Bench, work place and a small chair

Before making a household item, the wood is chosen to suit its job: a chair carries a person’s weight, so it is made of hard wood; a table carries less, so medium-hard wood is enough. Defective wood or plywood – cracked, rotten or knotty – is not used because it spoils the quality. A small chair is often made of plywood: first the template is traced onto the plywood through carbon paper, the lines are checked, and then the parts (legs, seat, side and back pieces) are cut with a fret saw. The cut edges are smoothed with abrasive paper, the parts are joined with PVA glue, and once the glue has dried the item is covered with lacquer or paint. To keep wood’s natural colour it is not painted, only lacquered: lacquer adds shine and protects from damp. The fret saw is used only under the teacher’s supervision with the plywood clamped in a vice and goggles on; a broken blade is replaced by an adult. A dust mask is worn when sanding, and lacquer and paint are used outdoors or in a ventilated room, away from flame, with an adult.