The Woodwright's Shop

Getting a Grip on It

Watch as Roy examines a number of tool handles, then creates an axe handle from a split of hickory and turns a chisel ha

Candle Stand

Follow along as Roy walks you through the steps of creating a classic walnut candle stand.

Plane Truth, Version 1

Learn the history of a wide variety of handplanes as Roy explains their many and specialized uses.

Plane Truth, Version 2

Learn the history of a wide variety of handplanes as Roy explains their many and specialized uses. Lost episode.

Getting Into Drawers

Join Roy as he makes a hand-hewn, half-blind dovetailed drawer for his workbench, and discusses many of the techniques u

Finding and Fixing

See what Roy discovers at a scrap yard, antique store and flea market on his way to “The Woodwright’s Shop.”

Cutting your Teeth

It’s all about staying sharp, and in this episode Roy examines the dizzying array of saws available, from familiar pan

While the Iron’s Hot

Accompany Roy on a visit to Colonial Williamsburg to work with the living history museum’s blacksmiths as they make a

Straight and Narrow

Lost episode.

Vernacular Sash

Roy takes us through the hand-crafted creation process of a sash-style window, explaining the stiles, rails and muntins.

Woodwright at Sea

The evolution of modern boat building in America starts with simple designs such as those found in rough-hewn canoes –

Tale of Two Toys

Roy looks at a collection of classic wood toys, and then shows us the steps to create a Crow Chaser.

Inner Woodworking

Observe as Roy looks at the mechanics of wood and how a trees’ growth affects how you work wood once you have it in yo

Workbench (Part I)

Roy hand-crafts the frame for a massive, classic workbench using pegged and keyed mortise-and-tenon construction.

Workbench (Part II)

Roy finishes the workbench started in the previous episode.

Blanket Chest

Follow along as Roy builds a stunning nailed-together, six-board blanket chest with an interior till.

Simple Gifts

Watch and learn as Roy builds three simple gift projects, including a flapping duck toy, a small pine knock-down bench a

Whimsy Diddling

Join Roy as he walks you through the process for making a Gee Haw Wimmey Diddle, a quintessential mountain folk toy, alo

Furniture Carving

Watch as Roy’s guest Colonial Williamsburg’s Wallace Gusler talks about the techniques and tools needed for carved f

Whetstone Quarry

Take a trip with Roy through the geological history of whetstones, then head out on a hunt for rough materials to make y

The Gunsmith

Spend time with Roy and gunsmith Gary Brumfield of Colonial Williamsburg as they discuss the steps to making a handcraft

Wood for the Weaver

Discover details about some of the traditional wooden implements used by weavers, including spinning wheels, clock reels

The Luthier

Join Roy in learning the techniques and processes used to create a violin in the 18th century.

Cooper’s Bucket

With some help a couple of coopers from Colonial Williamsburg, Roy shows the steps to creating a cooper’s bucket.

The Basket Makers

Watch as Roy Black and Robert Watson show Roy how to make round-bottom and flat-bottom white oak baskets, starting from

The Dominy Shop

Roy takes us on a tour the Dominy Shop at Winterthur Museum. The shop holds the tools and shop items used by three gener

A Spring Pole Lathe

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

Ball & Claw Feet

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

The Wainscot Chair

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

Tool Boxes & Chests

Roy explores the contents of a recently purchased tool chest, trying to determine something of the original owner. He th

Chip Carving

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

Good Fences

Roy looks at the details of early-American fences, including lightweight and portable fences used for sheep herding, gar

Kitchen Gifts

Roy shows you how to make some always-gift-appropriate and useful utensils for the kitchen including a rolling pin, heav

Raising the Shop

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

Building a Boat

Roy builds a small rowboat using traditional tools and techniques.

Rittenshouse Hygrometer

After discussing how humidity affects different wood species, Roy makes a clever and simple late 18th-century hygrometer

Corner Cupboard

Roy recreates a classic pine corner cupboard.

Highchair

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

Rustic Rockers

Roy starts off the “Making Things From Nature” season by giving us some history of rustic furniture and walks throug

Bark Bottoms

To finish up the Rustic Rocker, Roy takes us into the woods to gather hickory bark, and then heads into the shop to crea

Baby Cradle

Chris' Workshop

We visit with a 14-year-old traditional woodworker who sells his wares (walking sticks, toys and more), to make more mon

Iron Machine, Foot Power

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

Hutch Table I

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

Hutch Table II

In part two, Roy finishes the base and completes the top of the early-American tilt-top table. He also shows how to make

Iron Bloomery

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

Berry Buckets, Sussex Trugs and Bark Sheaths

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

Wheelwright

We head back to Colonial Williamsburg where Roy visits with master wheelwright Dan Stebbins to discover the mysteries an

Music Mill

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

Secrets From the Cabinet Shop

Roy travels back to visit with master cabinetmaker Mack Headley at the Anthony Hay shop at Colonial Williamsburg. He sha

A Glass Act

Sash joinery, or making windows, is the ultimate test of organizational skills, and Roy takes us through the many steps

Turning of the Screw

Traditional woodworking required making much of your own tools and machinery, and the wooden screw is a major component

That Old Spoon Carver

Roy visits with expert spoon carver Roger Sandstrom to talk technique, wood selection and more about carving spoons and

Don't Crush That Bookstand, Hand Me the Pliers

Roy tackles creating a classic Wooden Pliers whittled from a single piece of wood, and then expands the concept to a fol

Folding Lathe

Roy shows how to build an 18th Century French lathe designed to fold up and store in the corner.

Jacobian Stool

We learn how to create the traditional joinery for a Jacobean stool.

Turning and Carving

Roy finishes the Jacobean stool by adding the turning and carving to the frame.

Things They'd Never Make for Themselves

We spend some quality time with Roy making small projects from scrap wood, including wooden ties, a pop gun, ado-nothing

Anderson's Forge

Roy travels to the John Anderson Forge at Colonial Williamsburg to look at how nails, hinges and tools were made in Colo

Botetourt Chair

Roy takes a look at 18th Century woodworking details found in furniture from the Colonial Williamsburg cabinet shop.

Shaker Lap Desk

Build one of the classic 18th Century projects with Roy; a Shaker lap desk.

