Old furniture construction Vs. today...

[Jerry Olexa]

We have a treasured, older armoire that my wife and I bought when we were first married.. We both thought it would work well in our cabin ..It was stored for many years in the basement. As I attempted to move it, I noted it it was extremely heavy.. It was necessary to remove the doors and actually take it apart into two big sections. As I was doing this I noticed the hidden craftsmanship: i.e., the way they do not build furniture today..Everything was authentic dovetails, mortise and tenon joints everywhere and extra glue blocks..Of course, all hardwood...And dust trays between the drawers etc etc ... Times have changed and along with it; attention to quality and detail..Just a passing thought on a rainy afternoon. Boy it sure was heavy, even after I broke it down.

[John Brennaman]

My daughter tells me I have turned her into a "wood snob". She won't buy any type of wood product if she can get me to make it for her. And when she went house hunting all she could do was criticize the cabinetry and the trim work. I have created a monster.

[Jim Becker]

The change is a result of multiple things...new materials and techniques and the public's requirement for low costs. All that "traditional" joinery takes time to do and labor is expensive. For those of us who build for our own purposes, we have the opportunity to use these traditional methods and materials or combine the techniques with different materials or use newer methods and newer materials. Etc. Etc. And it's nice to have choices!

[Dave Lehnert]

Back in the day people would buy furniture that would last a lifetime. Today style and taste change so much that furniture is no longer a lifetime purchase. So is it necessary to buy solid wood furniture with dovetailed drawers?
15 or 20 years ago I purchased a very well made computer desk made of oak ( no time to build one). Sliding keyboard tray, shelf for your CD's and floppy disks. Today it just sits in the corner of the room. How many people at home use a desktop today? I use a laptop and tablet.
How about the huge entertainment centers of years past, Today's wide screen TV's wont fit into most of them.
I don't do much, if any woodworking for others like I had years ago but friends would tell me I over built things. They were happier with stuff built with 2x4's and plywood. Quicker to build and much lower cost. Things I think look terrible, other non-woodworkers don't even notice.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

You nailed it Dave.

I have this absolutely incredible furniture that I obtained from my wife's grandmother when she died. My Mother-in-law offered to purchase new furniture for my daughter's bedroom where we have this old furniture... I said no way! That old furniture has face matched amazing drawer fronts, incredible grain on all surfaces... Oh yeah, and great construction methods. My mother-in-law had never given it a second thought. She was just thinking "new is always fun to have".

[John TenEyck]

Some people appreciate and value classic old pieces, or new ones built in the same way. Those become cherished pieces passed from one generation to the next. Others could care less how something is built as long as it looks good, and will readily replace it when they move or remodel. Neither is right, neither is wrong. But don't kid yourself that the old masters did things like they did because it was the right way. They did it because someone was paying them, and they changed their construction and finishing depending upon who they were building for. The pieces you see today are mostly the high end ones that survived not necessarily because they were built so much better but because they were sold to people who paid a lot for them and cared for them - or had their staff do so. The lower quality stuff they made was sold to people who used it hard, and most of it fell apart after a couple of generations of use/abuse. In that regard, not much has changed.

John

[Harold Burrell]

The pieces you see today are mostly the high end ones that survived not necessarily because they were built so much better but because they were sold to people who paid a lot for them and cared for them...

I'm sorry, but...that statement doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. "Built better" = "Lasts longer".

[Lee Schierer]

My daughter tells me I have turned her into a "wood snob". She won't buy any type of wood product if she can get me to make it for her. And when she went house hunting all she could do was criticize the cabinetry and the trim work. I have created a monster.

Both of my kids do the same thing. When my daughter recently moved she had a number of friends help her. As they moved each piece of furniture I made, they would say "Your Dad must have made this, as it is really heavy". Her bedroom set is all red oak. The Armoire is particularly heavy, even with the doors off and the drawers removed. All the pieces are made of solid wood.

[Keith Hankins]

I too have become a snob of sorts. I understand the why's today. People want cheap. Second, you need to remember that joinery was what they had to work with. Modern glues would have been a dream to an old furniture maker. Third, moving anything back then would be a disaster if not over engineered. Finally they considered them selves a masters and artists. Thats a quality not seen much today, people have "Jobs". I like the thought that the pieces I've made will be around for centuries. I also like the idea of someone trying to figure out who was that hillbilly that signed the bottom of their furniture.

My brother has a great sign in his automotive repair shop. You can have it : 1)Done Right 2)Fast, or 3)Cheap.............. You pick two!

[Moses Yoder]

I am considering Thoreaus 10' x 10' cabin. All you would really have is something like a Hoosier cabinet, a bed, and a good Windsor chair, and then open shelves. None of it needs to be well made or to last long other than maybe the chair. What would be the reason for having big heavy furniture that lasts a long time? Is it a status symbol?

[glenn bradley]

I too am always fascinated and pleased to see quality craftsmanship in new or older pieces.


I'm sorry, but...that statement doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. "Built better" = "Lasts longer".

Quite true. I still have a bookcase in use that was part of the furniture "set" that was in the house where I grew up. As newlyweds my parents bought the best "starter" furniture they could afford. The quality and craftsmanship of even this basic furniture exceeds anything I see coming out of a production facility today (I'm sure there are exceptions and I certainly haven't seen everything :)). Sliding dovetails, locking rabbets, perfect edge miters, solid woods, no veneers, etc. The furniture does pale against custom furniture seen here and elsewhere but, for production run, entry level furniture, it has lasted generations and that includes the finish. Old doesn't automatically equal "good" but, quality equals "good" every time in my world.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

The pieces you see today are mostly the high end ones that survived not necessarily because they were built so much better but because they were sold to people who paid a lot for them and cared for them...

John

I'm sorry, but...that statement doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. "Built better" = "Lasts longer".
I completely agree with that statement.
It's why Mercedes paint last longer than Chevrolet.
Mercedes live in garages.

[Ellen Benkin]

A couple of years ago I was considering remodeling a bathroom in a summer place. I figured I could get the RTA cabinets at Home Depot or Lowes. My stomach churned as I looked at the construction. I finally decided that as a woodworker (even a hobbiest) I could not have that stuff in my house. The bathroom has not been remodeled.

[lowell holmes]

http://www.nbheritagevillage.com/

The link above is to a museum in Texas where furniture was made using native woods. The oak, pecan, and sometimes mahogany pieces have survived for over a century.

The craftsmanship is impeccable. It's worth a visit. It speaks to good materials and workmanship.

[Jerry Olexa]

A couple of years ago I was considering remodeling a bathroom in a summer place. I figured I could get the RTA cabinets at Home Depot or Lowes. My stomach churned as I looked at the construction. I finally decided that as a woodworker (even a hobbiest) I could not have that stuff in my house. The bathroom has not been remodeled.

I agree w Ellen. However, We woodworkers get spoiled .We expect the mass producers to use the same level of craftsmanship/attention to detail that we try to do with all our own efforts...today's world is full of speed ,lower prices and disposability ..very few have a true appreciation of the intricacies of building something right and looking at the long view..although that's a common bond most of us share here at SMC..maybe that is also why I love to examine older furniture and see how it was built...we all have our own standards...

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