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MCR Designs MCR WOODWORK is a timber and woodworking studio focused on structure, design, and craft.

Our work is grounded in historic timber frame restoration, barn preservation, the design and installation of reclaimed timber structures, and tailored woodwork. Michael Rosenberger is a 3rd generation woodworker born and raised in Callicoon, NY from the Catskills mountains. His traditional and creative craftsmanship fosters a modern design that preserves the natural beauty and detail, delivering a clean fine edge finish. As a master woodworker his range of experience stems from original and collaborative designs that have been distributed across the United States in personal homes, businesses and installations.

TOOLS OF THE CRAFT: Shoulder PlaneThe shoulder plane is a specialized hand plane whose blade extends the full width of t...
09/21/2026

TOOLS OF THE CRAFT: Shoulder Plane
The shoulder plane is a specialized hand plane whose blade extends the full width of the body, allowing it to cut right into
the corner of a shoulder, rabbet, or tenon. It is one of the most precise fitting tools in the timber framer's and finish
carpenter's kit, used when a joint has to close without a gap.

What is it used for?
In timber framing, the shoulder plane is used to fit the shoulder of a tenon precisely against the face of the mortised
member. Any gap at the shoulder is visible and structurally weak. In finish carpentry and built-ins, it trims housed joints, fits
cabinet parts, and cleans rabbets that need to meet a mating surface perfectly.

How is it made?
The shoulder plane body is precision-ground on all faces so that the sides are perfectly square to the sole. The blade is
ground to the full width of the mouth and adjusted with a fine-thread screw for exact depth of cut. Premium versions are
machined from solid bronze or cast iron. The side walls must be dead flat and square or the tool cannot do its job.

When was it made?
The shoulder plane in its modern metal form was developed in England during the height of the craft furniture and joinery
trades in the 18th and 19th centuries. English toolmakers Record and Preston produced the definitive patterns by the early
20th century. Those patterns remain the benchmark against which modern shoulder planes are still measured.



TOOLS OF THE CRAFT: SPLIT HEAD MALLETThe split head mallet has a head split into two halves secured by a metal band and ...
09/14/2026

TOOLS OF THE CRAFT: SPLIT HEAD MALLET

The split head mallet has a head split into two halves secured by a metal band and filled with rawhide or shot. The fill
dampens rebound and absorbs the impact, delivering a firm, controlled blow that does not bounce back at the craftsman or
leave marks on finished wood surfaces.

What is it used for?
In timber framing, the split head mallet is used to drive assembled joints home and to persuade components into position
during frame raising without denting or splitting finished surfaces. In finish carpentry and custom woodwork, it adjusts fitted
parts, seats chisels during fine paring, and fits built-in components without the bounce-back of a wooden mallet.

How is it made?
The head is made from two matched halves of compressed rawhide or dense plastic secured around a steel handle by a
metal collar. As the head compresses on impact, the fill absorbs energy and eliminates rebound. When the rawhide faces
wear, the head is replaced. The steel handle prevents the tool from breaking under sustained heavy use.

When was it made?
Rawhide and hide-faced mallets have been used in leatherworking, metalworking, and woodworking trades since the 19th
century. The split head mallet in its current form was developed and standardized in the early 20th century for industrial
assembly work where controlled striking force was needed without damage to finished surfaces.



TOOLS OF THE CRAFT: SPOKESHAVEThe spokeshave is a small two-handled cutting tool with a blade mounted between the handle...
09/07/2026

TOOLS OF THE CRAFT: SPOKESHAVE

The spokeshave is a small two-handled cutting tool with a blade mounted between the handles. The craftsman grips both
handles and draws or pushes the tool along curved edges and surfaces, taking controlled shavings as it goes. It is the
primary hand tool for shaping convex and concave curves in wood.

What is it used for?
The spokeshave is used wherever a curved edge needs to be shaped smoothly and consistently. In timber framing it rounds
the edges of exposed structural members and shapes the wooden treenails used to pin joints. In furniture and custom
woodwork it shapes chair rungs, curved rails, and any component with a profile that a flat plane cannot follow.

How is it made?
Spokeshave bodies are cast from iron or bronze with the blade held in a mouth between the two handles. The blade is
adjusted for depth by threaded nuts on the blade tangs or by a cap iron screw on modern versions. Flat-soled spokeshaves
shape convex curves. Round-soled versions shape concave forms. Most craftsmen keep both.

When was it made?
The spokeshave takes its name from its original purpose, shaping the spokes of wooden wagon wheels. Wooden-bodied
versions appear in trade records from the 16th century onward. Cast iron versions were developed and standardized in the
United States and England in the mid-1800s. The tool's usefulness spread well beyond wheelwrighting and it has remained
a standard in woodworking shops ever since.



Kitchen built-in installed in a basement family room. Painted furniture grade plywood with a maple butcher block counter...
09/04/2026

Kitchen built-in installed in a basement family room. Painted furniture grade plywood with a maple butcher block countertop. Drawers and cabinet doors throughout.

09/01/2026

A weekend well spent in the woods.
Big thanks to the Timber Framers Guild for an wonderful TimberFest up in New Hampshire. We had a great time meeting old friends, making new ones, and getting our hands dirty.
Timber Framers Guild
If you’re curious about timber framing, traditional joinery, restoration, check out the Timber Framers Guild.

