Woodworker, The (1940)

your life [Music] work great buildings are constructed of stone concrete bricks steel and other materials in addition to Wood the woodworker plays a very important part in their construction however Carpenters erect the scafolding which is an example of rough carpentry and does not require a high degree of accuracy or tool skill building forms for concrete work is also rough carpentry for when Foundation walls are to be of solid concrete forms are necessary to provide reasonably smooth surfaces today plywood is used extensively for this purpose because of its flexibility and large smooth surfaces the plywood is prepared at the Mill by putting together several thin sheets of wood in the dimensions needed this has limited the carpenter's work in building forms out of lumber although more work has been created for workers in plywood Mills on many smaller buildings the forms for concrete pouring are still made from common Lumber and provide work of rough nature for the local Carpenter a barn is an example of rough carpentry as our hog houses and other farm buildings such as poultry houses machine sheds granaries and corn cribs building a house involves a considerable amount of rough carpentry when the foundation is ready Sills and joists are laid and where Extra Strength is needed diagonal braces called bridging are nailed between the joists this is rough work as no attempt is made to get the angle of cut exactly right the rough floor is then laid over the joists forming what is commonly called the platform or deck upon this platform are erected the outside walls as they are framed openings are provided for doors and windows the outside is covered with material called sheathing this may be wood or one of numerous insulating materials the purpose of which is to keep the house warm in Winter and keep the heat out in hot weather as the outside finish is applied the door and window frames are set the inside walls which form the partitions are erected Carpenters on a framing job work as closely as possible to exact dimensions while studing and joists are sobed to fairly exact dimensions the variation in length may be as much as 1/4 in without creating any serious difficulty when the walls are ready the roof structure is framed this consists of Rafters and sheathing and although classified as rough carpentry it involves careful measuring and cutting to get a reasonably accurate fit when the roof covering is completed the inside work May progress regardless of weather after the plastering is finished and properly dried the Carpenters return to install the inside finish this requires very careful accurate work in order that all parts will fit exactly certain fixtures such as stairs and cabinets are usually built at the Mill but their installation on the job requires skill and judgment the Carpenters lay the floor usually of hardwood over the rough flooring doors are made to fit exactly before they are hung usually they have been made by a machine and assembled at a woodworking Mill cabinets of various kinds and sizes which have been assembled in the mill are grouped together in the finished house to form any cupboard Arrangement which may be desired in former days such cabinets were entirely built by the Carpenters on the job today the field of cabinet making has been reduced greatly by the substitution of other materials for wood and the use of specialized machines in woodworking Mills for the most part the men in the Mills are machine operators rather than wood workers although they do work with wood a certain degree of skill is necessary to operate the machines however and this work provides considerable employment in the assembly departments the workmen put together window Dash as well as doors if the machine work has been done properly the assembly usually goes along without difficulty however just a slight variation in the size of a piece or swelling of the wood due to excessive moisture in the air may cause problems which require considerable judgment and skill to solve in the stairbuilding department special orders which vary from stock designs create problems which require Ingenuity and some creative ability on the part of the stair Builders consequently this is a very high type of work and only Woodworkers with great skill and long experience are entrusted with it to those well qualified it offers a very satisfying occupation in The Woodworking field there are jobs for workers of all degrees of skill if you prove your ability to take on extra responsibility you may become a foreman or an inspector although most Furniture is machine made in large quantities there is still some employment for well-trained workers in the building of made to order furniture and cabinets cabinet shops usually are small in size for quality of product rather than quantity is the first consideration these Craftsmen are generally older and highly skilled men who learn their trade through apprenticeship this is still probably the best way to get started and become successful in this trade the shop work you take in school will also help fine veneers are used in much of the furniture made in these shops in the mill the veneer is sliced from logs in thin sheets by great knives and then cut into sections of convenient size in the furniture shop the veneer is glued to the groundwork or core of solid wood the veneer is placed in a press where the glue sets and the layers become fastened solidly together effects of great Beauty are obtained by using veneers and this work calls for skill and true Artistry in selecting and combining various woods and veneers Craftsmen such as these are able to perform many different operations in the shops even to finishing the furniture with stain and varnish Fine Furniture making is a fascinating field but one which is somewhat limited because the higher cost of skilled handwork reduces the market for such articles pattern making is another important branch of woodworking this wooden pattern of a flywheel for example is necessary in forming a hollow mold in sand into which molten metal is poured to form this metal casting later the casting is machined and finished ready for use in the pattern shop the maker of wooden patterns works from a drawing or blueprint which has been supplied him he uses various woodworking machines and hand tools his work must be extremely accurate and it is Complicated by the fact that the pattern usually is made in two or more pieces so that it can be removed from the sand molds when the pattern is finished the inside Corners are rounded by means of fillets the whole pattern is then shellacked the true test of a pattern is the ease with which sand mols can be made from it if the wooden pattern is used a great many times the sand soon destroys the wood therefore when many castings are needed metal patterns are cast from the original wooden Master pattern and are used by the molders the pattern in this case made of metal is placed in a special container known as a flask special molding sand is sifted over the pattern and pressed tightly around it the pattern is carefully removed and a hollow space the exact shape of the pattern is left in the sand into this cavity molten metal is poured which may be iron aluminum brass or various Alloys the flask is opened after the metal is cooled and hardened the sand is removed and the casting has the shape of the original pattern there are numerous independent job shops which make patterns in addition to those which are Departments of large companies the independent shops do a much wider variety of work although they employ the same principles and processes because of the great variety of work they frequently require a higher degree of skill on the of their workmen the majority of contractors have come up through the carpentry field and owners of Mills cabinet shops and pattern shops are usually masters of their trades so there is the possibility of a business of your own young men are getting a start today as apprentices or as carpent helpers practice on the job accompanied by further training in evening or correspondence schools should result in progress in an interesting occupation but success in this field as in all others requires hard work and study if you are interested in any phase of woodworking investigate it thoroughly and learn carefully the basic tool processes as taught in your school Woodworking Shop it is the use to which you put the tools that counts and this requires training of the Mind learn to read and interpret drawings the language of construction and develop your ability in mathematics The Sciences you study in school will also be a help to you spend as much time as possible in your own woodworking shop at home use your spending money to build up a set of tools and to buy material with which to work if you can make woodworking a successful hobby you have a good chance to make it a successful occupation