# Two questions...



## weedeater64 (May 15, 2018)

Not sure if I care, but I would still like to know..

Is this channel complete BS Chinese propaganda?






Not this one video, but some of his videos seem like BS. Like it simply would not be possible to get the fine results from the crude tools. This video seems far more realistic.

Q2..

The leg joinery. Would the angles and the force of driving them into the bench actually be sufficient to keep the cross pieces on the legs tight?


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

Not sure what you mean. If you go to any antique store and find some beautiful antique furniture from 100-200 years ago that is finer than any furniture you can buy today, it was built with cruder tools than this guys. This bench could be built with much cruder tools. Ever see what the romans used? We just have this mentality where we are suckered into believing we need a shop full of festoons to make a $20 box.


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## weedeater64 (May 15, 2018)

> Not sure what you mean. If you go to any antique store and find some beautiful antique furniture from 100-200 years ago that is finer than any furniture you can buy today, it was built with cruder tools than this guys. This bench could be built with much cruder tools. Ever see what the romans used? We just have this mentality where we are suckered into believing we need a shop full of festoons to make a $20 box.
> 
> - SMP


Well like I said, I wasn't talking about this video. Not as far as the tools in it. He has some videos using tools that seriously don't look like they'd do what he does.

My main thing is about the joints on this bench. He has done several benches/stools with the same structure. He doesn't use any fasteners or glue.


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> Well like I said, I wasn t talking about this video. Not as far as the tools in it. He has some videos using tools that seriously don t look like they d do what he does.
> 
> My main thing is about the joints on this bench. He has done several benches/stools with the same structure. He doesn t use any fasteners or glue.
> 
> - weedeater64


Fasteners and glue are relatively new. In the US we tend to think of 100-200 year old things as old. In europe things that are 600-800 years old are old. In China and Japan old things are 2000-3000 years old. There are entire buildings and structures with no fasteners or glue, older than the US.


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## MadMark (Jun 3, 2014)

Yeah, the Japanese builders built earthquake proof buildings that would flex and sway instead of breaking. 1000's of years ago. Peg construction is traditional. And they hand drove square pegs into round holes, that held forever, with giant mauls.










It's not the tool, it's the hands & eyes of the craftsman.

Tools help poor bastards like me do better than an ape with an axe. If it weren't for power tools, I couldn't cut a rug!


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

Grandpa Mu was most likely using HIS Grandpa's tools….would love to see the OP construct a folding stool like the ones Grandpa Mu makes…..from a single piece of stock…..


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

Just google "Roman workbench" and you will see a bunch of examples of similar low workbenches made in similar ways. Most do not even have the stretchers. Chris Schwartz and the Woodwright were pushing similar designs a few years back.


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## MikeB_UK (Jul 27, 2015)

If you want to see basic tools here's James Wright going from a tree to a stool using only a chisel.





Surprising how much you can do with limited tools.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Yeah this is a fairly traditional design for some types of workbenches. Fully legit and well executed IMO. And a solid bench as long as you work within its limits. Which I'm certain that gentleman is fully aware of


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

> If you want to see basic tools here s James Wright going from a tree to a stool using only a chisel.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Haha that was great. Paul Sellers also said if you only had acouple chisels there is a lot of things you can make. And goes onto show you how to make "poor man's tools" like they did in the old days. Basically blocks of wood that can hold a chisel at a certain angle, and you can make a router plane, a scraper plane, plow plane, etc.


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## Phil32 (Aug 31, 2018)

Bear in mind that most videos do not show the entire process. They may show the initial chisel cuts for forming a mortise, then magically jump to the final clean up cuts. The entire process is slow and methodical. You would not watch the video if it took the full length of time.


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