Rachel's Wagon

Roy walks through the steps required to build a wooden wagon for his daughters – but manages to have some fun himself.

Toolmaker's Art

Roy visits with Peter Ross at the Anderson Forge to look at 18th Century tool making, in particular, a gentlemen’s hat

House Framing Doggie Style

Only the best for Roy’s pooch, Grit: a brick and Tudor framed doghouse is this episode’s project.

Noveltails

Roy takes a look at the design and benefits of many traditional dovetails used in woodworking, then goes even further to

Longer and Stronger

When you need a longer board (or rafter), then a traditional scarf joint may be the answer. Roy discusses the history, v

Country Comfort

Roy shows us the steps to create the perfect outdoor chair — the Adirondack.

Shaker Boxes

After a look at a number foot-powered woodworking machines, Roy and his guest show how to use a few of the machines to m

Bookcaseology

This episode is Roy’s version of waste-not, want not. He shows how to build a coffin-shaped bookcase so that the mater

Woodwork, Needlework

Blending two traditional crafts, Roy builds an adjustable needlework stand or French design.

Whirligigs

Whirligig expert Andy Lundy stops by the shop to talk about the history, design and construction details of a variety of

Felling and Hauling

Traditional woodworking starts with the trees. Roy shares the traditional steps necessary to fell a tree and get the woo

Bramble Work

Roy gives us a look at rustic Bramble Work furniture. He then creates a small table in this style, working with twigs fa

Farmwood

Roy works through the varied historical uses of lumber. For use in construction, furniture, heating on your own farm, an

Old South Homestead

On a trip back to the Underhill homestead, Roy takes us on visit of some of the construction details used in building th

Gameboards

Roy shows us how to make a couple of classic board games: Fox and Geese; and a checkers (or chess) board.

Woodcut Printing

We travel to the Book Binders Shop at Colonial Williamsburg to learn the history and reality of woodcutting for use in p

Jefferson's Ladder

Boxwood Recorder

Beginning the Four Harness Loom

Finishing the Four Harness Loom

Rosebud

Workbenches for Everyone

Folk Toys for Little Folks

Making the Appalachian Dulcimer

Folding Folk Chairs

English Woodcraft

African Legacy

Roy looks at a balaphone (or marimba), kalimba (or thumb piano), a banjo and couple of African drums.

Turning the Tables at the Tavern

Tankard From the Mary Rose

Making a Butterfly Table

Dovetailing Drawers

Making the Dropleaf Rule Joint

Dancing Toys

Make Gypsy Willow Chairs

Tinsmithing for Fun and Profit

Boxes Without Topses

Order in the Court

Bricks Without Straw

Log Cabin Building

Log Cabin Building

Log Cabin Building

Marquetry: Painting With Wood

Make This Rocking Horse!

Beat Your Ash Basketry

Make a Revolving Bookcase

Timber Building in Franconia

Secrets of German Woodcraft

Make a Garden Gate

Hooks, Crooks and Walking Sticks

Make a Music Mill From Bali

Dovetailing in the Tool Chest

As the Wood Turns

Boat to Build With the Kids

Rake's Progress

Making Wooden Shoes

Make a Chair

(Part 1) — Roy starts a classic post-and-rung rocking chair using traditional greenwood techniques.

Rollin' on the Rocker

(Part 2) — Work on the rocker continues; shaping the tenons, boring the mortises and creating the splats.

Splittin' and Sittin'

(Part 3) — Work on the rocker is completed with the creation of the rockers and adding a hickory bark seat.

Hewing a Dough Bowl

Roy creates a traditional dough bowl from tulip poplar.

Wood-Turning Tricks

Eleanor Underhill joins Dad in the shop to turn a painted candle stand.

Archer's Bow

Roy welcomes a bowyer and a fletcher to the shop to make a woodland Indian’s bow and river cane arrows.

Four-Poster Bed

This may not be the four-poster bed you’re thinking of, as Roy builds a rustic version from rough, red cedar logs

Blacksmith of Williamsburg

Roy visits Colonial Williamsburg to watch the creation of a set of hardware for window shutters.

Williamsburg Woodcraft

Continuing the Williamsburg theme, Roy visits the woodworker’s shop to watch frame-and-panel shutters made

Woodworker's Grab Bag

Daughter Rachel joins Roy in the shop to make a marble track toy and Kick-Me machine.

Thomas Jefferson, Woodworker

Roy visits Monticello to look at some of the architectural creations and innovations of the former President..

Dovetailed Bookcases

Roy recreates stacking “book box” shelves built to Thomas Jefferson’s specifications, and still on display at Mont

Japanese Woodcrafter

Toshio Odate visits the shop to discuss and demonstrate Japanese woodworking tools, techniques and joinery.

Bentwood Boxes of the Northwest Coast

Roy visits Gregg Blomberg and explores woodworking traditions of the Pacific Northwest.

A Civil War Quilting Frame

Roy is joined by his wife, Jane, to build a traditional quilting frame.

African Chair From the Ivory Coast

Roy and his friend Robert Watson make a “man’s chair” using tools from the Ivory Coast of Africa.

Hispanic Furniture-Making

Roy learns about northern New Mexico woodworking on the Santa Fe Trail.

Colonial Tape Loom

Roy begins making a tiny tape loom, used for making decorative fabric.

Dovetailing a Loom Box

Roy finishes the tape loom by making a beautiful box for it with dovetails and turned columns.

A Colonial Standing Desk

Roy makes a standing desk using mortise-and-tenon and tongue-and-groove joints.

Banding Together

Instrument maker Marcus Hanson makes inlay banding with Roy at the Anthony Hay Cabinet Shop.

The Art of Finishing

Roy returns to the Anthony Hay Cabinet Shop to learn finishing.

Fifteen Tools From a Dead Man's Chest

Roy restores the tools found in an antique chest.

A Pilgrim Chest of Oak

Roy makes a Spanish pilgrim’s chest from New Mexico.

Woodcarvers of the Sacred

Returning to New Mexico once again, Roy explores religious carving and woodworking in the mountains north of Santa Fe.

Moravian Chair

Roy makes a Moravian chair that’s reinforced with dovetailed battens, which make this small piece extraordinarily stro

English Walnut Music Stand

Build a beautiful music stand that adjusts for height and angle to best suit the musician.

