1. Objective 2.02: Selecting Furniture

2. Understanding furniture construction will help you choose the highest quality furniture for your money

3. USING WOOD IN FURNITURE

4. A wood grain, or pattern, is formed as a tree grows Wood grain influences the construction of furniture.

5. SOLID WOOD: Whole pieces of the same wood used to make exposed furniture surfaces.

6. HARDWOODS Deciduous trees lose leaves in the fall: maple, oaks, walnut Can be sanded and refinished Expensive

7. SOFTWOODS Coniferous trees remain green all year: pines, cedars, firs Inexpensive

8. VENEERS A thin layer of expensive wood over inexpensive wood Allows you to get the look of more expensive wood at a lower price.

9. PRESSED WOOD (particle board) Wood shavings, chips, and sawdust mixed with glue May be used as the base for veneers.

10. BASIC FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION

11. Joint – the place where one piece of wood is connected to another The joint determines the furniture’s strength.

12. Mortise-and-Tenon Strongest of all joints Cannot wobble and difficult to pull out Joins legs and rails in chairs and beds  Difficult to mark and cut out.

13. Dowel (can be single double, triple) Quick and easy to make  Drilling accurate holes difficult.

14. Dovetail Very strong joint and resists being pulled apart Good for joining all sides of drawers  Difficult to mark and cut out.

15. Tongue and Groove Easy to measure and cut; invisible Used for table tops and floors  Tongues can break easily; cannot be disassembled.

16. Butt Easiest to make  Weakest type of joint.

17. Corner Blocks Added to make joints more secure, such as the frames of chairs and tables.

18. Mitered Aesthetically pleasing  Not very strong.

19. FURNITURE FINISHES

20. Furniture finishes protect wood, and enhance or change the wood color.

21. Stain: adds color without covering the grain.

22. Varnish, lacquer, or polyurethane: clear and adds protection.

23. Paint: covers the wood and is the least expensive

24. UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE

25. Upholstered Furniture Components Hard wood frame secured with a corner block Hand-tied springs to prevent sagging Padding Cushions Fabric.

26. OTHER FURNITURE MATERIALS

27. Plastic Inexpensive, lightweight, easy to clean.

28. Metals: wrought iron, steel, aluminum, and chrome

29. Rattan, Wicker, and Bamboo combine natural wood frames with woven stems or branches.

30. Glass should be tempered - break into small pebbles instead of sharp pieces.

31. Wood Plastic Metal Rattan Wicker Bamboo Glass