To a T

Brian wrapped his prize in a pretty scarf that he purchased in the little import shop down the street, then dispatched the tousle-headed tot to deliver the package.

Feeling very self-satisfied, he returned to find his friends just waking up, and quite oblivious of his jaunt. After brief consideration he decided that they really didn't need to know that he had stolen a march on them.

After a pleasant morning - largely spent dwelling on Sheila's many virtues - Bert and Brian went on a hike in the hills around town. Al stayed behind, pleading a nasty hangover. However, as soon as they were out of sight he headed for the marketplace. He was quite smitten with Sheila, and wanted to give her something both nice and interesting. He didn't really think he could find anything ready-made in this little town, and so was determined to create something himself.
Once at the market he asked around until he was pointed to the local carpenter, a beefy man who could easily have been mistaken for the blacksmith, instead. Al found him working on a fine filigree screen for the mayor's house. The delicate work looked slightly incongruous under the carpenter's sausage fingers, but the graceful pattern was emerging rapidly under his sure skill. Al watched him for a couple minutes in genuine admiration, mixed with astonishment that he could actually do such fine work without snapping it into bits with careless strength.
At last the man stretched and looked up from his work.
"That is beautiful!" admired Al. "What are you carving it from? Rosewood? I'm impressed that you can carve such hard wood so quickly and surely."
"This is a nice piece, isn't it? The grain is so nice and even - that makes it far easier," the big man growled happily.
"Are you going to carve it all of a piece, or join it?"
"All of a piece, then slotted into a frame using the standard tongue-and-groove construction."

I will spare you the rest of the increasingly technical conversation. Al knew his carpentry, and was both genuinely interested and trying to soften the carpenter up a bit. Consequently the discussion of woods, grains, tools, joints, etc., was extensive and extended.
But at last Al got down to the reason for his visit.

"I know that a craftsman's shop is his domain, but I was hoping that I might rent out a little corner of your shop and a few tools, just for an hour or two. I have a simple little project - nothing compared with what you've been doing - but as I've been traveling I don't have the appropriate supplies."
The carpenter hesitated.
"I would just need a saw and a draw knife, and was hoping to purchase a few scraps of pretty wood."
"Oh, is that all? That would be all right, then. You obviously know your wood. You can use this corner; as long as you tidy up after yourself you're welcome to use that and this saw - it isn't my good one, as I'm sure you'll understand, but quite serviceable. And here's a draw knife. I have been working on an inlaid table for the mayor, and have some nice wood left over from that. Pick out what you're interested in and I'll let you know the price."
Al spent a happy half hour picking through the box, then a couple more hours cutting, smoothing, and polishing. As he finished cleaning up the carpenter came over and poked curiously at the little stack of beautifully polished pieces of wood.
"What are these for? You've done a lovely job finishing them, but they look almost as random as my wood scraps."
Al grinned. "I know. It's actually a puzzle. The problem is to form the letter "T" out of these four pieces."

Keep in mind that the pieces could be flipped over - the attached image only shows one side. This example isn't as pretty as Al's, I'm sorry to say.

The carpenter's eyebrows went up, and he started scooting the pieces around.

Twenty minutes later he sat back and glowered good-naturedly at Al.
"You've been having me on, haven't you?"
"Oh, no! Here, I'll show you."
He scooted the pieces and in moments the carpenters was staring, astonished, at a "T".
He let out a bark of laughter. "Well, you certainly got me. Here, if you sketch out the pattern of that puzzle of yours we'll call it even - I would rather have that than your silver. If I cut the puzzles out of mahogany or rosewood I think I could do a brisk trade in the capitol. I only make it out there a couple times a year, and never have enough small wares to carry."
Al agreed with alacrity, and settled down to sketch.

How can you form a T from the four pieces? Any piece may be flipped over.

The solution will be posted on or after February 8th.