Roy Underhill's Bench Hooks

[@johnduffy6546]

Mr. Underhill is an American Treasure. In all of the videos & TV shows I have watched that he has hosted, I ALWAYS leave with a very positive heart and a big smile. He is the real deal. Such a precious commodity in today's world! Sharp tools, sharp minds and a genuine smile...Kudos, Mr. Underhill for your contributions to mankind. Thank you and, Bless you

[@randytellez2451]

Agree. I am recently fully retired nearing 72 and just now finishing a woodworking bench build while purchasing a variety of woodworking power tools. I come across this vid and now wish I had time to learn the old woodworking methods as such. It's getting more and more rare to come across these days. I hope Mr Underhill is passing it along to someone near and dear to him.

[@wortheffort]

This type of video does more to show a need for your tools than just product demos. Please make more.

[@emostorm7]

I found you ;)

[@rufusbucqett8085]

Used to watch RoyU on PBS quite often. This is the first time I've seen him make it through an entire episode without hurting himself!! Kudos!!!

[@roofermarc1]

what a great American and an inspiration to all. These are the kind of folks who get my respect.

[@totheknee]

What a great person in general. He could be from Mars and still be the best of us.

[@rubbersole79]

Been watching Roy since the 80's. I always had the feeling he'd made a conscience decision somewhere in his life to reject the negativity and cynicism of the modern world and inject positivity, joy, and humor into it instead. Wish I'd done that way back then....

[@jonathanechols9985]

He is definitely unique.

[@norocomgt]

Several years ago, I took a weekend class at The Woodwright’s School, and Roy was a regular person. He was very quiet, unlike his tv persona.

[@patriciajrs46]

Me, too.

[@lxoxrxexnx]

Roy Underhill. It is always a pleasure to see you in action.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Great information as usual from one of the few woodworkers out there who value the old school techniques but actually use them. Thanks Roy.

[@mikewalton5469]

i'm curious to know what 64 people didn't like about this video? This master craftsman is taking the time to share his secrets and does it enthusiastically and genuinely. he's a gift to woodworking and his teachings are pure gold.

[@ToyProtecter]

Well, I'm one of them: I find him very annoying, subjective as these things are, but an irritating style can interfere with potentially hidden substance. Each to the own.

[@ToyProtecter]

Plus he needs a higher bench!

[@mikewalton5469]

You are welcome to your own opinion. i'm sorry that you can't get past your irritation to see this Masters messages and lessons. Perhaps you are more advanced than he and are palatable to every man alive?

[@ToyProtecter]

+m walton I'll give him another try, thanks.

[@mikewalton5469]

learn wherever you can!

[@paulmorneault5789]

Mr. Underhill is a wonderful man whom I have liked for many years. A little after min. 16:25, he states "And that's why, that's why we're all special, right". His use of the word "Special", said with sarcasm and intonation carries with it a whole lot of wisdom. To me he is speaking to the apparent need that so many have, especially in industrialized countries, to believe that they are special. More special than others. I suffer from this same condition myself and look forward to the day it no longer plagues me. That by having an interest, and developing skills in "something" unique and possibly obscure, we strive to acquire something that will define and enable us to feel a degree of specialness and uniqueness about ourselves. Honestly earned and developed skills in any medium are immensely valuable. Especially in this world of intense automation, dependence and disempowerment we find ourself it today There is actually so much more than just the acquisition of these skills. The very best craftsman know this. It is the genuine humility and desire to be of service to others while we ply our craft in the application of these skills that transcends the crafts itself. I suspect Mr. Underhill has known this for quite some time. :)

[@b1j]

paul morneault Well said.

[@danhartman9087]

Wow, I couldn't have said it any better. I am a new woodworker even though I am an older guy, but I find myself relying less on mechanized equipment and veering towards hand tools. I like this fellow also, along with Mr Paul Sellers and Chris Schwartz.

