Plywood Grades

There are five main plywood grades. These grades describe the appearance and plywood strength. A lower grade can mean that the plywood does not resist punctures or hold nails very well. This can lead to an easier time cutting the plywood. The higher grades, however, are fairly strong. Each panel consists of various layers of veneer. Plywood is similar to chipboard, in that adhesives and pressure are used to form the board. Its strength can be increased if the veneers are placed opposite grained. This will not only cause it to be stronger over all, but also prevent cutting the plywood through if it is used as a work table.

The Five Main Grades

The grades run from A, which is the highest, to D. The reason there are five grades in total is because the C grade has two grades: C grade and C plugged grade.
The grades specify how many knots and patches and other imperfections the plywood can have. Most plywood is described by more than one grade.

Basic Rule: First Grade - First Side... Second Grade= Opposite Side

The first grade describes the face panel while the second describes the back panel (i.e. B-C grade means the front is B grade and the back is C grade).

Plywood Grades
A- Grade: Grade A is smooth. It can be painted and has a limited number of patches.

B- Grade: The B grade is solid, and has a few more knots and may even have very minor splits.
C- Grade: Grade C allows for limited splits and discoloration or sanding effects, provided the plywood strength is not affected. C plugged grade plywood is an improved version of C grade. The difference is that the splits and cracks are not as big as those found on C grade.
D- Grade:Grade D plywood features knotholes of up to three inches across the grain and even some cracks. This grade of plywood should never be used outdoors, as when it gets wet it will swell and break down.

Finply—A Grade Of Its Own

Finply is what manufacturers call Finnish plywood. It is generally more durable and attractive than regular plywood. While many plywood products are inexpensive, finply actually costs quite a bit. It can be combined with aluminum to make very modern looking furniture. Many woodworkers consider the high quality finply boards so special that it gets like a kind of grade on its own.

Furniture History (Part 5) : George I style furniture 1714 - 1727

George I, born in 1660, was king of Great Britain and Ireland from 1714 until his death in 1727.

Much of the fine George I furniture was made of walnut and also veneered with walnut (veneering: covering with thin layers)

The serpentine curves, the cabriole leg of rounded section and the claw-and-ball-foot were all features of George I period chairs in England.

Furniture History (Part 4) : Georgian style furniture 17th - early 18th century

This furniture style was during the reign of George I, George II, George III in Great Britain. The most important change that occurred in the furniture in Georgian style was the replacement of walnut, by mahogany. The legs are elaborately carved terminating in a pad or ball-and-claw foot. Separate designers distinguished themselves in the late Georgian period, this is known as the "The Golden Age of Furniture". Important designers were: Chippendale, Hepplewhite, Adam. Common items included side tables with marble tops, chairs peaked with shells and legs graced with fish-scaled scrolls.

Furnitur History (Part 3) : Queen Anne style furniture 1702 - 1714

Queen Anne (1665 - 1714) 1702 - 1714 was the last monarch of the House of Stuarts. The Queen Anne style is a refinement of the William and Mary style with lighter, graceful, more comfortable furniture.

The single most important decoration of Queen Anne furniture was the carved cockle or scallop shell. Cabinetmakers replaced the straight, turned legs with more graceful cabriole legs. The leg had an out-curved knee and an in curved ankle.

Walnut became the preferred wood along with cherry and maple. Imported mahony began to be favoured. Regardless of the wood, a small amount of Queen Anne furniture was painted white.

The feet in which the legs of furniture terminate underwent alteration and improvement. Ultimately claw and ball feet make their reappearance, and makes an attractive finish to the heavier type of cabriole leg that evolved after the disuse of the stretcher. Scroll feet are generally associated with the earlier Queen Anne furniture, but there were also club feet, spade feet, the drake foot which was carved with three toes and a square moulded type of foot.

Card and the collapsible bridge table or gaming tables were another Queen Anne innovation.

Still popular are lacquer work, the rich oriental wares and china, the use of gesso design, and the Dutch marquetry cabinets, with their bombe sides and fronts and profuse decoration.

Chair

 

 

Table

 

 Desk

 

Mirror  

Tips to Buying North Carolina Furniture

1. You can buy furniture, rugs and accessories from the stores on this website without coming to North Carolina. However, if you are planning to come to North Carolina remember to bring swatches or color samples of furniture, drapes, fabrics, paint or wallpaper that you will need to color match. If swatches aren't available, take good color pictures & bring them with you.



