Carpentry or carpentry is the process of making or building something out of wood. Two of the most famous wood craftsmen are Norm Abram and Roy Underhill. Norm is a “master carpenter” on the PBS shows This Old House and The New Yankee Workshop. The New Yankee Workshop featured a furniture project each week, and Norm emphasized safety in the use of power tools and other equipment. Norm’s well-known fondness for plaid shirts has been parodied by Al Borland, a character on ABC’s Home Improvement. Norm’s projects have blueprints, drawings, material lists and everything you need to complete a project just like he did on TV every week.
The carpenter with the handlebar mustache and driving cap is Roy Underhill, host of Wood Wright’s Shop on PBS. Roy instructs his viewers in the traditional art of woodworking with hand tools. In fact, every hand tool used in the show is manually operated, which means nothing is electric. He builds things as if they were made in colonial times. He is held in such high regard by hand tool enthusiasts that he is often referred to as “St. Roy”. Underhill has written several books with detailed drawings and practical plans for some of the projects seen on his show. These projects include a cane chair, a telescoping music stand, a Windsor swivel chair, and a fireplace bellows.
Many people choose woodworking as a hobby, and can be found diligently painting in their workshops as often as possible. Most search the Internet for a plan of wooden furniture that they can download and use to create a beautiful home project. A popular project is a rocking horse that will give your children hours of fun. There are many other plans and plans available that are geared towards toddler nursery toys and accessories. Plans include small Adirondack chairs and other children’s furniture, personalized toy chests, dollhouses with furniture, and toy cars and trucks.
Many free woodworking plans can be found online for all your wood furniture needs. You can find plans from a closet to a dresser that you can build in your own shop. Not only can you build great handmade furniture in any style, it will be much cheaper than trying to buy similar antiques for your home. In no time you’ll want your own TV show like Norm Abram and Roy Underhill!