Fair And Square

Roy works through the steps to turn a round log into a square timber, and then shows how to bore a square hole.

Fireplace Bellows

Hickory Pitchfork

Through shaving, steaming and bending, Roy creates a pitchfork from a green hickory limb.

Continental Army Canteen

Learn to build a wooden canteen using stave construction.

Make A Windsor Chair (Part 1)

In this three-episode project Roy builds a variation of a swiveling Windsor chair allegedly used by Thomas Jefferson dur

Make A Windsor Chair (Part 2)

In this three-episode project Roy builds a variation of a swiveling Windsor chair allegedly used by Thomas Jefferson dur

Make A Windsor Chair (Part 3)

In this three-episode project Roy builds a variation of a swiveling Windsor chair allegedly used by Thomas Jefferson dur

The Geddy Foundry of Williamsburg

Roy visits the foundry at Williamsburg to view the processes of pouring and finishing brass and silver for hardware and

Crazy Wooden Things for Kids to Make

Roy uses the theme of string-powered toys to show us how to make a spinning top, pump drill and a simplified version of

Spiral Turning and Xylophone Tones

Learn the basics of two simple and fun projects: carving a spiral and building a tongue drum.

Norwegian Wood

Roy visits Lillehammer, Norway looking at traditional Norwegian folk architecture and building techniques.

Timber Building in the Land of the Midnight Sun

Still enjoying his trip to Norway, Roy visits a Viking ship museum and the Norwegian Folk Museum.

Woodworkers of the Red Dragon

Roy visits a recreated Celtic village in Wales, looking at Welsh woodworking including building construction, clog makin

The Carpenter's Tool Box

Learn to build Roy’s iconic carpenter’s tool tote.

Ancient Woodcraft of Ireland

Roy looks at Irish woodworking, including houses, harps, caravans and traditional ship-building techniques.

A Sailor's Sea Chest

Learn to build a sailor’s sea chest with beveled through dovetails.

Oak High Stool with a Hickory Bark Seat

Roy builds a stool starting with splitting and riving the green wood and ending with a woven-bark seat.

Standing Embroidery Shop

Learn the steps to build a standing embroidery hoop large enough to handle embroidery on a quilt.

The Timber-Frame House

Roy builds a scaled model of a Welsh cruck-frame barn, teaching the woodworking principals of timber framing.

Wooden Lock and Key

Create a clever wood lock-and-key door set in the shop with Roy.

Shaker Sewing Stand

Roy builds a traditional single-drawer Shaker sewing stand.

Panel-Frame Construction

Learn the benefits and uses of frame-and-panel construction and the joinery steps to create a frame-and-panel door.

Tools of the Eighteenth Century

Roy visits Colonial Williamsburg to view their exhibit of 1,500 eighteenth-century woodworking tools.

The Williamsburg Blacksmiths

Watch a traditional woodworking tool –a drawknife –forged using historically accurate techniques.

Blacksmiths Forge Ahead!

Learn the steps used to smith a Suffolk door latch used during colonial times.

Sharpening Tools

Roy builds a cedar box for an old sharpening stone while simultaneously teaching you the principles of sharpening and ho

Jefferson's Walking-Stick-Chair

Roy shows you how to make a walking stick-chair – a walking stick that folds out to become a small chair – much like

Chisels, Gouges and Mallets

Roy explores the wide, and sometimes strange, world of chisels. You’ll learn more about the tools you work with every

Trestle Table

Roy makes a “sawbuck” trestle table – first delving into the interesting details, and then actually building it.

Wooden Schoop Shovel & Spoons

Starting with a raw popular log, Roy splits, chops, cuts and carves a huge wooden shovel. Along the way you’ll go thro

The Wooden Boat School

Roy travels to the Wooden Boat School in Brooklyn, Maine. See three distinct approaches to traditional boat building tau

The Marionette Makers

Roy arrives to find his shop taken over by a gaggle of marionette puppets! We’re joined by a pair of professional pupp

Folding Workbench (Part 1)

Start learning to make a simple, yet sturdy, portable folding workbench.

Folding Workbench (Part 2)

Finish learning how to put the workbench together, plus add all-important workholding features.

Candle Stick Maker

Make a colonial threaded candle stand – the screw threads allow you to finely adjust the height and position of the ca

Adirondack Woodcraft

Visit the shores of Blue Mountain Lake in Adirondacks – see how to make an Adirondack guide boat and an Adirondack pac

Williamsburg Trunk Maker

Visit the harness shop of Jim Clatter in Colonial Williamsburg. Learn how to make a variety of leather items including a

Climbing a Colonial Steeple

Roy climbs Bruton Parish Steeple in Williamsburg, Virginia, which has been holding a bell since the 1770s. See details o

Arts and Crafts Bookcase

Learn the steps to recreate a knock down bookcase originally built by the Roycrofters of East Aurora, New York.

The Secret Dovetailed Box

Roy shows how to make a small box using a hidden dovetail joint that looks like a miter joint when complete.

Wood Inlay

This episode starts by making a scratch stock tool necessary to create the grooves for the simple Holly inlay that follo

The Giant Chisels of Gaul

Roy visits local blacksmith shops and museums in the Alsace region of France in search of a giant chisel.

Roll Top Cabinetry

Using a roll-top joinery process, Roy creates a small box with tambour doors.

African Drum

Roy shows how to build an “African” drum that originally came from colonial America.

Woodcraft of Alsace, France

Roy continues his visit to the Alsace region looking at woodworking and timber-building traditions.

Comb-Back Windsor Chair, Part 1

In this two-part project, Roy shows the steps to create a classic comb-back Windsor chair.

Comb-Back Windsor Chair, Part 2

In this two-part project, Roy shows the steps to create a classic comb-back Windsor chair.

Sand-Powered Wooden Toys

Roy builds two simple toys: an interlocking-joint puzzle; and a sand-powered whirligig.

Cutting the Knuckle-Hinge Joint

Learn to create the useful knuckle-hinge joint and, just for fun, whittle a wooden pair of pliers.

Making Wooden Screws

Roy shows how to use a tap and screw box to create wooden screws for use in shop and furniture projects.

The Pencil People

Learn the history of writing instruments and the evolution of the pencil, then look at a variety of pencil sharpeners fr

Make Your Shaving Horse

Roy shows you how to make a shaving horse from a single 2x10.

