This DVD is part of Jim Kingshott’s World of Woodwork Series and deals with that fundamental of all woodworking joints, the mortise and tenon. It’s a bit like spending some time in the workshop with a master craftsman.

Kingshott is a bit of a character with a distinctive English southern counties accent, he’s engaging in manner and clearly knows his stuff. He begins with the basics of marking out and discusses the different types of mortise chisels. He makes the important point that the marking gauge should be set to the chisel width rather than measuring. This allows the mortise to be exactly the same width as the chisel.

The whole DVD is full of great tips and historical anecdotes. Kingshott demonstrates how important it is to work accurately and how, with plenty of practice, you can easily produce good strong reliable joints by hand which is a lot more satisfying than relying on machinery. he shows how a successful joint will have the surfaces of the mortise and tenon making full contact with each other on all sides. The DVD covers the use of mortise and tenon joinery in various aspects of woodwork including frame making. He deals with how you approach your projects and establishing a system of work.

The advice is practical and insightful. I really enjoyed watching Jim Kingshott work, the whole DVD gave me the feeling of being let in on trade secrets that have been handed on from master to apprentice for centuries of English cabinetmaking.