Woodworking alphabet starting with….
A…….Automata 
Making wooden toys, which can be animated by a series of hidden cogs, gears and pullies, has been around for centuries.
The amazing contraption featured in this video illustrates what can be achieved by a skilled craftsman….. Catch Me If You Can
Companion post Toy Automata To Whirligigs
B……..Beads
Wooden beads can be very useful in jewellery making. You can colour wash and decorate them to create an exciting range of necklaces and bracelets.
Companion post Three Exciting Jewelry Projects
C…….Carving
Grinling Gibbons
The finest examples of wood carving can be found in churches and palatial houses throughout Europe.
Arguably the finest exponent of the craft was a Dutch/Englishman called Grinling Gibbons. This photo shows a Gibbons carving from St James Church, Piccadilly, London.
Companion post The Age Old Pastime of Whittling
D……Dremel
Where would wood crafters be without their Dremel?
These small, versatile drills have a huge number of accessories to choose from, which enable you to drill, sand, rout, cut, engrave, grind, polish and more….
Companion post Make with Dremel
E…….Electric Tools
Again, where would a woodworking be without electric tools?
So many time consuming jobs can now be carried out with powered tools. Not only can the work be carried out quicker, but also with much greater precision.
Companion post Essential Woodworking Tools
F……..Furniture
Chippendale chairs
Ever since our ancestors sat on logs in a cave, mankind has been making furniture from wood….from four poster beds to Welsh dressers.
Furniture styles are continually changing from Chippendale chairs of the late 1700s through to G Plan in the 1950s
Now YOU can make upcycled pallet and barrel chairs!
Companion post
15 Great Whiskey Barrel Projects
G……….Glue
Cave dwellers in South Africa protected their wall paintings with glue over 70,000 years ago.
Much later, glue was used in the construction of the artefacts buried with the Pharaohs in Egypt
Glue, as we know it today, was invented around 1750. The main ingredient to make this glue came from fish or horses.
It wasn’t until 1947 that the first multi-purpose PVA glue came on the market. Many other specialist glues were to follow.
Companion post Drill Bits, Glues and Sandpaper
H……..Hand Tools
acerminaro.blogspot.com
Hand tools were the only way to work wood until Duncan Black and Alonzo Decker launched their pistol grip, electric drill in 1916.
Before that date small woodworking jobs had to be carried out using hand tools. The origins of basic hand tools like hammers and axes are lost in the mists of time.
Companion Post The Age Old Pastime Of Whittling
I…….Intarsia
Intarsia uses different shapes, thicknesses and species of wood to form a mosaic like design with a 3D effect. The grain and colouring of various woods are used to create the picture or pattern.
The pieces of wood, which are cut out with a scroll saw, interlock tightly together.
Companion post Intarsia – An Introduction
J………Joints
There are seven primary woodworking joints…..Butt, Dado & Rabbet, Tongue & Groove, Dovetail, Finger, Mortise & Tenon and Lap.
A particular joint is selected for its strength in a certain situation. For example, dovetail joints are often used to join the sides of drawers.
Companion post The Characteristics of 7 Woodworking Joints
K………Knife
Draw Knife
Many types of knife have been developed for different applications…. carving, whittling, crafts and a Japanese knife for marking.
Perhaps one of the most versatile knives is the draw knife, which was used by bodgers for making legs for chairs.
They often worked in woodland, stripping the hewn beech with draw knives prior to turning and finishing.
Companion post Essential Woodworking Tools
L……..Lathes
The earliest known use of lathes was in China, where lathes were used to sharpen tools and weapons in about 400 BC.
In Europe Leonardo da Vinci designed a lathe, although there is no evidence it was used for commercial purposes.
In England the pole lathe was used by bodgers, who worked in woodland, turning chair legs.
The treadle lathe was used extensively throughout the Industrial Revolution. It could create a wide variety of quality items very rapidly.
The introduction of electric lathes with rotating mandrels in the early 1900s
completely revolutionised the industry.
Companion post
Woodturning – An Introduction
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Get more inspiration and ideas by visiting my Pinterest site……………The World of Wood Crafts
You may like to read some of my other posts……..
Pallet Furniture – 15 Great Projects
15 Small Woodworking Projects
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