Whittling Chains and Ball in Cage

Learn to whittle the mysterious, impossible-seeming wooden chain and ball-in-cage.

Windsor High Chair

Roy make a child’s Windsor highchair showing classic Windsor techniques.

Chinese Bamboo Chair

Make a chair out of grass ... Chinese bamboo, that is.

Shaker Boxes

Make a No. 3 bentwood Shaker box – a deceptively simple design.

Panel-Framed Bench

Roy’s panel-framed bench has a storage space built beneath the seat.

Hanging Bookcase

Using thin wood and only tapered, sliding dovetails, Roy makes a sturdy hanging bookshelf.

Window Sash Restoration

Roy takes a rotted window sash and repairs it with weather resistant resinous wood.

Wooden Tea Machine

Make a cam-operated tea bag dunking machine that’ll save your arms from the repetitive motion of steeping tea.

Nuts to You

How do you get to the center of a walnut? Build a turned, decorated nut cracker, as well as a simpler version from one p

Hancock Shaker Village

Roy takes a look at interior Shaker craftsmanship at the Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Mass.

Shaker Side Table

Shaker furniture was made as if to be used for 1,000 years – see how that philosophy is worked into a small table.

Woodworking in Upper Canada

During the time of Colonial America, many Loyalists headed north for Canada. Roy explores the life and economy they buil

Dovetailing a Cedar Box

Learn simple box dovetails and create some shop characters that can hang out inside.

Chip Carving

Dress up a small cedar box with a variety of chip carving designs.

Chairs for Children

Roy makes a walnut stick chair and a pine slab chair perfectly sized for children.

Bark and Rustic Work

Learn the details to add a hickory bark seat to a child’s chair.

Debate of the Carpenter's Tools

Roy draws on poetry from the 1400s to explain what tools were used by wrights of the day.

Treadle Lathe

Build an improved version of Roy’s 20-year-old treadle lathe design — and it starts with scrap lumber!

White Oak Basket

A class on basket weaving? You bet! Weave a white oak basket with Roy.

Wall Tool Chest

Roy uses a red oak tool chest to illustrate a discussion on hand planes.

Woodworking Gizmos

Learn to convert a treadle lathe into a treadle jigsaw.

Traditional Toys

Roy shows how to make a traditional Russian pecking-chicken toy.

Old Salem

Roy visits Old Salem, North Carolina, founded in the 1760s by the Moravians. Their craft lives on in the recreated town.

Swinging Cradle from Saxony

Learn to build a scaled-down German swinging cradle built with lapstrake construction.

Jamestown Woodworkers, 1607

Learn about the history and the early settlers of the Jamestown, Virginia settlement.

Dovetailing Little Drawers

Underhill fits out a tool cabinet with shelves and dovetailed drawers

The Yoke's on Me

Roy shows how to hew, carve and turn a shoulder yoke for carrying those heavy sap buckets.

Making a Tuckaway Table

Roy shows how to make a little table from the 1600s with a unique folding design to save space in the old home place.

Lyle Wheeler-Chair and Spinning Wheel Maker

In this episode of The Woodwrights Shop, special guest Lyle Wheeler shows viewers how to construct their own spinning wh

David Calvo-Master Woodcarver

Master carver, David Calvo gives lessons in high relief carving. Instructed in the "Old World" tradition, Calvo guides v

Building the Clipper Amistad

In this episode of the Woodright Shop, Roy Underhill visits a Connecticut shipyard, the Mystic Seaport. Here, Roy is tak

Two Old Tool Pioneers

Roy visits two museums dedicated to two pioneers in preserving early technology--Henry Mercer and Eric Sloane.

Frank Klausz-Master Cabinetmaker

Roy meets Hungarian-born cabinetmaker Frank Klausz, gentleman, craftsman and the fastest dovetailer on the planet.

Sharpen Your Saw

Ultra close-up views give viewers the vision to sharpen their own saws.

Wheeled Toys in Wood

Roy shows how to make turned wheels and the wooden ducks that roll on them

Making the Ladder/Chair

Roy shows how to make a chair that can turn into a ladder.

Wayne Barton-Master Chip Carver

The director of the Alpine School of Woodcarving shows advanced techniques in chip carving.

Bucketmaking for Beginners

Roy shows how to make your own buckets.

Lap Desk

Watch and learn as Roy builds a reproduction of a simple walnut lap desk from the 19th century.

Turned Corner Chair

Follow along as Roy shows you how to make a circa-1550 three-legged chair from the Flemish town of Rotterdam.

Banjo Man George Wunderlich

Join Roy as he welcomes George Wunderlich and watch as he recreates a mid-1800s banjo.

Writer's Bookcase

Watch as Roy builds a small oak bookcase, without glue or fasteners, for easier disassembly.

Timber Corner

Pick up valuable tips for large-scale woodworking from Roy as he builds the corner of a timber-framed structure.

Decoy Carvers

Observe Nick Supone and Neal Conolly as they stop by “The Woodwright’s Shop” and demonstrate the hewing and carvin

Eastfield Village

Travel with Roy to Eastfield Village where he tours the museum’s restored historic buildings.

Marquetry Master Patrick Edwards

Watch and learn as Roy visits with marquetry expert Patrick Edwards, and discusses the technique of “painting in wood.

In the Blacksmith's Shop

Join Roy for a visit with blacksmiths Peter Ross and Ken Schwarz where they demonstrate making bench chisels and more.

Toys that Make Noise

Watch as Roy soldiers a tin-can bird whistle and makes a boxwood whistling top.

Carving with the Cabinetmakers

Travel along with Roy to the Hay Cabinet Shop at Williamsburg for a furniture-carving talk with Master Mack Headley.

Windsor Chair

Watch as Roy visits with Mike Dunbar of the Windsor Institute as he demonstrates the process for building a sack-back Wi

20th Anniversary Show

Join Roy as he looks back on 20 years of “The Woodwright’s Shop,” including highlights of guests, projects and mem

The Sawhorse

The tools we use can be beautiful too! Roy shows you how to build beautiful saw horse.

Welsh Chair Bodger Don Weber

Roy teams up with the old Welsh Bodger himself and together they demonstrate how to build a classic Welsh Stick Chair.

