A Woodwright Shop Can Teach You the Basics of Woodworking

If you are interested in woodworking and you’re not sure how to get started, you may want to check out a local woodwright shop. Many of these shops will have experienced workers who can help you. They can also teach you the basics of woodworking so you can start making your own crafts.

Roy Underhill

Roy Underhill is a well-known woodworker and woodworking teacher. He hosts the PBS show “The Woodwright’s Shop” and runs a woodworking school in Pittsboro, N.C. He has also written several books on woodworking.

Underhill is a passionate advocate for hand tool woodworking. He teaches viewers how to use traditional tools to build furniture, tools and household items. As a result, his television shows and books have helped to inspire a generation of woodworkers.

Before founding The Woodwright’s Shop in 1979, Roy Underhill worked as a master housewright for Colonial Williamsburg. He studied theater at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and environmental studies at Duke University. His interest in historical preservation led him to pursue a career in historic preservation.

In 1979, Underhill approached the UNC Center for Public Television with his idea for a woodworking show. It was rejected, but underhill pressed on with his concept. Over the next five years, he produced and filmed The Woodwright’s Shop.

Colonial Williamsburg

A woodwright by trade, Roy Underhill has made his name in the field of historical and modern-day woodworking by combining the best of old-school techniques with modern day know-how. In his spare time, he is an author, an educator and a woodwrights teacher. If you’re into woodworking of any kind, you’ve probably heard of Underhill, or at least of his most famous creation, The Woodwright’s School in Pittsboro, North Carolina.

While there is no definitive proof, one can safely assume that Underhill is responsible for a large swath of this venerable woodworker’s paradise. Among other accomplishments, Underhill served as master housewright of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. He has also been named the official master carpenter of the state of North Carolina. For five years, Underhill entertained viewers with his productions of The Woodwright’s Best, a series of instructional television shows. His latest venture, The Woodwright’s School, is a multi-faceted educational endeavor, encompassing everything from hands-on woodworking and furniture restoration classes to tours of the property and an equestrian show.

PBS

One of the longest running PBS woodworking shows, The Woodwright’s Shop is an American television program hosted by craftsman and educator Roy Underhill. Presented by the University of North Carolina’s Center for Public Television, this series has been aired on a regular basis since 1979. For those enlightened enough to take the plunge, this swell program has all the hallmarks of an old school TV show: a fair amount of grit, a plethora of vintage tools, and an emphasis on hands-on, traditional woodworking.

Not only does the show deliver the goods, but it has also inspired millions of aspiring craftsmen to ditch the power tools for good. Besides the aforementioned PBS flagship show, Roy is also a woodworking instructor at the nearby Woodwright’s School in Pittsboro. He is also a historian and advocate of the old ways. As such, he is often called upon to lend an ear to history buffs who are just starting out.

Seasons

The Woodwright’s Shop is an educational show that focuses on traditional woodworking. It’s hosted by Roy Underhill and he demonstrates a variety of woodworking techniques. He has been teaching woodworking for 30 years. There are over 400 episodes of the show, and it’s one of the longest running “how to” shows on PBS. Typically, it airs in October.

The Woodwright’s Shop teaches practical woodworking methods, using human-powered machines and hand tools. Each season, there are around thirteen episodes. They air the last 13 weeks of the year, and are typically shown on the last week of October. The show was first broadcast in 1979 and it is still filmed at the UNC-TV studios in Research Triangle Park.

While The Woodwright’s Shop isn’t available through streaming services or on-demand, fans can track the show and be notified when new episodes are added. The show is also available through the Shop Class on Demand subscription service, which offers a huge library of popular woodworking DVD titles and new content every week.