The Quarantine Woodshop introduces alternative woodworking methods and exercises to adapt to Safer-At-Home conditions. We have taken into consideration that individuals may no longer have access to a woodshop, have a limited working space, or limited learning opportunities. You do not need any prior woodworking experience to participate.
Today, we are providing you with a how-to guide on the Gottshall Block.
The Gottshall block was espoused by Franklin Gottshall and popularized by Robert Lang. Whichever way you cut it, this exercise is a testament to hand tool skill and a great project to practice on scrap wood. The challenge of the Gottshall block is to recreate the given image only using hand tools. You are allowed to use machines for the milling process but for all the other cuts you can only use chisels. The exercise builds on different ways of approaching chisel cuts. Understanding grain direction is vital for getting clean cuts and avoiding tear out.