Softwoods come from trees botanically known as gymnosperms, which are coniferous, cone-bearing, and stay green year round. Hardwoods, botanically known as angiosperms, are deciduous and shed their leaves annually with temperature changes. Woods are typically sorted into three basic types: hardwoods typified by tight grain and derived from broadleaf trees, softwoods from coniferous trees, and man-made materials such as plywood and MDF. Historically, woodworkers relied upon the woods native to their region, until transportation and trade innovations made more exotic woods available to the craftsman. There remains demand for hand crafted work such as furniture and arts, however with rate and cost of production, the cost for consumers is much higher. Skilled fine woodworking, however, remains a craft pursued by many. Rechargeable power tools speed up creation of many projects and require much less body strength than in the past, for example when boring multiple holes. CNC wood routers can carve complicated and highly detailed shapes into flat stock, to create signs or art. The development of Computer Numeric Controlled ( CNC) Machines, for example, has made us able to mass-produce and reproduce products faster, with less waste, and often more complex in design than ever before. With the advances in modern technology and the demands of industry, woodwork as a field has changed. It mentions almost nothing of the intricate glue-less and nail-less joinery for which Chinese furniture was so famous.ĭamascene woodworkers turning wood for Mashrabiya and hookahs, 19th century This book is filled largely with descriptions of dimensions for use in building various items such as flower pots, tables, altars, etc., and also contains extensive instructions concerning Feng Shui. Despite this, it is believed that the text was written some 1500 years after his death. His teachings were supposedly left behind in the book Lu Ban Jing (魯班經, 'Manuscript of Lu Ban'). Lu Ban is said to have introduced the plane, chalk-line, and other tools to 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). 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. Vitruvius dedicates an entire chapter of his De architectura to timber, preserving many details. : 1 Although most examples of Roman woodworking have been lost, : 2 the literary record preserved much of the contemporary knowledge. Wood also provided pipes, dye, waterproofing materials, and energy for heat. It provided, material for buildings, transportation, tools, and household items. 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 Egyptians invented the art of veneering and used varnishes for finishing, though the composition of these varnishes is unknown. Animal glue came to be used only in the New Kingdom period.

These joints were strengthened using pegs, dowels and leather or cord lashings. Mortise and tenon joints are attested from the earliest Predynastic period. Ĭommonly used woodworking tools included axes, adzes, chisels, pull saws, and bow drills. 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. Tombs represent a large collection of these artifacts and the inner coffins found in the tombs were also made of wood. 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. There is significant evidence of advanced woodworking in ancient Egypt.

Wooden idols from the La Tène period are known from a sanctuary at the source of the Seine in France. The site of Fellbach-Schmieden in Germany has provided fine examples of wooden animal statues from the Iron Age. Since Neolithic times, carved wooden vessels are known, for example, from the Linear Pottery culture wells at Kückhofen and Eythra.Įxamples of Bronze Age wood-carving include tree trunks worked into coffins from northern Germany and Denmark and wooden folding-chairs. The spears from Schöningen ( Germany) provide some of the first examples of wooden hunting gear.

Woodworking shop in Germany in 1568, the worker in front is using a bow saw, the one in the background is planing.Īmong early finds of wooden tools are the worked sticks from Kalambo Falls, Clacton-on-Sea and Lehringen.

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