Toolbox from the 1940s

You can learn how to build a timeless relic from past generations of fine woodworkers in this episode, a Joiner’s Tool

Rounder Plane

An endless “pencil” sharpener to make round tapered handles for rake, boat spars- and more.

Walnut Krumhorn

Get down, get musical! Produce a wonderful old wind instrument from the Elizabethan era- the Krumhorn!

Timber Frame at the Folklife Festival

Join Roy at the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival and learn how to build a timber-frame barn.

Impossible Joints

Make a mysterious puzzle mallet with a devilishly difficult dovetail that’s impossible to break!

Fools for Tools

Roy shows you how to find and restore traditional tools needed to do old time traditional woodworking.

Blacksmith Hinges

Join Roy at the Anderson Forge in Colonial Williamsburg and see how to make a traditional cross garnet hinge.

Tiny Furniture

Learn how to make “big” furniture by starting with scaled down versions.

Window from Williamsburg

Learn how to build a four-light Colonial window sash.

Flintlock Gunsmith

Roy visits the Gunsmith Shop at Colonial Williamsburg to see how 18th century flintlock rifles were made.

Colonial Tablemaker

Watch Roy “spin the wheel” at the Cabinet shop in Colonial Williamsburg as they produce 18th century furniture the o

Dovetail a Triangular Box

A three-sided box?! Well that’s different. Let Roy show you how to make a triumphant triangular box for your trifocals

Shaker Work Table

Clever, elegant and delicate beauty. Roy shows you how to produce a wonderful little Shaker work table.

Craftsman Wall Cabinet

Roy's bringing craftsmanship back into our lives with an Arts & Crafts style cabinet.

Scandinavian Milking Stool

Have fun building a folk milking stool. Think of the possibilities!

Spill Plane & Book Stand

What the heck is a spill plane and how do you make a hinged book stand out of one piece of wood?

Canadian Cradle

Roy shows you how to build a delightful rocking cradle for a newborn baby.

Shutter Dogs from the Blacksmiths

Roy learns how to make shutter dog that is used to hold open shuttles when not to use.

Rustic Furniture Maker Dan Mack

Meet Dan Mack, and see how he fabricates fascinating furniture out of naturally occurring materials.

Williamsburg Wheelwright

Find out what it takes to make a wheel at the Palace Wheelwright Shop in Colonial Williamsburg.

Limberjacks & Dancing Dolls

Roy shows you how to build wonderful articulated dancing toys called Limberjacks!

Plymouth Plantation Woodworkers

See how the Pilgrims performed early American woodworking with just a few basic tools.

The Colonial Carpenters

Learn the difference between a carpenter and a joiner. Hint: Think doors, windows & stairs.

Craftsmen of Old Sturbridge Village

Visit Old Sturbridge Village, and meet the 1930s American—a farmer/craftsman.

The Boy Mechanic

Simple rainy day projects to "tink" around with - especially if you’re young at heart.

Making the New Workbench: Part 1

Build a solid, sturdy workbench without any screws, nails or glue—that you can break down and take with you!

Making the New Workbench: Part 2

Putting the finishing touches on your new workbench — the vices, the dogs, etc.

Inlay with Steve Latta

Beautiful "compass inlay" on a Pennsylvania Spice Box done in the Pennsylvania/German tradition.

Using Planes

Jack planes, combination planes, single iron joiners-Roy introduces you to the world of planes—not to mention snipe sp

Roundabout Chair

Learn how to build an odd corner chair called a Roundabout Chair—found in the offices of Dr. Sigmund Freud.

Carving with Calvo

Need a sign? Let David Calvo show you how to carve one.

Woodcraft of the Southern Highlands

Take a trip to beautiful downtown Paint Lick, KY and meet the old bodger himself, Don Weber. Learn how it was done in th

Woodcraft at Conner Prairie

Explore Conner Prairie, a living museum in the heart of Indiana. See how life was in the 1800's.

The Turning Triangle Table

How do you turn a round table into a triangle. Let Roy show you how.

Child's Rocker & Sliding Dovetail Stool

Let Roy show you how to make something useful out of scrap wood.

The First American Woodworkers

Roy shows you how the very first Americans worked with wood — the Cherokees of Cherokee Nation.

Paneled Cedar Chest

Watch Roy make a beautiful red cedar chest out of a tree knocked down by a hurricane.

Shaving Horse

Roy shows you how to make a shaving horse to help you make ax handles, wheel spokes and more.

Tinsmithing with Anne Pederson

Not all good things are made out of wood. Anne Pederson shows Roy how to make things out of tin.

Acadian Chair

The Acadians, forbearers of the Cajuns, brought a clever idea for a chair with them to Louisiana. Roy explains…

White Cooperage with Norm Pederson

If you need a washtub, butter churn or water bucket – go see a “white cooper.”

The Foot Power Lathe

Roy shows how to build a “spring pole lathe” – powered by foot.

Wooden Thread Cutter

Need a big ol’ wooden screw for your cider press? Roy will show you how to make one.

Woodworking at the North House Folk School

Take a class in kayak building, or build a long bow or a berry basket – all available at the North Folk School.

Turned & Hewn Bowls & Spoons

Watch Roy transform a big log into a beautiful bowl. Hint: Just remove everything that’s not a bowl.

Norwegian Pram & Snow Skis with Mark Hansen

Let it snow, then go skiing with Mark Hensen.

One Piece Woodworking

Let Roy show you how to make useful & “useless” things out of one piece of wood – no kidding.

Turning Chess Pieces

Roy shows you how to make a standard chess set or a not so standard chess set. Check, Matey!

Chess Board & Box

Now that you have the chess pieces it’s time to make the chess board – and a box to put the pieces in.

Inlaid Legs with Steve Latta

If you’re a “leg man” you gotta’ see this. Beautiful inlaid legs by Steve Latta.

Garden Bench

Build a small garden bench made of Cypress, and with a south-east Asian design.

Wooden Puzzles

Avoid being frustrated by wooden puzzles by making a wooden knot, and three burr puzzles yourself.

Jeff Headley, Cabinetmaker

Jeff Headley and Steve Hamilton visit the shop to show the construction techniques - and secrets - in a Winchester slant

The Melencolia Plane

Build the wooden plane pictured in Albrecht Durer's Melancolia

Three Chests of Tools

Join Roy as he inventories woodworking tools he found in three tool chests.

