The Mortise & Tenon Podcast

By Mortise & Tenon Magazine

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66 – Road Trip for Lumber

11.10.2023

This episode was recorded on the road back in September, and in it Joshua, Mike, and Eden explain the various ways they’ve sourced lumber in rural Maine. As a from-the-hip recording, this conversation traverses quite a varied terrain – from ...

The Mortise & Tenon Podcast episodes:

11.10.2023 66 – Road Trip for Lumber This episode was recorded on the road back in September, and in it Joshua, Mike, and Eden explain the various ways they’ve sourced lumber in rural Maine. As a from-the-hip recording, this conversation traverses quite a varied terrain – from ...
09.19.2023 65 – “Handworks 2023” In this episode, Joshua and Mike reflect on their time at Handworks, quite possibly the single most significant hand-tool woodworking event in the world. Part travelogue, part update, part rumination, this episode traverses a range of topics. If you weren’t ...
08.05.2023 64 – “Fruitful Seasons of Work” Our metaphors matter. When we are in the throes of a busy schedule, our culture encourages us to “crank it out” in order that we might emulate the hard worker who remains steadfast “like a machine”. We are encouraged to ...
05.04.2023 63 – A Critique of David Pye In this final episode of their tour through David Pye’s The Nature and Art of Workmanship, Joshua and Mike bring up several of their critiques of Pye’s thought. As helpful and insightful as he was, the guys both are left ...
04.04.2023 62 – “The Aesthetic Importance of Workmanship, and its Future” Pye Ch 11 Joshua and Mike have finally arrived at the final chapter of David Pye’s The Nature and Art of Workmanship, and it has been quite a ride. What did Pye see as the future of craftsmanship from his vantage point in ...
03.30.2023 61 – “Critique of ‘On the Nature of Gothic’” Pye Ch 10 “Handmade” does not mean “shoddy.” This latest episode of the David Pye mini-series tackles chapter 10 of The Nature and Art of Workmanship in which Pye takes John Ruskin to task for his sloppy reasoning about workmanship. Pye’s motivation in ...
03.09.2023 60 – “Equivocality” Pye Ch 9 OK… that’s an ambiguous title. But, be assured that the guys recorded this episode to make it all come clear. In this next installment, Joshua and Mike expound Chapter 9 of David Pye’s The Nature and Art of Workmanship. This ...
03.06.2023 59 – “Durability” Pye Ch 8 Another installment of the “Nature and Art of Workmanship” podcast series. Chapter eight deals with the subject of “durability.” Does precision mean durability in all circumstances? Who’s “to blame” when a product fails: the designer or the craftsman? All these ...
03.02.2023 58 – “Diversity” Pye Ch 7 In this episode, Joshua and Mike pick up where they left off with David’s Pye classic discussion about the value of craftsmanship in a mechanized age: The Nature and Art of Workmanship. This chapter explains that diversity is essential in ...
02.23.2023 57 – “The Natural Order Reflected in the Work of Man” Pye Ch 6 Another installment in the Nature and Art of Workmanship series. This time Joshua and Mike walk through chapter six which compares human creativity to the natural world. Regulated work was coveted in ancient cultures because they were surrounded by nature. ...
02.17.2023 56 – “The Designer’s Power to Communicate His Intentions” Pye Ch 5 Another installment in the Nature and Art of Workmanship series. This time Joshua and Mike discuss the fifth chapter which shows the limits of design. Much of the success is left to the workman.
02.10.2023 55 – “Quality in Workmanship” Pye Ch 4 In this episode, the guys dive right into the heart of Pye’s vision in this book: identifying and appreciating various qualities of workmanship. This is the longest and most detailed chapter in the book but skimming past it guarantees you’ll ...
02.01.2023 54 – “Is Anything Done By Hand?” Pye Ch 3 Another installation of Joshua and Mike’s discussion on David Pye’s book The Nature and Art of Workmanship. This time, the guys dive into the thorny question of what “handmade” actually even means. Is it even a worthwhile concept to use?
01.26.2023 53 – "The Workmanship of Risk and the Workmanship of Certainty" Pye Ch 2 The third installment of Joshua and Mike’s walkthrough of David Pye’s The Nature and Art of Workmanship. This time they look at chapter 2 in which Pye lays out his fundamental (and famous) distinction between workmanship of risk and workmanship ...
01.23.2023 52 – “Design Proposes. Workmanship Disposes.” Pye Chapter 1 In this latest episode, the guys explain the setup to David Pye’s discussion about the value of workmanship. Pye explains that it would be a mistake to give too much credit to the design when the quality of the finished ...
