Professional furniture makers generally specialize in using either "solid" or "manufactured" wood. There are times when both these methods are combined. Just because most modern furniture is made of veneered chipboard, this construction technique is not necessarily inferior to solid wood and can often last longer with proper care and handling.
Before the advent of manufactured board, almost all furniture makers used solid wood, but modern solid wood is commonly referred to chair making, frames and small carcase work using traditional joints. Veneered work is predominantly "flat panel" work using a manufactured board such as chipboard or MDF as the base material.
Contemporary Wood Desk
Essential solid wood construction
Solid wood, being fibrous in nature shrinks and expands across the grain as it takes in or loses moisture. This may be unequal on each side of a board causing bowing or twisting. There are also internal stresses caused during the growth stages of the tree and subsequent seasoning. Solid wood construction has to provide for timber movement. Well designed solid wood construction should either minimize the problem of movement or allow for it, even while maximising the strength of the material.
Different species of wood vary enormously in strength and movement. For instance oak is rigid and fairly stable, as is ash. Seasoned beech is tough and stable, while elm is brittle and moves a lot. Often the most exotic timbers are the wildest to work with, such as yew, which can contain tiny cracks or shakes in the tree. So before embarking on a woodworking project it is important to carefully select the wood to be used.
Solid wood is well suited for framework, panel construction, solid carcases, tables and chairs. Solid wood frames can be made in a number of ways from simple mitre or halving joints to haunch mortice and tenons. Picture frames can be cut on a mitre saw and reinforced with veneer keys, while table frames can be dowelled. A sturdy framed door can be mortice and tenoned for maximum strength.
Traditional frame and panel construction, with haunched mortice and tenons has resolved the problems of strength and timber movement. The early medieval oak paneled chest is a source of inspiration even today and many interiors still use this faultless method of construction.
Drawers with lap dovetails at the front, common dovetails at the rear and a grooved solid drawer at the bottom are made by many contemporary woodworkers. The precision fit of a drawer in a cabinet requires all the skills of woodworking, not least of all the gluing up of the drawer and the carcase frame.
The simplicity of manufactured board construction
Woodworkers are divided over their preference for chipboard or MDF. MDF tends to be heavier and more expensive and its dark colours can show through light coloured veneers such as sycamore. MDF is however considered more stable than chipboard.
Manufactured board is suitable for flat panel construction, which can be painted, lacquered or veneered. There is no reason why manufactured board cannot be used for certain framed structural applications, provided its tendency to sag is taken care of. It is generally a good idea to use these materials in panels, making sure that the dimensions are fairly stout. Particle boards are however not suited for making shelves, as they are bound to sag unless reinforced with solid wood.
In preparing drawers from manufactured board, an important consideration of furniture makers is how to deal with the edges; whether they should be lipped, radiused or left square. The contact surfaces for sliding need to be durable, preferably of hardwood integrated into the structure.
While deciding on whether to use solid or manufactured wood, furniture makers need to take into consideration cost, durability and customer preferences. It is vital to keep a pulse on the market and anticipate future trends to be able to meet market needs. For custom built furniture, the choice is dictated by the owner, and depends on the budget of the customer.