[@131dyana]

Love your since of humor. I used to watch you and your daughter on education T. V. . I am just starting my work in wood. I am 76 Years old this month. thank you for bench hooks.

[@caelomarroquin111]

Oh man, I miss Roy Underhill! He takes me back to the good old days...

[@justing7631]

Absolutely love this guy. I attended an 8-hour long lecture/demonstration he gave on dovetails. Yep, only dovetails. And it was fantastic, like watching a super-long version of The Woodwright's Shop.

[@oldmarine312]

I miss the WoodWright's shop

[@suetr1]

What delicious serendipity: I had been admiring a photograph of these bench hooks in Garrett Hack's lovely Hand Tool book, and wishing I could make a pair. And here Lie-Nielsen and Roy Underhill are, magically, telling me how to do it! Thank you Roy and everyone at Lie-Nielsen for another priceless video! Now I just have to get that gorgeous bench...

[@TheMartialArtsFan]

Best part starts at 9:10, when he's talking about the one secret that will guarantee your woodworking is flawless.

[@JoshBabin]

TheMartialArtsFan clearly the best, most valuable lesson in this video :-)

[@CarabnrFilms]

Ha

[@CarabnrFilms]

Ha

[@Frankowillo]

@Snuffy Jenkins: You're obviously as thick as two short planks with no sense of humour.

[@mikespaulding1118]

Yes, Snuffy, you are the only one.

[@punisher6001]

Oscar for the Best Picture on workshops! This guy is an Artist!

[@craigmonteforte1478]

It is so nice having You Tube and being able to watch Roys skills at work i was a faithful viewer of his shows on PBS and even got to watch him live in Williamsburg Va one time many years ago although i was a career Woodworker who used power tools his show and inspiration encouraged me to do a couple of projects and gifts without using any power tools at all the gifts i made were for someone in the trades and were very much appreciated one of my other passions in life has been boating and Roys skills have always reminded me of many Shipwrights from the past

[@mugsymegaton3769]

I can’t believe this guy’s been on TV since the 80’s and I just discovered him less than a month ago, I must have been living under a rock my whole life, what an inspiration, and he has that Maine accent down to a T. Thanks Roy.

[@pmchamlee]

I am delighted to rediscover you after some 25 - 30 years! I used to watch you [way back when] on PBS. You taught me gobs back then and I am eternally grateful, my friend. Happy New Year.

[@lampoon154]

Great video! I just came back from the shop, feeling good about making a pair of these bench hooks. Made them out of fir, used a saw/drawknife/spokeshave to remove the waste, they are beautiful. The surfaces sheen from the blades. This is what woodworking is all about. Thanks!

[@stewartcleland3640]

There are times when I am so glad to see the likes of Mr. Underhill working the craft. It gives me reason to believe that the old ways of doing things are still the best ways of doing things. Keep on keeping on Mr. U.

[@davetarrant6888]

Thanks Roy for many wonderful memories. It’s good to see you still got it!

[@craigmonteforte1478]

Watching this on January 6 2020 reminds me how much i enjoyed watching Roy Underhill on PBS for many years ironically i remember the Bench Hook episode and because i was a 20 year resident of Maryland i got to see him down in Williamsburg Virginia that was a favorite spot to visit for myself and the Mrs

[@ikust007]

LOVE that man, craftsmanship, sense of humour, knowledge!

[@johnwatson8192]

Great idea, thank you. I'm just replacing my old bench hook that my Dad made for me when I got married and got my own cellar workshop 50 odd years ago. I'm halfway through (glue drying overnight) but I think that I'm also going to make a pair of these as I can see the advantages. Why not drill a small hole at the junction of the vertical and the "horizontal" surface to reduce the stress concentration and thus reduce the chance of splitting along the grain when going down the grain with the chisel?

[@ahbushnell1]

I think this is better than the show. With the editing he doesn't seem to be in a hurry. Nice.