01.19.2023 51 – Unpacking David Pye’s “Nature and Art of Workmanship” - Part 1 In this episode, Joshua and Mike kick off a mini-series chapter-by-chapter walkthrough of David Pye’s classic book The Nature and Art of Workmanship. Lots of craftspeople have heard of Pye, but few today understand (or have ever even read) his ...
12.29.2022 50 – Reflections & Resolutions If any of M&T’s work is worth pausing to reflect on at the close of the year, this year’s would be a prime candidate. Not only has the House By Hand project occupied the bulk of Joshua and Mike’s time ...
12.07.2022 49 – Tools, Jigs, & Meaning(s) Clear distinctions reveal new things about the world. And in a handcraft context, thinking clearly about what exactly a “tool” is or a “machine” or a “jig” enables woodworkers to maximize their shop satisfaction and efficiency. Some folks seem to ...
10.27.2022 48 – Raise the Roof In this episode, the guys give an update on the House By Hand project (http://housebyhand.com) – the granite foundation was constructed, the sill system is in place, the ell is raised and sheathing is underway, and things are getting buttoned ...
09.27.2022 47 – The Apprentices’ Summit This episode was recorded on the heels of the first annual Apprenticeship Program Summit gathering. Alumni from the first four terms were invited to the M&T headquarters to share ideas, feast, and make shavings together. In this episode, Joshua and ...
07.28.2022 46 – Thinking Outside the Shop In this new episode of the podcast, Joshua and Mike take up the topic of portable woodworking. They argue that even though modern woodworkers tend to feel safe “within the box” of their workshops, we would all do well to ...
06.21.2022 45 – Just the FAQs The pre-industrial emphasis of M&T never fails to generate puzzlement and questions in an age driven by technology, jigs, and devices. And as Joshua and Mike continue to interact with students and readers, they find they get the same sorts ...
05.17.2022 44 – Aristotle on How We Learn New Skills In this episode, Joshua and Mike talk about how it is that we learn new skills. They contend that we have to get over a reductive and mechanical way of looking at human life and action. We are not machines ...
04.19.2022 43 – Skill as a Safety Net Power tools are dangerous. This should not be a controversial statement, but somehow the observation always incites vigorous debate. In this podcast episode, Joshua and Mike discuss Mike’s article in Issue Twelve titled “Risk & Reward: Skill as a Safety ...
04.07.2022 42 – Is Hand-tool-only Woodworking Actually Viable? Many woodworkers get into hand tools because they are drawn in by the joinery: dovetails, mortises and tenons, etc. As they continue building pieces in their shops, some begin to wonder if it’s possible to “cut the cord” even further. ...
03.18.2022 41 – Making Wooden Planes 41 – Making Wooden Planes by Mortise & Tenon Magazine
02.24.2022 40 – Defining “Craftsmanship” In this latest podcast episode, Joshua and Mike tackle a particularly thorny question head on: What is “craftsmanship,” exactly? While woodworkers of all kinds share a mutual appreciation for craftsmanship, surprisingly, there have been different ideas of what it even ...
01.28.2022 39 - This Old House In this episode, Joshua and Mike don their proverbial tool belts and discuss a restoration project that will occupy the bulk of their focus in 2022 – reconstructing an 1810 New England Cape house. Starting at the beginning, before Mortise ...
01.07.2022 38 – To the Ends of the Earth In this episode of the M&T Podcast, Joshua and Mike take a big-picture, global look at pre-industrial handcraft. This was not a region-specific or time-bound set of practices or traditions but was much more diverse and variegated than we can ...
12.17.2021 37 – Freehand Honing In this episode, Joshua and Mike dive into that spirited and controversial arena known and feared by all hand-tool woodworkers… Sharpening. Looking at historic references and new practices alike, they make their case for developing the skill of freehand honing ...
11.22.2021 36 – Woodworking in the Metaverse Welp… in this episode, Joshua and Mike lay their cards on the table. In case you still wondered about their thoughts on digitally meditated existence, they put it all out there, warning not only of the social implications but also ...
11.02.2021 35 – Craft as a Bottomless Pursuit In this new episode, Joshua and Mike talk about how there’s no hope of ever coming to the end of this rabbit hole. As it turns out, handcraft is a bottomless pursuit. There are so many skills, so many trades ...
10.07.2021 34 – Chairs, Controversies, & Issue Eleven You might have to take a seat for this one; chairmaking, as it turns out, is quite a controversial thing. The recent issue of M&T (#11) features several authors holding up different takes on this ancient craft. How does an ...
