C a rpenter

If you like to work with your hands and build things of all shapes and sizes,
this may be your dream job! Carpenters nail, screw, saw, measure, glue and
plan the construction of the wooden structures in, on and with which we live.
From houses to decks to tables and chairs, carpenters construct and create
structures in wood. They work alone and in teams and often have large and
small projects in progress at the same time. They use math to determine the
optimum material for a given construction plan. They use artistry to consider
the most attractive color, grain and texture of any project’s raw wood
material. Some work with architects and some create their own architectural
plans, requiring a thorough understanding of and comfort with geometry and
physics.

Top Ten
“Wood” Y ou Mind?
Carpenters are masters of wood and the tools they employ to work with
wood. It takes years of practice and hard work to achieve a thorough
understanding of the many techniques and methods used to create the most
beautiful and durable constructions. Here are ten considerations about wood
materials that a carpenter takes into account when planning a project.

AGING:
Woods differ by their aging processes, which can affect the way a carpenter
goes about construction. Some woods expand over time, while others
shrink. Some become brittle and some darken with time. Carpenters must
account for all of these considerations when planning a project. Aging will
also affect repairs. When repairing a damaged plank in an aging wood floor,
the color of the new plank won’t match for the first few years. A carpenter
must be able to anticipate and accommodate the particular changes
characteristic of the raw wood he or she is using to make effective repairs.

AROMA:
The aroma of a wood can make it ideal for specific projects. Woods often
have a signature scent that may fade over time, but many woodsy smells

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have benefits beyond what meets the nose. For example, Aromatic Cedar is
a deterrent to moths and other burrowing pests; this makes Aromatic Cedar
a favorite material for the construction of wool clothing storage trunks and
closets. Sandalwood is a wood favored for its relaxing scent, and it is often
used in bathrooms because its scent tends to become stronger around heat
and moisture. Zebrawood’s smell is described as spicy, unpleasant and
garbage-like unless it’s dry, so it would be a less desirable choice for humid
environments.

CLIMATE:
Woods tend to do best in the climates from which they are harvested.
Woods planted and cultivated in warm, moist climates such as the tropics
may become dry and brittle in colder, drier climates. This can lead to
splintering, cracking and breaking. Woods that grow in cold, dry climates
may become soggy and susceptible to burrowing mites in warm, moist
climates. For these reasons, a carpenter must consider the ideal climate for
a given wood when planning to embark on any new project.

COLOR:
The color of wood contributes to a carpenter’s plan for the visual aspects of
a particular project. Woods come in many shades from white to black,
blonde to brown, red to purple, and everything in between. Carpenters stain
woods to adjust shades subtly, and sometimes use paint to dramatically
change the appearance of finished projects. Purpleheart wood is famous for
its purple tones, Ebony is known for its jet black, almost grainless,
appearance. Woods can be combined to create delicate accents and
veneers – thin layers of decorative facing that are applied to a different core
material.

DURABILITY:
A carpenter must consider the use of his or her final product when selecting
the appropriate wood. Wood floors must be very durable, as they
experience foot traffic over many years, whereas the construction of theater
sets, which are typically temporary, needn’t be made of the most durable
material. For theater sets, the least expensive and lightest woods are often
the ideal candidates. The most durable woods are typically more expensive;

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therefore, the final use and budget of the product will determine how much
a carpenter must pay for raw materials.

EXPENSE:
Woods are harvested in specific areas. Some trees grow at high altitudes on
mountaintops; some thrive in low-lying areas or plains; others are only found
in rain forests and jungles. The cost of purchasing wood will vary depending
on how difficult it is to raise and harvest particular trees, how heavy the
wood is for shipment, how far it must travel to be purchased, and what types
of treatments it must go through to pass through borders of different
countries. Some trees are endangered, or extremely rare, and are therefore
very expensive to acquire. Examples of expensive woods are Koa, which
only grows at high elevations in Hawaii, and Rosewood, of which two
varieties are already extinct and the rest endangered. Inexpensive woods
are grown in many locations and are easy to cultivate. Pine is one of the
least expensive of the commercial woods available.

