# Traditional Woodworking Tours



## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

*Bill Anderson - Chapel Hill, North Carolina*






*By Joshua Farnsworth* (Writer at WoodAndShop.com)

In the above Video I share my recent visit to the amazing workshop of Bill Anderson, owner of Edwards Mountain Woodworks in Chatham county, North Carolina (near Chapel Hill). View the original full blog entry here.










Bill teaches joinery and plane making at Roy Underhill's Woodwright's School in nearby Pittsboro, NC. He also teaches at other well-known locations, including the John C. Campbell Folk School.










Bill makes marvelous historical furniture and owns more molding planes than I've ever seen in one location.










Molding planes have become my passion, so a visit to his shop was better than a trip to Disneyland.










Bill told me that he picked up many of his tools when he worked in England years ago. He reminisced about the perplexed faces of customs officers when they inspected his suitcases.










Bill does, however, have a good excuse for having so many tools. Wait a minute, does he really need an excuse? Anyway, he justifies having so many tools because of all the classes he teaches. It really helps for each student to have access to quality woodworking hand tools.










I asked Bill if he has used all of his planes. Without a moment's hesitation he replied, "of course not." I instantly felt better about all the old tools that I've purchased, but haven't yet used.










Bill and I spent several days filming video for our upcoming DVD about how to make a 18th century wooden jointer plane. We loaded my truck up with so many gorgeous hand tools for the molding plane class that he invited me to stay for the next day. I felt a great temptation to just keep on driving back to Virginia…but fortunately for Bill, I resisted that urge.










You can view a small sample of Bill's amazing furniture here. If you're interested in reaching Bill for custom historical furniture, you can call or email him here.

Want to be notified when our 18th Century Jointer Plane DVD is released for sale? Click here to be added to our list.


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## walden (Nov 11, 2012)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Bill Anderson - Chapel Hill, North Carolina*
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Amazing shop! I got a chance to take a class at the Woodwright's Shop with Bill and Roy. Great guys and great teachers.


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## woodchuckerNJ (Dec 4, 2013)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Bill Anderson - Chapel Hill, North Carolina*
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Damn, that's a nice shop. Love all the moulding planes, and tools. The shop atmosphere seems very nice and old time.

Very cool.

Thanks.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Bill Anderson - Chapel Hill, North Carolina*
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This is a very interesting post. Thanks.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## Ken90712 (Sep 2, 2009)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Bill Anderson - Chapel Hill, North Carolina*
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Well that was enjoyable, thx for posting… Man that is alot of planes!


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## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Bill Anderson - Chapel Hill, North Carolina*
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Josh, seems like a wonderful place to be. I didn't see a cot for an apprentice, though.

Totally unrelated - I have access to tons of old ceder fencing that I'll be using for shop tills and I really like your paint job on your saw till. Do you have any info on the process you used in painting it?


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Bill Anderson - Chapel Hill, North Carolina*
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Thanks everyone! Bill is a genuinely great friend, and certainly has an amazing shop. I lust over his tool collection…especially the molding planes. On Sunday I'll be posting another workshop: legendary guitar luthier Wayne Henderson, so subscribe to my blog.


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Bill Anderson - Chapel Hill, North Carolina*
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ToddJB: regarding my saw till, I used blue milk paint as the base. Then added a layer of boiled linseed oil on top. After several days you can also finish it off with thinned shellac (I didn't do this on my saw till though).


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## ToddJB (Jul 26, 2012)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Bill Anderson - Chapel Hill, North Carolina*
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Awesome. Thanks.


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## doordude (Mar 26, 2010)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Bill Anderson - Chapel Hill, North Carolina*
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A Big thanks to Bill for allowing all to visit his shop. If Bill never bought or cut a piece of wood to dry; I'm confident, he'll be making planes until he dies!


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## RussInMichigan (Oct 15, 2010)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Bill Anderson - Chapel Hill, North Carolina*
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What a beautiful workshop. I can only imagine the joy of being that surrounds that place.


