thumb|upright=1.35|Wooden house with wooden furniture, spinning wheel, loom and various tools

right|thumb|Artists can use woodworking to create delicate [[sculptures.]]

Woodworking is the skill of making items from wood, and includes cabinetry, furniture making, wood carving, joinery, carpentry, and woodturning.

History

Along with stone, clay, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood. The development of civilization was closely tied to the development of increasingly greater degrees of skill in working these materials.

Among the earliest finds of woodworking are shaped sticks displaying notches from Kalambo Falls in southern Africa, dating to around 476,000 years ago. The Clacton spearhead from Clacton-on-Sea, England, dating to around 400,000 years ago, the Schöningen spears, from Schöningen (Germany) dating around 300,000 years ago and the Lehringen spear from northern Germany, dating to around 120,000 years ago, provide some of the first examples of wooden hunting implements. Wooden tools likely used for domestic activities including probable awls have also been found at Schöningen.

Flint tools were used for carving. Since Neolithic times, carved wooden vessels are known, for example, from the Linear Pottery culture wells at Kückhofen and Eythra.

Examples of Bronze Age woodcarving include tree trunks worked into coffins from northern Germany and Denmark and wooden folding-chairs. The site of Fellbach-Schmieden in Germany has provided fine examples of wooden animal statues from the Iron Age. Wooden idols from the La Tène period known from a sanctuary at the source of the Seine in France.

Ancient Egypt

thumb|Ancient Egyptian woodworking

There is significant evidence of advanced woodworking in ancient Egypt. Woodworking is depicted in many extant ancient Egyptian drawings, and a considerable amount of ancient Egyptian furniture (such as stools, chairs, tables, beds, chests) have been preserved. Tombs contain a large collection of these artifacts, and the inner coffins found within them were also made of wood. The metal used by the Egyptians for woodworking tools was originally copper and eventually, after 2000 BC, bronze, as iron working was unknown until much later.

Commonly used woodworking tools included axes, adzes, chisels, pull saws, and bow drills. Mortise and tenon joints are attested from the earliest Predynastic period. These joints were strengthened using pegs, dowels and leather or cord lashings. Animal glue came to be used only in the New Kingdom period. Ancient Egyptians invented the art of veneering and used varnishes for finishing. However, the composition of these varnishes is unknown. Although different native acacias were used, as was the wood from the local sycamore and tamarisk trees, deforestation in the Nile valley resulted in the need for the importation of wood, notably cedar, but also Aleppo pine, boxwood and oak, starting from the Second Dynasty.

Ancient Rome

Woodworking was essential to the Romans. It provided material for buildings, transportation, tools, and household items. Wood also provided pipes, dyes, waterproofing materials, and heat.Although most examples of Roman woodworking have been lost, Pliny, while not a botanist, dedicated six books of his Natural History to trees and woody plants, providing a wealth of information on trees and their uses.

Ancient China

The progenitors of Chinese woodworking are considered to be Lu Ban (魯班 ) and his wife Lady Yun, from the Spring and Autumn period (771 to 476 BC). Lu Ban is said to have introduced the plane, the chalk line, and other tools to China. His teachings were supposedly left behind in the book Lu Ban Jing (魯班經, "Manuscript of Lu Ban")(魯班經 ). Despite this, it is believed that the text was written some 1500 years after his death. This book is largely filled with descriptions of dimensions for building various items, such as flower pots, tables, altars, etc., and also contains extensive instructions on Feng Shui. It mentions almost nothing of the intricate glue-less and nail-less joinery for which Chinese furniture was so famous.

Modern day

thumb|[[CNC machine that operates on wood]]

thumb|Woodworking apron

With advances in technology and industry demands, the field of woodwork has changed. The development of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines, for example, has made it possible to mass-produce and reproduce products faster, with less waste, and often with more complex designs than ever before. CNC wood routers can carve complicated and highly detailed shapes into flat stock to create signs or art. Power tools have increased the efficiency of woodworking projects and require much less physical strength than hand tools in the past.

