Building a Covered Walking Bridge: Step-by-Step Guide to Cutting Tenons on 6x6 Red Cedar Posts, Ep 1

I'm excited to announce a new project: building a covered walking bridge! In this video, I'll provide step-by-step instructions on how to cut the tenons on the 6x6" red cedar posts that will be used for the bridge. I'll guide you through the process. Please don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this channel. Thank You and God Bless!
#Cuttingtenons #coveredbridgeconstruction #handcuttenons
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[@ronwright6138]

Your craftmanship is impressive to say the least! your joinery on this bridge is worthy of fine furniture.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy y’all- thank you so much for the kind words and for watching the video. God bless you

[@CarolinaChrisOutdoors]

Sharp tools sure make things easier...I like that Japanese slick. That would come in handy for a lot of things. I like the handle on that shoulder plane too. Busting your knuckles up isn’t too much fun!😂 Always a pleasure watching you do what you love.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Chris- I like all my edge tools to have a scary sharp edge on them. They aren’t allowed to get much below a working edge before they get tuned back up. That shoulder plane is really nice to use. I sure appreciate you watching our videos. Hope all is well out your way. God bless

[@scottmcintosh2988]

I love the senery of the back roads too my friend God Bless You !!!!

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Scott- yes, I love doing the back roads. I appreciate you watching our videos. Take care and God’s blessings to you

[@paulhoneyman6923]

You just keep doing what you like to do Paul. Because we love to see you do what you do. Stay safe and as always, my best to you and your family.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Brother- I plan on doing that very thing- doing what I enjoy. Hope you are doing well on the other side of the pond. Take care and God’s blessings to you

[@thomasnichols3825]

Awe, the smell of the Red Cedar. Thank you for your teaching and sharing you Knowledge, Tips (1" Chisel, This I will use) and your Time. I first experienced your videos on Paradise Point cutting your Dovetail that was 2 parter. Our crazy weather (99 degrees in Seattle, should be 80) stuck inside I have gone back to your first video you dedicated to you dad and I 'm on #6, l am Learning every day on the the ride, thank you so much Paul, God Bless.

[@jeannieglidewellheil9115]

I'm his sister and every time I think about that video, I start crying. Our dad was a master carpenter and was patient like Paul explaining how he did things.

[@thomasnichols3825]

​@@jeannieglidewellheil9115 Jennie, I assume you are talking about the first video Brother Paul did and at the end dedicated it to his dad. This week after a year or so watching and listening I asked Paul if his dad was a carpenter having not see the first video. I have a mental disability and Paul's teaching how to do things and describing little "How to Tricks" are a great help. He tells why and how to do what he is doing. Paul is a Blessing to me. I can go over the videos until my chemical imbalance brain soaks up the videos in to my ole mind. God Bless, Tom

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Brother- it does smell so good. Glad you’re getting something from the videos. I appreciate you so much for everything. God’s blessings to y’all

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Daddy was the best. Sure do miss him. Love you, Sis. God bless y’all

[@thomasnichols3825]

@@TheBeardedCarpenter Paul, you get that bridge built, I'll watch hopefully all the rest of the videos and get caught on them and hopefully we both will have a little for a chat. I will wait till you get a hold of me when you have time me and tell me your caught up. Are you ever caught up? Brother Paul, I can't wait to see the finished Covered Bridge. Designed and Built by the Bearded Carpenter! God Bless to y'all Paul.

[@truthseeker6152]

I agree with you , it's not a race. When you put time on something it will always end up better. God bless you !

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy y’all- things can be done a lot faster but I feel the true satisfaction of doing something is jeopardized. Thank you so much for watching the video and for the nice comment. God bless you

[@Gord1973]

Can’t wait to see the finished bridge.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy y’all- I’m actually working on putting it together now. Videos will be later. God bless you

[@phillipsmith7081]

May we call you "Professor"? You teach your skills so anyone can follow and understand each step in the processes. I enjoy your videos as I am a retired cabinet maker/public school teacher of over 25 years. I have over 50 years experience in woodworking and have enjoyed every minute of it. it is so satisfying to see completed projects. May God bless your teaching efforts and your life greatly.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Phillip- I don’t reckon I have enough education to be a professor lol. I do enjoy teaching though. I appreciate your years of teaching and molding young people. Looking back on my life if I hadn’t become a carpenter like my Dad, l would have enjoyed being a structural engineer or a high school history teacher. God’s blessings to you

