Have Broadax-Will Time Travel

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UNDERHILL: I've found the best path for most people is to just start working in their chosen field on whatever scale they can, wherever they can. If it suits their needs, they can attend a college, technical school, or museum program where they can hone their skills. One man I work with at Williamsburg got his start in historic restoration by repairing antique furniture.

The next step is to start sharing your skills and knowledge. Being able to communicate is a vital skill; at least half of the work I do is some form of communicating. There are workshops, teaching, interviews with the local media, demonstrations at fairs, and talks given to civic clubs. All these experiences add to a craftsperson's credibility and portfolio, and give him or her a better chance of finding a satisfying job. It also gives the person a better chance to learn from others.

Finally, it's important to remember that a career is built one step at a time. The path has to start somewhere, and quite possibly not with a job that's terribly exciting. A person can't expect to land the big one at the beginning. While building a reputation takes time and effort, the craftsperson's reward is to be able to continue working with his or her hands—to be able to practice a trade for its own sake.

PLOWBOY: Are you totally down on new technology?

UNDERHILL: Not at all. I keep two computers busy all the time. When one is on data base work looking for patterns in the behavior of colonial craftsmen, the other is developing interactive simulations of adventures in early American environments. They give me a great break from the daily grind of "wacking and yacking."

PLOWBOY: So when computer programmers go home looking forward to a relaxing evening of hand woodworking, you, who spend every day working with an ax or a drawknife, can't wait to get home to the keyboard. What's in store for the Woodwright?

UNDERHILL: I love doing the show, and I plan to keep on with it. I've got several new books in the works, two of which are due out next fall. I'm working on a new journal of historic trades. Colonial Williamsburg has just invested in a mobile video unit, and we're developing new shows about our work there. Meanwhile, back at my regular job, I've got five apprentices to see through to their journeyman papers and about 187 buildings to reconstruct in the historic area.

PLOWBOY: When do you rest?

UNDERHILL: Rest?

EDITOR'S NOTE: Roy Underhill's books,The Woodwright's Shop (published by the University of North Carolina Press, 1981) and The Woodwright's Companion (University of North Carolina Press, 1983), are available in libraries or may be purchased from Mother's Bookshelf, P. O. Box 70, Hendersonville, NC 28793, for $12.95 apiece, plus $1.98 shipping and handling.

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