CARPENTER

 CARPENTER

It is fascinating, if one chooses to carefully follow how carpenters go about their assignments of  fabricating a variety of products like Doors, Door frames, Window frames, Windows , mounting grills into the wooden frame , louvres and every other item known or unknown to us. You may just wonder as to what is fascinating about the whole thing. Before coming to judgment, it is sensible to assess the requirement . Persons reading this blog post from outside Southern India may not concur with my observations, since what obtains in Northern states is far different from that it is done in South especially in Kerala. Those of us who have had the experience of building house , would have engaged a carpenter for wood work except if the whole project was assigned to a contractor. Often, people prefer to utilize the services of well-known carpenters  for the aesthetic presentation of wood components. Contractors have a tendency to exercise stringent cost reduction to stand higher profit for themselves. Cost reduction implies using low quality material and workmanship. If the wood work is segregated from structural works of masonry, contractors feel relieved that carpentry unless executed to perfection, would keep posing problems subsequently too. ,

Consider the totality of work in terms of carpentry.

Knowing the number of items to be made, the items of different dimensions are determined considering all aspects of budget , compromises in selecting wood , nature of iron grills and every other criterion likely to co-ordinate with wood work. The volume of  wood is calculated either in Cubic feet or in the form of  previously fabricated frames / planks of wood , working of some surface designs needed and the feasibility of wood for such  craftsmanship are evaluated. Mind you, the carpenter is not an engineering graduate; but he is adept in assessing the volume of material needed by merely measuring the vacant windows or doorways and fixes up the requirement. Good carpenters do not settle for ‘finished products’,  saying that the material provided is generally inferior though good –looking. After a few months or a year such products reveal blemishes like filled-up crevices/ cracks concealed by filler material etc. Most doors are machine finished by using wood pulp and not wood. The major attraction for such finished products is the instant availability for immediate use.

Our present mission pertains to recognizing the merits of our established carpenters who are unlettered men; yet they execute wood work by and large to precision. We must realize that measurements cannot be violated as addition of pieces cannot happen in wood work unlike in masonry where secondary corrections may be done. All such omissions and commissions in structure can be conveniently hidden by plastering. So, carpenters are cautious enough to use slightly longer dimensions to permit slight trimming down but additions are just ruled out.

Carpenters have a fine approach to work. Once at work, they only converse with the assistant exchanging mono-syllables asking him to drill hole or wedge out step for which the chief marks the limits of the territory. As and when a component is basically carved out, the chief makes a pencil mark of serpentine lines or X marks which he alone can decipher anytime later. There are characteristic practices of ‘frame joints’. The most avid of carpenters choose to design Cross –joints [MORTISE –TENON Joint] as against straight joints [BUTT Joint] since the latter tends to turn loose later. Cross –joints work as mutual opponents preventing any displacement. But, making a cross joint in wood demands precise cutting of joints without any deviation in angles. Carpenters use the ‘set-square’ exactly and draw the precise line for cross, in   mirror-like image angles. The joints are of the ‘dove-tail’ type. One segment has a cavity and the other has an  exactly fitting projection  tucked into the cavity  with glue or synthetic adhesive for binding the two pieces.  Further, to make a lasting bondage between the two pieces, a hole is drilled from one surface to the other.  Classic carpenters do not use metal nails as binders. Instead, they use wooden nails chiseled out in bamboo segments. About 2- 2 1/2 inch long bamboo is trimmed to short cylinders . Such cylinders coated with adhesive are gently hammered into the holes for holding together the whole corner assembly. The wooden nail would finally be trimmed in plane with the surface. 

The nail trimming is another act of ”thus far and no farther”. Yes, placing the chisel at the bottom of the nail, the man just punches the chisel head with his right palm to damage only the nail and not the main wood. By a similar gentle angular slash any nail projections are leveled up with no trace of incongruity in the joint.   Such niceties of work demand right application of tool and least use of force to preclude chances of ‘disfiguring’ the wood. If anyone needs any endorsement  of my observations, I would recommend your visit to some old schools / Colleges where massive tables stand testimony to Indian history and politely keep reminding us  of our carpenters  who have made those ‘firm- standing’ tables  and benches  that have taken upon themselves ages of rubbing by  unending stream of visitors  from 19^th century onwards. All they reveal is the story of infallible joints and meticulous planing of wood by our craftsmen called carpenters.. Hats off to that “vanishing breed”of workers,  eliminated by aggressive industrialization of wood- product making.

Prof. K.Raman