[@maccabeus-everydaysurvival5828]

Its gonna be a masterpiece

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Brother/ thank you so much for the kind words. Hope all is well. God bless

[@birdnest5814]

I admire how precise you are with each cut. It’s going to be a fantastic looking bridge, Paul. 👍👏😊💕🙏😎✌️

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy y’all- thank you so much for your kind words. Much appreciated. I’m looking forward to seeing it up. God bless you

[@IveysFamilyFactotum]

The back roads are ALWAYS best and this bridge is going to be AMAZING. Can't wait to see it coming together brother.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy y’all- thank you so much for your kindness and for watching the video. It’s been an enjoyable project so far. Come see us sometime. Take care and stay safe in the heat. God bless y’all

[@johnnydrac]

You are an amazing Craftsman .. Not many people left who can do what you do .. Thank you for sharing all of your beautiful work, it's both learning and entertaining and gives so much inspiration . God Bless.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Johnny- I sure appreciate your kindness. I really enjoy what I have been blessed to do. Thank you for watching our videos. God’s blessings to you

[@markpalmer5311]

“Enjoy the scenery.” Beautiful!

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Mark- thank you so much for your kind words. God bless you

[@JamieHill-z9r]

Beautiful work, Mr. Paul! I’m excited to see this bridge in progress. I’ve always loved the old covered walking bridges 👍

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy y’all- thank you so much for the kind words. I’ve always loved old bridges also. God bless

[@Eyepealer]

Well done sir!! You are an amazing tradesman!

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy y’all- thank you so much for your kind words and for watching the video. God bless

[@fdfd4525]

Wow Paul, you don't stop for a moment. Always nice to see your videos. Blessings

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy FD- I don’t seem to have time to stop or slow down. I really enjoy doing the work I do. It’s pretty physical, but I actually look forward to each day getting out and doing what I do. Hope you have a blessed weekend. God be with you

[@Z-Bart]

Neat project. Thanks for taking us along. I like the back roads too.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Y’all- thank you so much for the kind words. I’m with you on running the back roads. So much more to see. God bless you

[@kaseyhyde6503]

Your work is outstanding, Paul ! I'll be anxious to see the end result.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Kasey- thank you so much for the kind words and for watching the video. Take care and God bless

[@OddBall1958]

Good to see you back with another project for us. Thank you and have a great day!

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy y’all- it’s always exciting to start a new project. God’s blessings to y’all

[@user-hn9fr7mn3x]

I’m so excited to see this bridge

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy y’all- thank you so much. It sure is enjoyable. God bless

[@OpenAirOutdoors]

This is going to be a fun project to follow along with! And the scenery is what I would expect coming from you👌 Thanks Paul✌

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Marc- it’s been very enjoyable so far. Yea, I like seeing all the scenery. God bless

[@LucasRichardStephens]

I share your love of the covered bridges Brother. Your sawer skills are clearly excellent, to have such square lumber is no mean feat. It is so good to see you are enjoying your new mill, it must be a real game changer. A very enjoyable film, it will be of such value to the younger generations of carpenter to learn from your good example. Best wishes to you and your kin, God bless.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Lucas- I think you and I have a lot in common , not just the passion for what we do, but the same philosophy on getting it done. Yes, I’m enjoying the sawmill. I can take the time to get the timbers fairly close to be right on the money which makes it easier to work the timber out to the finished product. Thank you so much for watching the video. Hope all is well. God’s blessings to you and your family

[@joebenjamin9840]

Once again... A true craftsman and his knowledge! Thank you

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Joe- thank you so much for your kind words. Much appreciated. Take care and God’s blessings to you

[@joebenjamin9840]

@@TheBeardedCarpenter ❤️

[@hpw59]

❤Sir, it is a pleasure to watch you work

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy y’all- thank you so much for watching the video and for the kind words. God bless

[@OnBeaverCreek]

Beautiful cedar and oak timbers! Nice work!