Skilled fine woodworking, however, remains a craft pursued by many. There remains demand for handcrafted work such as furniture and art; however, due to production rates and costs, consumer prices are higher.

Modern wood carving usually refers to works of wood art produced by woodcarvers as contemporary art. This type of woodcarving often combines traditional techniques with more modern artistic styles and concepts. Modern woodcarving can be produced in a variety of forms and styles, from realistic to abstract, and often uses unusual woods, such as rain tree or woods with unique textures, to highlight the work's uniqueness.

In recent years, the art of modern woodcarving has become increasingly popular among woodworkers and visual art enthusiasts worldwide. Modern woodcarving art is often exhibited in art galleries and museums, and can be seen in several global contemporary art exhibitions.

Styles and designs

Woodworking, especially furniture making, has many different designs/styles. Throughout its history, woodworking designs and styles have changed. Some of the more common styles are listed below. Traditional furniture styles usually include pieces that have been around for a long time and have long been associated with wealth and luxury. More modern furniture styles have been commonly used over the past few hundred years.

{| class="wikitable"

|+Common woodworking/furniture styles

!Traditional & timeless styles

!Modern furniture styles

|-

|Jacobean

|Antique

|-

|Dutch

|American colonial

|-

|Victorian

|Traditional

|-

|Art Deco

|Vintage

|-

|Sheraton

|Rustic

|-

|

|Retro

|-

|

|Modern

|-

|

|Minimalism

|-

|

|Contemporary

|}

Materials

See also Wood: Properties and Tonewood: Properties.

Historically, woodworkers relied on the woods native to their region until innovations in transportation and trade made more exotic woods available to the craftsman. Woods are typically sorted into three basic types: hardwoods typified by tight grain and derived from broadleaf trees, softwoods from coniferous trees, and manufactured materials such as plywood and MDF.

Hardwoods, botanically classified as angiosperms, are deciduous and shed their leaves annually in response to temperature changes. Softwoods come from trees botanically known as gymnosperms, which are coniferous, cone-bearing, and stay green year round.

Softwood is most commonly found in regions with lower temperatures and is typically less durable, lighter in weight, and more vulnerable to pests and fungal attacks than hardwoods. They typically have a paler color and a more open grain than hardwoods, which contributes to the tendency of felled softwood to shrink and swell as it dries. Hardwoods have a wide variety of properties, making it easy to find a hardwood to suit nearly any purpose, but they are especially suitable for outdoor use due to their strength and resilience to rot and decay.

Fir

In the USA, fir, also known as Douglas fir, is inexpensive and readily available at local home centers. It has a characteristic straight, pronounced grain with a red-brown tint. However, its grain pattern is relatively plain, and it does not stain well, so fir is commonly used for finished products that will be painted. While commonly used for building, this softwood would also be suitable for furniture-making.

Common hardwoods used for furniture

Ash

Ash is relatively easy to work with and takes stain well. However, ash can be more difficult to find than other common woods commercially, and may not be found at the local home center. Larger lumber yards should have it in stock.

Beech

Hardwood of the European species Fagus sylvatica is widely used for furniture framing and carcase construction, in plywood, musical instruments (drum shells and piano blocks), and turned items like knobs.

Birch

Whether yellow or white birch, these hardwoods are stable and easy to work with. Despite this, birch is prone to blotching when stained, so painting birch products or sealing before staining is probably best. Birch is easily found at many home centers and is a relatively inexpensive hardwood.

Mahogany

A hardwood, mahogany has a trademark reddish-brown to deep-red tint and is known as "one of the great furniture woods". However, mahogany is not typically grown in sustainably managed forests, and thus commands a steep price at local lumber yards. Because it has almost no grain and is notably soft, Basswood is particularly popular with beginner carvers. It is used in many lower-cost instruments, such as guitars and electric basses. The more common modern hand tools are:

{| class="wikitable" width=600px

|+Hand tools

|- style="vertical-align: top;"