2. If you are buying furniture for a whole room or entire house, bring a floor plan of each room (include window, door & ceiling measurements) to help you select furniture with the correct dimensions. Measure other pieces of furniture in the room to ensure that your new furniture will be compatible in scale.

3. If necessary, take hall measurements, door measurements and ceiling measurements. If you are buying furniture that will go upstairs in a two or three story house, bring measurements of the hall and stairway so that you can make sure any furniture that you buy can be carried up your stairway.

4. Decide on the furniture style that you like. You can bring pictures of furniture that you like from your favorite home furnishings magazines.

5. With todays eclectic styles of decorating, many people use different types and finishes of wood in the same room. Select interesting pieces of furniture that complement each other and reflect your taste. If you have oriental and/or decorative rugs that you will be using, make certain that the fabric that you choose for upholstery will complement the colors and design of your rug.

6. To make small rooms look bigger, select furniture and accessories with colors that closely match the walls and floors. Also, reduce the number of pieces of furniture in the room and add reflective surfaces such as mirrors and glass-top tables.

7. To make a large room look smaller and more intimate, position furniture away from the wall and use taller pieces such as an entertainment center, armoire or screen. Use rugs, patterned upholstery fabrics and printed wallpaper to give the area a warm and more comfortable feeling.

8. When shopping for upholstered furniture, try to get the facts about the basic construction: springs, frames, padding, cushions and fabric. Always test furniture that will be used for seating by doing just that: sit on it! Consider how well the chair fits your particular body build. The height of the arms, the pitch of the back and the support under your knees should feel right for your body.

9. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes on your shopping trip.

High Point : The World's Home for Home Furnishings

1889
Production begins in HighPoint’s first furniture factory. The High Point Furniture Manufacturing Co. ships its first piece, an office desk, by July. Its success inspires others to get into the business. The industry grows thanks to a ready supply of good hardwood timber lumber and regional consumer demand for inexpensive furniture.



1900 – 1910
The number of North Carolina furniture companies increases by more than 100%.
North Carolina furniture output grows from $1.5 million to $8.5 million.
http://www.highpointmarket.org


1901
35 area furniture manufacturers meet in the High Point mayor’s office to discuss creating a Southern Furniture Exposition. Their goal is to compete with established markets in New York, Chicago and Grand Rapids, Michigan.

1902
Ten High Point industrialists pledge $1,000 each to the creation of a Southern furniture exposition.

1905
High Point furniture salesman D. Ralph Parker announced the formation of the High Point Furniture Exposition Company, with plans to use 2,000 square feet on the second floor of the Maddox Building as showroom space.

1906
The Furniture Manufacturers’ Exposition Company, a rival to Parker’s enterprise, is chartered and announces plans to use 10,000 square feet on the third floor of the Ragan and Mills Building as its display area.

1909
The two exposition companies join forces and announce the first formal Southern Furniture Market, to be held in High Point on March 1-15.
The first Southern Furniture Market opens on March 1. Attendance is moderate, with buyers coming mostly from within North Carolina and neighboring states. Two buyers make the long trek from the West Coast.
The second Market is held during June and July. Attendance improves over the first event but is not enough to encourage the establishment of a regular biannual Market; exhibitors adopt a once-a-year schedule.

1911
Trade magazine Southern Furniture Journal calls for the creation of “one large showroom commensurate with the large number of factories and volume of business” conducted by High Point’s growing furniture industry. A decade-long quest to build this large showroom facility begins.

1913
The Southern Furniture Exposition is formed to establish and promote an ongoing, semi-annual Market in High Point. Following the tradition established by other markets, events are to be held in January and July.
The first Southern Exposition runs from June 26 – July 12. One hundred exhibitors show their wares to approximately 1,000 dealers, making it the largest display of Southern made furniture ever assembled. Manufacturers’ Record compares it to the great furniture centers of New York, Chicago and Grand Rapids.