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## TLM80209 (May 4, 2014)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Bill Anderson - Chapel Hill, North Carolina*
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Wow. Thanks Bill.


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

*Wayne Henderson Guitars - Rugby, Virginia*






*By Joshua Farnsworth* (Writer at WoodAndShop.com)

In the above Video I show a visit that I made to the workshop of legendary guitar luthier and bluegrass musician, Wayne Henderson. Wayne's shop and home sit along a quiet country rode in the rural village of Rugby, Virginia. Read my original article here.










Wayne Henderson's performance resume stretches from The White House to Carnegie Hall, and all the way to the Queen of England. He is perhaps even more well-known for his world-class custom-made guitars and mandolins.










Over 500 custom Henderson Guitars have graced the fingers of world-renowned musicians such as Eric Clapton, Doc Watson, Peter Rowan, Norman Blake, and Brad Paisley.










If you're thinking of purchasing a custom Henderson guitar, then you'd better get in line behind some pretty famous (and wealthy) musicians and collectors. Wayne's cozy and fairly-tidy shop is filled with guitar parts, familiar & unfamiliar hand tools & power tools, and exotic woods from all over the world. The floor is covered with curly wood shavings - produced by endless hours of hand whittling, planing, and scraping.










Over the years, the Henderson Guitar shop has become an unofficial pilgrimage stop along the world-famous bluegrass route, known as The Crooked Road. If you come on the right day, it's likely that you'll run into someone famous. Before his death, Doc Watson (Wayne's close friend) was a regular visitor to the wood shop. Wayne Henderson's personal apprentice has been his daughter, Elizabeth "Jane" Henderson. My wife Laura grew up with Elizabeth, and that is how we were introduced to Wayne.










Wayne and Elizabeth have worked together on many guitars, and now Wayne's reputation for skill and craftsmanship has passed to Elizabeth. If you'd like to Contact Elizabeth Henderson for a custom-made Henderson guitar or ukulele , then contact her through her blog "The Luthier's Apprentice.










Wayne took time out of his busy schedule to show us around his workshop, share some of his special experiences, and pick some amazing songs on his favorite guitars and a nearly-finished mandolin.










Over a barbecue lunch in his house, Wayne pulled out an old "guitar" that he made when he was 7 or 8 years old. The body was made from a tobacco box, and the string came from fishing line. He also spoke of his passion for the Boston Red Sox, showed us some of his guns, and strummed some of his favorite guitars that he has made (and kept) over the years. His eyes really lit up when he pulled out "number 400″, a beautiful acoustic guitar, with custom inlays and a sound as warm as the sun. Watch the video to hear a couple songs on this guitar.










We had a great and memorable day with Wayne and Elizabeth Henderson, and hope to return to their workshop soon! You can learn more about Wayne Henderson Guitars and Wayne's bluegrass music festival on his website.


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## camps764 (Dec 9, 2011)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Wayne Henderson Guitars - Rugby, Virginia*
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thanks for sharing this man…was really cool to watch and read.


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## Timbo (Aug 21, 2008)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Wayne Henderson Guitars - Rugby, Virginia*
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That video was FANFREAKINTASTIC Joshua, thanks for posting!


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Wayne Henderson Guitars - Rugby, Virginia*
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That just makes ya know how many really good luthiers (and pickers) are out there.
Thanks.
Bill


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Wayne Henderson Guitars - Rugby, Virginia*
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You're welcome everyone. Wayne's a pretty cool guy.


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## helluvawreck (Jul 21, 2010)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Wayne Henderson Guitars - Rugby, Virginia*
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Thanks for the great tour and pickin', Wayne.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

*Virginia's Frontier Culture Museum - 1740s Settlement*






*By Joshua Farnsworth* (Writer at WoodAndShop.com)

My family and I recently visited one of my new favorite woodworking destinations: The Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, Virginia (see the above video). We planned to stay 2 hours, but stayed 6. I loved my visit and the historical tools and furniture so much that I went back a week later to interview the head furniture makers. So I'll be sharing several upcoming videos & photos from my two visits. Some of them will focus just on the furniture.










