WOODWORKING
Chapter 25Furniture Building
Introduction
Cabinetry craftsmanship does not end with building cabinets. Other forms of wood furniture are highly
valued and great fun to build as well. Keep in mind that a cabinet is a piece of furniture, it just happens to
be box-shaped. Building other types of furniture is very similar to building a simple cabinet. Many of the
elements and techniques are the same. So, for your next project, why not make a piece of furniture? The
possibilities are endless.
Keep in mind that woodworking is an art, a craft that must be perfected. Whether you build a cabinet or
an elegant piece of furniture, you will need patience and determination. Fine woodworking cannot be
rushed, and the craftsman must be willing to strive for excellence in all he or she does. If you have these
two characteristics, you are ready to move on.
Standards:
It is important that you remain faithful to
furniture standards. A standard is the normal
size of something, or the average space it
requires. Different types of furniture have a
standard size. Wherever you go in the western
civilization, furniture will be the same height,
depth, and length. These standards are well
tested, and have as much to do with what the
human eye finds pleasing as it does with
practicality. Ratios have been considered for
ascetic beauty, strength, and balance. You will
do well to follow them.
The chart on the right shows the standard
size of many pieces of furniture. Be sure to
incorporate these into your design.
Joinery:
Of course, joinery plays an important role
in designing furniture as well. The type of
joints you employ will determine the quality.
Do not underestimate this important step by
convincing yourself that you can decide the
joinery further down the road in the building
process. Joinery should be determined before
you begin, and artistic value should be a part
of the equation. Don’t simply screw or nail
things together. Take the extra time to pursue
excellence by adding stylish joinery.
Wood specialties:
Another aspect of fine furniture design is
the use of carving, inlaying, scroll work,
pyrography, and bending. These will be
covered in detail in the next unit, but for now
it is worth noting. Consider incorporating
these into you next design. On the following
page you will find samples of ways specialized
craftsmanship is incorporated into a piece of
furniture.
Unit V: Cabinetry Craftsmanship