As Chen Yang began his work, Jia Tianxia commented: "Is Master Chen in a rush? It's best to use a saw for shaping, and you should draw a line on the wood first with a pencil to avoid cutting off-center."
"Wait, it feels like Jia Dalao is almost as knowledgeable as Master Chen!"
"Seriously, Jia Dalao knows everything—wild ginseng, orchids, woodwork… this guy's a walking encyclopedia."
"Why are there so many people who seem to know everything these days?"
[Drunk Under the Sky]: "If you knew Jia's got three degrees from 985 universities, you wouldn't be surprised."
"Hold up, Jia Dalao is a straight-up scholar?"
"A scholar and rich? I'm so jealous!"
"Master Chen doesn't want me as his little brother, Jia Dalao, will you take me?"
"Master Chen doesn't want me as his girlfriend, Jia Dalao, how about you?"
"Kacha!"
Chen Yang swung his axe down with precision, focused and serious.
The axe was no ordinary hatchet, and after just a dozen strikes, the excess wood was already gone.
Indeed, Jia Tianxia had a point. Normally, woodworkers would draw a line first and then cut along it. But Chen Yang didn't need that.
With his Woodworking Master skill, the moment he touched the wood, he could see exactly where and how much force to apply.
In other words, if a true woodworking master couldn't do this, they wouldn't be worthy of the title.
Chen Yang measured the length with a ruler, confirming, "Exactly 95 centimeters. Not a bit more, not a bit less."
[Jia Tianxia]: "Forget I said anything…"
"Pfft, Jia Dalao just got slapped in the face by speed!"
"Jia Dalao didn't expect Master Chen to be this skilled!"
"How many years of carpentry work would it take to reach this level of mastery?"
"My family has three generations of carpenters, and the only one who could make a cut like that without a line would be my grandfather."
Jia Tianxia couldn't believe it.
He realized that this livestreamer wasn't just full of surprises. He himself considered himself a bit of an expert in many things, but when compared to Chen Yang, his expertise seemed amateurish.
It felt like everywhere he looked, Chen Yang was outshining him.
After getting the shape right, Chen Yang placed the water ash wood onto two long benches that he had put together. He then picked up the plane and began to smooth the surface.
"Using a plane isn't easy for most people, but it's actually pretty quick to master if you know the right technique."
"First, hand placement is key. Put your index fingers on either side of the plane's mouth, and your thumbs on the back of the handle to help with leverage. This prevents the plane from slipping and hurting your fingers."
"Next is the force. You need to keep the plane level and parallel to the wood as you push and pull. Don't let it wobble side to side or go up and down. When you pull back, don't lift the plane off the wood. Push hard, but pull lightly."
"Like this."
As he worked, he spoke to his viewers while demonstrating. The camera zoomed in on his hands, giving everyone a clear view of his technique.
"No matter how many times I hear this, I still can't get it. Am I just hopeless?"
"I can't learn if Master Chen doesn't teach me step by step. (Shy)"
A viewer, a third-generation carpenter, watched closely. His mouth dropped open in awe as he saw how expertly Chen Yang handled the plane.
"Now that's someone who knows their stuff. The average person can't be this smooth."
Plane work, saw work—these were the basics of carpentry. But the basics require a lot of practice to master, and Chen Yang's skill was exceptional for someone so young.
A full hour later, a one-meter-long water ash piece of wood was transformed into a rectangular block, thanks to the various tools Chen Yang used.
He blew away the wood shavings, then said, "Next comes the slotting."
"This is where the slot plane and line plane come into play."
The line plane was used to carve out the edges, giving the box its width. In just a few strokes, Chen Yang carved out about 3 cm of wood on each of the four edges.
He then grabbed the slot plane and began cutting into the wood. This part of the process took about ten minutes.
"Feels like I haven't done this in a while. I'm a bit rusty; it took me almost ten minutes."
[Three-Generation Carpenter]: "If that's rust, then I think I've wasted 30 years of my carpentry life."
"Modesty is a virtue, but Master Chen, you're just showing off now!"
"I really wish I could pull off that kind of humble brag one day."
"From now on, don't call him Master Chen anymore. Just call him King of Show-offs!"
"'King of Show-offs Master Chen,' huh? That sounds pretty good."
After working for about an hour, the basic structure of the gift box started to take shape. The box was already roughly constructed.
"Wow, that was fast. Just one hour and it's nearly done."
"I always heard that single guys have fast hands, but now I'm believing it!"
"When Master Chen started, I thought he might need an entire afternoon, maybe even a week. Now I see—one afternoon is more than enough."
When compared to other carpenters, Chen Yang's speed was impressive. But considering he was a Woodworking Master, he was still a bit rusty. With a little more practice, he could cut that time down by at least 10-20 minutes.
"Now that the main structure is ready, let's move on to the lid and the pivot."
The lid was easy to make. It took less than 10 minutes to complete.
The pivot, however, was more complicated.
"Will the wooden pivot be sturdy?"
"I don't really understand. How will the wood pieces fit together without screws?"
"Yeah, I don't get it either. Master Chen, could you explain?"
The viewers were confused. They couldn't imagine how the wooden parts would connect without screws.
Chen Yang, seeing their puzzled expressions, smiled and said, "We've got this amazing technique called mortise and tenon joinery."
"In the past, they didn't use screws. Instead, the pieces were held together with mortise and tenon joints. It's a brilliant system."
"If I had to describe it in one word, I'd call it genius."
"As for what mortise and tenon joinery is, you'll see in a minute."
He began crafting small wooden dowels, getting ready to carve holes into the box.
After some preparation, he inserted the dowels into precisely measured holes. The fit was perfect—no gaps, no extra space. The pieces connected seamlessly.
The viewers gasped as they watched the process unfold.
Next, he took the lid and pressed it gently onto the box.
With a soft click, the lid and box were now connected, held in place by the two wooden dowels.
When he opened the box and lifted the lid, the dowels were invisible from the outside.
From the exterior, it looked like an untouched piece of wood, as though no opening had ever been made.
The viewers were stunned by this masterful technique.
...
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]