[@tomwakefield301]

I watch Roy every Sunday morning on PBS, he is a true master craftsman!

[@CMP-tr2ws]

I made my own bench hook many years ago when I first seen it on the woodwright shop. I made mine 8" wide oak and mortised the hooks into the base. It's rock solid and I've used the heck out of it.

[@bighands69]

My grandfather had a shop full of them because they were made out of scraps and leftovers. All pegs and wedges were made out of left overs and nothing was wasted. Even the sawdust was used for fillers.

[@jamescrew5460]

I love the humor I used to watch this with my father he’s gone now but still got good old Roy

[@petersaupe7455]

First class craftsman,brilliant sense of humour.

[@roswalt1]

I am so happy that I found this channel. I used to watch Roy on the local PBS station every week. Roy is a true craftsman.

[@intjonmiller]

As a teenager I thought Roy's show was goofy. I would occasionally watch it after The New Yankee Workshop just for laughs. Not because he wasn't skilled or anything, or even because he would do things so slowly (ha!) that could be so easily done with power tools now, but because he was just SO EXCITED about wood! Little did I know that eventually I would find it (almost) as exciting myself. :)

[@Blakhawk1703]

Same here. I remember my dad watching it on the weekend mornings and it would almost put me back to sleep. lol Glad i found him again. Woodwright's Shop was awesome. lol We also watched The New Yankee Workshop. Good shows. They don't make shows like this anymore.

[@manbunnmcfanypakjustacoolg4965]

I guess I was weird as child. My dad would watch New Yankee Workshop but i couldn't wait for Roy to come on. I liked the history he told during the project build. Plus dad wouldn't let me use any of his power tools at at nine or ten years old but I could use gis grandfathers plans and brace and bit or what ever hand tools as long as I took care of them and put them back.

[@davidrustylouis6818]

@KelMaster Construction i agree. Plus the fact that PBS is tax payer funded, the commercials they do choose to/are required to run should take up as little time as possible.

[@kentcostello8099]

Hay Roy I love you on PBS and your videos . You keep the old woodworking live on thank you keep it up and going please 👍👍👍👍🇺🇸

[@jamesart9]

This guy is a treasure. Just a joy to watch.

[@bruceallen6377]

That was fantastic, thank you Roy!

[@hkimsey]

Might be the best video in all of woodworking! How many techniques did he cover?

[@davedegan12]

I wonder if his old shop is still around. It should be considered a national treasure.

[@KD-lq1sr]

I've not heard of Roy before this, myself not being in the realm of fine woodworking. But I enjoy his positivity, enthusiasm, and skill.

[@AndrewFisk]

You missed the next part of that adage, "Sit down, have a cup of coffee and figure out how you got both measurements wrong!"

[@coldblu357]

Thanx Roy. Love your tips and watch your show whenever it's on.👍😉

[@MaghoxFr]

That bench is exactly what I'm looking for... And that shop with such a view. A dream.

[@xinwang9099]

Great adquisition!

[@titter3648]

Your tools looks razor sharp. You must have some master sharpening skills.

[@GauchoWoodworking]

Leave it to Mr. Underhill to bring great new ... old stuff. Great content. Thank you Mr. Underhill and thank you Lie Nielsen to make this possible.

[@spendtimesavemoneydiy]

Never seen this guy before! But I will be watching more of his stuff!! Very entertaining 👍🏼

[@keithfaulkner6319]

He's been doing this for at least 40 years.

[@ricksspringfield45]

I remember watching Roy back in the day on PBS...Master craftsman. Been a long journey but Im now using these tools and building using these methods now.

[@tmghn1]

I made 17 of these with my bandsaw while watching this video lol. I wish I had Roy's skill with hand tools, he is amazing

[@whome6764]

You made 17 or you are 17.😒

[@azul8811]

I see what you did there…

[@jh1859]

This elucidating tutorial really 'hooked' me ;-)

[@bullettube9863]

I remember making bench hooks when I took wood shop back in 1967, used them for years before giving them away a few years ago to another wood worker who then made a couple more. That rounding off on the top made them very durable!

