Furniture Design I

Material property: An introduction into types of sawn and the property of natural timber and synthetic wood (plywood and MDF). Through lectures and visiting a local saw mill you will be able to select and utilise materials according to structural, decorative and economical considerations. Dressing and cutting timber: An introduction to uniforming the thickness, width and length of wooden boards. You will learn how to use the electric hand saw, band saw, industrial planer, thickness sander and table saw to replicate wooden boards before doing joinery. Traditional joinery: An exploration of conventional joineries to construct non-flat pack furniture. These joining methods include dovetail, butterfly and wedge, mortise & tenon. You will learn how to apply the combination of traditional hand-tools, power-tools and industrial machineries in order to demonstrate various ways of joining vertical and horizontal planes with the regard of utility, beauty and economy. The use of jigs: In order to achieve the precision of replicated joints, you will learn both the customisation and usage of jigs. Modern joinery: An introduction to modern joineries to construct knock-down furniture. These joining methods include butt and mitre joints. You will learn how to demonstrate methods of assembling and disassembling vertical and horizontal planes with the use of industrial fittings. This introduction will let you explore how to create furniture with regard to economical transportation and production. Class assignments: Four major assignments explore the making and usage of joints for structural, economical, remedial and aesthetic purposes. These will be developed through lectures, field trip, tutorials, class exercises and peer/instructor feedback sessions.