A Brief Guide to Different Types of Woodworking

You’ve heard the words “carpentry” and “woodworking,” but have you ever wondered what they mean specifically? Simply speaking, “carpentry” tends to refer to using wood in building and construction projects, while woodworking is more about building things out of wood. This isn’t to say one is better than the other. In fact, at times, carpentry tends to spill into woodworking, and vice versa. For the purposes of this article, however, we’re going to explore the variety inherent in woodworking itself. Here’s a brief guide to different types of woodworking.

Furniture-Making

The first thing most people imagine when they think of carpentry and woodworking is furniture-making. Turning wood into beautiful furnishings is a tradition that goes back centuries. Chairs, tables, couches, cabinets, bookshelves, desks, display cases, and more are all great projects for custom woodworking and furniture-making. But woodworking, in this case, isn’t just about building furniture; it can also involve restoring antique furniture by recrafting broken or missing parts and reassembling busted-up pieces.

Wood Turning

Wood turning could be called a woodworking technique rather than a separate practice, since it uses a handy tool known as a lathe. The lathe is a horizontal tool that holds wood in place and spins it at a high speed. As it spins, the wood turner uses their tools to bring a uniform (or nonuniform, if the project demands it) shape to the wood. Many skilled artisans produce gorgeous furnishings and decorations using the lathe and assorted carving tools. Wood turners can carve lovely and smooth table and chair legs, bowls, pots, rings, spoons, and so much more.

Scroll Sawing

Another handy tool for carpentry and woodworking in general, a scroll saw also lends itself to the beautifully ornate crafting of thinner wood into elaborate shapes and designs. Scroll saws have thin blades that can be removed and replaced from the device to fit inside a hole drilled in the wood, permitting intricate sawing where other blades won’t fit. Scroll saws can be used to create delicate inlaid wood projects, dovetail joints for larger joinery projects, wall decorations, and even toys and musical instruments.

Wood Carving

We’ve provided a brief guide to different types of woodworking, and while all require a skilled set of hands, wood carving is more hands on than other machine-driven techniques. Wood carving traditionally involves using a mallet and chisel as well as other cutting and crafting tools to sculpt wood into assorted forms, often decorating larger wood projects such as doors, furniture, or sculptures.

Do you have questions about custom woodworking in Ohio, or are you seeking beautiful and useful furnishings and decorations for your home? Contact us at KPCC Woodworking. We’re located in Ohio but open to inquiries from anywhere!