The Woodwright's Shop

Why do it by hand—when you can do it by foot? Roy Underhill gets caught up in up a bevy of century-old, foot-powered woodworking machines.

Grooves and splines make a tidy oak box, but can we cut the joints just using hand tools? And do we want to?

You can’t make a drop leaf table without the rule joint. So, what are the tools you need to cut it by hand? Bill Anderson drops by with the answer.

Chris Schwarz’s anarchist’s tool chest starts a back-to-basics revolution! Learn his classic system of simplicity to set your work life free.

Secrets of the mysterious two-screw vise revealed! Chris Schwarz joins Roy Underhill to rediscover this enigmatic wooden vise.

Make your own darn metal screws with this 1889 foot-powered lathe! Roy shows how to cut perfect threads, cones and tapers in iron and brass.

The old triangular stool spells trouble for Peter Follansbee and Roy Underhill as they tackle a trio of terrible turned tenons!

With foot-powered lathes, Peter Follansbee and Roy Underhill turn this adjustable bookstand from walnut and maple.

Make raised panels for your doors with care and flair! Roy Underhill uses both complex planes and tricks with basic tools to raise the classic panel.

Woodcarver Mary May makes basswood flowers bloom. Get in the groove of high-relief carving with sharp gouges and good-grained wood!

Haul out the anvil and forge this essential bench tool! Blacksmith Peter Ross shows how to forge historical versions of this powerful gripper.

Make this Shaker cabinet and dwell in utopian serenity! Simple to construct and elegant in design, this cupboard is a standby in any room or shop.

What made these American communal craftsmen tick? From their furniture to their bentwood boxes, the Shakers may be our most modern artisans.