FINISH:
Once a carpenter completes a piece’s construction, he or she will often
apply a varnish. This will give the product smoother textures and
appearances and can also protect wood surfaces from wear and tear. Some
wood products do best unfinished. Cedar is a good example of a wood
usually left unfinished, as it loses its coveted aroma when covered by a
varnish. Deciding how to finish and if to finish are very important steps in the
completion of any carpenter’s work.

GRAIN:
The grain is the pattern, direction or arrangement of the fibers in wood.
Many woods are named for their grain. One example is Bird’s Eye Maple, a
wood in which the fibers create a pattern that looks like hundreds of bird’s
eyes in a square foot of raw material. Zebrawood’s grain is reminiscent of
zebra stripes. The most interesting grains can make a wood very coveted,
expensive and in some cases, even endangered. Carpenters sometimes use
woods with special grains as decorative elements in their projects.

POROUSNESS:
Woods range from very dense to very porous, depending upon how tightly

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the wood fibers are bound together. Density or porousness can determine
whether a particular wood is suitable for a given job. Porous woods are best
for light projects, such as the construction of lamps, kites and toys. Porous
woods do not hold varnishes as well as dense woods. Porous woods also
tend to attract pests such as termites and red ants if exposed to the
outdoors, and therefore do not make good material for the construction of
homes and buildings.

WEIGHT:
The weight of wood can determine whether or not it is suited for the
construction of particular products. Balsa wood is the lightest commercial
hardwood available, which makes it ideal for the construction of boats,
floating toys, model airplanes, and theater production sets; it floats, flies and
is carried easily. The South African Black Ironwood is the heaviest
commercial hardwood available and is used to create the sturdiest pieces. It
is tough on tools and expensive to ship; therefore, it is often used to create
small durable pieces such as knives and canes. Due to its density, it does not
float and would not be the right choice for building a canoe!

How to Get Ther e

Hit the Nail on the Head

• Hammer away! With adult supervision, try your hand at building

something. Start small: a birdhouse or mailbox. Build model airplanes
or boats. Make small wooden structures out of toothpicks or popsicle
sticks and see how they handle weather, water and wear.
• Put two and two together. Pay attention in your math and science
classes, especially arithmetic, geometry and physics.
• Be a tool. Familiarize yourself with different types of wood and tools.
Try to determine why certain constructions in your environment have
visible fasteners and others do not. Visit your local library and use the
Internet to learn about how carpenters work. Go to a hardware or
home store and talk with a sales associate about the tools and
materials they sell.
• Chop-chop. Get involved with carpentry classes. If your school has a

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 woodshop class, sign up! You can also search on the Internet to find
local groups involved in carpentry, such as Habitat for Humanity, which
accepts volunteer carpenters to build homes for families. They supply
everything, so it doesn’t cost you anything and gives volunteers a
great sense of contribution and accomplishment, along with a chance
to learn about carpentry.
• Search the Internet with keywords CARPENTRY FOR KIDS,
VOLUNTEER CONSTRUCTION, ARCHITECTURE FOR KIDS,
CARPENTRY CONTESTS and CONSTRUCTION MODELS.
• Building and bonding. Find someone to work with. Even if you’re both
learning from scratch, building something can be a great way to spend
time with a parent or friend.
• Master help. Professional carpenters often take on apprentices who
volunteer their assistance in order to learn the trade. Apprentices will
assist by prepping wood, sanding, finishing, measuring, etc. Have your
parent or guardian help you search your local area by phone book or
Internet for a master carpenter who may be willing to take you on as
his or her apprentice.

Activity
Measure for Measure
Most carpentry projects first require drafts – drawings with measurements
and weight requirement information – from which a carpenter can plan
construction. Because the final product is three dimensional, the drawing
must include measurements for height, width and depth for each piece of
wood used. Fasteners such as nails, screws and support brackets must be
listed and oriented as well. In this activity, you are going to produce drafts
from carefully observing finished constructions.

