT COPY THAT, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO COPY AN OLD SAW.

BUT YOU JUST DO IT BY EYE.

3 NUTS.

I WANT TO STAY AWAY FROM THE BACK IF I CAN.

THAT'S NOT A HARD AND FAST RULE, BECAUSE SOME MANUFACTURERS, THEY'D PUT ONE THROUGH IT.

BUT JUST MAKE SURE YOU HAVE 3.

FOR THIS TYPE, WITH THE CLOSED TOE, HAVE ABOUT 3 SAW NUTS IN THERE.

MAKE SURE YOU GO THROUGH THE PLATE.

LET'S BORE SOME HOLES.

ALL RIGHT.

YOU'VE GOT WHAT, A SIXTEENTH-INCH DRILL IN HERE?

CORRECT, YES.

TAKE HER UP TO SPEED.

THERE WE GO.

AN ALCOHOL-POWERED DRILL PRESS THERE.

AND THERE WE GO.

THAT ONE'S DONE.

THERE'S ONE.

WHOA!

I LOST A WASHER.

ALL RIGHT.

I THINK WE'RE OK.

I'VE GOT PIECES FLYING OFF MY DRILL PRESS HERE.

SHE CAN'T TAKE IT, CAPTAIN.

SHE'S BREAKING UP.

HA HA HA!

ALL RIGHT.

THAT ONE'S THROUGH.

ALL RIGHT.

YEAH.

AND FOR OUR LAST ONE.

THERE WE GO.

AND THIS IS JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE REALLY AT 90 DEGREES TO THE FACE THERE.

THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE.

THIS IS THE ONE THAT'S KIND OF-- OOPS.

WE ALMOST MADE IT.

THERE WE GO.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

AH.

WHOO!

SO NOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR 3 HOLES.

AND THEY GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE.

THANK GOODNESS!

EXACTLY.

ALL RIGHT.

SO, NOW YOU'VE GOT TO DO MORE WITH THIS HERE.

THEY'VE GOT TO BE MADE TO FIT THE NUTS.

WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO DO THAT WITH?

I'VE GOT JUST A FORSTNER BIT.

AND I'VE GOT A DEPTH STOP THAT I MADE FOR IT.

SO YOU MADE THE BRASS PART, BUT THE STEEL PART IS...

IT'S STORE-BOUGHT, STORE-BOUGHT STUFF.

IT WAS ACTUALLY STORE-BOUGHT.

ALL RIGHT.

AND SO THIS WILL DO A COUNTERSINKING.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT THERE.

THAT'S THAT LITTLE SOCKET THAT WE HAVE RIGHT THERE.

SO LET'S SEE HOW THAT WORKS.

OK. ALL RIGHT.

SO WITH OUR FIRST HOLE DRILLED NICE AND ACCURATELY, THIS ONE'S PRETTY EASY.

ALL RIGHT.

SO I JUST WANT TO TAKE IT ON DOWN.

UNTIL THE STOP...

STOPS.

YEP.

EXACTLY.

THERE'S ONE.

THERE'S ONE.

OK. LET'S DO THEM ALL.

WHAT THE HECK.

NOW, I SEE WITH THAT BRASS-- AND YOU'VE BEEN MAKING ACTUALLY THE SAW NUTS YOURSELF-- YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY A TRAINED MACHINIST.

I'VE DABBLED WITH IT A LITTLE BIT.

YEAH?

WELL... HA HA HA!

I WAS A MECHANICAL ENGINEER FOR MANY YEARS, AND I ALWAYS HAD ACCESS TO A MACHINE SHOP THERE.

BUT I'VE BEEN BUILDING FURNITURE FULL-TIME FOR THE LAST 3 YEARS, I BELIEVE, AND I'M HAVING TO BUY MY OWN TOOLS NOW.

WELL, YOU SAY THAT'S-- ALL RIGHT.

SO THOSE ARE THE 3 ON ONE SIDE.

AND THE SAME ON THE OTHER SIDE?

CORRECT.