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Brother- thank you so much for watching the video and for the kind words. Hope all is well out your way. Take care and God’s blessings to you

[@ronrisher3558]

Excellent Paul! I’ve missed your detailed tutorials!! We never miss an opportunity to take the back roads…..

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Ron- thank you so much. So much more to see on the back roads. Thank you so much for watching the video. God bless you

[@jameshall5784]

This just proves to me that i have SO MUCH MORE to learn. Thank you for sharing your skills!!!

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy James- I sure appreciate you watching the videos and commenting. I’ve spent a good many years learning how to do what I do. It’s been a great journey. Hang in there. God bless

[@geoffreymills9932]

Another great build that will last well into history

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Geoffrey- thank you so much for the kind words. God bless

[@lucleoni]

It was clear that you enjoyed doing this, you have so much knowledge to share, brother Paul.👍👍👍

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Brother- yes, I do definitely enjoy what I do. I feel very fortunate and blessed to have the privilege to do that. Take care and God’s blessings to you

[@littlegriffoffgridalberta6837]

You love them timbers Paul :) & the back roads Yes it's not getting there it's the journey ! So much detail & i love the way you explain it :) Having some awesome hardwood to work with I can't wait to see it all together ! no rush keep it True & safe you will get there👍, Sounds like an awesome project :) Have a great weekend"

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Don- thank you so much. I really enjoyed working the timbers from the log to the finish product. It’s been a real pleasure so far. Hope your hand is getting better. Take care up there. God bless

[@KackleHillHomestead]

I will throughly enjoy this. I’ve traveled to several states that have covered bridges. They are amazingly crafted! Thanks

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy y’all- thank you so much for watching the video. More to come. This is a dream come true to get to build one. God bless you

[@geraldwest3428]

Keep rocking steady, mister! Some of the cleanest work I've ever seen. God bless you and yours as well 😊

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Gerald- thank you so much for the kind words. I sure appreciate it. God’s blessings to y’all

[@williamguillIII]

My wife and I enjoy the back roads. As you said, much more to see and a whole lot less stressful ,with fewer idiot drivers! I love your attention to detail, pure craftsmanship!

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy William- I sure agree with you on that. I enjoy driving the secondary roads for that very reason even if I’ve driven the roads many times before. Thank you so much for the kind words and for watching the video. God bless y’all

[@northwood60]

Another Great video!

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy y’all- thank you so much for the kind words. God bless

[@CountryHomestead1]

Man you sure do teach good, you are a great instructor with your skills, the cedar post looks so good. I'm looking forward and see the rest of the bridge. We hope y'all have been doing good.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Brother- I sure appreciate your kind words. Hope y’all are doing well down there and staying safe in the heat. Take care and God’s blessings to y’all

[@michaelwhiteoldtimer7648]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us, that cedar beam is beautiful

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Michael- I sure appreciate you watching the videos. Cedar is a beautiful wood. God bless you

[@oldschoolwithamoderntwist6074]

,,,hiya B,,C,, man oh man looking good my friend,, there are a few old covered bridges here in Ohio,, some are still in use,, i`m so glad to see this build,,, i`v always wanted to see how its done,, now the math on this build,, i`m impressed,, B,,C,, i wish you a successful build on this one & i cant wait to see your progress ,,thanks so much for sharing,,,

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy James- I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve thought about you when I’m working on the timbers and the different videos you made of the covered bridges you visited and shared on KZbin. Thank you so much. Hope all is well with you and your family. God bless y’all

[@livefree-ordietrying]

Hi Paul. Ooh my, I'm so looking forward to this project you're starting up. As always you impress me with your precision, and your way of showing us "how to". Looking forward to the following videos on you homebuilding a walking bridge. All the best to you and your family, from your apprentice in the Swedish woods. Michael.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Michael- I sure appreciate you watching the video. It’s been a great project so far. I’ve really enjoyed it. Hope all is well with you. God bless

[@TheMaverickAcres]

I Love watching your talents at work. I hope I am able to retain a smige of the knowledge that you share. God Bless Yall Mr. Paul

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy y’all - I sure appreciate you watching the videos and for the kind words. God’s blessings to y’all

[@waltwells9443]

Yes sir, the back road is always the better route.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Walt- I certainly agree with you. Love running the back roads. God bless

[@johnspencer1145]

Beautiful work looking forward to another great project thank you !

