Woodford Woodworking Co.
Furniture
Traditional Methods
When building a piece of furniture, it all starts with a conversation and a simple sketch. From here, we source lumber from local hardwood suppliers in the Blue Ridge area. After the wood is sourced, it needs to acclimate in the shop before building begins. Every piece of furniture we build has hand-cut joinery with traditional tools such as saws and chisels. Many of these tools once belonged to my wife’s grandfather and have been passed down through generations, connecting the work done in the shop today with the traditions of craftsmen who came before.
Demonstration
We will have several biology experiments that show how wood expands and contracts from moisture; the goal is to learn about wood movement. For our tool demonstrations, we will teach how to cut mortise and tenon joints with handsaws and chisels. Visitors will also learn about drawboring joinery and see the process demonstrated. Lastly, we showcase how applying an oil finish helps slow moisture exchange and limit wood movement.
Historical Connection
Our shop uses modern tools, but our approach to building furniture is drawn from the traditions of early American craftsmen. We opt for interlocking joinery such as mortise and tenon over screws. While traditional practices provide greater structural integrity, joinery alone isn’t enough; understanding wood movement is what makes furniture last.
To build quality furniture, you not only have to understand the basic biology of wood, but also how wood interacts with its environment. Craftsmen in years past not only understood their materials, but also implemented techniques that allowed for seasonal expansion and contraction in the pieces they built. This is the precise reason why a lot of furniture from the 1800s is still passed down generations later.