SAME ON THE OTHER SIDE.

YOU SAY YOU GOT STARTED ON THIS TO MAKE YOUR OWN TOOLS TO SAVE MONEY.

YEAH.

WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE I GUESS WAS WHEN I REALLY GOT SERIOUS ABOUT BUILDING FURNITURE AND MAKING TOOLS-- OR MAKING FURNITURE RATHER, AND I COULDN'T AFFORD TO BUY MANY TOOLS AT THE TIME BECAUSE I COULD BARELY AFFORD TO BUY FOOD.

SO I JUST STARTED READING OLD MAGAZINES AND YOU KNOW, SEEING SOME OF THE PICTURES IN THERE OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE HAD DONE, AND IT WAS PRETTY AMAZING.

WELL, THIS IS QUITE A LEAP HERE, DOING THE SAWS AND MAK-- NOW, OF COURSE, YOU COULDN'T AFFORD TO BUY THE SAWS, BUT THEN YOU PUT A LOT OF MONEY INTO BUYING MACHINERY AND TOOLS TO HELP MAKE SAWS MORE EFFICIENTLY.

SPENT $4,000 TO MAKE A $100 SAW.

WELL, THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S THE WAY WE PLAY.

OK.

SO NOW THAT'S NOT BIG ENOUGH TO PUT A NUT THROUGH THERE.

NO, NOT QUITE YET.

NOW, ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE IS WHERE WE'RE GONNA WANT...

EXCUSE ME.

ON THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE, WE'RE GONNA PUT THE SPLIT NUT.

SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DRILL FOR THE OTHER PART OF THAT NUT.

THERE MAY BE A NUT OVER THERE.

I'LL GO AHEAD AND START POPPING THESE HOLES.

I'VE GOT ONE RIGHT HERE.

THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT THERE.

AND SO I'VE GOT TO DRILL FOR THAT SHOULDER THERE.

OH, I SEE.

OK.

SO IT'S NOT THE FULL DEPTH.

CORRECT.

I'M JUST GONNA GO TO THE KERF.

WHY DON'T YOU GET ONE OF THESE DONE HERE?

BECAUSE I KNOW YOU DON'T DO-- WHEN YOU PUNCH...

THERE WE GO.

YEAH, I ONLY DO ONE AT A TIME WHEN I'M PUNCHING THEM.

WELL, THEN I GUESS YOU CAN GET ALL OF THESE DONE.

AND AGAIN, THIS YOU CAN DO WITH AN EGGBEATER DRILL.

MM-HMM.

AND WE JUST...THAT ONE, AND THEN THE OTHER SIDE HAS A LITTLE BIT LARGER HOLE.

YOU WANT ME TO GO AHEAD AND POP ALL OF THESE?

YEAH, GO AHEAD.

GO AHEAD THERE.

AGAIN, IT'S BEECH.

AND I THINK BEECH IS JUST TRADITIONAL BECAUSE OF THE STRENGTH AND THAT IT DOESN'T SWELL AND SHRINK, YOU KNOW, SO MUCH, SO THAT IT DOESN'T DISTORT.

BECAUSE HERE WE'RE COMBINING WOOD THAT REACTS WITH HUMIDITY.

AND NOW FROM THIS SIDE, OR ARE YOU GONNA DO IT RIGHT DOWN ALL THROUGH THAT HOLE?

WELL, ACTUALLY, THIS DRILL IS GONNA BE A LITTLE LARGER.

SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND DO IT FROM THE OTHER SIDE.

I GOT YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

AND THIS IS THE SIDE WHERE WE'RE GONNA GET THE SQUARE SHOULDER.

OH, ALL RIGHT.

OH, OK.

RIGHT.

RIGHT.

SO A LITTLE BIT BIGGER BIT HERE.

COME ON.

GET-- MY EGGBEATER IS... HA HA HA!

IT'S BEATEN TOO MANY EGGS HERE.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THIS IS A ROUND HOLE WE'RE DOING.

YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR SQUARE-HOLE BORING APPARATUS READY.

YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED.

OH, REALLY?

I'VE GOT MY SQUARE HOLE PUNCH.

ACTUALLY, THIS IS MOSTLY FOR JUST LOCATING IT.

OK.

SO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THAT ONE SIDE THERE, LIKE A CARRIAGE BOLT AS YOU SAY, ONE SIDE OF THE NUT IS SQUARE, AND YOU'RE GONNA MAKE A LITTLE SQUARE SOCKET FOR THAT TO GO INTO.

ALL RIGHT.

LET'S SEE HOW THAT WORKS THERE.

AND SO THIS WORKS REALLY WELL FOR-- WILL YOU HAND ME THAT LITTLE, SMALL HAMMER DOWN THERE, PLEASE?

YES.

MM-HMM.

AND IT'S REALLY GOOD FOR JUST MARKING IT.

AND I LIKE TO-- IS THAT THE RIGHT SIDE?

WRONG SIDE.

THERE WE GO.

AND THERE WE GO.

WE'LL DO THIS ONE.

JUST GIVE IT A QUICK POP.

AND THAT'S IT.

MAYBE IT'S A LITTLE TOUGH TO SEE, BUT THERE'S A LITTLE SQUARE RECESS AROUND THERE.

DOWN INSIDE THAT HOLE?

CORRECT.

AND SO THEN YOU SQUARE THAT UP WITH A CHISEL.

I JUST BREAK OUT A CHISEL, AND I'M GONNA DO THE END GRAIN FIRST.

A WISE MOVE THERE, YEAH.

AND WORK YOUR WAY BACK UNTIL YOU GET TO THAT STAGE RIGHT THERE.

SO WE HAVE 4-- OR 3 SQUARE HOLES.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL... YOU'VE WORN ME OUT ALREADY.

BUT WE HAVEN'T EVEN GOT-- ALL WE'VE GOT IS A HANDLE NOW.

SO WE'VE STILL GOT TO DO THE PLATE.

THE HANDLE IS ACTUALLY THE HARD PART.

OH, OK. BECAUSE THE PLATE-- AND THIS IS IT.

THIS IS WHAT'S SO AMAZING TO ME, IS THIS COMES AS THESE ROLLS.

YOU BUY THIS AS SPRING STEEL.

CORRECT.

IT HAS THE PERFECT TEMPER FOR MAKING A NICE SAW.

SO YOU BUY A COIL OF THIS STUFF, AND IT FLATTENS OUT STRAIGHT.

AND THEN YOU'VE GOT TO CUT THE TEETH ON IT, AND TO DO THAT, THIS IS A WONDERFUL MACHINE HERE.

HOW OLD IS THIS THING?

YOU KNOW, I DON'T REALLY KNOW THE VINTAGE OF THIS.

I'M GUESSING PROBABLY THE... MAYBE THE MID-SIXTIES PERHAPS.

WELL, THIS IS CALLED A RE-TOOTHER, AND TOM IS SETTING IT UP IN HERE.

IT'S AN OLD BELT SAW RE-TOOTHER, AND TURNING THE CRANK IS GOING TO ALLOW THIS TO PUNCH OUT THE TEETH.

SO LITERALLY, YOU DON'T FILE THE TEETH.

THAT'S WAY OLD-SCHOOL.

YOU USE THIS THING TO PUNCH IT.

SO HE'S SETTING IT UP NOW.

I'VE JUST GOT A SIMPLE WOODEN GAUGE TO TELL ME HOW DEEP TO CUT MY TEETH.

AND THAT...HOW DEEP IT'S GONNA GO INTO THE EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE PUNCH THAT'S DOWN INSIDE HERE, AND IF YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS AT AN ANGLE.

THIS IS SO COOL.

THIS IS AT AN ANGLE.

AND THAT'S THE RAKE OF THE TEETH, HOW HUNGRY THEY ARE.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW I GET TO TURN THE CRANK ON THIS ONE?

I'LL JUST TURN THE CRANK.

