Apprenticeship Series: The Foundations

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THE HAND TOOL WOODWORKING APPRENTICESHIP

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This first foundational video in our Apprenticeship series serves as an overview for those interested in the hand-tool-only furniture making process. Come into the shop of Joshua Klein, editor of Mortise & Tenon Magazine, to absorb the woodworking methods he’s learned from examining countless pre-industrial originals. The evidence of process left behind as tool marks gives a beauty and authenticity that no machine can mimic.

In this video, Joshua sets out to unravel the unjustified mystique about hand tool woodworking for M&T readers. After looking at the basic tool set and sharpening, Joshua walks through how he selects his lumber and processes it with hand tools. The heart of the video is the demonstration and explanation of the foundational furniture joinery. An introduction to using shellac and milk paint closes the tutorial. Throughout the video, Joshua busts the myth that working wood by hand is simply naïve anachronism. To the contrary, he’s discovered it to be a surprisingly efficient and viable option for the 21st-century woodworker.

We invite you to cut the cord and join us on this journey.

Total run time: 136 minutes

Contents:

00:00:00     Introduction

00:06:10     The Tools

00:18:48     Sharpening

00:29:10     Thoughts on Design

00:30:50     Sourcing & Selecting Lumber

00:37:10     Stock Prep

01:00:00     The Mortise & Tenon Joint

01:23:55     Dovetails – Through & Half-Blind

01:43:55     The Nailed Rabbet Joint

01:49:03     The Dado

01:54:04     Thoughts on Period Joinery

01:55:10     Finishing with Shellac & Milk Paint

02:06:05     Conclusion