THIS MONDAY, YOU ARE INVITED TO COME WATCH PEOPLE WORK ON LABOR DAYSEPTEMBER 7TH | 12 PM – 5 PM | MCR WOODWORK 4296 rout...
09/01/2026

THIS MONDAY, YOU ARE INVITED TO COME WATCH PEOPLE WORK ON LABOR DAY

SEPTEMBER 7TH | 12 PM – 5 PM | MCR WOODWORK
4296 route 17b Hortonville, NY

LIVE DEMONSTRATIONS & CONVERSATIONS
Timber Framing • Barn Preservation • Saw Milling •

Woodworking • Stained Glass • Wellness • Squeezing Lemons

PARTICIPANTS
Jerome Dally • Zeke Boyle • Michael Rosenberger •

Eugene from Sprouting Dream Farms • Ernie Porcelli • Addilyn Johnson

SUPER SQUEEZE LEMONADE STAND
Addilyn will be providing beverages.

SAWMILL DEMONSTRATION
Begins at 2 PM in the top field.

RAIN OR SHINE

Parking is available in the top field for anyone who would have difficulty walking up the hill.

TOOLS OF THE CRAFT: TEMAGARI JAPANESE SAWThe Temagari is a traditional Japanese saw with a curved, single-edge blade des...
08/31/2026

TOOLS OF THE CRAFT: TEMAGARI JAPANESE SAW

The Temagari is a traditional Japanese saw with a curved, single-edge blade designed for aggressive field cutting rather
than fine joinery. Its arc-shaped blade concentrates cutting force at the apex of the curve, allowing a craftsman to drop
through greenwood, fresh-cut logs, and thick branches faster than any straight blade of the same length.

What is it used for?
The Temagari is the saw you reach for when you are working in the woods or on site with green timber and need to move
fast. It cuts through freshly felled logs, thick branches, and rough structural members before they are brought to the shop for
fine work. Its curved blade is equally effective on the pull stroke in tight quarters where a long straight blade cannot
maneuver.

How is it made?
The Temagari blade is ground from high-carbon steel and curved along its length so that the cutting edge arcs away from
the handle. The teeth are typically impulse-hardened for extended edge life in demanding field conditions. The handle is
designed for a secure grip during the powerful pull strokes needed to cut through dense greenwood without the blade
binding.

When was it made?
The Temagari belongs to a long tradition of Japanese specialty saws developed for specific tasks in forestry, timber
harvesting, and site work. Japanese tool culture has always valued purpose-built tools, and the Temagari represents the
application of that philosophy to the demands of cutting in the field. It remains in active production and is used by both
traditional craftsmen and modern timber workers.



Frame & panel pine doors, built from dimensional 2x12 s
08/25/2026

Frame & panel pine doors, built from dimensional 2x12 s

TOOLS OF THE CRAFT: DOZUKI JAPANESE SAWThe Dozuki is a Japanese pull saw with a rigid brass or steel spine along the bac...
08/24/2026

TOOLS OF THE CRAFT: DOZUKI JAPANESE SAW

The Dozuki is a Japanese pull saw with a rigid brass or steel spine along the back of the blade, similar in function to a
Western dovetail saw. The spine keeps the blade perfectly straight during cuts while the fine teeth leave an almost polished
surface. It is the precision instrument of the Japanese hand tool kit.

What is it used for?
The Dozuki is the saw you reach for when a cut has to be exactly on the line and the surface has to be clean enough to glue
without planing. Timber framers use it for fine tenon shoulder cuts and flush-trimming treenails after assembly. Finish
carpenters use it for tight joinery where any gap is unacceptable.

How is it made?
Dozuki blades are ground extremely thin, typically 0.3 to 0.4mm, with impulse-hardened teeth that hold an edge far longer
than traditionally sharpened teeth. The back spine keeps the blade rigid during the cut. Most modern versions use
replaceable blades. Traditional versions are sharpened by hand by a specialist.

When was it made?
The Dozuki developed alongside Japanese joinery traditions during the Edo period when the demands of temple
construction and fine furniture making pushed tool makers to refine cutting precision to its limits. The pull-stroke design and
spine construction were established by the 18th century and remain the standard form today.



TOOLS OF THE CRAFT: ADZEThe adze is one of the oldest woodworking tools in human history. Its curved blade is set perpen...
08/10/2026

TOOLS OF THE CRAFT: ADZE

The adze is one of the oldest woodworking tools in human history. Its curved blade is set perpendicular to the handle, which
lets the craftsman swing downward and scoop material off the surface of a timber in controlled strokes. Before power
planers existed, the adze was how beams were shaped.

What is it used for?
In timber framing, the adze is used to hew round logs into flat-sided beams and to flatten uneven surfaces before joinery
begins. Skilled hands can produce a remarkably smooth finish straight from the blade. On restoration work, it lets you match
the hand-hewn texture of original beams without power tools.

How is it made?
The blade is forged from high-carbon steel and ground to a hollow bevel on the inside face. The weight sits in the head,
driving the cut on the downswing with minimal effort. A well-made hickory handle absorbs shock and keeps the tool in
control through hours of work.

When was it made?
Stone adzes date back over 10,000 years and appear in nearly every culture that worked with wood. Iron versions came
with the Bronze and Iron Ages. Timber framers have used the adze in essentially its current form for at least 2,000 years.
The design has not changed because it has never needed to.



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