ALL RIGHT.

[CLICKING] ALL RIGHT.

AND THAT'S IT.

THAT'S THE TEETH BEING PUNCHED OUT ONE AFTER THE OTHER.

SO IT ADVANCES ALONG THE PITCH, I GUESS... YEAH, THE PITCH IS CONTROLLED BY THIS BAR IN THE TOP CALLED THE RATCHET BAR, AND I'VE GOT VARIOUS RATCHET BARS TO DO FROM, LIKE, 15-POINT DOWN TO 4 1/2 POINTS PER INCH.

AND WE CAN ALSO ADJUST THE RAKE BY ADJUSTING THESE TWO KNOBS, WHICH WILL ROTATE, DEPENDING HOW THE ANGLE OF THE TEETH ARE, WHETHER THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, STRAIGHT UP AND DOWN LIKE THESE ARE, YOU KNOW.

OR JUST MAKE IT A HUNGRY RIP TOOTH OR... OR A CROSSCUT.

OR A LAZY CROSSCUT THERE.

WELL, ALL RIGHT.

I'M GONNA SPEED ON UP HERE, BUT I CAN SEE ALL THESE LITTLE TEETH PUNCHING OUT DOWN AT THE BOTTOM.

VERY COOL.

AND THAT'S IT.

YOU'LL HEAR IT STOP AS IT GETS TO THE END OF THE PLATE.

AND THAT'S IT.

ALL RIGHT.

CAN I TAKE IT OUT?

PLEASE DO.

ALL RIGHT.

I USED TO DO THIS BY HAND.

THIS IS A HUGE TIMESAVER.

LOOK AT THAT.

LOOK AT THAT.

THAT'S ALL TOOTHED NOW.

YOU CAN SEE.

AND HOW MANY TEETH TO THE INCH IS THIS HERE?

THIS IS 11-POINT RIGHT HERE.

SEE?

LOOK AT THAT.

AND THEY'RE ALL PERFECT NOW.

SO THAT'S NOT-- THEY'RE PUNCHED.

THEY'RE CUT, AND IT WOULD WORK AS A RIP SAW KIND OF, BUT YOU STILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE TO WORK TO THAT?

THERE'S A FEW REFINEMENTS YOU CAN MAKE TO IT TO MAKE IT CUT A LOT BETTER.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, WONDERFUL.

WHAT A COOL MACHINE.

NOW LET'S SEE.

WE'VE GOT TO NOW FIT THESE THINGS TOGETHER.

YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER PART HERE, THE BACK.

AND YOU SAID THAT STARTS WITH JUST BAR STOCK.

YEP.

THIS STARTS OFF AS BAR STOCK.

THIS IS A FINISHED ONE?

IS THAT ONE THAT'S...

THIS IS ALMOST FINISHED.

IT DEPENDS ON WHAT STYLE YOU WANT.

OH, I SEE, WHETHER IT'S SQUARE OR ROUND.

BUT YOU'VE GOT THE SAW CUT DOWN HERE.

SO YOU USED A...

THIS IS WHERE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT EXPENSIVE MACHINE.

YOU USED A MILLING MACHINE AND A SAW TO CUT THAT VERY THIN SLOT DOWN INSIDE THERE THAT GOES THE LENGTH OF THIS PIECE RIGHT HERE, INSTEAD OF FOLDING IT OVER, WHICH IS ONE OF THE OLDER WAYS OF DOING IT.

I LIKE THE LOOK OF THE FOLDED BACK.

SO THAT'S WHY ACTUALLY I USUALLY PUT A RADIUS ON THE BACK OF MY SAWS, BECAUSE I LIKE THE LOOK OF IT.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, LET'S SEE HOW YOU LINE THINGS UP NOW.

I GUESS THAT'S THE NEXT THING, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TO JOIN EVERYTHING TOGETHER WITH THE NUTS.

SO NOW HERE'S THE PART WHERE EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER.

YOU'RE MAKING YOUR OWN BACKSAW.

