Sounds reasonable to me... Considering that during the Ming Dynasty
(1368 – 1644) the "[...] quality and accuracy of joinery was so precise
that nails and glue were used only as supplements [... and that ...] the
artisans that produced the beautiful pieces of this time were far more
advanced than their European counterparts [...]" (Source: http://www.ea-
sterncurio.com/easten%20curio/Afurniture/Furniture%20Informations.htm or
google: "ming dynasty" wood joinery)

Also considering that the Chinese built up to 400ft long 180ft wide
ships with up to 9 masts in the 1420's

(Source:
http://www.time.com/time/asia/features/journey2001/greatship.html
http://www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com/watery/treasure_fleet.htm
http://www.time.com/time/asia/features/journey2001/greatship.html or
google "admiral zheng")

Makes me wonder what kind of tools the old Chinese woodworkers
were using...

--- scott grandstaff  wrote:

>   What about my favorite FWW article of all time? You know the little
>   guy dressed in bare feet and a diaper, looking out the window,
>   talking on the phone to his bookie, cigarette dangling from the
>   bottom lip, loud raucus rock n roll blasting .......... and sawing
>   out extremely fancy cabriole chair legs straight from the rosewood
>   log with a bowsaw and no pattern needed? Then proceeds to cut
>   incredibly intricate joints that lock seamlessly together with no
>   glue or other fasteners and last 1000 years?????????? It was in
>   Taiwan someplace. yours, Scott
>
> ********** Scott Grandstaff, Box 409, Happy Camp, CA 96039 *********
>
Tools:http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/scott/scotts/tools/tools.html
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