Woodturning Wisdom

Roy discusses the "perfection along the axis" found in woodturning

Niddy Noddy & Weaver's Swift

Build two accessories valuable to the weaver.

Cabinet Workbench

In a two-episode project, Roy builds a workbench with storage underneath from a design from Charles Hayward. In the firs

Workbench Doors & Drawers

In a two-episode project, Roy builds a workbench with storage underneath from a design from Charles Hayward. In the firs

Nora Hall: Woodcarver

Nora Hall visits the shop and shows the steps to carve a linenfold design.

Country Chair Seats

David Russell visits and shows the intricacies of corn-shuck chair seats.

The Museum of Appalachia

Roy discovers the history of Appalachian people at the museum in Clinton, TN.

Restoring Jefferson's & Madison's Homes

Roy visits Monticello, Poplar Forest and Montpelier to follow the work of the two men who were responsible for most of t

A Ship in a Bottle

Raise the sails on a fleet in a flask with a master of the maritime miniature.

Barley Twist Table, Pt.1

Build an oak, three-legged drop-leaf table from the time of the English civil war.

Barley Twist Table, Pt.2

See how to turn and carve the double spiral of the barley twist leg from Cromwell’s time.

Rustic Chairs With Skye Gregson

A second generation Adirondack furniture maker shows how to build chairs - rustic style

Windsor Highchair With Curtis Buchanan, Pt 1

Learn how to bend and turn the stock for a wonderful Windsor highchair.

Windsor Highchair With Curtis Buchanan, Pt 2

Frame and finish the Windsor highchair with the master chair-maker and storyteller.

The Spirit of Woodcraft

Join in Thoreau’s search for moral lessons deep in the grain of the wood.

Japanese Planes With John Reed Fox

A master craftsman shows how to sharpen, tune and use the Japanese plane.

An English Garden Wheelbarrow, Pt 1

Oak, ash, elm and iron make the wheel of our barrow.

An English Garden Wheelbarrow, Pt 2

Fitting the beveled elm panels into the oak wheelbarrow frame.

Upholstering Your Seat

An expert shows how to make and restore webbed and stuffed chair seats.

Old Woodworking Machines

Beautiful belt-driven 19th century machines still make window sashes in this New York shop

The Dovetail Variations

Enjoy the journeyman joint that holds your drawers together in a variety of various forms

Peter & the Box

Master joiner Peter Follansbee of Plymouth Plantation carves a 17th century “bible box.”

Ball & Socket Embroidery Stand Pt.1

Turn the base and shaft of an 18th century embroidery stand from Colonial Williamsburg.

Ball & Socket Embroidery Stand Pt.2

Steam bent hoops and wooden adjusting screws complete the embroidery stand.

Screw Box for Wooden Threads

Down and dirty metalworking forges the cutters to make wooden screws.

French Work Bench, Pt.1

This workbench from Provence uses puzzling dovetails to join the legs to the bench top.

French Work Bench, Pt.2

A tool chest, drawers and vises complete the workbench from Provence.

Violin Maker Joe Thrift

Meet a modern luthier who works with tools and techniques unchanged for centuries.

Candle Box With Secret Drawer

A sliding side reveals the hidden drawer on this missionary’s candle box.

Parallelogram Plant Stand

Shelves that swing keep your plants in the sun on this Victorian contraption.

German Woodcraft in America

Explore woodworking traditions of the Moravian settlers at Old Salem.

Woodworking With Tillers International

Ox yokes & timber-framing number among the projects at a school using low-tech solutions.

The Sordid Blacksmith

A Williamsburg blacksmith forges hinges following instructions in a 17th century manual.

Henry Ford’s Museum Village

Partake in a celebration of American innovation at Greenfield Village.

The Governor's PoBoy

North Carolina Governor Mike Easley shows how to make a walnut side table.

Joiner's Tool Chest Pt.1

Pack up your tools in this little dovetailed chest of pine.

Joiner's Tool Chest Pt.2

Finish the chest with a mitered and paneled lid and a tongue and groove bottom.

Thomas Jefferson's Bookstand

The sage of Monticello based his five-sided bookstand on designs he found in Paris.

Classical Carving

First lessons in fine furniture carving from Mack Headley, master of the Colonial Williams

File Philosophy

Master blacksmith Peter Ross shows the technique of cold joining and shaping colonial lock

A Very Boring Program

From bits to braces, augers to angle borers & even boring a square hole,you know the drill

Lumberjack Fan Carving

A Michigan master of folk carving whittles white cedar fans and birds of a wooden feather.

Animated Wooden Toys

Imagination (and a few strings) makes these carved critters come to life.

Hammer Veneer

Master musical instrument makers show classical techniques of hand cutting & wood veneer.

Holly Wood Spectaculars

Create decorative veneer patterns using oval engines, sharp knives/patient perfectionism.

A Viking Tool Chest

Welsh chair bodger Don Weber turns his hand to recreating a medieval tool kit.

Woodworking in Berea

From chair building to instrument making to fine furniture collections.

Dovetailed Grease Pot

Walnut and boxwood make a little box with a secret lock to stash the woodworker’s pal.

Secrets of the Whirlygig

Grinding forever as his wife cranks the stone, the whirlygig man turns our hand to mechanical toys.

Shaker Rocker Frame

The Shakers were rocking in this classic chair of turned and steam-bent maple.

Shaker Rocker Seat

Traditional Shaker worsted tape in checkerboard patterns makes a sweet seat.

Mary May, Woodcarver

Swelling and shrinking, bending and breaking, the worker with wood must be wetness aware!

Wood & Water

Fired by wood scraps, a giant steam engine drives ancient saws and window sash mills.

Steam Power Sawmill

Fired by wood scraps, a giant steam engine drives ancient saws and window sash mills.

Harvard Side Table

With artful arched feet and tenoned trestle top, this Shaker side table stands sturdy and fine.

A Crutch in Time

Strong and resilient, wood has the lively lightness to support a leg when it’s lacking.

Hancock Pedestal Table

With its turned top and dovetailed legs, this walnut tripod table is a classic of American design.

