Appraise A Woodwork

Woodwork Appraisal Prerequisites

While there are also antique woodwork collectors, learning the necessary skills for antique woodwork appraisals isn’t something you can learn overnight or even in a simple short course. It is something you need to become familiar with and gain only through practical application and experience.

However, it IS possible, with a keen eye and a few prerequisite skills, to at least be able to appraise regular woodwork. This form of appraisal doesn’t really involve determining an item’s price with collectors, but rather a more practical type of analysis which will allow you to determine an item’s structural integrity and durability. Here are a few prerequisite skills and background knowledge you’ll want to study if you intend to try your hand at woodwork appraisal.

Carpentry – at least a basic level of competence in carpentry as well as general woodworking is a must for woodwork appraisal. While some would argue that it is not a “hard”, or necessary prerequisite, skills in working with wood are essential if you’re going to be analyzing items made from it. This involves knowledge not only in working with modern power tools to render pieces of furniture, but in working with more old fashioned manual tools like straight edged and curved saws, hammers, pegs, planes, wood rasps and files, and chisels.

Knowledge of Wood Types – Another prerequisite skill you’ll need is at least a good working knowledge of the different types of wood used in item construction, from hardwoods like oak, cedar, and mahogany, to softer woods and more exotic ones as well like balsa and bamboo. Different types of wood from different regions all have their own unique qualities that make them appropriate for some types of woodwork but lousy for others. For example, coconut wood, known in the Philippines as Bahi, is a heavy fibrous wood type that splinters when broken instead of shattering like some hardwoods are prone to do. It is extremely resinous and resilient, making it an ideal choice for woodworking requiring linear pieces, but it’s fibrous nature makes it lousy working material for making statues, carvings, and other things which require a lot of oblique angles cut into the grain of the wood.

Knowledge of Woodworking Craft Types – aside from knowing how to work with wood and the different types of woods you can work with, you should do background studies on all of the different ways wood can be rendered into items. Don’t focus on the most obvious and common applications of using wood like making furniture. Try researching the more artistic and esoteric types of woodworking, from making statues and murals, to toys, to musical instruments, to exotic weapons. Each of these different fields of woodworking will actually have their own unique needs in terms of woodworking skills and types of woods they’ll use for their rendered pieces. Knowing these little nuances can help you in appraising the quality of a piece of woodwork.

And gatherings – you should also check out woodworking and antique collector Forums on the internet to find out what’s in demand. Going in person to conventions also helps you expand your knowledge base. If you decide to take up woodwork appraisal as something more than just a hobby, knowing the different standards set by collectors and the prices they’ll be willing to pay for certain pieces will help you turn a quick profit if you can locate the items they require.

Bargain Hunting Knowledge – lastly, on the assumption that you decide to use your appraisal skills to turn hefty profits with collectors, it never, ever hurts to know where to cheaply acquire the things they’ll be looking for. More often than not, foreign countries have specialist woodworkers that produce relatively cheap and high quality items that can be resold for more than five times their purchase price in the United States. For example, bamboo dining and sleeping mats from certain asian countries can be bought for under a dollar each in their local markets. Enterprising individuals travel to these places and buy the mats cheap, then they resell them for over 10 dollars in the United States, where people still count this price a bargain.

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How To Be A Professional Woodworker

Courses to Take for Woodworking

While woodworking is not quite as in demand today due to the increasing number of synthetic materials that have been produced for making things, it is still a viable craft to learn. As a matter of fact, it’s value is increased significantly because more and more people are turning to working with machines which create furniture, toys, and other things from plastics and composites.

Woodworkers are fewer in number because of this, but by the same token the appeal and value of things made from wood has increased due to thir relative rarity and beauty. A lot of people no longer make furniture from wood simply because it’s practical – if they wanted practicality, they would just buy a plastic table or chairs. No, people who still make their own gear from wood do so because these items are works of art as much as they are functional pieces, and no matter how “modern” the world gets, the natural feel, warmth, and texture of wood is something that no synthetic material or metal piece can ever emulate. If you like working with your hands and want to get into woodworking, here are a few short courses you should look into taking.

Basic Woodworking – this teaches the basics of working with the simplest tools you’ll need to get started for woodworking. Aside from the obvious uses of saws and hammers, you’ll also need to learn to use things like planes for smoothening the surface of wood, wood files and rasps for shaping and rounding edges, and the use of protective varnishes and wood glues for sealing and coating wood surfaces. Basic woodworking courses usually also teach the different types of hardwood that are often used for woodworking. The pieces people are taught to make in these courses are often basic necessities like benches, tables, and cabinets.

