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Cutting Joists using 17th Century Construction Techniques

Bob is joined by Pret Woodburn from Plimouth Plantation who shows how mortise-and-tenon joinery was cut back in the 17th and 18th centuries.
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Cutting Joists using 17th Century Construction Techniques

  computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Woodward is an interpreter at the Plymouth plant -- Clinton. Press let's talk a minute about what you're doing here you're basically going to show us how to make a mortise and Tenon joint -- fashion where yes -- the basically the first step in this process. Is to get the face of with a joint will be with a -- is here. This space has to be gotten out of wines so that you're describing a a single plane out of wine salute and a nice flat surface gets -- go ahead. I heard it I'm still listen that's just -- course -- claimed just Europe. To remove the coat as quickly as possible quickly give us. Yes and -- an oak that's ridiculous lady got on it yes it works it works quite well in this. Now this process called tumbling where you're getting me killed the angles of the shoulders in the opening length of the piece. So the piece is rolled -- And to mark to get the distance to the shoulder. It's carried into the peace. It's rolled into the position. Where it'll be cut we will join into the other piece. And then -- angles the shoulders we'll be carried. So you're transferring these points because after all we're gonna be removing part of this piece of lumber. In part of this Cecil numbers so this had to fit together yes in a lap joint and then or rather an -- Morrison tenant yes. So -- but both joints -- get the same time. The the shoulders here. And also -- the extent of the more risk. -- Well being of both of these pieces the straight edge acts as an area as gauge which. So that both the pieces will be equal distance back from the what's called the lay out face and you don't let anything out with a pencil you do everything we've always done -- right there. So now on this piece -- were actually doing the mortise part of the mortise and Tenon Juventus and that's the female part right OK how do you get start well first in depth to you for that -- around you have to start a whole because it has no. -- bit like modern. Screw -- this is the off target. And this is the to a sexually going to replace or rather than going to try to do the job that we just did a minute ago with a power growth and you have to give up on top of the worked. And there -- OK so threat in order to get the right dimension you're going to what depth. Built for a half inches which is how deep and what is the beech -- and in terms of getting the actual. How many of these drills you have to I -- three holes in the world -- Who would it to hit the outer edges and one right next to yeah and then the chisel work we'll create the actual -- and yet it's ten that are open and okay. The toe kick them at least here the mortise through the female by now that the male part of the joint the tendon is a different approach right. Yes it is you know this tool if you could hinder us. -- Listen. All right and now we're ready to basically do the same thing on the other side but -- greater depth there OK that's the little holes. In the tendon. Which will allow us to protect these two together. And we go here. What else. Excellent job Brent thank you very much. --"

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