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy John- thank you so much for the kind words. It’s been fun so far. God bless

[@buddyreed2623]

The cuts that you made on the tenons look as good as, if not better, than what may have been achieved on a CNC machine. That Cedar tree or trees must have been huge and possibly very old. I would have liked to have been there when you planed the posts. I know how good Cedar smells and I really like it. I would have like to been able to purchase the pieces you cut off of the tenons. This is going to be a Sweet build. Have good days!

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Buddy- thank you so much for the kind words. These cedars grow pretty fast and they can be invasive if not control. The wonderful aroma is in the red heart wood. I would have given you all the cut offs. Thank you so much for watching the video. God bless

[@iamcaseycraig]

Looking forward to this!

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy y’all- thank you so much for watching the video. I’ve been looking forward to building it for some time. God bless you

[@MichaelR58]

Wonderful video Paul , thanks for sharing YAH bless brother !

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Michael- thank you so much for watching the video. Hope all is well. God bless

[@scottfamilyfarmretreat1090]

Thats will be a cool project looking forward to watching.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Brother- thank you so much for watching the video and commenting. Hope y’all are doing well over there. Take care and God’s blessings to y’all

[@kenmarapese9085]

I watch your channel because you "enjoy the scenery".

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Ken- I appreciate you watching our videos. It’s more enjoyable to me to not get in a hurry and do the best l can. Bigger companies have the machinery to do the cuts l do by hand and that’s fine, but I really love doing it the way I do. God bless you

[@bigredc222]

Very nice, looking forward to future videos.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Big Red- I sure appreciate you watching the videos and for the nice comment. Take care and God bless

[@jamesvanpelt-nk7by]

Excited for the build, love your videos.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy James- I sure appreciate you watching our videos and for the nice comment. Take care and God’s blessings to you

[@gregganderson1454]

Hey, Paul. What a beautiful project you’ve got going. Do you have a place to put this bridge? You’re on your way to 50 thousand subscribers! Glad to see your channel so successful.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Gregg- thank you so much for your kind words. This bridge will be in a city park in the next town up the hiway. It’s exciting to see the channel grow. I’ve noticed you’re getting lots of views quickly on your videos. That’s great because it helps the algorithm. I hope you and Eric have a great day. Stay safe and cool. God bless y’all

[@gregganderson1454]

⁠@@TheBeardedCarpenter Well, actually Paul, I don’t have a KZbin channel. I guess the first time I met you was at Drew’s birthday party on Mt. Magazine. Then again at a homesteader meetup in Oklahoma. I’m an old guy with a grey beard much shorter than yours. No matter, I enjoy your videos immensely!

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

@@gregganderson1454 I’m so sorry. I thought you were guy I’ve been watching who’s name is Gregg. Now that you mention it l do remember meeting you on the mountain. Blessings to you

[@thetennesseefrugalcraftsma7383]

Sharp tools are the key!

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Brother- if anyone would know you certainly would. Always a pleasure to hear from you. God’s blessings to y’all

[@thetennesseefrugalcraftsma7383]

@@TheBeardedCarpenter Shalom

[@mikemccollum4521]

Thank you

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Mike- I appreciate you watching our videos. God’s blessings to y’all

[@RuffCut]

The control side will keep it "right on the money!" I like the way you used the block and 2 different chisels to clean up the tenon. Do the vertical side first....real good advice. A lot to remember when doing the layout. How much clearance is there in the fit to the mortise? Stay on the backroads Brother. Blessings

[@RuffCut]

Yes and Thank you for taking the time to make videos and share your knowledge. Hats off to the editor...doing a fine job filming too!

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Brother Duke- yes, there’s a lot of layout to keep up with. The tenons fit pretty snug in the mortices. Yep, run the back roads. Lots of bikers come through this part of the country running the back roads for the scenery. Hope you and the Lady can come back up sometime. God bless y’all

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

I sure appreciate your support. The Lady BC is the one who makes everything come together. God bless

[@denislosieroutdoors]

Paul, that is some pretty wood... we have lots of cedar here but don't have that pink look to it... did u say before that it's actually juniper? Thanks for sharing there eh!