Woodcarving – for those who are more artistically inclined, wood carving courses teach the use of fine chisels and cutters that allow you to create highly decorative pieces from wood. Making statues, murals, small carvings and engravings into wood are some common examples of what is taught in woodcarving classes. Also, these courses will sometimes include instruction in some of the more exotic types of wood used for creating decorative pieces. Different from the hardwoods used in regular woodworking, these usually involve soft wood types or fibrous woods like bamboo.

Woodworking with Power Tools – this is an advanced course from Basic Woodworking. It pretty much involves the same thing, but ramps up the tempo with the use of power tools and heavy machinery like power saws and grinders. Most of the power tools involved will usually be small and personal in size, like a handy power drill. However, some of these advanced courses will actually even include tutorials in the use of large scale industrial machines like lathes and routers, which can be used for shaping much larger pieces of lumber. In some cases, the use of such machines will actually require their own course, categorically called Industrial Woodworking.

Woodworking Appraisal – lastly, there is woodworking appraisal. Instead of teaching how to make items from wood, woodworking appraisal actually teaches people how to identify and analyze the different types of antique and collector types of woodwork. As stated earlier, woodworking has been around for ages, so older pieces of woodwork and things like old-style wooden toys, tribal gear, and exotic items like bamboo furniture actually fetch a hefty sum from collectors. These courses teach people how to identify and appraise these vintage pieces, as well as how to restore battered woodwork to make it valuable again to collectors.

These are the general categories of woodworking courses you should look into. The basic course is a prerequisite for everyone, while the others that follow it are actually specialized courses that people may choose to branch out into once they master the basics.
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Woodworking Do It Yourself – Woodworking 4 Home

Tables, chairs and cabinets made of wood are always the favorite furniture at home. However this furniture needs to be maintained, thus your woodworking do it yourself skills are needed.

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Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood. Along with stone, mud and animal parts, wood was certainly one of the first materials worked by primitive human beings. Therefore, wood is being utilized as an important commodity even before. For some people woodworking is a worthwhile hobby and to some they have made it into a profession.

Woodworking ideas can be a great alternative to buying furniture from a retail store and can help you fix your old furniture around your home. There are a lot of do it yourself guides on woodworking available on line. They can give you the detailed information on how to make tables, chairs and cabinets. It also includes information on choosing the right materials to use and the necessary tools that you’ll need.

The most commonly used hand tools are hammers, wood planes, files, drills, jigsaws, screwdrivers, hand sanders, routers, coping saws and chisels. Each of these tools comes in a variety of shapes and sizes.

There are a considerable number of wood species that are used in woodworking around the world. Every species has its own traits for how it should be used, and how to get the most out of that species. Oak is the most revered type of wood. It is very rewarding to be able to make something out of oak but sometimes frustrating too. The maple tree is also one of the most popular hardwoods for woodworking. It is tough and looks great when done in a proper way. The poplar on the other hand is one of the most common types of wood used to make furniture, boat and woodworking project. So it is indeed a great feeling to be able to make furniture out of wood.

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Basic Woodworking Joints – Rebate and Housing Joints

A rebate joint, at its simplest, is a slightly stronger version of a **** joint it pro¬vides contact between the mating com¬ponents in two planes instead of one. A rebate is formed by removing a square or rectangular section across the end or along the edge of a piece of wood using hand or power tools.

Rebate joint
In the simplest type of rebate joint, the rebate is normally cut to half the wood thickness, leaving a projecting tongue equal to the thickness of the other, square-cut component. This type of rebate is often used on the lops of book¬cases and shelf unils where the top rests on and between the top ends of the sides. It may also be used for joining drawer fronts to and between the sides. At least half the end grain is hidden.

The joints are usually reinforced with pins, driven through the overlap in pairs at opposing angles – this is called dovetail nailing.

The rebate is usually cut with a rebate plane. This has a width guide and a depth stop and cleans the vertical edge of the cut as it is used. Short rebates in a board end, for example can be cut with a saw but care is needed.

Bare-faced halving
This is another type of rebate joint often used for fixing shelves in bookcases. The shelves have rebated ends with the projecting tongue lilting into the horizontal slots in the inner faces of the bookcase sides. The joint is made shoulder-up for strength. This joint may be used in drawers; a rebated back may be housed between the sides, or a front

Housing joints
Not all housing joints are rebated, but whether they are or not. they fall in two categories: the through housing, in which the construction is visible at both back and front edges of the joint; and the stop¬ped housing which from the front edge appears to be a simple **** joint.

Through housing
This is a simple joint to set out and cut. The shoulder lines of the housing (the thickness of the board to be housed apart) should be marked across the inner face of the board and squared over the edges. The depth of the housing – between one-third and half the thick¬ness – should be marked with a gauge. Then shoulders should be sawn and the waste removed with a chisel again work from each edge towards the centre. Finish the bottom of the housing with a router or a paring chisel.