First, choose an item in your home that is made of wood. It will be easiest to
begin with something moveable so that you can view it from every side. This
can be a bookshelf, bed frame, chair, toy box – whatever.

On each of six pieces of paper, draw six sketches of the item, each showing
the item from a single side or perspective. One sketch will show a view of

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the item from the left, one from the right, one from the back, one from the
front, one from the top and the other from the bottom.

Begin each drawing with the overall picture view or facade, then add the
details. Be sure to mark the joints carefully – where the pieces come
together and how. Do they meet at an angle? Which piece sits below the
other? Where the pieces overlap, draw the edge of the under-piece as a
dotted line and the edge of the over-piece as a solid line. When you put
your drawings together, every side and piece of wood should be accounted
for.

Next come measurements. Using a ruler, take measurements and note the
results on each of your six drawings. For each piece of wood, mark its three
dimensions: length x width x depth (e.g., 4” x 9” x 13”). Then mark each
fastener and its type: nail, screw, track, tack, glue – whatever you find.
Indicate the placement of the fastener by drawing the over-side fasteners as
solid shapes (colored-in) and the underside fasteners as hollow outlines.

For each drawing, label the wood pieces with sequential letters (A, B, C)
and the fasteners with ascending numbers (1, 2, 3). Make sure that each
piece is labeled consistently from drawing to drawing, so that wood piece A
is the same piece on every drawing.

Indicate for yourself whether there appear to be different types of wood

used in a single construction. If so, label one type of wood with capital
letters and another with lowercase letters.

Next, on a separate sheet of paper make a list of all of your pieces and
fasteners. This should be easy now as your elements should be alphabetical
and numeric. Then add any other type of material used, such as wood glue
or paint. Lastly, ask yourself important finishing questions to help you
understand your overall project:

• Is one piece required to hold more weight than another?

• Is one piece more visible than another, and therefore more
decorative?

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 • Has one part of the construction worn away more quickly than
another?
Why or why not?
• Has the piece been carved?
• Is it finished with a lacquer?
• Does it have an aromatic quality?
• Is the color of the wood natural or is it stained or painted?
• What other observations can you make about the construction?

You should now have an accurate account of your piece from which a
duplicate could be modeled. If you have the materials, tools and a willing and
capable guardian, you may want to try a twin construction. But whether or
not you can make a duplicate piece, completing your drafts has certainly
afforded you a thorough understanding of how a carpentry project is
planned and executed.

Q&A
Q. What was y our mos t challenging jo b? What was s o challenging
ab out it, and how did y ou ad d ress the dif ficulties it p o sed?

Brian B., who has been doing carpentry in the New York area since 1998,
says:

One of my biggest challenges as a carpenter was putting an addition on a

client’s deck. It was particularly difficult because the ground where the
addition was going was sloped. I had to either fill the area with dirt and
secure the new earth from erosion by creating a frame made of a more
sturdy material such as concrete, or make really long support beams and
attach them to the existing deck with heavy duty fasteners and brackets.

If I chose the option of long support beams, I would need twice as much
lumber and expensive brackets. I decided that leveling the ground would be
a less costly and more reliable option. It would also be safer, since it would
not require a drop off at the edge of the deck. The most difficult aspect of
this part of the job was making sure the new deck would be level when

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finished. I also had the challenge of matching the wood to the existing deck.
I cut a small sample of the existing deck and took that with me when I
selected the new wood for the addition. Because the addition would be
exposed to weather, I could depend on the wood settling and changing
more quickly than it would if it were used indoors, so I found an almost
perfect match and was fairly certain that after staining, the difference in
woods would be almost invisible.

The deck addition turned out great and nobody can tell where the new
section was added. After the owners did a bit of landscaping along the
edge, it now looks like the deck was always as large as it is now.

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