1914
The second Southern Furniture Exposition opens on January 14. Buyers from 14 Eastern and Southern states attend. Southern Furniture Journal reports, “practically all of them spent freely.”
War breaks out in Europe, disrupting international trade. Southern furniture makers suffer from the loss of the overseas cotton market, which causes a steep decline in furniture sales. Plans for continuing the semi-annual Market are put on hold, as are hopes for a single, large-scale exhibition building.
The High Point Marketing Association is formed to promote sales of the town’s furniture products. The Association brings buyers to High Point throughout the year, as the semi-annual Exposition lies dormant.

1915
North Carolina furniture factories run overtime to keep up with war orders. As a result, they begin to give more attention to raising their quality standards and nationwide marketing.
15,000 rail cars, most loaded with furniture, shipped out of High Point over the course of the year.

1918
World War I ends; High Point furniture makers quickly retool for peacetime production.

1919
Two years of pent-up consumer demand launch a boom period for furniture makers. High Point producers benefit from their position as America’s leading makers of medium and low-priced goods.
Leading High Point manufacturers pledge $35,000 to the construction of a large-scale exhibition building. The Committee on Space Requirements recommends a 200,000 square foot facility.
Announcing the plans for the new building, The High Point Enterprise claims, “High Point aspires to become the foremost furniture market on this continent.”
A plot of land on South Main Street near the intersection of Commerce Street is purchased for $35,000, to be the site of the new building. Construction begins two months later.

1921
The Southern Furniture Exposition Building opens for its first show on June 20. Built in 19 months, at a cost of about $1 million, it contains 249,000 square feet of exhibition space. Regular shows are held in January and July.
700 buyers from 100 cities across the U.S. attend the first show in the new building. 149 exhibitors display their wares, gaining $2.25 million in total sales.
Furniture World proclaims, “the Southern Show will probably excel any market, for it is well known among all furniture dealers that southern factories make a line of furniture that is not duplicated elsewhere and it is peculiarly adapted to the needs of the present times.”
High Point Enterprise editor J. J. Farris writes, “Already the Furniture Center of the South, we hope eventually to be THE Furniture City without territorial limits.”
Buoyed by the success of the summer event, High Point holds its first “mid-season show” in November.

1922 – 1929:
The Southern market experiences rapid growth during the Roaring ‘20s, setting new records every year.
The number of North Carolina furniture factories grows from 113 to 143 and production increases 33.6%

1922
Industry insiders first begin referring to the Southern Exposition as “The High Point Market.”
Trade magazine Market News heralds the Southern Exposition as a “national institution.”

1924
The Southern Exposition Building sells its last available square foot of exhibit space.

1929
North Carolina is the 5th largest furniture producing state in America, behind New York, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.
The stock market crashes, sending the U.S. economy into four years of decline and massive unemployment known as the Great Depression.
A sharp decrease in new home starts hits the furniture industry especially hard.

1931
Furniture production falls to nearly half of its 1929 peak, from $659 million to $350 million.

1932
Seeking to combat the decline in sales, Southern Furniture Exposition president Paul Casey issued a “special invitation” encouraging buyers to come to High Point and view more than 100 exhibits. With nearly 25% of the nation’s workers unemployed and housing starts still in decline, however, retailers are in no position to respond.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected president, promising a “New Deal” that will spur an economic turnaround.

1933
Furniture production loses another $100 million
Fully one third of furniture makers shut their factories.
Despite considerable empty space in the Exposition Building, Furniture South reports Southern makers “stuck to their knitting and kept plugging away, still firm in their belief that the Southern Market was of ranking importance.”
General economic recovery begins as the year comes to a close.

1934
Exhibitors return to the Southern Exposition Building, filling all available space.
A “considerable” number of buyers are reported at Market.
The Southern furniture industry operates at a loss.

1935
The New York Sun reports that in comparison to goods seen at the older markets, Southern producers were paying more attention to design.
Furniture production increases to $325 million; Southern makers enjoy small profits.

1936
Production rises another 37% in 1936; however, as prices of finished goods have declined, the industry gathers only half its 1929 share of dollar.
The Southern Exposition Building celebrates its 15th anniversary with record attendance during the July event, where 2,485 buyers shop 150 exhibits.
Furniture South reports that a number of manufacturers put “Sold up” signs in front of their displays; cites an increasingly wide assortment of home furnishings as a critical factor in the recovery.