!Clamps

| style="width:180px;" |alt=Woodworking clamps|frameless|upright|center<small>Woodworking clamps. The top left two are f-style clamps. On the right is a quick-grip Irwin clamp. In the bottom middle is a spring clamp.</small>

| Clamps are used to hold a workpiece while being worked. Clamps vary in all shapes and sizes, from small C-clamps to very large bar or strap clamps. A vise is a form of clamp, temporarily or permanently mounted as required. A woodworking vise is a vise specialized to the needs of a woodworker; numerous types have evolved.

|-style="vertical-align: top;"

!Chisels

|alt=Wood chisels|frameless|upright|center<small>Five woodworking wood chisels</small>

|Chisels are tools with a long blade, a cutting edge, and a handle. Used for cutting and shaping wood or other materials.

|-style="vertical-align: top;"

!Files & Rasps

|alt=Hand files and rasps|frameless|upright|center<small>Top two are files. The bottom (orange-handled) tool is a rasp.</small>

|Both files and rasps are used to grind down wood material, either to make the surface flat, rounded, concave, or many other shapes. Rasps make deeper cuts, while files make smaller, less harsh cuts in wood. The difference between the two is mainly their tooth size.

|}

Power tools

Power tools are tools powered by an external energy source, such as a battery, motor, or a power cable connected to a wall outlet. The more common power tools are: than the jigsaw or more delicate scroll saw, also regularly used in woodworking.

|-style="vertical-align: top;"

!Drill press

|alt=Drill press|frameless|upright|center<small>Older drill press. Floor-mounted drill press.</small>

|A drill press is an important tool used in woodworking. It is similar to a hand drill but is a table- or floor-mounted machine that uses a shaft with a spring-loaded handle to lower the drill bit into the wood or other material. Many woodworkers use a hand drill, but a drill press is even more accurate and powerful.

|-style="vertical-align: top;"

!Drum sander

|

|A drum sander is a machine that uses a wide rotating sandpaper drum to sand down a piece of wood as it rolls through the tool. Similar to a planer in how it operates, but instead of blades, a drum sander uses sandpaper.

|}

Notable woodworkers

  • Alvar Aalto
  • Norm Abram
  • Bae Se-hwa
  • John Boson
  • Jimmy Carter
  • Jesus
  • George Collings
  • Frank E. Cummings III
  • Henning Engelsen
  • Wharton Esherick
  • Tage Frid
  • Alexander Grabovetskiy
  • Greta Hopkinson
  • James Krenov
  • Mark Lindquist
  • Sal Maccarone
  • Thomas J. MacDonald
  • John Makepeace
  • Sam Maloof
  • David J. Marks
  • Judy Kensley McKie
  • George Nakashima
  • Jere Osgood
  • Alan Peters
  • Matthias Pliessnig
  • André Jacob Roubo
  • Evert Sodergren
  • Rosanne Somerson
  • Henry O. Studley
  • Roy Underhill
  • Wendy Maruyama
  • Charles H. Hayward
  • Nick Offerman

See also

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  • Boat building
  • Cabinet making
  • Carpentry
  • Ébéniste
  • Fire hardening
  • Glossary of woodworking terms
  • Green building and wood
  • Green woodworking
  • History of construction
  • History of wood carving
  • Intarsia
  • Japanese carpentry
  • Lath art
  • Ligna
  • Luthier
  • Millwork
  • Marionette
  • Marquetry
  • Pallet crafts
  • Reclaimed lumber
  • Saw pit
  • Segmented turning
  • Sloyd, a system of handicraft-based education
  • Stave church
  • Studio furniture
  • Tack cloth
  • Timber framing
  • Turning
  • Wood carving
  • Wood glue
  • Wood Inlay
  • Woodshop
  • Woodturning
  • Woodworking safety
  • Woodworking workbench
  • Yakisugi

References

References

Further reading

  • Naylor, Andrew. A review of wood machining literature with a special focus on sawing. BioRes, April 2013
  • History of Woodworking & Ancient Carpentry
  • Video about the Zafimaniry peoples in Madagascar.
  • Videos about woodworking published by Institut für den Wissenschaftlichen Film. Available in the AV-Portal of the German National Library of Science and Technology.
  • Woodwork Magazine

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