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13 Episodes 1991 - 1991
Episode 1
Sat, Jan 5, 1991
After visiting the Hancock Shaker Village in western Massachusetts for inspiration, Norm returns to the workshop to build two versions of the classic Shaker step stool - a simple three-step model and a fancier one with two steps. The first stool is made from pine, mostly with hand-held power tools and hand tools, while the more complex version is cherry, featuring through-dovetail joinery fashioned with a sophisticated dovetail jig.
Episode 2
Sat, Jan 12, 1991
A beginner's project, the basic sawhorse features simple construction techniques and materials, including 2x6's, spruce boards and plywood. As he did with last season's Adirondack chair, Norm draws the best elements from several examples to present his version of the classic one-piece picnic table. Built with basic home-center materials, Norm's table won't tip, is easy to get into and out of and is simple to build.
Episode 3
Sat, Jan 19, 1991
Norm visits the Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, Shaker village to take a look at its fine collection of furniture. His version of the blanket chest is pine, finished with acrylic latex paint on the outside and clear urethane on the inside. Its joinery is simple throughout, including the two storage drawers in the chest's base.
Episode 4
Sat, Jan 26, 1991
Before modern plumbing, people got the water for their wake-up splash from pitchers and bowls, often kept in basins atop handsome wooden stands. Norm draws inspiration for his washstand from an example he sees during a visit to the Hancock Massachusetts Shaker Village. Built from pine, it features through-dovetail joinery in its flared top section and a drawer and raised-panel doors below.
Episode 5
Sat, Feb 2, 1991
Norm visits the Hancock Shaker Village in Massachusetts to see one of the surviving wall clocks built by Shaker craftsman Isaac Young. Norm's version of the clock improves on the past with the use of a quartz timepiece that costs only five dollars. Made from handsome walnut, it is a small, elegant piece that fits into any decor.
Episode 6
Sat, Feb 9, 1991
After a visit to a community playground to see what equipment kids are playing on today, Norm builds a project near and dear to his heart: a sandbox modeled after the one his father built for him and his sister when they were toddlers. Using hardy cedar, and pressure-treated lumber where it counts, Norm adds an awning of weather-resistant cloth that is guaranteed to outlast the simple cotton one on his old sandbox.
Episode 7
Sat, Feb 16, 1991
Norm looks through the Shaker museum in Old Chatham, New York, and finds a simple, beautiful design on which to base his version of a long harvest table made of cherry. With turned legs and a hand-rubbed Danish oil finish, the table features drop leaves that, even when down, allow chairs to be pushed in for a neat appearance.
Episode 8
Sat, Feb 23, 1991
Inspired by a design he examines at the Shaker settlement in Pleasant Hill, Kentucky, Norm's wood box stores kindling in an upper box, firewood in a lower box and fireplace tools off Shaker pegs mounted on all sides. Norm seals the pine box with milk paint, a time-honored finish available today.
Episode 9
Sat, Mar 2, 1991
A perfect piece for behind a sofa or in a hallway, Norm's version of the Shaker library table is made of cherry, 48 inches long and a mere 16 inches wide. Norm reveals his secret method of matching the grain of the fronts of the two overlaid drawers with the rail behind them.
Episode 10
Sat, Mar 9, 1991
Turning to the more playful side of county life, Norm resurrects the old fashioned, two-seat swing that used to sit on grandma's lawn or porch. Self-supporting and made of durable redwood, Norm's version features a swinging mechanism made with common off-the-shelf hardware items.
Episode 11
Sat, Mar 16, 1991
An unusual piece, the hardwood cricket table features three angled legs. Norm demonstrates the complex angled mortise-and-tenon joinery necessitated by this configuration, using a set of jigs to make sure that all the pieces fit together properly.
Episode 12
Sat, Mar 23, 1991
Norm assembles a pie safe with two doors, multiple shelves and mortise and tenon joints. The cabinet features a punched-tin front, which Norm fabricates in the workshop. Years ago, pie safes were used to cool and store pies. In today's busy kitchen, this chest can serve multiple uses.
Episode 13
Sat, Mar 30, 1991
Norm turns to the band saw to help form the mahogany frame for his full-length standing mirror. Some delicate work with a router gives a soft edge and an elegant look to the piece.