The Frontier Culture Museum is unlike anything I've encountered. The organization has disassembled actual period farms from England, Ireland, Germany, Africa, and different parts of the United States, then reconstructed them on several hundred acres of lush Virginia farmland. Why? To educate Americans on how our American farms were influenced by immigrants from overseas. You can see the different farms here.










What I found particularly fascinating was the woodworking tools and furniture displayed at each of the 10 farms. The staff actually use the respective tools to construct furniture and tools (like the below shaving horse). It is a hands on "museum" so I just helped myself to all the amazing tool chests! The staff didn't mind. They also didn't mind that I constantly caressed their reproduction furniture either…although I got some strange looks.










This fellow (below) grew up in the big city but longed for a job that would give him a taste of a simpler time. He glowed as he showed me some of his woodworking projects, especially his mostly-completed shaving horse:










I felt so refreshed by my time on these farms!

I'll be sharing a series of these workshops & tool chests, so make sure you subscribe to have my future articles delivered to your inbox.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Virginia's Frontier Culture Museum - 1740s Settlement*
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More! More!
Wanna see more.
Get my point? 
Bill


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Virginia's Frontier Culture Museum - 1740s Settlement*
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Alright, alright Bill…I'll share more!  I've got a lot of footage to share of this amazing place, and other traditional workshops. Have you subscribed to my blog posts or my YouTube channel? You won't miss any then!


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## clieb91 (Aug 17, 2007)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Virginia's Frontier Culture Museum - 1740s Settlement*
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Joshua, Thanks for the heads up. This sounds like a great trip for my daughter and I.

CtL


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## Timbo (Aug 21, 2008)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Virginia's Frontier Culture Museum - 1740s Settlement*
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Great Joshua, the Frontier Culture Museum is a wonderful look into the past. I'm lucky to live just a few miles from there.


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## lumberdog (Jun 15, 2009)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Virginia's Frontier Culture Museum - 1740s Settlement*
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My family and i was there in the late 70s, and i have wanted to go back, i see it has grown quite a bit. i will be looking forward to any future post. Thank you for bringing it to fellow LJs attention.


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Virginia's Frontier Culture Museum - 1740s Settlement*
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Hey guys (Chris, Tim, & Lumberdog), I'm glad that you all enjoyed it! Feel free to subscribe to my blog (here) to be notified of the following segments.


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

*1820s Tool Chest at the Frontier Culture Museum*






*By Joshua Farnsworth* (Writer at WoodAndShop.com)

This above video is a continuation of my amazing recent visit, with my family, to the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, Virginia. Click here to see the previous video and photos.










Steven Gallagher took time to give me a tour of his mid-19th Century tool chest. I love old tools, so this was like Christmas for me!










We also had a really great time talking about handle making. I was surprised to see that he uses the same method for securing his froe handle that I do…I thought I had invented it (see my previous video to see what I'm talking about).










Steven also introduced me to the furniture of George Lott. George is an incredible period furniture maker who studies and re-creates much of the furniture on the different Frontier Culture Museum farms (keep watching my videos…I setup a future meeting with George Lott to see his workshop). Here are some of the details of his (and maybe others') breathtaking historic furniture from this building (much more to come from the other farmhouses):























































Of course, my two little boys knew exactly what these foot-powered vice benches were called: "shaving horses!"



















I believe this hay rake was actually inspired by one built by Roy Underhill (The Woodwright's Shop):



























I'll be sharing a series of these workshops & tool chests, so make sure you subscribe to have my future articles delivered to your inbox.

*About the Frontier Culture Museum*

The Frontier Culture Museum is unlike anything I've encountered. The organization has disassembled actual period farms from England, Ireland, Germany, Africa, and different parts of the United States, then reconstructed them on several hundred acres of lush Virginia farmland. Why? To educate Americans on how our American farms were influenced by immigrants from overseas. You can see the different farms here.

