How Woodworking Differs From Other Art Mediums

The art medium of woodworking differs from all other art mediums in numerous ways. In this day and age the woodworker has to be environmentally conscientious because in today?s society the rainforests and the depletion of trees is a major concern. Rainforests provide a home for many species of plants and animals and provide drugs that help cure and fight diseases for mankind. Trees are also the number one rejuvenator of oxygen. Also if correct timber cutting practices are used soil erosion is reduced dramatically making the land useful.

Wood is a renewable natural resource. If we are environmentally conscientious it can remain indefinitely. Today there are numerous sustainable sources available to the woodworker. The wood that I normally use includes unique Native American woods, wood that comes from managed forests, tree plantations, rediscovered wood or woods that are endorsed by the Rainforest Alliance. I donate 1 1/2% of your purchase to the National Arbor Day Foundation to plant new trees, 1 1/2% to the Rainforest Alliance to help preserve the rainforests and 3% from each sale of any item made from Empress wood to World Tree Technologies toward the continuation of their work in utilizing the Empress tree for the improvement and beautification of our environment.

Inhaling the dust of most wood or exposing it to your eyes or skin, is at the minimum an irritant, the reaction can vary depending on the individual from mild to severe. Precautions must be taken by using appropriate safety equipment (i.e. OSHA approved dust masks, safety goggles and dust collectors.) In some instances it is even necessary for a woodworker to avoid a particular species of wood due to having a reaction to it {mine is zebrawood.}

Wood (even the hardest hard wood) is a frustrating substance using extremely sharp tools and care does minimize splitting, chipping and tearing out. But no matter how careful you are, the fore mentioned will still happen when you least expect it. I select wood for a project for its grain, figure patterns {reading the wood} color and how much it moves {expands and contracts} with temperature & humidity changes.

A lot of stationary and hand power tools have an rpm rate of 5,000 to 30,000 (30,000 rpm is equivalent approximately 110 mph) these are very dangerous, especially since your fingers and hands can be less than one inch from the rotating blade or bit. Due to the high speed at which the bit is rotating if it breaks it will fly with such force as to go through a sheetrock wall (as this has happened to me.) I have designed and built jigs not only to make certain operations safer but also faster and in some instances even eliminating the danger completely.

Noise from the stationary and hand power tools can be deafening, you should always use earplugs to soften the sound. Do not block the sound out completely as you need to hear the motors as you feed the wood through, especially with routers or shapers. I call this machine woodworking by ear.

I use numerous hand tools, hand power tools and stationary power tools. Because tools are very expensive the initial investment of starting a woodworking business, is more than the majority of artistic mediums {photography, being one of the exceptions.} Cabinet or furniture makers would even have more of an initial investment because of the size of the stationary power tools.

A woodworker with many types of tools has to learn the correct operating procedures, adjustments, {some extremely critical} safety precautions of each and every one of those tools. Not mandatory but extremely cost effective for the business, one should learn how to sharpen their saw blades, planer blades, and router bits etcetera. Some of mine, I grind at special angles for maximum efficiency and to help make producing quality easier.

A lot of the wood finishes that are used by woodworkers are harmful because of the fumes or contamination through the skin. I always use protective gloves and proper ventilation or an appropriate mask/respirator {which at times are very uncomfortable.}

Last but not least a true woodworking artist has to craft each one {craftsmanship of risk} of a limited edition of say 50, thus making each one just a trifle different. No copying the other 49 with technology {craftsmanship of certainty.}

I will end with one of my sayings

"The two main differences between a professional woodworker and professional woodworking artist are the latter creates by letting his imagination run wild, then uses his skill to make his imagination a reality, then incorporates all the mistakes into the design enhancing it to where, people assume what they are looking at was the original design thus showing true excellence."

Johnny W. Morlan