A look at Modern Woodwork

Although no formal blog post was required this week, our introduction to the intricate woodwork the English were performing as early as the 16^th century had me motivated to research a bit of modern wood manipulation. 

I was quite fascinated in how the Tudor furniture we saw often employed the use of lathe work in order to achieve some of the stunningly symmetrical wooden furniture presented during lecture. 

This certainly added to my understanding of the craftsmanship heritage the English share, and to see how far back the use of machining dates within English history was striking. 

I wanted to gain a bit of insight on how some of this furniture is made, and soon realized that YouTube is once again a powerful resource in gaining a bit of introductory knowledge. One channel that particularly stood out to me was that of Frank Howarth. He films beautifully detailed videos that explain his craft in great detail, while he creates furniture and other useful items using numerous types of wood, employing various joining techniques, all at the aid of his detailed sketch work. This is brought together with great knowledge of machine work, in order to create some truly unique pieces of art.

His posts are certainly best enjoyed in YouTube's HD formats, and I would encourage to watch them directly on the website.

These first three videos involve the building of a desk for his son, from initial sketching all the way to finished product.

  

These next two videos involve turning a large piece of Walnut wood into two impressive segmented bowls.

Although these videos do not pertain to the Tudor style in particular, they help to illustrate how foundational the use of lathe work is and has been in the manipulation of wood for hundreds of years.