What I found particularly fascinating was the woodworking tools and furniture displayed at each of the 10 farms. The staff actually use the respective tools to construct furniture and tools. It is a hands on "museum" so I just helped myself to all the amazing tool chests! The staff didn't mind. They also didn't mind that I constantly caressed their reproduction furniture either…although I got some strange looks.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

WoodAndShop said:


> *1820s Tool Chest at the Frontier Culture Museum*
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Very interesting video and photos.thanks for sharing those with us.


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

WoodAndShop said:


> *1820s Tool Chest at the Frontier Culture Museum*
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Thanks so much Jim…glad you liked it. There will be a few more of these!


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## changeoffocus (Dec 21, 2013)

WoodAndShop said:


> *1820s Tool Chest at the Frontier Culture Museum*
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Joshua, 
Nice video and cute youngsters. 
What were the devices your boys were playing with, you said "dumb heads" 
Bob Current


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

WoodAndShop said:


> *1820s Tool Chest at the Frontier Culture Museum*
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Thanks Bob! My boys were sitting on shaving horses. Some shaving horses have "dumb heads" that swing back & forth…of course, my boys love the name!


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

*George Lott's Antique Tools & Shop at the Frontier Culture Museum (Part 1)*






*By Joshua Farnsworth* (Writer at WoodAndShop.com)

Recreating historical furniture like this requires real talent and attention to detail:










In the above video I returned to the Frontier Culture Museum in historical Staunton, Virginia, to visit the men who are responsible for much of the reproduction furniture there: George Lott, Ken Knorr, and David Puckett. George Lott and Ken Knorr volunteer their time, talent, and projects to the museum (wow) and Curator David Puckett researches the historic furniture and puts in orders to George and Ken. A very cool system.










I was especially dying to see all of the antique woodworking tools that George Lott was rumored to own. In my previous post ("1820′s tool chest" ) Steven Gallagher told me about George's tools and showed me much of his furniture. So naturally, I tracked down George Lott. Not only did he show me his workbenches and tools, but I got to learn an ancient secret recipe for finishing furniture…


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Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content










Okay, well…err…it's not exactly a secret recipe. But it is fairly traditional and was oh so gorgeous on that oak arm chair (watch the above video for the recipe).










Below are are some detailed shots of George's (and some of Ken's work) breathtaking historic furniture from this building (much more to come from the other farmhouses)…but first make sure you subscribe so that you don't miss the upcoming 2 or 3 videos about George Lott's tools and furniture.



















The above desk is my favorite piece of furniture in the whole museum (it's in the 1850′s American farm).










Notice the beautiful square pegs that pull the tenons tight into the mortises.



















Ken Knorr built this walunt school teacher's desk (above) and George and Ken built the school benches (below).










Wedging the tenons keeps the joint nice and tight:










George's very nice walnut corner cupboard:























































*About the Frontier Culture Museum*

The Frontier Culture Museum is unlike anything I've encountered. The organization has disassembled actual period farms from England, Ireland, Germany, Africa, and different parts of the United States, then reconstructed them on several hundred acres of lush Virginia farmland. Why? To educate Americans on how our American farms were influenced by immigrants from overseas. You can see the different farms here.
What I found particularly fascinating was the woodworking tools and furniture displayed at each of the 10 farms. The staff actually use the respective tools to construct furniture and tools. It is a hands on "museum" so I just helped myself to all the amazing tool chests! The staff didn't mind. They also didn't mind that I constantly caressed their reproduction furniture either…although I got some strange looks.


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

WoodAndShop said:


> *George Lott's Antique Tools & Shop at the Frontier Culture Museum (Part 1)*
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What an awesome sounding place, have to stop by when up that way


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

*George Lott's Tool Chests at the Frontier Culture Museum (Part 2)*






*By Joshua Farnsworth* (Writer at WoodAndShop.com)

This is part 2 of George Lott's traditional workshop. In part 1 I returned to the Frontier Culture Museum in historical Staunton, Virginia, to visit the men who are responsible for much of the reproduction furniture there: George Lott, Ken Knorr, and David Puckett. In this second video you'll see George Lott's amazing collection of antique tool chests, hand planes, hand saws, and workbenches.