09.06.2021 33 – Armageddon Life Skills In this (occasionally tongue-in-cheek) episode of the podcast, Mike and Joshua talk about the great “Sedgwick Mobile Internet Crisis of 2021,” and how dependence on technology and infrastructure can become crippling when those rickety structures are knocked away. They discuss ...
08.19.2021 32 – Things We Argue About In this episode, Joshua and Mike respond to a thoughtful listener’s comments, which inspired a podcast as well as scored a free t-shirt. They discuss elements of craft where they might not see eye-to-eye, but commend the value of being ...
07.22.2021 31 – How Do I Learn New Skills? In this new podcast episode, Mike and Joshua talk about the struggle to learn new skills and ways to overcome the hurdles. The journey begins with a resolved commitment but is only carried out through regular practice.
07.03.2021 30 – Tool Epiphanies Ever had one of those “Eureka” moments in the shop? Maybe while using a new tool or facing a workholding conundrum, you all of the sudden realize why artisans did things the way they did? In this episode, Joshua and ...
06.10.2021 29 – Craft as a Daily Practice Many of us find it hard to get time in the shop. Work is demanding, home repairs pile up, the kids need to be carted to and from extra curriculars. When life is full, how can we make room for ...
05.20.2021 28 – Should Work Be Easy? This question of ends (goals) and means (methods) is an important issue in woodworking discussions. Some swear by hand tools and wouldn’t touch a table saw with a 10' pole. Others see hand tools as inherently backward and nostalgic. Many ...
04.29.2021 27 – A Tour of the M&T Headquarters Take a walk with Mike and Joshua around the M&T headquarters and the rest of Joshua’s property. They provide a tour of many features: the blacksmith shop, the woodshed, the outhouse, and oak logs for another workbench. Then they make ...
04.08.2021 26 – How Many Tools Do We Really Need? In this latest podcast episode, Joshua and Mike discuss the sweet spot between bare-knuckled minimalism and cupidinous hoarderism (also known as Tool Acquisition Disorder). Although we all can appreciate a sweet new tool, in real-life projects, the most experienced and ...
03.17.2021 25 – The Value of Batch Production In this podcast episode, Mike and Joshua discussing the value of batch production as they reflect on their recent experience building Boxed Sets for Issues 1-10. They talk about some of the tradeoffs of working on multiples but primarily focus ...
03.01.2021 24 – Our Tools Shape Us In this episode, Joshua and Mike discuss the idea that “we shape our tools, and thereafter our tools shape us” – the very theme that runs through Issue Ten. They look at several of the upcoming articles and discuss how ...
02.04.2021 23 – Blacksmithing for Woodworkers In the latest episode of the podcast, hosts Joshua Klein and Mike Updegraff explore their early explorations into blacksmithing. They talk about their small forge setup, their struggles in the learning process, and the benefits of exploring new crafts all ...
01.16.2021 22 – How to Examine Antique Furniture In this episode, we tackle the question of “how” one approaches studying a handmade object to learn from it. There aren’t too many tools (all of them are inexpensive), and there are a few basic categories of things you should ...
09.30.2020 21 – Saving Historic Windows In our most recent podcast episode, we decided to do things a little different: We recorded the entire episode while working. As we reglazed historic window sashes, we talked all about why we decided to use these windows instead of ...
08.26.2020 20 – Working Wood Outside The summer has been about working outside for both of us, so we thought we’d talk about ways we’ve enjoyed doing just that. We have a deep passion to encourage folks to engage the natural world, and working wood is ...
04.01.2020 19 - Engagement with the World In our most recent episode of the Mortise & Tenon Podcast, we spent time discussing how to make the most out of this social distance isolation most of us are experiencing. We talk about how we see the way this ...
03.02.2020 18 – Issue Eight! We recorded this episode of the podcast last Friday as Issue Eight was uploading to the printer – and at rural Maine internet speeds, there was plenty of time for a conversation! As we’ve spent the last several weeks getting ...
01.23.2020 17 – Another Work is Possible In this installment of the podcast, Joshua and I discuss the newly released video documentary and book that share the same name – "Another Work Is Possible." Both of these resources detail the timber-frame project that took place here at ...