[@cheryldawkins7486]

I love your sense of humor!

[@Bob_Adkins]

Roy is a treasure, and I'm thankful he lives on through his videos. I used to watch him on PBS, and he drew blood so often it would have made a good drinking game. I was waiting for an injury on this one, didn't happen.

[@jenggo4ever]

this is the best video so far from LNT......especially with this champion of the wood

[@ronstudd3788]

My whole adult life I've been greatly impressed with Roy Underhill and his work. While he usually appears to be quite rushed, it is only because he is trying to share as much information (and enthusiasm) as possible, yet keeping his videos brief. I'll be sure to make a few of these bench hooks real soon - and look for even more videos from Mr. Underhill.

[@robertchall8576]

Yes I liked the wood Wright work shop . liked watching him use all the old tools and his foot powered tools and bow drill.

[@sheilamaclean968]

Great guy...I love his humour and a bit of eccentricity!!

[@sgtokie]

this is a great. Roy brought the subject to a simple to understand format

[@warrentomberlin]

Roy Underhill is the most masterful hand tool woodworker I,ve ever witnessed!

[@michaelr2526]

then apparently you haven't seen many

[@DIY-DaddyO]

I've made and used these for years, made from 3/4 inch plywood. Met Roy and he's a really genuinely nice guy, very shy humble guy but get him talking about woodworking and he lights up. Interestingly in class he just grabbed any tool to hand, be it Lee Neilson or the schools cheaper tools and just got on with the job. Very skilled hands.

[@pinkiewerewolf]

I'm on it. I've got some maple that I've been making utensils from, it'll work for these too. Simple brilliance! Of course, I'll be buying a paring chisel and chisel plane. Now that I've actually seen them in action. Great lesson, thank you for passing on the knowledge.

[@grahamb007]

Regarding the end of the hook breaking off when struck as mentioned at 13:34, any reason not to put two thin trim nails through the head to hold it in place?

[@nerdanderthalidontlikegoog7194]

Mr Underhill makes everything more interesting.

[@davidcantrell9870]

Bench hooks are indeed very useful. I do not have proper wood working benches, just old science lab tables in the Art room I teach in. When I introduce wood carving/block printing to the students I bring out the ones i made, which resemble very much the first one he showed. Mr. Underhill I always believed was about the traditional craft of woodworking. Personally I prefer power tools when I have/can afford them as well but to understand how hand powered tools work which he demonstrates superbly is necessary to deal with creating and crafting new wood pieces in the simplest most efficient way.

[@ianmoore525]

Love the way your workbench is all cluttered. Just like real life ( for me anyway) these other woodworkers that make videos, must spend more time making sure everything is exactly where it should be than actually doing anything. Love ur wrk

[@rizgarpenjweny7522]

his works are all intresting, i like his french workbench, it's really practical

[@mfgwolf]

it's like "wish you a happy painting my friend and god bless you" :) :)

[@dianeernest1660]

I love your bench. Do you have a pattern for your bench? I love your video.

[@nosefirst]

I'm glad to see the Woodwright is still around! (gotta subscribe)

[@therealzilch]

Very amusing and informative, thanks, Roy. I think I'll have to make me one of them there bench hooks too.

[@Δημήτρης-η4ρ]

Is there any particular reason why we can't rip the middle section and clue the hooks after? Sorry for my English, it's not my mother language.

[@stainlesssteellemming3885]

Because the glue joint will eventually fail one of those times you whack it with a mallet.

[@friedmule5403]

Great video, thanks for sharing! Why do he not use a rasp, wouldn't it be fare more precise instead of paring?

[@elizabethcartner2005]

This has been a very informative tutorial & I have learned a lot. Thank you

[@raysmith1992]

Great video are there any plans available, also love your dry humour.