Brian Boggs, Chairmaker

An Asheville artisan shows the secrets of the steam-bent green-wood chair

Corner Cupboard, Part 1

Build the frame and panel door of this corner cupboard—an early American classic.

Corner Cupboard, Part 2

Complete your corner cupboard with glass casement doors and molded crown.

Case of the Corner Cupboard

Long splined miters anyone? That’s how you join the coffin-like case of this 18th-century corner cupboard. See how to

Making Marvelous Moldings

You can make any complex molding you want with simple hand planes—just take it one curve at a time. Bill Anderson and

Mind Over Miter

This butt joint of distinction joins everything from picture frames to crown moldings. Learn all the angles and see how

The Till in the Tool Chest

We’ll delve into the drawers in search of the secret of an old tool chest. The quality of the tools shows that it belo

Continuous Arm Rocking Chair (1)

Chairmaker Elia Bizzarri joins us to make this elegant and comfortable rocking chair. We’ll turn the legs and frame th

Continuous Arm Rocking Chair (2)

We’ll finish our rocking chair as we steam and bend the continuous arm's one-piece back. With its compound bend, this

Who Wrote the Book of Sloyd

Sloyd, the late 19th-century Swedish system of learning woodworking was intended to develop skilled, industrious and mor

The Case for Books

So many books, so little space! Say goodbye to cinderblocks and sagging shelves as you see how to cut the essential dado

Sawing Secrets

Chris Schwarz, editor of Popular Woodworking Magazine, joins Roy to explore the three classes of English sawcuts. Chris

The Tiny Tool Kit

How can you stretch a basic kit of tools to build impressive casework? Chris Schwarz, editor of Popular Woodworking Maga

Thomas Day, Cabinetmaker

In the days of slavery, Thomas Day, a free black cabinetmaker in North Carolina, was one of the most respected artisans

Oak Field Gate

Mortise and tenon joints frame this classic feature of the English countryside. It’s a rustic woodworking challenge as

Field Gate Hinges

Hinges Master blacksmith Peter Ross turns his hammer to forging iron hinges for our oak field gate. We’ll see how to s

The Roubo Bookstand

Walnut bookstand.

As the Saw Turns

Bow saw.

Hurray for Hickory!

Making wooden rakes and rounded reels from steam-bent stock.

Painless Panel Doors

Making the stiles and rails of a classic raised panel door.

Hand Plane Essentials With Chris Schwarz

Gleaming surfaces, tight joints and crisp moldings through perfect planing.

English Layout Square With Chris Schwarz

A simple square with laps and bridles.

Elizabethan Joint Stool With Peter Follansbee

Traditional joint stool.

Carving Swedish Spoons With Peter Follansbee

Making spoons using an axe and traditional hook knife.

Inlaid Lettering With Steve Latta

Making a name in holly wood by setting slender stringing into the slotted surface.

Hammer Veneering With Steve Latta

Classic hammer veneering.

Iron Work for Timber Work

Spike dogs and cant hooks for log holding and handling.

Offset Turning

Turning ovals and offsets by measuring once and turning twice.

Simple Sash

Rise of the Machines!

Why do it by hand—when you can do it by foot? Roy Underhill gets caught up in up a bevy of century-old, foot-powered w

The Eleven Grooved Box

Grooves and splines make a tidy oak box, but can we cut the joints just using hand tools? And do we want to?

Table Joints Rule!

You can’t make a drop leaf table without the rule joint. So, what are the tools you need to cut it by hand? Bill Ander

The Anarchist’s Tool Chest

Chris Schwarz’s anarchist’s tool chest starts a back-to-basics revolution! Learn his classic system of simplicity to

Two Screws for You!

Secrets of the mysterious two-screw vise revealed! Chris Schwarz joins Roy Underhill to rediscover this enigmatic wooden

Screw Cuttin’ Lathe

Make your own darn metal screws with this 1889 foot-powered lathe! Roy shows how to cut perfect threads, cones and taper

The Troublesome Triangle Stool

The old triangular stool spells trouble for Peter Follansbee and Roy Underhill as they tackle a trio of terrible turned

Wretched Ratchet Reading Rack

With foot-powered lathes, Peter Follansbee and Roy Underhill turn this adjustable bookstand from walnut and maple.

Raising Panel-Zona

Make raised panels for your doors with care and flair! Roy Underhill uses both complex planes and tricks with basic tool

Carving the Camellia

Woodcarver Mary May makes basswood flowers bloom. Get in the groove of high-relief carving with sharp gouges and good-gr

Forging the Hold Fast

Haul out the anvil and forge this essential bench tool! Blacksmith Peter Ross shows how to forge historical versions of

The Enfield Cupboard

Make this Shaker cabinet and dwell in utopian serenity! Simple to construct and elegant in design, this cupboard is a st

The Shaker Bend

What made these American communal craftsmen tick? From their furniture to their bentwood boxes, the Shakers may be our m

Rachell's Standing Desk PT. 1

Give your butt joints a break with the tenons and dovetails that connect this pine standing desk from Pennsylvania.

Rachell's Standing Desk PT. 2

The miter-clamped breadboard end makes a broad desktop that always stays flat.

The Venerable Bead

Roy Underhill demonstrates how to cut bead moldings with hand planes for corners that look sharp and last longer.

Carving Away With Mary May

Classical carver Mary May provides a lesson on woodcarving and a proper rebuke for edge tool abuse!

Swinging Saw Vise

Roy duplicates the beveled bridle joints and chamfered chops of an old saw-sharpening vise.

Sharpen That Saw!

Using giant model rip and crosscut saws, Roy demonstrates how to correctly sharpen handsaws.

Combination Planes

Roy attempts to replace a chest of molding planes with one complex metal contraption

Joined Chest With Peter Follansbee

The master joiner of Plimoth Plantation shows how to frame a small, mortised, and tenoned chest in the old English style

Paneled Chest With Peter Follansbee

A master joiner shows Roy how to make and fit the beveled panels and storage till into a framed chest from the Pilgrim e

Early Iron With Peter Ross

Master blacksmith Peter Ross shows how to forge iron hinges and locks from the earliest days of the American experience.

Try Square with Christopher Schwarz

Chris Schwarz shows Roy how to measure up with an English try square based on the examples in the famous Benjamin Seaton

Dutch Tool Chest with Christopher Schwarz

Learn to make the simple and useful Dutch tool chest with its characteristic 30-degree slanted lid.