1937
From a depth of 93,000 in 1933, housing starts rise to 336,000.
North Carolina and Virginia produce 38% of all bedroom furniture and 37% of all dining room furniture in the United States.
North Carolina ranks second, behind New York, in overall furniture production.

1940
Plans for a four-story addition to the Southern Exposition Building are announced; before construction begins, 40 exhibitors have rented the new space.

1941
On December 7, “a day that will live in infamy,” Japan attacks Pearl Harbor. President Roosevelt asks Congress for, and receives, a declaration of war against the Axis powers of Japan, Italy and Germany. “Unconditional surrender” is set as the goal of the war effort.
Material and manpower used for furniture making are turned to the war effort, virtually eliminating production for civilian use.
The Southern Furniture Exposition is put on hold.

1942
Thirteen and a half stories of the 14-story Southern Furniture Exposition Building are devoted to the war effort, as the Demobilized Personnel Records Branch of the Adjutant General’s Office of the United States Army moves in.

1943
Southern furniture manufacturers attempt to hold a partial Market, the only one held during the war years.

1944

Allied forces launch a successful invasion of Nazi occupied Europe at Normandy on June 6, D-Day.
The Southern Furniture Exposition Company purchases 109 feet of frontage adjacent to their existing building for the construction of a 10-story addition. Plans are to increase exhibit space to 475,000 total square feet.

1945
The Nazis surrender Berlin on May 2
Japan agrees to unconditional surrender on September 2.
American GIs return home to the promise of federally subsidized mortgages at low interest rates with no down payment.
Furniture South predicts that the coming need for home furnishings will be the greatest in history.
American furniture makers prepare to meet the coming demand for home furnishings; buyers are eager to get products into their stores.
The Federal Reserve District headquarters in Richmond announced that the Southeast was officially the furniture-producing center of the country.
North Carolina overtakes New York as the nation’s leading furniture state, fulfilling the dream of the state’s early industry pioneers.
Buyers “flocked to High Point to get the jump on competitors.”

1946
The Army leaves the Southern Exposition Building in May, but as the facility must be converted from offices to exhibition space, no High Point Market is held.
Restoration of the Building is completed by the end of the year. Housing starts increase 300%, from 203,300 to 607,500.

1947
The first post-war Southern Exposition opens on January 20; more than 5,000 buyers from 2,563 stores in 956 towns swarm into High Point.
Furniture sales reach $5 billion.

1948
Housing starts climb to 937,000.
The High Point Market sets new attendance records.

1949
Construction begins on a 163,000 square foot addition to the Exposition Building, named the Wrenn Wing.

1950
The Wrenn Wing opens at the July Market with 100 new exhibitors.
More than 6,500 buyers attend the July Market, which featured the largest variety of home furnishings ever shown in High Point. Some manufacturers report receiving enough orders to keep their plants operating until October of 1951.
Informal "in-between" markets begin to emerge, hosting visitors in April and October. Though this trend continues throughout the 1950s, the main markets are still held in January and July.

1955
Almost half of all wood bedroom furniture made in the United States is produced within a 125-mile radius of High Point.
An additional 12 acres of exhibit space opens at the January Market.

1956
New South Furniture Exposition Corporation begins construction of a 12-story exhibition building across Main Street from the Southern Furniture Exposition.

1957
Construction of a seven-story annex to the Exposition Building is announced.

1958
Reviewing the history of the Southern furniture industry, Furniture South concludes that the coming of the Southern Exposition released the energies that led to industry’s unparalleled success.
Due to the success of the Spring and Fall “mid-season” markets, the January and July events are reduced from 10 to seven days and a Monday – Saturday schedule is adopted.

1960
The size and scope of the April and October shows begin to surpass the January and July events. During the next two decades, they become the dominant force in the American furniture industry.
1967
The Green Drive addition to the Southern Exposition Building opens, creating another 375,000 square feet of exhibit space.

1980
Organizers in Dallas make a bid to host the major national home furnishings market. In High Point, this spurs a trend toward increasing services for furniture market visitors.

1982
The January and July shows, long relegated to the status of regional markets, are discontinued. April and October are now the only shows in High Point.

1989
The Southern Furniture Market is renamed the International Home Furnishings Market.
High Point's largest showroom, the Southern Furniture Exposition Building, changes its name to the International Home Furnishings Center, or IHFC.
With nearly 7 million square feet of furniture showroom space already available around the city a decade-long showroom building boom is about to begin.
Approximately 55,000 people attend the October market.