George gave me a tour of several of his antique tool chests (most were found in Pennsylvania). Two of his tool chests are filled with complex molding planes and also hollows & rounds. In the video George shares his method for choosing molding planes and also cutting moldings.





































George and his fellow volunteers cut all their moldings with antique molding planes, rather than with power routers.










George has an impressive collection of some very early Henry Disston hand saws. The above and below Disston saws were manufactured around the 1840s-1850s era.




























The below beautiful brass back hand saw was manufactured by W. Tyzack Sons Shefield, England:










*George Lott's Furniture:*

In case you missed it, below are are some detailed shots of George's (and some of Ken's work) breathtaking historic furniture from this building (much more to come from the other farmhouses)…but first make sure you subscribe so that you don't miss the upcoming 2 or 3 videos about George Lott's tools and furniture.



















The above desk is my favorite piece of furniture in the whole museum (it's in the 1850′s American farm).










Notice the beautiful square pegs that pull the tenons tight into the mortises.



















Ken Knorr built this walunt school teacher's desk (above) and George and Ken built the school benches (below).










Wedging the tenons keeps the joint nice and tight:










George's very nice walnut corner cupboard:























































*About the Frontier Culture Museum*

The Frontier Culture Museum is unlike anything I've encountered. The organization has disassembled actual period farms from England, Ireland, Germany, Africa, and different parts of the United States, then reconstructed them on several hundred acres of lush Virginia farmland. Why? To educate Americans on how our American farms were influenced by immigrants from overseas. You can see the different farms here.
What I found particularly fascinating was the woodworking tools and furniture displayed at each of the 10 farms. The staff actually use the respective tools to construct furniture and tools. It is a hands on "museum" so I just helped myself to all the amazing tool chests! The staff didn't mind. They also didn't mind that I constantly caressed their reproduction furniture either…although I got some strange looks.


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## anoldwoodchuck (Feb 13, 2010)

WoodAndShop said:


> *George Lott's Tool Chests at the Frontier Culture Museum (Part 2)*
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Wow!


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

WoodAndShop said:


> *George Lott's Tool Chests at the Frontier Culture Museum (Part 2)*
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Thanks Chuck! I'm glad you enjoyed this…more to come, so subscribe!


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

WoodAndShop said:


> *George Lott's Tool Chests at the Frontier Culture Museum (Part 2)*
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Excellent, thanks for posting!


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

WoodAndShop said:


> *George Lott's Tool Chests at the Frontier Culture Museum (Part 2)*
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Thanks Smitty! Glad you enjoyed it.


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## BTimmons (Aug 6, 2011)

WoodAndShop said:


> *George Lott's Tool Chests at the Frontier Culture Museum (Part 2)*
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Fantastic pictures. Thanks for sharing those.


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

WoodAndShop said:


> *George Lott's Tool Chests at the Frontier Culture Museum (Part 2)*
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Thank you, and You're welcome Brian!


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

*1600′s English Furniture & Timber Frame Farmhouse*






*By Joshua Farnsworth (Writer at WoodAndShop.com)*

View the original article here.

In the above video you'll see the amazing 17th Century English timber frame farmhouse that I visited recently.










I was absolutely taken back by this immaculately reconstructed farmhouse and it's gorgeous reproduction furniture from the 1600′s. So, of course, I had to share it with y'all!










The farm was moved from England to the Frontier Culture Museum in historical Staunton, Virginia (thank you to my English friends).










I really love the exposed timber framing on the exterior of the farmhouse. I did my first timber framing last week, so it's fun to see a finished product.










