The Woodwright's Shop

Roy starts off the “Making Things From Nature” season by giving us some history of rustic furniture and walks through the steps necessary to make a Rustic Rocker.

To finish up the Rustic Rocker, Roy takes us into the woods to gather hickory bark, and then heads into the shop to create the woven bark seat for the rocker.

Roy takes us into the shop to finish up a pilgrim-style oak cradle that he started, but never finished, reviewing the “tricky” parts necessary to create the whole project.

We visit with a 14-year-old traditional woodworker who sells his wares (walking sticks, toys and more), to make more money to buy tools he can’t make for himself.

A collector of cast-iron, foot-powered woodworking lathes and fret saws visits with Roy and they try out a number of the machines.

In part one, Roy starts the base of a classic early-American project that serves as a tilt-top table, chair and storage unit.

In part two, Roy finishes the base and completes the top of the early-American tilt-top table. He also shows how to make a traditional milk paint finish for the piece.

Roy visits with David Harvey, a Blacksmith at Colonial Williamsburg, and learns how to turn bog ore into a woodworking chisel.

Roy shows how to create three projects that are created directly from trees and bark, with very little refinement.

We head back to Colonial Williamsburg where Roy visits with master wheelwright Dan Stebbins to discover the mysteries and realities of making wheels for early American wagons and carts.

Roy makes a six-note music mill from wine bottles that is powered by hand crank (but can also be powered by a water wheel).

Roy travels back to visit with master cabinetmaker Mack Headley at the Anthony Hay shop at Colonial Williamsburg. He shares some of the secrets that were standard fare for 18th century American woodworking.

Sash joinery, or making windows, is the ultimate test of organizational skills, and Roy takes us through the many steps and details that must align to make a good window.