LET'S SEE.

WE'VE GOT ONE IN HERE ALREADY.

WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PUNCH FOR ANOTHER.

WHAT I USE TO TRANSFER MY HOLES-- LET ME SLIDE THAT AWAY.

ALL RIGHT.

I JUST GET WHAT IS CALLED A TRANSFER PUNCH.

AND I'VE ALREADY GOT ONE LOCATED.

OH, I SEE.

OK. GOOD.

AND IS THAT A GOOD IDEA, TO DO JUST ONE AT A TIME?

EXACTLY.

I ALWAYS START WITH ONE, BECAUSE IF YOU TRY TO TRANSFER ALL 3 HOLES AT ONCE, ONLY ONE IS GONNA WIND UP...

RIGHT.

RIGHT.

OK. OK.

SO GET ONE TO HOLD IT ALL IN ALIGNMENT.

THEN GIVE IT A GOOD SMART TAP TILL YOU SEE THE LITTLE DIMPLE IN THERE.

ALL RIGHT.

AND NOW... AND WE'LL TAKE THAT ONE APART.

LET ME SEE IF I CAN GET IN THERE HERE.

SO THIS IS WHAT'S NEAT-- YOU'VE MADE THIS SPLIT-NUT DRIVER TO DO IT, AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S A SCREWDRIVER WITH A GAP TOOTH IN IT, AND IT REACHES OVER THE BOLT IN THE MIDDLE.

LET'S SEE IF I CAN PUSH THAT OUT.

YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO, AND IF YOU CAN'T, I'VE GOT A PERSUADER THERE FOR YOU.

TAP IT ON THAT SIDE THERE.

THERE WE GO.

AND THAT SHOULD COME OUT NOW.

IT SHOULD.

AND THEN YOU'VE GOT A-- HA HA!

I THINK IT WILL.

YOU'VE GOT A COOL WAY OF MAKING THAT HOLE THROUGH THERE FOR THAT, IS THIS WONDERFUL PUNCH.

YEP.

THIS KIND OF WORKS ON THE SAME PRINCIPLE THE TOOTHER DOES-- JUST A PUNCH AND A DIE.

IN THIS CASE, I'M JUST GONNA TRY TO... FIND MY DIMPLE THAT I MADE EARLIER.

IT'S GOT A LITTLE POINT ON THAT PUNCH THERE.

I JUST FIND IT MORE BY FEEL THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

AND WE'RE GONNA PUNCH A LITTLE SLUG OUT.

POW!

AND THAT'S IT?

AND THAT'S BETTER THAN DRILLING TO DO THAT?

IT WORKS A LOT... OBVIOUSLY A LOT FASTER.

PLUS THE DRILL IS GONNA SKATE ALL OVER THE PLACE.

IN THAT HARD STEEL, RIGHT.

IN THE HARD STEEL.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THIS IS READY TO GO ON THERE NOW.

AND THEN...BOY, THAT'S ABOUT IT THERE.

I'M GONNA LET YOU PUT IT TOGETHER.

I'LL GET THIS OTHER NUT AND GET READY WITH THE NUT DRIVER.

SO THESE ARE THE KIND OF TOOLS.

THIS IS SUCH A COOL-- CAN I BORROW THE...

THERE WE GO.

ALL RIGHT.

AND LINE THAT UP.

AND...ALL RIGHT.

THERE WE GO.

AND NOW WE'LL USE THE SPLIT-NUT DRIVER.

HA HA HA.

THAT'S GREAT.

NOW, THIS JUST HAS ONE NUT IN IT.

CAN I GO AHEAD AND USE IT, THOUGH?

GIVE IT JUST A TRY, EVEN THOUGH IT HASN'T BEEN SHARPENED.

THAT PLATE HAS.

I THINK YOU'RE READY TO GO.

LET ME GET THIS OUT OF THE WAY FOR YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

NOW, IS THIS CROSSCUT OR RIP?

BECAUSE THERE'S DIFFERENT TYPES THERE.

