Master Woodworker Builds a Wooden Ladder by Hand!

Описание: This video documents the making of a traditional fruit ladder in the Bergisches Land region of Germany in 1982. Two neighboring craftsmen demonstrate a rural woodworking practice once essential to orchard work, carried out with simple tools and methods refined through generations.

The film follows the process from raw timber to finished ladder. Oak is split and shaped into durable rungs on the shaving horse, while a straight-grown fir trunk from the farm’s own woodland is prepared for the ladder rails. Mortise holes are carefully marked, bored, and tapered so the rungs can be driven in without nails, relying on precise fit and the natural drying of green wood for strength. Each step—splitting, hewing, boring, and fitting—demands accuracy, as even slight errors would compromise the ladder’s stability.

Alongside the technical work, the video offers insight into seasonal farm life. Such tasks were traditionally carried out in winter, when agricultural labor was lighter and tools for the coming year were prepared. The finished fruit ladder, light yet strong and adapted to uneven orchard ground, reflects a practical design shaped by local needs. Preserved on film, this craft stands as a record of self-sufficient rural woodworking and everyday tools once made entirely by hand.