Exploring the Age-Old Beauty of Wood
By “Awake!” correspondent in New Zealand
TIMBER, particularly that of the native variety, is rapidly becoming a scarcity. Forests are being depleted at an alarming rate in many places in the world. Shortages of lumber supplies result in exorbitant prices for wood, one of the world’s basic and formerly plentiful commodities.
It is ironic that here in New Zealand, there are thriving plantations of radiata pine, introduced in the 1930’s, yet stands of indigenous trees, such as rimu, kauri, beech, and kahikatea, are dwindling.
Ageless Appeal of Solid Wood
For thousands of years, man has enjoyed shaping wood into all manner of useful items. The color, distinctive grain, and even odor given off by most types of wood have often delighted people. Items of varied usefulness have brought satisfaction year after year and, in some cases, century after century.
From earliest times, solid wood furniture has been used in homes. Using primitive tools, men and women have demonstrated flair and skill in constructing such basic things as tables, bowls, stools, barrels, chests, and chairs.
Modern technology has accelerated the speed with which such items are constructed today. Power tools, such as saws, drills, planes, and sanders, can efficiently, if somewhat noisily, craft raw timber into solid wood furniture. Most countries can boast of woodworking factories that churn out mass-produced furniture at reasonable costs.
But such furniture is often lacking in durability because either (1) substitutes (wood veneer, chipboard) replace solid wood or (2) techniques in the joinery rely on speedy construction, using staple machines or tacks or nails.
Returning to the Adz
In an attempt to overcome seeming inadequacies of modern technology, some are seeking the services of an ancient woodworking tool—the adz. It is defined as “a cutting tool that has a thin arched blade set at right angles to the handle and is used chiefly for shaping wood.” In New Zealand, the Maori people used greenstone (jade) adzes to hew canoes and shape poles for carving. Most adzes today, however, are metal.
In past centuries, carpenters used the adz for trueing and leveling framework in house and ship construction. They dressed planks held between their feet, using the curved blade of the adz to slice scallops or dented hollows into the surface of the timber.
Its Companion—The Drawknife
Enhancing the rustic charm of the item under construction and acting as companion to the adz is another indispensable tool, the drawknife. This is used to fashion the edges or faces of timber. Both the adz and the drawknife must be kept razor sharp.
Once you have obtained these tools, the next steps are to search out suitable raw material and, then, to transform it into whatever item of furniture you desire to make. This is where, in the eyes of carpenters, an old-fashioned, rustic style of furniture making has considerable advantages over the more conventional manufacturing techniques.
Rough-sawn timber planks, provided they are dry and not warped or bowed, can be fashioned into furniture that is both sturdy and beautiful. Such planking may be obtained from a variety of sources: discarded furniture (wardrobes, headboards, tabletops), old packing cases, beams from demolished buildings, and old fence posts.
Recycled Timber—Given a New Lease on Life
Aged timber that has not been affected by woodworm or rot can come alive with warmth and beauty in the hands of an expert.
Blemishes, nail holes, and dents can create unusual features in the recycled wood used for furniture. Left in its natural form or stained and polished, your handcrafted item will bring contentment and pleasure as something well made and long lasting.
As with the gardener who tills the soil, the potter who kneads the clay, and the spinner who spins the natural fiber, the carpenter who shapes and fashions a piece of timber using an adz or a drawknife finds it to be most rewarding. Yes, it is hard work. Yes, it is going to take far longer than modern methods. However, the realization that your labors will be a source of satisfaction to you and that your crafted furniture will bring years of usefulness to its recipient contributes to the age-old joy bound up in working with wood.
Hints as to Technique
An adz is not ideal for use on all timber. The fibers found in tropical hardwoods usually resist the stroke of the adz blade. Generally, a softer timber will respond better to the adz. Knots need not be a problem. Using a gouge (curved chisel), you can carve or hollow these out, thus creating a special feature in the surface you are preparing.
Some of the finest color is often found in planks sawed from the heart of a tree. Furniture made from these will rarely need staining. If, however, you wish to give depth and character to a plain wood, there are a wide range of stains to suit your individual preference.
Even this process does not have to be expensive. Some have rubbed automotive grease into light-colored or pale timber and have found that it wonderfully enhances the handcrafted item.
To apply the finishing touch to your creation, there is a range of polyurethanes or lacquers that may be sprayed or brushed onto the furniture. For a more natural finish that feeds the timber rather than seals it, you can work into the wood a polishing oil made from the following: five parts vinegar, four parts turpentine, two parts raw linseed oil, and one part methylated spirits. Dissolve some beeswax into your mixture, and allow it to permeate the wood for several days.
Craftsmanship That Satisfies
Solid wood furniture that has been distinctively crafted by your own hands will always have an appeal as it sits in your favorite corner of your home, however humble that may be. All over the world, in mansions and cottages, one can find many fascinating examples, sometimes dating back centuries, of the handiwork of furniture craftsmen. These are surely a testimony to the skill, diligence, and patience of such people. They derived contentment and pleasure from producing items that having been lovingly preserved, bring practical value and beauty. These add a measure of individuality to the dwellings that they adorn.
In this age, which is becoming increasingly overwhelmed with plastic and extruded resin products, our Creator’s gift of the tree still serves many useful purposes. Not the least of these is the providing of raw timber that beckons the eager craftsman to transform it into beautiful wood furniture.
[Pictures on page 23]
Rimu
Tawa
Oak
Knotted radiata pine
Varnished pine
Greased pine
Dark-stained pine
[Pictures on page 24]
Using the adz
and the drawknife
[Picture on page 25]
Handmade dresser
[Picture on page 25]
Corner shelf