As my research question states, the impact of materials on process is the second half of this inquiry. As makers, we need to create our objects with something. It could be wood, metal, wool, cotton, silver, copper, glass, clay, leather, or any other material. Normally, it speaks to you in some way and draws you in. For me, wood and all its properties get my creativity flowing; wood is beautiful and alive. Even as I worked with the material as a young child, I loved how it could be shaped and sanded to be a functional object and a piece of art. As I learned more about wood as a woodworker in my own shop, the nature of the material spoke to me. Not only can it be formed into something, the wood forms itself. Wood comes from a living source—the tree. When the tree is harvested and then turned into lumber, it continues to move and change in its environment—it acts as if it is still alive. As a woodworker, I need to understand this movement and account for it, or my pieces will fall apart.

There is also a more obscure, academic notion of materials. As Ingold (2011, 2013) discusses, materials are “ineffable” or not able to be “pinned down”; they are defined by their qualities and properties which can change, depending on the circumstance and environment. As a maker explores these different qualities, the uniqueness of the material becomes obvious. That is, its innate beauty and individuality become part of the process of making an object. These qualities are embraced as the material moves through the making process and often become the highlight of the object.

Walnut and teak

As I look to build this personal project in the campaign style, I want to be true to the materials used historically in this type of furniture. Much of campaign furniture was made from mahogany due to its availability to British builders through various colonies. It was also prized for its beauty (Schwarz, 2014, p. 40). In recent years, mahogany has become difficult to get and, if found, quite expensive. In addition to mahogany, oak, walnut, teak, camphor, and other tropical woods were used in historical campaign furniture examples (Schwarz, 2014, p. 40). For this project, I have decided to use walnut for the majority of the case with teak veneer on the drawer fronts. To complement the walnut, I found some extraordinary curly teak veneer that will emulate the alternating patterns Fidgen used in his project. To add a style element that would make most woodworkers cringe, I will use curly maple for the drawer sides. Normally, such a stunning wood would not be used for an interior part and it is not a campaign wood so to speak, but there are times where you need to add flair to a piece even if it may not make sense. It is part of making it your own.

For the carcase, I want to see the grain flow from the sides, to the top and down the other side. I was able to find a single piece of 16” wide walnut to make the two sides and top of the case; the bottom will be made with similarly wide material but without the same grain match. This idea, often done in many high-end woodworking pieces, illustrates how the material can speak to the maker and influence process. This width of the material is embraced and used to highlight the beauty of the wood.

In any decision, there are challenges. I do not have a machine large enough to plane this wide walnut, so I needed to use a friend’s planer to accomplish this task. Because all makers are part of a larger community, this was a simple ask that cost me nothing but a reciprocation in the future. As woodworkers and makers in general, we share and work together to accomplish what we need to get done (Singh, 2018). This idea often opposes typical capitalistic ideals of competition; however, it works within the maker movement to push each of us further in our craft. I cannot count how many times I helped or was helped by a fellow maker when working through a problem.

Brass Hardware

Similar to wood selection, hardware selection is also important. Both the material it is made with and the style that it represents are key to the success of the project.

Brass is the material of choice for the hardware of a campaign-style piece of furniture; specifically, cast brass (Schwarz, 2014). The challenge with finding cast brass is cost—it’s expensive. When I was contemplating this project, I struggled with the cost of the hardware. At times, I looked to cheaper versions to see if I could make it work. At a certain point, it made sense to use this project to explore all aspects of the style and my own interpretation of campaign-style furniture, regardless of the cost. To find what I wanted, with the fit and finish that would do this project justice, there was one place in the United States that would fit the bill—Horton Brasses. While it cost enough to compromise one of my kid’s educations, when I received the hardware for this piece, I was not disappointed. The quality was second to none and I was happy I had spared no expense.

The look of the hardware is also important to the final project. It has to be campaign hardware to fit within the style. There are many examples of campaign hardware online and a simple web search will find many options. But as important to its look is its function. Campaign furniture was meant to be transported from place to place, often in crates. Because of this, the furniture was made to be disassembled. As well, the hardware had to facilitate transportation by not impeding transportation. As you can see from my selection of side handles and ring pulls, the hardware will be mounted flush to the face of the piece and will not protrude. This function also defines campaign hardware. [insert images of hardware]

References

Ingold, T. (2011). Materials against materiality. In Being alive: Essays on movement, knowledge, and description (pp. 19–32). Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Ingold, T. (2013). Making: Anthropology, archaeology, art and architecture. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Schwarz, C. (2014). Campaign furniture. Fort Mitchell, KY: Lost Art Press.

Singh, B. S. P. (2018). Lessons from the maker movement. MIT Sloan Management Review. Retrieved from https://ezproxy.royalroads.ca/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.royalroads.ca/docview/2046025585?accountid=8056

Personal Project