The Woodwright's Shop

Roy takes us on a tour the Dominy Shop at Winterthur Museum. The shop holds the tools and shop items used by three generations of craftsman from 1750-1850.

Roy walks us through the steps to create a simple, but accurate and functional spring pole lathe.

Roy welcomes Wallace Gusler from Colonial Williamsburg, and he shows the process to create a cabriole leg with a ball and claw foot.

Roy works with his daughter, Rachel, to create a child-size, 17th-century chair found in a book by Wallace Nutting.

Roy explores the contents of a recently purchased tool chest, trying to determine something of the original owner. He then shows how to recreate the chest itself.

Mack Headley from Colonial Williamsburg visits the shop and demonstrates the chip carving techniques used to decorate furniture.

Roy looks at the details of early-American fences, including lightweight and portable fences used for sheep herding, garden fences and more substantial post and rail “fences” used in forts built around 1620.

Roy shows you how to make some always-gift-appropriate and useful utensils for the kitchen including a rolling pin, heavy spoon, a collapsible drinking cup and more.

Roy pitches in with the raising of the frame-and-timber structure for Anderson’s Forge at Colonial Williamsburg.

Roy builds a small rowboat using traditional tools and techniques.

After discussing how humidity affects different wood species, Roy makes a clever and simple late 18th-century hygrometer to measure the humidity in the shop.

Roy recreates a classic pine corner cupboard.

To celebrate his new nephew, Roy builds an 18th century baby’s high chair with rush seating.