SO YOU SEE HOW THAT IS THERE?

HE FILED THAT OFF FLUSH THERE TO MAKE IT GO THE REST OF THE WAY.

THIS ONE IS SET UP FOR CROSS--RIP CUT.

EXCUSE ME.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT'S A STANDARD DOVETAIL SAW OR A TENON SAW.

YOU'RE CUTTING DOWN THE GRAIN, SO THE TEETH ARE SQUARE ACROSS.

NOW WE'LL SEE HOW IT DOES.

ALL RIGHT.

SO... WELL, LET'S SEE.

I'LL CUT A... OH, GOSH.

HA HA HA!

EVEN WITHOUT ALL ITS... YEAH, YEAH.

LOOK AT THAT.

ALL RIGHT.

SO THAT'S IT.

SO YOU CAN MAKE THESE SAWS... TO YOUR PREFERENCE, AND WHAT'S WONDERFUL IS THERE'S A REVIVAL OF THIS ALL OVER, AND TOM, YOU'VE TAUGHT-- HOW MANY STUDENTS DO YOU THINK YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH NOW?

PROBABLY 30 OR 40?

PROBABLY MORE THAN THAT.

MAYBE 50 OR SO, YEAH.

SAW MAKERS IN AMERICA.

AND MOST OF THE TIME, THEY MAKE ABOUT TWO CLASSES-- OR TWO SAWS, RATHER.

SO THERE ARE 100 NEW SAWS IN THE WORLD.

MY HEART LEAPS.

I WANT TO SHOW YOU A FEW MORE THINGS THAT TOM HAS BEEN MAKING-- HIS WONDERFUL WORK HERE.

IT SHOWS WHAT YOU CAN DO.

JUST BEAUTIFUL BRASS AND WOOD AND STEEL INLAID.

AND THESE ARE LITTLE BEVELS HERE.

JUST LITTLE BEVELS.

SO IF I'VE GOT-- I LIKE HAVING MANY OF THEM.

SO IF I HAVE ONE PROJECT WITH MULTIPLE ANGLES, I CAN GET IT SET UP FOR-- YOU EVEN HAVE THE DIFFERENT WOOD IN THERE.

I'VE GOT MY WALNUT ANGLE, MY MAHOGANY ANGLE.

YEAH.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THAT'S WHAT THE PROBLEM IS-- THAT'S OUR FRIEND BILL.

HE HAD THE EBONY SAW AND THE HOLLY SAW.

WE CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH ONE IS WHICH.

AND HERE'S ANOTHER ONE.

NOW, THIS IS THE ONE THAT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE YOU'RE STILL A HUMAN BEING LIKE ME.

THIS IS A LITTLE LOW-ANGLE MITER PLANE THAT TOM HAS MADE, BUT HOW LONG AGO DID YOU START THIS?

ABOUT A YEAR AGO, MAYBE TWO YEARS AGO.

TWO YEARS?

OK. WELL, IF IT WAS 20 YEARS, I'D FEEL MORE LIKE MYSELF.

BUT ANYWAY, THIS IS THE KIND OF WORK YOU CAN DO WITH STEEL AND BRASS, PUTTING IT TOGETHER.

AND WHAT MADE ME FEEL GOOD IS THAT YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED IT YET.

IT MAY NEVER GET FINISHED, BUT I CAME-- I'M THAT CLOSE.

YOU'RE VERY CLOSE.

I'VE GOT A BOAT SITTING AT HOME IN THE SAME CONDITION.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THIS IS IT.

A MAN WHO LIKES TO MAKE THINGS.

TOM CALISTO, I'M SO GLAD YOU CAME, AND I WANT TO FINISH UP THIS SAW, AND I'LL HAVE A NICE NEW ONE IF I CAN.

WELL, CERTAINLY.

THANK YOU, TOM.

I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.

IT WAS A GREAT PLEASURE.

THANK YOU.

AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

MAY THE GRAIN BE WITH YOU.

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

WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

SO LONG.

ALL RIGHT.

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.