Woodwork

Woodwork is the craft of shaping, cutting, joining, and finishing wood to create functional objects and decorative items. It encompasses activities such as furniture making, cabinetry, carpentry, wood turning, carving, and inlay work. Practitioners select softwoods, hardwoods, and engineered woods depending on strength, workability, and intended finish.

A key distinction is between hand tool work and machine-assisted production. Core techniques include cutting and planing to size, joinery to connect pieces, turning to produce cylindrical forms, carving for surface detail, and veneering or inlay to create decorative surfaces. Finishing processes such as staining, oiling, varnishing, or waxing protect the wood and enhance appearance. Moisture content and grain orientation influence stability and performance.

Common tools range from saws, chisels, planes, and scrapers to lathes, routers, and drill presses. Safety is important: use eye and hearing protection, dust control, and proper machine guarding to prevent injuries.

Woodwork has a long history, with prehistoric evidence of carved and simple wooden implements, evolving to guilds and workshops in the Middle Ages, the rise of furniture making in the early modern period, and modern factory production with standardized joinery. Today, skilled woodworkers may work independently, in workshops, or in manufacturing settings, and sustainability considerations guide timber sourcing and finishing choices.