Stopped housing
In this joint the cut should be taken only part way across the board, stopping about 20mm from the front edge. The end of the board to fit into it should be cut at the front corner to accommodate the ’stop’.

Mark shoulder lines across the inner face as far as the stop and on the back edge. Gauge the depth on the back edge too. To allow room to work the saw, the first 50mm of the housing back from the stop should be cut out with the chisel -used with its bevel down. Then saw shoulders, and chisel out the remaining waste and finish the bottom of the hous¬ing with a router if you have one.

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From the JET Shopclass Series of DVDs – A basic how-to for using the Gouge Chisel

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Full Guide About Woodworking Hammers

A wide range of Hammers are available, varying in shape, size and weight. The different styles reflect different uses. Around the house, the average diy’er only really needs one or two type.Visit the Woodworking Plans Website pages for more woodworking and tools articles.

The shape of Hammer heads has not changed much over the years although some modern materials are now used in both the head and handle. Traditionally handle were made of wood fixed through a hole in the head; this allowed the handle to be easily replaced if required. Modern hammers use modern materials and the handles are often built into the head – often with a form of built-in shock absorber to make them easier to use.

Claw Hammer

The most popular hammer for general work, available with a wooden (often hickory), glass-fibre or steel handle; with or without rubber grip. The most popular weights are 455-680g (16 to 24oz). The claw is normally curved, and incorporates a ‘V’ cut-out to draw nails from timber. The claw can be used to lever up floorboards or where other places where a lever is required; care must be taken (especially with cheaper models) as the force applied can easily weaken the joint between the handle and the head.

Ball Pein

Normally used by engineer’s, the pein in this case, is rounded and is usually used for shaping metal and closing rivets. Ball pein hammers are available from 55 – 1100 (4 oz upto 2 lb.), 110 – 165g (8oz 12oz) are the most suitable for general use. Handles are normally wood, usually Ash or Hickory.

Cross and Straight Pein

Again, mainly used for shaping metal, the pein can be at right angles to the handle or parallel with it. The most useful domestically is the cross pein, where the pein can be used for starting panel pins and tacks. Handles are normally wood, usually Ash.

Soft-faced Hammers

Various types are available, with hard and soft rubber, plastic or copper faces. Some come with a choice of faces which are interchangeable. Useful for striking materials such as chrome wing outs, where a steel face would cause damage. In some cases, can replace a mallet for cabinet work.

Sledge Hammer

Used for the heavier jobs, such as driving in stakes or to break up concrete, stone or masonry. For lighter jobs just the weight of the head may be used for blow’s, but for heavier work, the hammer is swung like an axe. Wear suitable protective clothing, including safety glasses. Weights 7, 10 and 14 lb.

Joiner’s Mallet

Used to drive chisels or to tap wood joints together, where a metal-faced hammer would cause damage or bruising. Note that the head is slightly tapered to ensure correct contact with the work. Both the handle and head are wood, usually Beech or Lignum Vitae.

Club Hammer

Sometimes called a Lump Hammer, it has a double faced head, and is useful for light demolition work, driving steel chisels and masonry nails. As debris is likely to fly, the Different types of Hammers wearing of safety glasses and working gloves is recommended. Weight 1135g (2 1/2 lb) being best suited to domestic work. Handles are normally wood, usually Hickory, or synthetic resin.

Cross Pein Pin Hammer

A lighter version of the Cross and Straight Pein hammer, ideal for light joinery and cabinet work. Weight 55g (4oz).

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Types Of Chisel Used In Woodworking

The bevel-edge chisel is the most common type of chisel. As its name suggests, its upper edges are bevelled (have sloping sides) so that it can undercut or cut side¬ways into the corner of an acute angle. The paring chisel has a long thin blade which is usually bevel-edged. It can be used for cleaning out deep holes or long slots in wood where other chisels cannot reach. It should never be used as a lever, only for paring off wood. The blade of a firmer chisel is rectangular in cross-section but otherwise it is similar to the bevel-edged chisel. The mortise chisel has a thick, rectangular section blade and a strong handle. It is designed specifically for cutting mortise joints in which the chisel is subjected to hammering and bending.

In theory, a firmer chisel is supposed to be stronger than a bevel-edge chisel and a mortise chisel should be stronger still. In practice, the strength of a chisel depends on the design of the blade, par¬ticularly the shoulder and tang, and on the type and heat treatment of the steel used. To satisfy the British Standard for chisels, the blade must be hardened to within 25mm of the shoulder, and must also be able to pass certain bending tests. There are now one or two brands of bevel-edge chisel which are sufficiently well designed and so well made that they can quite easily be used for mortising without any likelihood of damage. So it seems that a good set of bevel-edge chisels is all you need.

