<P> The most commonly used machine tool on the show is the lathe . Underhill typically uses a treadle lathe, but has also shown the viewers how to build and operate a spring pole lathe . He also often uses a gouge, in conjunction with his lathe, to remove material and smooth out a work piece . </P> <P> One of the simplest types of machines used on the show is a miter box . This is used to create square and perpendicular saw cuts, or saw cuts at a specific angle . </P> <P> The show started as an idea that Roy Underhill had in 1976 . He built a workshop and historic museum in Durham, North Carolina, in the mid-1970s . He called it "The Woodwright's Shop" and started teaching classes on how to build things out of wood . </P> <P> Underhill pitched the show idea to the PBS affiliate in Chapel Hill in 1978 but was rejected . He tried again in 1979 and filmed a pilot . Only in the fall of 1979 was the show accepted . 1979 was the same year that This Old House started airing on PBS . Underhill admits that he made up the term "woodwright" and that it is not an actual term . Initially, he was concerned about using the made - up term in the show's title, but decided to use it anyway . </P>

Where is the woodwright's shop located at