1990s
A construction boom begins, adding 3 million square feet of showrooms to the High Point Market.

2000
Showroom expansion continues,with the addition of massive new temporary exhibit spaces: The Suites at Market Square (April) and Showplace (October).

2001
The 12th floor of the IHFC opens, giving the building 3.5 million square feet of space – more than 14 times its original size.
Market organizers estimate about 80,000 visitors on average attend the April and October Markets.
The High Point International Home Furnishings Market Authority Corp. is formed. In one of its first actions to improve the guest experience, The Market Authority hires a professional transportation company to take over all shuttle operations.

2002
Recognizing the importance of the furniture industry and the High Point Market to the state’s economy, the N.C. General Assembly offers its support to the show.
The Market is shortened by a half-day – now opening on Thursday and closing the following Wednesday.

2005
Three major enhancements debut at the Fall 2005 Market
A new state-of-the-art Transportation Terminal opens in downtown High Point, offering Market visitors free shuttles to every showroom and event.
An on-line Market Planning Tool is added to the Market Authority web site, allowing guests to select the showrooms and events they will be visiting, and then print them out on a map that cross-references each location to its nearest shuttle stop.
Centralized registration system allows visitors to obtain a single badge for all major Market venues in one transaction.
The world's most comprehensive home furnishings Market grows by 187,500 square feet as five new showrooms are opened.

2006
The International Home Furnishings Market officially changes its name to The High Point Market.
Market Authority establishes International Buyers Center to provide business and concierge services for guests from outside the United States, and Buyers Lounge to serve the needs of domestic visitors.
Stars Under the Stars evening entertainment event brings well-known musical acts to Market.
Attendance at the Spring Market exceeds 100,000 guests.
Market Authority offers special discounted hotel accommodations to early registrants.

2007
Construction begins on the conversion of the eight-floor building at 101 South Main Street to an exhibition facility, to be known as Showplace West.
Market Authority launches Market Scouts program to assist buyers in finding their high-priority products and resources.
A study conducted by High Point University reveals that the furniture industry contributes $8.94 billion to the North Carolina economy; nearly 13,000 jobs related to the High Point Market.
The High Point Market is awarded International Buyer Program designation by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Sources:
Greensboro News & Record – High Point Edition, October 12, 2003 A History of Southern Furniture, Dr. David N. Thomas, Furniture South, Vol. 6, No. 10, Sec. 2, Oct 1967
http://www.highpointmarket.org

Jepara carving: the legend who became the pride of the island of Java

Jepara carving art is sculpture that has the range and patterns are very unusual. beauty and diversity of relief carving patterns that no one could have made memalihkan gaze when looking at the sculpture.  Jepara carving sculpture of a difference with other regions, but the most famous in Indonesia today is Jepara carving.

LEGEND

Narrated an expert on sculpture and painting named Prabangkara who live in the UB from the King of Majapahit kingdom, at one time the king sent Prabangkara to make king consort of painting as an expression of his love for the queen who was very beautiful and fascinating.

Painting the empress without clothes that can be solved by Prabangkara perfectly and of course this makes King UB became suspicious because on certain body parts and secret there is a natural mark / special there are also the paintings and the place / position and shape exactly. By a ruse, Prabangkara with all the equipment disposed tied to a kite that after the laying-up in the sky cut the rope.

In these circumstances hover Prabangkara chisel fell in a village known as Rear Mountain near the town of Jepara. In a small village north of Jepara town until now indeed there are many high-quality carvers. But the origin of the carvings here whether it is correct due to the fall chisel Prabangkara, there are no historical data that supports it.

HISTORY

1. In the reign of Queen Kalinyamat, there was a vizier named Sungging Badarduwung derived from Campa (Cambodia) turned out to sculpt an expert as well. Now his Patih can still be seen at the Old Mosque and Mausoleum complex Kalinyamat Queen built in the XVI century.

2. The collapse of the Majapahit Kingdom has led to the spread of Hindu scholars and artists to various parts of the first half of XVI century. In the development, these artists continue to develop its expertise by adjusting the identity in the new area so that timbulah various regional motifs such as: Motive Majapahit, Bali, Mataram, Pajajaran, and expanding in Jepara Jepara until now.

