Wood Working - The Design, Carpentry, Hand Carving, Inlay, Polishing, Finishing

The Design Phase of Wood Working

The first step is to determine what we are setting out to make, whether it's a table, chest, frame, door, chair (custom furniture), or a functional art piece. It is also important to decide if a simple or an extravagant look is required from the finished article. Depending upon this, one must decide on the combination of wood that one would like to use. For example, for a prominent and outward appearance we could combine wenge with mahogany and give it a glossy finish. Furthermore, the amount of carving and the detail required must be taken into account because not all wood is equally carver friendly. Also the finish desired is directly related with the wood chosen, for all types of wood can not be stained well and each has its own grain properties and finishing qualities.

Phases of Carpentry & Carving in Wood Working

The basic framework of the piece under construction is put together first. For instance, if we are building a chest, the outer frame structure is constructed first of all; all the inlay panels (sides, top, bottom etc.) are then created. It is important to highlight here a machine or power tool may only be used during this structuring phase in order to achieve a high level of quality and finish.

At the end of this initial structural phase, the carver takes over the article. First the carver draws out various required designs on each panel or sub-assembly. Then using only a variety of chisels and other types of hand-held carving tools, he/she painstakingly carves out the design details required on each individual solid piece of wood. Having completed the initial carving phase, the craftsman uses a variety of scrapers and other finishing edges in order to smooth-out the surface of the carvings and impart the final subtleties of design and detail. Once each individual piece is ready and finished, the craftsman begins the delicate task of joinery and assembles individual pieces giving the article a precise and perfect monolithic look. The piece is then ready to be finished.

Finishing Wood Work

It must be appreciated here that finishing of even plain surfaces is a difficult and challenging task. However, it becomes many times more difficult and challenging when deeply carved shapes are to be finished properly. Finishing of wood surfaces is essentially an iterative process which requires great deal of skill and patience. The wood surface is ground, oiled, grain filled and massaged during each iteration, to achieve an ever increasing fineness and smoothness. Sand papers and other emery artifacts are used starting with a grade of 100 going right down to grade 800 or 900 in gradual steps. Various varieties of grain sealers & oils are also rubbed into the surface for filling of microscopic grains in carved surfaces during each step, albeit only to be removed painstakingly in the next iteration; thus achieving a surface of increasing smoothness and quality. Plaster of Paris, common and convenient grain filler can not be used in top grade hand carving work. In deeply carved surfaces the surplus plaster of Paris is impossible to be taken out without some damage to the surface. Thus, more demanding and labor intensive alternative of using raisons found in natural oils and varnishes must be used instead. Where staining is also required, it must be applied in several thin coats iteratively, with rubbing and cleaning of the surface at each stage.

Once the surface has been finished to a desired degree of smoothness, and grain structure of the wood has been exposed to the maximum, matt or glossy lacquers are applied sparingly to seal and protect the surface from weather etc. This also must be done in different stages, using very thin coats to avoid marring the surface. In some cases a final coat of a UV resistant hard clear over-base is sprayed for added weather and heat protection.

Once the polishing is complete, all our gold plated hinges, latches, stays, etc. are placed on each piece. Our latches and hinges are also specially designed and hand carved to suit the looks of an individual article. The gold plating on metallic parts imparts durability of finish as well as beauty of design.

The finishing stage is both a science and an art form where most of the work is done by hand and takes from several days to several weeks in completion. On completion, each article is hand chiseled and branded by the carver.