The kitchen & hearth room are the first rooms that I entered, and I loved seeing the oak trestle table with tusk tenons:










And a really creative shelf with decorative gouging on the sides:










Great little tenon pegs:










A pretty little apple press:










And some rusting hand forged iron cut nails sitting on the window sill:










Anyone know what this is? I sure don't:










Beautiful quarter sawn white oak used on the windows:










A nice little red oak (I think) end table with pinned tenons:










This nice sitting room was filled with carefully hand carved oak cupboards and chests:



















Below is a carved bible box, I believe. I'm not sure who built the furniture in this room, but it looks very similar to the 17th century style that Peter Follensbee builds and carves. I wouldn't be surprised if he built some of it.



















The small dining room also has lovely furniture built with strong and handsome joinery:



















I want this chair sooo bad…Guess I'll have to learn how to build and carve one!










Nice detail of the rough wooden floors…either white oak or chestnut I believe:



















My son Joseph looking out the hand made windows:










This 17th Century farmhouse felt so comfortable and simple. I really could have felt at home in such a peaceful place. You should really try to visit this farm, and the others at the Frontier Culture Museum. It has become one of my favorite spots.














































*Click here to subscribe to my future articles & videos!*

*About the Frontier Culture Museum*

The Frontier Culture Museum is unlike anything I've encountered. The organization has disassembled actual period farms from England, Ireland, Germany, Africa, and different parts of the United States, then reconstructed them on several hundred acres of lush Virginia farmland. Why? To educate Americans on how our American farms were influenced by immigrants from overseas. You can see the different farms here.
What I found particularly fascinating was the woodworking tools and furniture displayed at each of the 10 farms. The staff actually use the respective tools to construct furniture and tools. It is a hands on "museum" so I just helped myself to all the amazing tool chests! The staff didn't mind. They also didn't mind that I constantly caressed their reproduction furniture either…although I got some strange looks.


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## jdmaher (May 4, 2011)

WoodAndShop said:


> *1600′s English Furniture & Timber Frame Farmhouse*
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Fascinating!


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

WoodAndShop said:


> *1600′s English Furniture & Timber Frame Farmhouse*
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Thanks Jim!


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## dawsonbob (Aug 5, 2013)

WoodAndShop said:


> *1600′s English Furniture & Timber Frame Farmhouse*
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Great stuff, Joshua. Really, really neat. The pronged things that you asked about appear to be parts of a rotisserie for the fireplace (for cooking meat). There would have been a corresponding shaft that they slide over.


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## Oldtool (May 27, 2012)

WoodAndShop said:


> *1600′s English Furniture & Timber Frame Farmhouse*
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Very interesting video & photos. This looks like a great museum to visit, similar to Colonial Williamsburg. Thanks for showing.


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

WoodAndShop said:


> *1600′s English Furniture & Timber Frame Farmhouse*
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"Dawsonbob": I'm sooo glad that it was a cooking utensil that I couldn't identify, and not a woodworking tool! Thanks for that!

"Oldtool": Yes, the Frontier Culture Museum is similar, but far less crowded than Williamsburg…but I love them both. Very lucky to live in Virginia!


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## BTimmons (Aug 6, 2011)

WoodAndShop said:


> *1600′s English Furniture & Timber Frame Farmhouse*
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That is so cool. Great job on the photos.


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

WoodAndShop said:


> *1600′s English Furniture & Timber Frame Farmhouse*
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Thanks Brian!


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

*Wooden Boat Builder *






In the above video I share my visit to the Vineyard Haven wooden boat workshop of Ted Box on the Massachusetts island of Martha's Vineyard.










In the video I mentioned that I read a book called "Wooden Boats" which informed me of Ted Box's boat building. You can find the fascinating book at this link.

If you want to learn more details about Ted's history and his wooden boat building project, you can read more via this Vineyard Gazette newspaper link.










Ted's 70-foot scow schooner sat in a temporary workshop next to the Vineyard Haven harbor.










Because of my love of the traditional trades I was naturally curious about seeing Ted's wooden boat project.