Jepara carving art now is a very nice decoration to display in the house, either as pproperti and other home appliances, such as: doors, windows, tables, chairs and other.

Jepara carving art is sculpture that has the range and patterns are very unusual. beauty and diversity of relief carving patterns that no one could have made memalihkan gaze when looking at the sculpture. emiliki Jepara carving sculpture of a difference with other regions, but the most famous in Indonesia today is Jepara carving.

jepara-carving2

jepara-carving3

jepara-carving4

jepara-carving5

carved_bench_jepara-carving

Wood Carving Center in Palembang Indonesia

The wood carving center in Palembang is located on Faqih Jalaluddin Street, near the Palembang Grand Mosque.  Dozens of showrooms, which are also used to give finishing touches to wood carvings, are available in this city center.  Palembang wood carvings, which are identified by dark red and golden colors, are displayed along this street.

You can also find unfinished products, those which have not been softened or painted.  Workers in each shop usually give their final touch before sale.

Gold is the most dominant color in Palembang carvings.  It distinguishes Palembang carvings from carving products from other parts of Indonesia, such as Jepara in Central Java.
Cupboards bodies, doors, or glass, as well as picture frames are usually painted in gold color.  Other parts are covered by dark red and black colors.  Pictures of flowers in black make these carvings more beautiful.

 

Bamboo Facts

Introducing you to the oldest, most remarkable resource on the planet. Both sustainable and plentiful, bamboo has been used for thousands of years to make a vast array of items. From housing and furniture to musical instruments and needles, its uses are endless.

Bamboo is strong, flexible and beautiful in both its natural and finished states. It is an abundant resource that could beneficially replace many of the less sustainable materials now commonly used in our daily lives.

Bamboo grows faster than any other plant on the planet, the record being an incredible 47.6 inches in a 24 hour period. It has been recorded at upto 180 feet tall with a diameter of over a foot and walls an inch or more thick. There are some fifteen hundred species that are native to every continent except Europe.

Bamboo is essentially a giant grass and as with your lawn, can be cut without killing the plant unlike other hardwoods such as teak and mahogany, where the whole tree dies when cut. What could be more environmentally friendly than a plant that can be harvested but just keeps on growing, with no forest destroyed in the process. It is the resource of the past, present and most definitely the future, and its popularity will only increase in time as more and more people realize its potential.

Modern Bamboo Furniture

For you earth lovers who want to use bamboo materials for your household or furnitures but do not impressed by ethnic style, you can make it modern. Just combine the bamboo materials with modern representation, but how? Since the shape of bamboo that is circle?

Bamboo furniture usually made what it is, maybe only combined by rattan or rope fiber.  Now, fortunately, by the help of manufacture company, we can make it more than that, modern!

The manufacture company now can make bamboo board.  The innovation of bamboo furniture, usually to be bothered by the shape of bamboo, now can be varied in many ways.

You can combine iron as the frame of your chair and dining table.  The wide bamboo board really can be made as the table.  It is just that simple, just because of bamboo board.  Explore your design!

Timber Veneer

Timber veneer is from a natural and renewable resource competing with non-renewable commodities like steel,

aluminium and plastics. Its surface coverage is approximately forty times more than 25mm timber and

consequently is the most economical way of utilising precious wood.

Veneer is:

Produced by slicing or peeling selected logs. Sliced at approximately 0.6mm (this is normal thickness for the Australian market) or peeled at various thicknesses. Several methods are used to create various grain patterns. The most commonly produced patterns are as below. 

Crown or Flat Cut

 

Sliced veneer cut tangentially to the grain (i.e. parallel to the growth rings) is known as "crown cut" or "flat cut". It displays an attractive figure of bold sweeping ("cathedral") curves and ovals along the  centre of the leaf, with striped grain nearer the edges

 Quarter Cut

The timber is sliced at right angles to the growth rings and the result is a fairly straight line grain pattern.

Rotary Cut

Rotary veneer is normally produced in thickness from 0.9mm up to 3mm. The timber is peeled from the log in a continuous ribbon, against a blade in a lathe usually at high speed. The result is a bold, variegated or non-descript swirl grain pattern. Rotary veneer is predominantly used in plywood.