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Denis- this is what we call red cedar but it’s actually a juniper. It has a deep red heart and very aromatic. It grows in abundance where we are. Thank you so much for watching the video. Hope you are doing well. God bless

[@jeannieglidewellheil9115]

This is going to be beautiful! Where is this going?

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Sis- thank you so much! It’s going in a city park up the hiway. God’s blessings to y’all

[@ChileExpatFamily]

Hello from Chile. I wanted to ask you if you have ever used black locust beams to build with. I grew up in SC and we used black locust for fence posts and they were hard.... i mean hard. I would guess that if you used them for structures that they would last for ever. Just asking. Thanks for the lessons in carpentry and lessons for life. Jim

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Jim- I’ve only used black locust one time for some porch posts. It has to be worked green and fresh cut. I’ve heard if you use it for a fence post it will out last the hole you put it in by a couple years lol. Hope all is well with you and your family. God’s blessings to y’all

[@markluke8447]

I like that Japanese slick you have, can you tell me who makes it and what model it is?

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Mark- it’s a nice slick for sure. I normally use a bigger slick for log building. I don’t know who the maker is on the Japanese slick or what model it is. It was a gift from a good friend. It has Japanese writing on it but I can’t read it. I’ll try to find out something about it. God bless

[@markluke8447]

@@TheBeardedCarpenter hello Mr BC, don’t go to any trouble, I thought you might have known off the top of your head. Thank you and I enjoy your videos and the beauty of timber construction.

[@jamesjessee4064]

👍🙋‍♂️❤️

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy y’all- thank you so much for watching the video. God bless

[@Physicsnerd1]

I'm backroads, I prefer slow and steady as opposed to fast and loose.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy y’all- yep, that’s my way of traveling. Enjoy the scenery. Thank you so much for watching the video. God bless

[@TravisLambert]

Is this the same white oaks that are in KY?

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Travis- post oak and white oaks are two different species. However, I was told by a dendrocronologist that you can’t tell them apart in a lab. They have different leaves, bark and acorns. Evidently the properties of the wood is the same. Whereabouts in Kentucky are you? I helped a friend of mine get started on his log cabin in Berea, Kentucky a couple years ago. Beautiful country. God bless y’all

[@TravisLambert]

@@TheBeardedCarpenter , western KY, thank you for the reply, I am planning on a cabin build next year. I was told most of these oaks are being used for railroad, it looked like you were building with them, I may try to do something with them.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

@@TravisLambert A lot of the good oaks are being cut up into railroad ties. If you could get oak for your cabin it would be really good. I would use oak if I could get it. Blessings

[@brandenforrer2603]

Wouldn't it be easier to use a scrub plan be quicker and when you start getting pine your done

[@joehuinker7009]

We refer to a block plane as a beaver plane cause it's slow and sloppy!

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Joe- I mostly use a block plane to do what I showed in the video. I have several planes that I use for everything else. The plane l use most is my Dad’s old Stanley Bailey #5. It has a lot of sentimental value to me. Thank you so much for watching the video. God bless

[@joehuinker7009]

A dull tool is a dangerous tool

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Joe- I sure do agree with you on that. I keep my tools really sharp. It’s enjoyable to use a sharp tool. God bless

[@rogerhodges7656]

I hate to see those red cedar posts on your bridge. In my experience, even in a protected environment, cedar is not as durable as almost any other wood.

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy Roger- the red cedar we have is actually juniper. The red heartwood is very resistant to weather. It’s been used for fence posts and pole barns for many years. Thank you so much for watching the video. God bless

[@nomasknoway9903]

You've always wanted to build a covered walking bridge, and I've always wanted to walk across one. What a coincidence. 😉🫡❤

[@TheBeardedCarpenter]

Howdy y’all- yes, that has been a dream for a long time and now it has come to fruition and I’m enjoying every minute of it. As far as I know it will be the only covered bridge in our area. Hopefully it will inspire someone else to build one. God bless you