I was surprised to learn that much of the work was done by volunteers. Ted was happy to accept both long-term and short-term volunteers. My cousins and I (above) worked for only a couple hours, but other volunteers (like the young man below) volunteered for the entire summer.










This volunteer spent countless hours filling the gaps with cotton:




























The schooner had become a tourist attraction to the thousands of summer visitors to Martha's Vineyard:



















Because I'm a traditional woodworker I was particularly drawn to the construction details on the wooden sail boat:














































I'm not much of a power tool user anymore, but I loved seeing the vintage power tools (like the below planer) that Ted uses in his boat building:










Ted is definitely the real deal:










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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

*Elia Bizzarri's Windsor Chair Workshop Tour*






In my above video I share my recent tour of Elia Bizzari's traditional Windsor chair workshop in Hillsboro, North Carolina. I found Elia to not only be warm & welcoming, but incredibly hilarious. We had some great laughs together in his workshop and will be working on filming a DVD together in the near future. Please contact me if a Windsor chair tutorial DVD interests you.










Elia started traditional woodworking as a teenager, and eventually discovered his passion for making traditional Windsor chairs. Curtis Buchanan welcomed Elia as an apprentice, and Elia has gone on to become one of the world's most well-known Windsor chair makers. He has even been featured a couple times on Roy Underhill's The Woodwright's Shop television show. You can view those episodes here.










I cracked up when Elia told me how, when he was younger, he obtained permission to use his college fund for some more advanced Windsor chair courses. This young guy loves what he does and especially finds joy in life's simple pleasures. I call that true success.
You can contact Elia and place orders for custom Windsor chairs at his website here.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO JOSHUA'S FUTURE ARTICLES & VIDEOS!


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

*Middleton Plantation Workshop Tour*






In my above video I share my recent tour of the traditional carpenter & cooper workshop in at Middleton Place, a former plantation near Charleston, South Carolina. Sorry, the video is a little shaky. But fortunately my photos below are not!










Ahhh, what could be better than a traditional workshop in a heavenly location like this? (pssst…ignore the aligators)










Nobody was manning their workshop station while I poked my head into this workshop, so I just gave myself a tour. I really don't know any history about this workshop. I only know that I felt great being inside it!










A few wooden plow planes, jack planes, and jointer planes.










The workshop seems to be entirely lit by candles, which gave it an amazing feeling.














































I love photographing different styles of shaving horses, and admiring the craftsmanship. Unfortunately the modern-day craftsman that built this reproduction shaving horse missed some critical details: He/she put all the pegs & wedges in line with the bench's grain. When the wedge expands outward it causes the board to split…below is a perfect example of what I saw on nearly all the wooden benches at Middleton Place! A sure sign that all the benches were made by the same person.




























Yes, my family and I got to milk this lovely cow…mmm…warm milk.










Sorry, but I just have to share some photos of my little family in a lovely place.










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## DonBroussard (Mar 27, 2012)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Middleton Plantation Workshop Tour*
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I'm enjoying the visits to these historic shops, Josh. Thanks for taking us along.

I imagine that the shop at Middleton was buzzing with activity with all the different workstations. Looks like four or five craftsmen could work comfortably without getting in each others' way.


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## doorslammer (Aug 17, 2008)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Middleton Plantation Workshop Tour*
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Me and my family were just at Middleton Place back in early July. I think you are correct in that the shop is not necessarily "preserved", but more of a demonstration area of what would have been typical for the time. Plus, a lot of cool looking old tools. I was able to talk to the gentleman there who was trained as a cooper here in Tennessee and made small decorative barrels for sale in the gift shop. You certainly missed out on an interview because he loved to talk . Probably the most interesting thing for me was that giant hand cranked flywheel lathe. I'd never seen that type of 2 man lathe operation before. Definitely a nice place with something for the whole family.


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## WoodAndShop (Apr 8, 2014)

WoodAndShop said:


> *Middleton Plantation Workshop Tour*
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Don & Aaron, I'm glad you enjoyed the workshop tour!


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