The Hardwood Finisher

DOUBTLESS, the arts of Carpentry and Joinery were among the oldest in the world, and these arts must have flourished for many centuries before anything like polish or fine finish on woodwork were even thought of. The handles of stone weapons were probably the first specimens of the woodworker's art, then clubs and other wooden weapons subsequently the "dug-out" and the paddle or oar. Huts or wooden dwellings with doors and shutters, roofs and floors did not appear until much later.
Nature always makes her works fittest for the intended end, and beautiful as well. So long as mankind were in constant contact with Nature's works they tried to imitate her methods, but at last this involved two processes, so, that, when they ceased to care for beauty, they grudged the necessary labor required to attain it. Therefore, in anything made by the hands of man, with no other motive in view but that of utility, the chances are a thousand to one that beauty will be conspicuous only by its absence.
That wood plays a very important part in the affairs of mankind, I scarcely need mention, and nature seems to have well understood our wants for it is claimed by those who claim to know, that about one-third of the earth's surface is covered with trees, all of which are capable of contributing in some form or another to the wants of man.
In this country, the art of using wood for almost every purpose, has gone far beyond anything that has ever been attempted by any other people. The introduction of woodworking machinery for the rapid manipulation of intricate mouldings, spirals, flutings, beadings and carvings, has in a great measure, had a tendency to elevate the taste of the whole community, though I must confess that artistic excellence of a high order, in the mechanical arts, is now scarcely found among our younger workmen; machinery having almost done away with the necessity for the fine kinds of hand and brain work. Fashion, which rules despotically in the wardrobe, influences, to a greater or lesser degree, the style and finish of woodwork, and to a certain extent, the kind of wood that must be used for certain purposes. It is but a few years since, when no other wood than clean white pine, would be permitted to do service in a building. Every thing must be pine, floors, doors, windows, and skirtings, even to the bath fittings. Then Dame fashion sent forth her decree, and a mixture of white pine, Norway and Southern pine, was used followed shortly afterward by the abominable mixture of ash, walnut and chestnut.
Some architect who deserves well of his country, introduced all walnut and all mahogany fitments; and at once, people of taste who saw this manner of finish noticed its superiority over the "trash-like" mixture at once; and the fashion then of finishing in one kind of wood became the rage. Walnut was found too dark for general purposes and was soon abandoned for the lighter woods; chestnut, sycamore, ash and oak were then tried, but I believe I voice the opinion of a majority of architects when I say that, with the exception of oak, the light colored woods were not successful, from an aesthetic point of view, and it is on record, that many buildings finished in these woods, have recently had their woodwork cleaned and stained to imitate darker woods or have been painted.
One of the valuable qualities of white oak, is, that it grows richer in color as it gets older, and no matter how it is finished, so long as the grain is visible, it mellows and improves with age. This is a quality that no other of our American woods possess in the same degree. All the oaks have this quality to a certain extent, but the white oak (Quercus alba), possesses it more than any other. Mahogany too, has this quality largely, if true Spanish mahogany is used, but little of this is in the market; though there are many woods which have the appearance of mahogany, and are called mahogany, and both buyer and user are oftentimes deceived, and pay for what they do not get.
We have often been reproached with willfully or ignorantly ignoring or destroying our own handsome woods, while importing from abroad at excessive cost, and the payment of heavy duties, foreign woods which are much inferior to many of our native productions. This folly prevailed at a time when it was fashionable and even popular to believe there was no merit in domestic productions of any sort, this state of things, however is now at an end; and in the neighborhood of all large towns, and in country places as well; a finish in hardwood is the rule, and a finish in pine the exception, if the building to be finished, makes any pretension of being “up to the times."
With regard to the difference in cost between a finish in the best clear pine, and the best selected hardwood, there is really but little, if any, if we take into consideration durability and good taste. As between pine wood and good well finished hardwood, the disparity in value and merit is so very little as to completely silence any comparison. Between poor pine and poor hardwood the preference should by all means be given to the former; because, poor pine as it reveals its defects can be puttied and painted in a manner to disguise them; whereas the defects of poor hardwood are almost incurable. The rationale of the subject seems to resolve itself into the following statement.
Modern taste in expensive dwellings calls for the free use of hardwoods. It is immaterial which are used, but highly essential that the best seasoned woods should be selected; and, further, that they should be skillfully treated and finished.
The principal recommendation of hardwood is that it admits of a treatment which renders it impervious to the effects of atmospheric changes, and, therefore can be made more durable and ultimately less expensive than pine wood A hardwood that is well seasoned before use, that is treated with proper fillers to close up its pores, and then finished with successive coats of copal varnish, well rubbed in with pumice stone, being finally brought to a higher flat finish, presents the most attractive, serviceable and reliable style of woodwork that can be introduced into a house. Well finished hardwood obviates the expense and annoyance of constant renewals, which pine work calls for in patching, puttying and painting. The most brilliant gloss of finished hardwood can be restored by a skilled person without disturbing the furniture or carpets of a house.

More Info

Disclaimer