Older episodes

The Mortise & Tenon Podcast

What's The Mortise & Tenon Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Mortise & Tenon Podcast episodes:

66 – Road Trip for Lumber

65 – “Handworks 2023”

64 – “Fruitful Seasons of Work”

63 – A Critique of David Pye

62 – “The Aesthetic Importance of Workmanship, and its Future” Pye Ch 11

61 – “Critique of ‘On the Nature of Gothic’” Pye Ch 10

60 – “Equivocality” Pye Ch 9

59 – “Durability” Pye Ch 8

58 – “Diversity” Pye Ch 7

57 – “The Natural Order Reflected in the Work of Man” Pye Ch 6

56 – “The Designer’s Power to Communicate His Intentions” Pye Ch 5

55 – “Quality in Workmanship” Pye Ch 4

54 – “Is Anything Done By Hand?” Pye Ch 3

53 – "The Workmanship of Risk and the Workmanship of Certainty" Pye Ch 2

52 – “Design Proposes. Workmanship Disposes.” Pye Chapter 1

51 – Unpacking David Pye’s “Nature and Art of Workmanship” - Part 1

50 – Reflections & Resolutions

49 – Tools, Jigs, & Meaning(s)

48 – Raise the Roof

47 – The Apprentices’ Summit

46 – Thinking Outside the Shop

45 – Just the FAQs

44 – Aristotle on How We Learn New Skills

43 – Skill as a Safety Net

42 – Is Hand-tool-only Woodworking Actually Viable?

41 – Making Wooden Planes

40 – Defining “Craftsmanship”

39 - This Old House

38 – To the Ends of the Earth

37 – Freehand Honing

36 – Woodworking in the Metaverse

35 – Craft as a Bottomless Pursuit

34 – Chairs, Controversies, & Issue Eleven

33 – Armageddon Life Skills

32 – Things We Argue About

31 – How Do I Learn New Skills?

30 – Tool Epiphanies

29 – Craft as a Daily Practice

28 – Should Work Be Easy?

27 – A Tour of the M&T Headquarters

26 – How Many Tools Do We Really Need?

25 – The Value of Batch Production

24 – Our Tools Shape Us

23 – Blacksmithing for Woodworkers

22 – How to Examine Antique Furniture

21 – Saving Historic Windows

20 – Working Wood Outside

19 - Engagement with the World

18 – Issue Eight!

17 – Another Work is Possible