From: ginkgo@ecsvax.uncecs.edu (J. Geary Morton) Newsgroups: rec.woodworking Subject: "The Woodwright's Shop" FAQ Date: Fri, 20 Oct 1995 00:20:11 GMT Organization: UNC General Administration Message-ID: Since being recently "exposed" as the producer of the TV series (thanks, pal!), I have received LOTS of email from many woodworkers requesting information about the "Woodwright's Shop." Well folks, there just ain't 'nuff hours in the day for me to begin to answer them individually, so I have herewith compiled some basic information that should answer most of the questions that have been asked. I do read everyone's email, and I also enjoy reading this great newsgroup - one of the best (and most active) on the net! I'll update this "FAQ" occasionally, as questions come in, and repost it accordingly. Many thanks to all of you for your kind words, interest and suggestions. We're always looking for new ideas, so let us hear from you! EPISODE DESCRIPIONS FOR THE 1500 SERIES (from the press release) 1501 - Sharpening Tools (10/7/95) Roy shows how to grind and hone a perfect razor's edge on your chisels and planes, while the tool-cam takes you to a chisel's-eye view of making a whetstone case. 1502 - Jefferson's Walking Stick-Chair (10/14/95) How to make a walking-stick that opens up to form a portable chair like the one used by Thomas Jefferson - all out of one piece of turned walnut. 1503 - Chisels, Gouges and Mallets (10/21/95) The simplest tools can have the most variations. From the swan-neck to the bowl gouge, Roy shows how a dozen variations of the chisel work in wood. 1504 - Trestle Table (10/28/95) How to make the classic trestle table with a top that stays flat. Special joints allow the wood to move with the weather, but the table stays tight! 1505 - Wooden Scoop Shovel and Spoons (11/04/95) How to shape a wooden scoop shovel out of a single piece of basswood or poplar. Remember, these are the only shovels that you should use for gunpowder! 1506 - The WoodenBoat School (11/11/95) Roy travels to the wooden boat building school on the coast of Maine to learn how the ancient traditions are kept alive and well. A good dory story! 1507 - Marionette Makers (11/18/95) Learn to make little wooden people (with strings attached)! Basswood brought magically to life by a couple from the North Carolina mountains. Shades of Pinnochio! 1508 - Folding Workbench I (11/25/95) Part one of a nineteenth-century design for a sturdy workbench that folds away. It's oak and pine and it works just fine. 1509 - Folding Workbench II (12/2/95) Part two completes the folding workbench with all the various devices to hold the wood while you work it. 1510 - Candle Stick Maker (12/9/95) How to make variations on the adjustable height candle stand. One has a walnut shaft and pegs, the other makes its moves on a wooden screw. 1511 - Adirondack Woodcraft (12/16/95) Journey to the wilds of the Adirondack Mountains of New York to learn the woodworking secrets behind regional specialties: world-famous rustic furniture and guideboats (taped last July during the "great blowdown of '95"(a REALLY bad storm)). 1512 - Williamsburg Trunk Makers (12/23/95) How the harness makers at Colonial Williamsburg make leather trunks on a wooden frame. He'll order a portmanteau to go! 1513 - Climbing a Colonial Steeple (12/30/95) Climb the interior of the timber-framed bell tower of a church built in 1750, one of the finest examples of early American carpentry. An unforgettable journey into the past! BOOKS BY ROY UNDERHILL "The Woodwright's Shop" -A practical guide to traditional woodcraft- The first woodwright book begins with a guide to trees and tools and includes chapters on gluts and mauls, shaving horses, rakes, chairs, blacksmithing, log houses, and much more. "The Woodwright's Companion" -Exploring traditional woodcraft- Roy's second book features chapters on helves and handles, saws, the search for the whetstone quarry, hurdles, whimmy diddles, planes, window sashes, and pit sawing. "The Woodwright's Workbook" -Further explorations in traditional woodcraft- Roy's third book includes instructions for tool chests, workbenches, lathes, wood barns, forges, boats, colonial fortresses - and much more. He also provides a fascinating and useful "field guide" to American tool marks. "The Woodwright's Eclectic Workshop" The newest woodwright book features step-by-step instructions for such popular items as the Adirondack chair, tavern table, folding ladder, rocking horse, lathe, and kayak. It also includes colorful descriptions of what it was like to be a tradesperson working with the tools and methods Roy describes on television and in his books. THERE IS A NEW BOOK IN THE WORKS - AVAILABLE SOON! All books are published by The University of North Carolina Press and are available in bookstores and libraries. UNC Press has a toll-free order number: 1-800-848-6224, and a toll-free fax number: 1-800-272-6817. Their mailing address is: Customer Service Department University of North Carolina Press P.O. Box 2288 Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2288 VIDEOTAPES VHS copies of each episode are available by calling 1-800-441-3000. It is best to know the number of the episode you want before calling (given during the plug at the end of the show). The operator can usually deal with a good description, though. Episodes are NOT available prior to their original broadcast date (see listing above). Copies of episodes from earlier seasons, as well as many "collections" of episodes, are available through the North Carolina Public Television Foundation, P.O. Box 12231, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709; 1-919-549-7822. Please write or call for a complete listing of what's available. MISCELLANEOUS The Woodwright's Shop has been in production since 1979. The series did not go national (PBS), however, until 1981. Hence the fact that this is the 15th season. There are always 13 episodes in a "season", with each season beginning in early October (usually the first Saturday). That makes 195 episodes in all! Unfortunately, not all PBS affiliates run The Woodwright's Shop! It is their option whether or not to carry it. It is also their option WHEN to carry it. The dates given above are for the original satellite feeds. Most stations will air it on that same day, while others will time-shift it to a different day/month/week, i.e. check your local listings or call your affiliate station. If your station doesn't run the series (and you would like for them to), COMPLAIN! (Not to me, but to them). PBS stations are obliged to be responsive to their viewership, as they must rely on viewers for support. They DO listen, especially if many people have a similar request. The Woodwright's Shop enjoys an audience of approximately one million viewers, weekly! Roy Underhill lives in Williamsburg, VA but is from Washington, D.C, originally. He is an alumnus of UNC and Duke University. He visits this newsgroup occasionally, too, but doesn't post, in the interest of preserving his dwindling privacy. The cute kids seen in earlier episodes are Rachel and Eleanor Underhill. They're both teenagers now (16 & 14) and are way too cool for any woodworking toil! Roy's wife, Jane, has also appeared on a few episodes and is quite competent in many traditional crafts. The 'in-shop' episodes are taped in Durham, North Carolina at a frequency of about one every other week, beginning in April. They are usually "live-on-tape, i.e. one continuous take. In any given series there are typically 2 episodes taped in Williamsburg, and another 2 taped "on location" at various interesting sites around the world. The Woodwright's Shop has been to England, Wales, Ireland, Norway and Germany in past seasons, as well as many sites across the U.S.. Geary Morton