Woodwork is the art of creating things out ofwood, which includes cabinet building, wood turning, furniture making, carpentering, joinery, and woodcrafting. Woodwork is an important part of decorating homes. In fact, it is one of the most important aspects of home decoration. The value of woodwork has increased over time and now they are considered collectibles. Some people prefer to build their own pieces of woodwork such as chairs, tables, shelves, chests, bookcases, closets and display cabinets. Woodwork can be made with a variety of techniques, including hand tools, power tools, automated machines, hand-powered equipment and automatic machines. Woodworking was one of the first skills developed by man. It has become a craft that requires patience, persistence, imagination and a lot of practice to master. One who wants to learn woodworking can take part in woodworking workshops or attend courses provided by schools or experts. There are different types of woodworking. Different woods have different characteristics, which imparts different qualities to the furniture made from them. For example, mahogany is a hard wood, which is ideal for carpenters and furniture makers. It is also resistant to insects, which makes it ideal for furniture that needs to be left outdoors. However, it is a bit expensive and it cannot be used to make flooring or other kinds of woodwork. People can learn to make beautiful looking interior woodwork using various techniques such as hand tools, power tools and even automated machinery. It is possible to make stunning looking furniture or custom woodwork, such as a set of matching chairs or a unique looking bed frame or bedroom dresser. In addition, they can be customized according to requirements, according to the tastes of the customer or according to a customers idea of design. One can design beautiful woodwork using many different techniques such as sanding, cutting, carving, planing and joining. Wood carving is a process that uses a hand tool to remove unwanted objects from the timber. Carving can be used to create sculptures and the end result is a highly detailed piece of furniture. The carving process may require some power tools, such as hand saws, sander, knives, chisels, grinders and others. There is a variety of wood that can be used for carving such as pine, cedar, elm, cherry, walnut, oak and beech. Some of the most common carvings include toys, plants, flowers, animals, birds, humans and religious statues. Woodwork that includes sanding, coasting and other methods of adding grain is known as sanding. It removes rough or uneven surfaces and adds smoothness to the wood. Coasting is a process that seals the surface of the wood. It is achieved by applying moist sand to the wood and then removing it after 24 hours. Sanding, coasting and other methods of adding grain are often done when working with tropical hardwoods such as teak or mahogany. Most hardwoods have a straight grain and are commonly referred to as straight-grain. Softwoods, on the other hand, have an alternate or circular grain that may be straight or lie at angles to the main grain. There are also hardwoods and softwoods and depending on the type of wood will determine the finish that is applied to the wood. Finishes such as oil, beeswax, acrylic, walnut, shellac, varnish and others are commonly applied to hardwoods to increase their durability. Finishes are also available for softwoods so that they may be use in more decorative ways. To determine the hardness (or softness) of the wood piece you wish to make you need to soak it overnight in water that contains two parts distilled bleach and one part water. Allow the wood piece to soak through overnight but donҴ allow it to become completely dry. Pat it dry with a soft cloth and you are now ready to select the right furniture woods to work with. The choice is yours!