[@ibelieve1674]

A link on brand and model of every took you used would be great. I want your chisel and that little block you used in the begining to that wood vice hand saw chest held chisel. All that stuff looks cool.

[@Jamesfoleyjr]

Thanks again Mr. Underhill

[@tonyy5482]

A useful introduction to paring with a long, slim paring chisel (and with a regular bevel-edged bench chisel), and other techniques, while showing how to make an unusual but useful, more evolved, old variation of the common bench hook. And with humor. :)

[@ibelieve1674]

Great video. Thank you for the tips.

[@WatkinsWoodWork]

LOVE IT!!! Are there any planes in this place!!! I built a few hooks after watching his "book of sloyd" Wood Wrights episode on PBS, so very handy when they're paired.

[@krabenaldt7605]

Notice the cars passing by through the window? Old school in modern times. Love it!

[@SAHBfan]

No way would I do any woodwork on that bench, it is more beautiful than my dining table... I might scratch it :-o

[@MikeyDreamerLam]

Totally agree, do you know what kind of benches it is ? TIA

[@hypnolobster]

I've never seen dividers with a rounded sharp end like that. Where do I find those?

[@LuizAntonio-mg4xp]

Parabéns pela sua habilidade e sem falar no arsenal de ferramentas que você tem parabéns mesmo ótimo trabelho

[@fergusonto-2032]

What kind of hand saw , in your opinion , is best ?

[@johntripp5159]

1:03 isn't that a shooting board? Perhaps my Canadian apprenticeship got it wrong. shooting boards are great for edge laminating and bookmatching panel sections.

[@purocuyu]

I would love his videos even if I didn't like his woodworking.

[@stewartmatthews1551]

Love this show 😄😍❤️

[@jc51373]

this guys' technique is amazing.

[@garychaiken808]

Great job. Thank you 😊

[@mercoid]

Thank you Roy Underhill!

[@LLCoolJeanLuc]

I love the little squeak as he drops a gauge at 15:09

[@3112magic]

great character as well as very skilful - thank-you

[@MrKockabilly]

I dont know if there's already a tool such as a chisel-plane 12:16. But there's one called a band saw, or at least a jig saw, that will do the cutting in maybe less than a minute, saving you time to do something else.

[@jimstates321]

The man is a national treasure

[@KarlBunker]

Roy Underhill with jump cuts -- that's something i've never seen before. :-)

[@brianfreeman8290]

Only just found you. I have a new mentor.

[@r.kusumi8085]

Roy at Lie Nielsen...thats like taking Aqua Man to the water park.

[@smfield]

Can you make a video demonstrating the new shoot board plane?

[@superrodder2002]

I love seeing old techniques that were common before electricity. working with hand tools has a more human element to the work

[@unionse7en]

roy U and paul sellers always a good time

[@kevinorr6880]

I love you, just because you are you. I wish that I lived near you...if you promised to never use the silly accent. I realize this has been a few years and you have learned your lesson. I still love you from waaay back. The bench hooks...awesome. Learned a lot from such a simple video.

[@MrHantz101]

Does keeping the bevel down seriously make a difference when using a chisel?

[@wayneparris3439]

Yes. when clearing the big blocks out, it allows the handle to be high off the work and it gives a bigger ramp under the blocks. Bevel up or down depending on the work you need to do.

[@maydanlex]

@ m walton...... I wholeheartedly agree with your comment. Sometimes there's just no pleasing people. Although you do say his teachings are 'pure gold'..... I prefer white gold. LoL. Love the presenters enthusiasm as well!

[@738polarbear]

It will also let you work in the middle of a piece,with 2 of them.Use 3/4 maple and add a block to each end ,voila no cutting .and nil waste.

[@b1j]

738polarbear Clever. Just saw a small bevel into the end blocks before glue-up. I think that method captures my skill level. I just might try it.