New chisels are not usually sharpened. To get a cutting edge, first make sure that the back of the chisel is flat by rubbing it across an oilstone until an even polished surface is obtained. Then hone the edge using the technique des¬cribed for a plane iron. The sharpening angle of a chisel is very critical; a vari¬ation of only 3 degrees can make as much difference to the life of the blade as the total variation in blade quality of most of the brands on the market. For good quality chisels on softwood, the best grinding angle is around 30 degrees. On hardwoods, this figure should be in¬creased to around 35 degrees. Increasing the angle means that more force is re¬quired to use the chisel. On the other hand, decreasing the angle will increase wear. Even a good chisel will blunt rapidly with a honing angle less than about 27 degrees.

Chisels are used for a wide variety of jobs and, like screwdrivers, they tend to be used for some rather unorthodox tasks – often to their detriment. Their main intended uses are:

• removing wood when making joints such as housing, lap joints, mortises and dovetails
• paring, or removing thin slivers from the edge of a piece of wood, often across the grain.

For paring, you use a chisel with its bevel upwards. Always make sure that you keep both hands behind the cutting edge – one hand on the handle and the other over the top of the blade. And always secure your workpiece firmly. Make sure that if the chisel slips it will not cause damage to you or the wood.

When removing wood from a mortise, you generally drive a chisel into the wood with a mallet. When you do this, start the cut well on the waste side of the wood, with the flat side of the blade nearest the cutting line. If you start the cut on the line, the wedge shape of the blade tip will drive the blade past it when the chisel is driven in. Moreover, the tendency to use the edge of the wood as a fulcrum when levering out the waste wood will bruise the edge of the wood left and create an unsightly joint. When most of the waste wood has been removed, clean up to the line by paring away the remain¬ing wood. You can speed up making mortises by drilling out some wood first.

Scott Phillips demonstrates sharpening with diamond stones from Woodcraft.

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Woodworking chisels and gouges (British standard 1943)

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Woodwork Joints

Anatomical Structure of Woodwork Joints

Depending on the type of woodworking project you may have in mind, the following will help you decide on what appropriate woodwork joint to use. With the advent of new tools and machineries, traditional joints have evolved in various types. These woodwork joints differ in styles but have the ultimate purpose of making a strong and stable woodwork.

1. Square **** Joint. Simply known as the **** joint, it is the most basic joint in joining two pieces of timber relying solely on glue to stick it together. The advantage of this is its being quick and easy to make. It is very useful in making boxes and picture frames. However, since the end of the timber where glue is applied is porous which absorbs most of the glue, it becomes difficult to hold the timber together. On the other hand, this can be strengthened by using screws or pins as support.

2. Mitre or Miter Joint. This is a joint created by sawing one end of two parts to be joined at an angle of 45° to form a 90o angle corner. This is more often used in making picture frames than **** joints. Although this popular method of joining is cheap, it requires accurate cutting to achieve its best strength and visual appeal.

3. Dado Joint. Also known as the housed joint, this type of joint is most popularly used in making bookcases, shelves, and drawers . Unlike **** joints, this joint does not need the benefit of any glue or ***** to hold it in place. To make a dado joint, a cut in one piece of wood receives the end of the other. It is much stronger than the **** joint and has a more professional appeal.

4. Dowel Joint. To make a dowel joint, drill aligning holes in each piece of wood then by using glue attach the dowels in place for a tight joint. To achieve high accuracy, it requires a dowelling jig and bits. Use a jig and a drill press to obtain straight holes with uniform depth.

5. Mortise-and-Tenon Joint. This joint is used to Join two members perpendicularly. A rectangular projection from the end of one piece called the tenon fits snugly into the mortise cut in the second piece. This strong and traditional joint can be made even stronger by adding a peg. This is commonly used in antique furniture building.

6. Tongue-and-Groove Joint. Also known as the finger joint, this joint allows for wood shrinkage, it’s great for floors and paneling. Long tapered tongues or fingers that interlock join two pieces of timber lengthwise. A high powered router is used to cut a groove in the edge of one piece and a tongue on the other to fit into the groove.

7. Through-Dovetail Joint. This is one of the most stylish joints available, but also one that requires additional patience and more accuracy to cut. The interlocking cut of the wood makes it really strong plus gives more visual interest. This type of joint is used in the manufacture of superior furniture.

8. Lap Joint. This is made by laying one piece on top of another. This can be used either in an angle or lengthwise joint. Lap joints can be made manually with a saw and chisel, on a table saw or radial arm saw with a dado blade, or with a router and a straight bit. Meanwhile, there is a variation of a lap joint which is the half lap joint. This is when half of the thickness from each piece is removed. To make a half lap joint, several cuts half the depth of the material is made while the excess is removed with a chisel.

Now that you know most of the different types of woodwork joints and you can now determine which is best suited for your next woodwork project, there is no reason why you shouldn’t start working on it.

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