Gayus Wood

What purpose does fine woodworking, whether you insist it "art" or "craft", still serve in the modern, after-Warhol, post-internet world?
From a strictly engineering/manufacturing point of view, objects of cut and assembled wood serve a niche function. For many applications -home building, cabinets, etc.- woo is inexpensive, durable, and light enough to be the best material. Sure there are more space age materials which could be used to make far more durable cabinets and better insulated walls, but wood (and the labor required to shape it) are often far cheaper. But this niche no longer covers products that are far easier to construct in newer materials. At one time toolboxes were universally made of hardwood, but today almost anyone can buy a cheep toolbox to fit their specific needs, built of plastic, aluminum, or steel and as a result being much lighter and stronger than any wood duplicate. Indeed, as materials technology continues to make lighter/stronger materials more cheaply, the engineering niche wherein wood is the best material will keep shrinking.
Related to this is also the psychology wooden objects bring to bear. Wood, in its texture and appearance, appeals to a great many people. For thousands of years, the heft, feel (and smell) of carved hardwoods have been associated with wealth. And interiors constructed of polished wood often have a calming effect on their inhabitants. Products made of wood appeal to people in a way that increases their value (even when using another material might be more logical).
And of course the act of working with wood or owning it, connects one to all those who have come before him who have done the same. Woodworking appeals in its ability to place each of us (lone individual forms of protoplasm) within a greater sense of history and culture.
But in a world where all art is going to be instantly given copious connections and references the moment it is shown (try placing an image of a sculpture on the internet that will not evoke dozens of comparisons and links to remotely related work), is it now ever necessary to use a material to relate to the past again? And in an era in which sarcasm or irony in a work seems an essential, is making an object out of honest, undisguised wood inappropriate. Today it seems far more apt to make something out of steel that carefully counterfeits wood-grain, or make wood that is smoothed and painted to resemble clean enamel.
Can one still create a modern art-piece out of wood?

You have your wood working plans for the wood working project you have decided to build, now all you need is some wood, glue, fasteners, a few tools and you are off and running.

Wood is wood, right? Well it depends on where you are in the world, it could be lumber or timber. Then there is MDF (medium density fibreboard), Chipboard, Plywood, Particle board, hardboard and a whole host of other variants of reconstituted wood chips, laminated boards and beams.



To start with, lets just take a look at "real wood".

• Real Wood

Now that you have your wood working plans for a project you have decided to build, what wood do you need?

The answer to that is - it depends, not very helpful you might think, but it really does depend on what you are making so lets see if we can point you in the right direction.

For many of my wood working projects real wood is often my first choice but not always. Like I said thats lumber or timber, there is a huge variety of tree types which vary enormously in their properties and costs but essentially they are categorised into softwood and hardwood.

• Softwood

Softwood is wood from the conifer variety of trees and includes cedars, Douglas-firs, cypresses, firs, junipers, kauris, larches, pines, redwoods, spruces, and yews.

Surprisingly enough softwoods are not necessarily softer than hardwoods, there is a wide variation in hardness in both groups. Generally, softwood is easier to work with than hardwood.

Softwood is used a great deal in the building industry for structural timber, for making furniture, wood pulp and paper. For many of the wood working projects that you may be considering, Cedar and Pine for example are good choices.

From an environmental perspective softwood is easier to replenish than hardwood, taking less time to grow to usable sizes and is grown in large forests around the world. Because of the tree shapes they can be grown closer together, so you get a higher density of timber per acre or hectare.

• Hardwood

The density in hardwoods has a broad range and encompasses that of softwoods. There are some hardwoods (such as balsa) which are softer than most softwoods, while yew is an example of a hard softwood. The hardest hardwoods are much harder than any softwood. There are hundred times as many hardwoods as softwoods.

Varieties of hardwoods include ash, beech, boxwood, cherry, ebony, holly, mahogany, maple, oak, teak and walnut. There are many other varieties. Many hardwoods have intricate grain patterns like walnut, some are used for special applications such as veneers.

Quality furniture and fittings in your home are often made from hardwoods. There is a cost penalty though, hardwoods generally, are more expensive than softwoods.

• Wood Quantities

Most wood working plans will have a list of timber required but, check actual measurements. You will need to make allowances in your wood working projects for variations in your timber. Timber has a water content and shrinks as it dries. Some kiln dried timber is available but it will be considerably more expensive. Dressed (or finished) timber can vary in sizes a small amount.

Some timber is better suited to outdoor projects than others. For special applications, some timber is chemically treated.

If you are in any doubt just ask at your local lumber (timber or wood) yard and they will usually be happy to give you advice.

So choose your wood, open up your wood working plans and get your wood working project underway.

If you like more reading Check Teds Wood Working.

Sams been working with metal now for about 5 years, full time for the last two. Hes a great welder and fabricator and his artistic and problem solving sense is evolving everyday. As we get more and more requests for pieces both entirely of metal and as furniture, in combination with wood, often questions of finishes, materials, and capabilities arise ... Rather than answer the same or almost the same questions over and over, this post will serve as a general outline for potential clients who want to know more about what we can and cant do ... Click the photos to enlarge them ....

We have a fairly well equipped metal shop. We could use a little more space, a milling machine and maybe a more professional drill press but mostly, were pretty well set. We also have a company we work with for custom CNC waterjet cutting and custom CNC plasma cutting, as well as chrome plating and powder coating ... Right here in Vermont ....