Big Ash Mallet!

With ash head and hickory handle, Roy shows how to make a proper joiner's mallet for the ages.

Taming the Timber Bench

Your legs will stay tight in this classic German carpenter’s bench built with stopped sliding dovetails.

Pinch Rods and Squeezy Blocks

This pair of sliding diagonal rods with copper collars will help you get your chests square and your dovetails tight.

Tapered Tail Tripod Table 1

Walnut legs riven from the log begin this table inspired by the Dominy workshops.

Tapered Tail Tripod Table 2

A walnut burl top and tricky turning makes tapered dovetails for a three-legged table.

Viceless Devices

From the holdfast to the birdsmouth, Roy explores wondrous ways to grip the grain and rediscovers and old trick from a r

Daring Diagonal Dovetails

Learn to cut the rising diagonal dovetail for corners that are stronger and striking, no matter how you look at them.

Shop Class Tabouret

The old shop-class plant stand joined with half-laps and dowels teaches us to pay attention to the grain, not just the m

Campaign Furniture

Christopher Schwarz shows the ins and outs of Campaign furniture made for travel to the far-flung reaches of the Empire.

Fitting Brass

Chris Schwarz shows how to fit brass corners and hardware flush with the surfaces of Campaign furniture.

The Crotch and the Horse

An old shaving horse from the Virginia mountains demonstrates that the natural shapes in timber make the strongest woode

Dovetail Saw

Tom Calisto joins Roy to make a brass-backed hand saw perfect for the finest dovetails or the toughest tenons.

Tempered Steel

Blacksmith Peter Ross shows how to forge, weld, harden and temper tool steel for cutting edges that stay sharp longer.

Woodwright! - The Musical

The Underhill Rose band joins Roy in the shop for a musical misadventure in the ways of the Woodwright.

Rocky Bentwood Cradle I

Part 1 of 2. A rocking cradle modeled after one spotted in the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul is crafted in the Season 35 prem

Rocky Bentwood Cradle II

Conclusion. A rocking cradle is completed with pine sides and rockers. A lathe-turned carrier bar joins it all together.

Stamp Out Cookie Carving!

Woodcarver Mary May joins Roy to carve springerle cookie molds for every occasion.

Double Drawer Shaker Table

How to cut the mortise and tenon joints for the legs and frame of a Shaker table.

Groovers and Shakers

The dovetailed and grooved construction techniques found inside Shaker drawers are detailed.

Turning Shaker Knobs

Cherry knobs for Shaker furniture are turned on a foot-powered lathe. Also: finishing a joined table top.

Cross Cut Conundrum

How to use a cross-cutting wood saw.

Bowl Carving with Peter Follansbee

Master craftsman Peter Follansbee joins Roy to hew huge bowls from poplar & sycamore wood.

Hollows & Rounds

These most basic molding planes also prove the most versatile as we look at making and using wooden hollows and rounds.

Welsh Stick Chair I

Roy makes this country cousin of the Windsor chair using the same tools and techniques.

Welsh Stick Chair II

The challenge of the Welsh stick chair continues as Roy shapes spindles and backs for a proper sit-down.

Tool Smithing with Peter Ross

Dividers, calipers and turning tools take shape as master blacksmith Peter Ross shows Roy the art of tool-making.

Plain Pine Box

Roy looks into the simplest form of furniture, the plain pine box.

Van Gogh's Chair

The Season 36 premiere shows how to make a chair similar to the one portrayed in Vincent Van Gogh's masterpiece.

Sliding Lid Boxes

Roy shows how to create easy-to-make wooden gift boxes with mitered corners and lids that slide in grooves.

Carved Oak Desk Box

Master of Pilgrim-century furniture Peter Follansbee joins Roy to make a slope-lidded, carved box from carved white and

Waving Arm Whirligigs

Figures from history including Benjamin Franklin and Muhammad Ali inspire Roy’s new line of waving arm wooden whirlygi

Wedged Tusk Tenon

Roy and workbench builder Will Myers test out the strength of the classic wedged mortise and tenon joint for take-apart

Swedish Shrink Box

Woodworker Peter Follansbee shows Roy Underhill how to make Swedish shrink boxes from hollowed wood with inserted bottom

Saw Like a Butterfly!

The great poet-athlete Muhammad Ali inspires the best lessons in woodworking – Saw Like a Butterfly, Plane Like a Bee!

Firewood Carrier

Chair-maker Elia Bizzarri shows Roy how to make a split oak firewood carrier inspired by the classic wooden harvest rake

Double Casement Window

Roy Underhill makes a double, swinging casement window using wooden planes and premium pine.

Roman Work Bench

Christopher Schwarz & Roy unlocks the secrets of the ancient Roman woodworker’s bench.

Staked Furniture

A plank with inserted legs becomes a chair, a table, or a bench...

Tool Chest Hinges & Latch

Tool Chest Hinges & Latch

Tool Chest from Bristol

Roy shows how to dovetail a stout, sloped top tool chest.

Who Wrote the Book of Sloyd?!

Sloyd, the late 19th century Swedish system of learning woodworking was intended to develop skilled, industrious, and mo

Holly Wood Spectaculars!

Steve Latta shows how to create decorative veneer patterns using oval engines, sharp knives, and patient perfectionism.

The Roubo Bookstand!

One piece of walnut makes a beautiful bookstand as we follow the formula of an old French master.

Rise of the Machines

Why do it by hand – when you can do it by foot? Roy Underhill gets caught up in up a bevy of century-old, foot-powered

Hand Plane Essentials With Chris Schwarz

Learn how to make gleaming surfaces, tight joints and crisp moldings through perfect planing.

Big Ash Mallet!

Make a proper joiner’s mallet and you’ll never be lonely again! With ash head and hickory handle, Roy shows how to m

Carving Away with Mary May

Classical carver Mary May gives Roy his first lessons on woodcarving – along with a proper rebuke for edge tool abuse!

Dovetailed Grease Pot

Walnut and boxwood make a little box with a secret lock to stash the woodworker’s pal.

Lumberjack Fan Carving

Forging the Hold Fast

Brian Boggs, Chairmaker

Combination Planes 37th Season

The Venerable Bead