Albertson 1

Rutland High School

History of Woodworking and Upcycling

Orion Albertson
Comp II
Ms. Mills
December 6,2021

 Albertson 2

They history of woodworking goes back to when humans firsts roamed the earth. Wood was

always one of the first resources that humans used. Wood is a great resource because it is all over

the earth, is easy to work with, and it is renewable. The most successful civilizations took

advantage of using wood. Early tools developed many woodworking techniques still used today.

There are four different types of wood and each one of them is very good when used in the right

situation. With woodworking comes a lot of tools. Tools are very beneficial when making a

product. Many woodworking projects are made from a process called Upcycling. You can

Upcycle anything and turn it into something cool.

I. Intro
A. What is woodworking
B. Why is wood a good resource
C. Advantages of using wood
II. Early countries that used woodworking
A. Countries that did a lot of woodworking
B. What they made
C. Were they successful?
III. Lu Ban
A. Early life of the woodworker
B. How he learned his skills
C. What he invented
IV. Predynastic period woodworking
A. New woodworking techniques
B. What wood they used
V. Early boats
A. Who made the first wooden boats
B. How were they made
C. What did they use the boats for
VI. Wooden boats
A. How were they better?
B. What could they do with wooden boats that they couldn’t in papyrus plant boats
C. How boats opened trade
D. Explain how they could travel faster in boats
VII. Evolving of woodworking
A. Explain how woodworking grows with humans learning
B. Most successful civilizations took advantage of woodworking
VIII.The four types of wood
A. Introduce Softwood
B. Examples
C. Advantages of softwood
D. What its used for
IX. Hardwood
A. Examples
B. Advantages
C. What its used for
X. Plywood
A. How its made
B. What its used for
C. Advantages
XI. Medium density fiberboard
A. How its made
B. What it is used for

 Albertson 4

C. Advantages
XII.Conclusion

 Albertson 5

Orion Albertson

Ms. Mills

English Comp

Research Paper

November 19th

Upcycling and Woodworking

Have you ever seen a person make a cool product from something that you thought was

useless? Maybe you have watched a DIY video and tried to make your own cool artwork or

furniture from something that you didn’t have a use for. This is called Upcycling. Upcycling is a

great example of reducing, reusing, and recycling materials. Upcycling turns waste into valuable

resources or increases value of a product. It reuses materials and gives them a use or gives a

material a second life. It is a great way to reuse materials, incorporate woodworking, and should

be used more often.

Upcycling is the process of getting a product that is thought to be useless, and turning it

into something new that has a purpose, or raising the value of an item. The term “Upcycling”

was first used by Reiner Pilz in 1994. He described the process as being a better way of

recycling. Since then, Upcycling has caught a lot of traction and is growing fast. Since the

financial crash in 2008, Upcycling has gained a lot of popularity from creative people all over

the world. You can find a large variety of Upcycled products on sites like eBay, and Etsy where

people make cool and unique products from things that you would probably call trash and throw

away. If you want to create your own Upcycled product, Instagram and Youtube are good sites to

 Albertson 6

find DIY videos demonstrating how to make unique and cool Upcycled products all by yourself.

(diyvinci.com)

The most common products made from Upcycling are furniture, fashion, and art.

Examples of Upcycling furniture would be, turning an old industrial spool into an outdoor table.

Making a dinning room table from a barn door, and even fixing a broken chain into a chair that

isn’t broken. Recently, Upcycling fashion is growing very fast and becoming popular. Clothes

made from old ripped up pair of jeans or any other ripped up or ruined clothing, into something

you can wear is an example of Upcycling fashion. Art can be made out of anything, which makes

it no surprise that people can Upcycle art as well. With art, you can can create almost anything

out of whatever you can think of. This form of Upcycling is also becoming very popular, and the

products are endless. (upcyclemystuff.com)

Woodworking is a great skill for those that would like to Upcycle furniture. There is a lot

of history and materials that wood craftsmen have used. It is also one of the oldest materials

Men have used to create not only tools and furniture, but also, art.

Woodworking is described as making, building, cutting, or carving something from

wood. Wood has always been one of the main resources humans have used for a number of

things. So there is no surprise we are still using it for a bunch of things today. Wood is one of the

best materials to use because it has many advantages. Some of the advantages of wood are that

wood is renewable, so it is replenished just as fast as it is used. Trees are all over, therefore the

amount of wood is abundant. Wood is also a very good insulator. It also doesn’t take a lot of

energy to be produced. There are a lot of reasons why wood is such a good resource. Wood has

 Albertson 7

always been and will continue to be a very good and reliable resource that we will always use

(baynebox.com).

The country’s that are most notable for woodworking in ancient times are Egypt and

China. They made wooden hunting gear as well as stools, chairs, tables, beds, and chests. Some

of their tombs were also made out of wood. These civilizations were very successful, and the use

of wood helped them push past other civilizations near them, in the same time period

(baynebox.com).

Chinese woodworker Lu Ban was one of the first humans to find out the potential of

woodworking. He lived from 507-444 B.C. and is known as one of the creators of early

woodworking. Lu was born to a family of carpenters in Lu, China. He learned a lot of his skills

from Bao Laodong. Later he began doing woodworking by himself. There was a great demand

for his work, which inspired him to try to come up with new inventions. Lu created some objects

we use today, including the saw, shovel, umbrella, and kite. He made the cloud ladder which was

an invention for warfare. Lu made a lot of inventions and inspired many other craftsmen with

their work for centuries (supchina.com).

In the Predynastic Period, the New Kingdom used animal glue in woodworking. During

this same period, ancient Egyptians were the first to use a finish on wood; however no one

knows what the finish was made out of. Generally, these civilizations only used whatever wood

that was native to their location. When transportation became easier and trades became common,

wood was often traded between regions. With civilizations developing, so did the skills of

woodworkers (timberbits.com).

 Albertson 8

Egyptians also were one of the first civilizations to create boats. The boats were made of

papyrus plants, but later they made them out of acacia wood and cedar wood which they had to

import from Lebanon. They made the boats without nails, they consisted of a lot of short planks

that were tied together with ropes. Later, the Egyptians built cargo ships. They sailed these down

the Nile River and into the Mediterranean Sea in order to trade with multiple countries in one

trip.

Wooden boats were a huge advancement that the Egyptians and other countries used.

They helped with fishing because they allowed them to go into deeper water where they could

catch bigger fish. Traveling in a boat was often faster than going on foot. Boats opened a ton of

opportunities for these civilizations. They could travel to different regions must faster and get

new resources. Boats also opened up many trade possibilities, and trade routes were set along the

coast. All these advantages inspired many countries and civilizations to create wooden boats.

(timberbits.com)

Throughout the years, the advancement of woodworking closely follows in part with the

advancements of humans. With humans continuing to evolve, so did the techniques used in

woodworking. Many of the most successful civilizations took advantage of woodworking.

Woodworking continues to play a big role in todays society as it will more than likely continue to

play a big role.

There are four main types of wood that are used in woodworking today. Softwood is any

wood from a coniferous or evergreen tree. Examples of softwoods are cedar, pine, redwood, and

spruce. Softwoods are the most common to use when woodworking. Benefits of softwood are

that it grows very fast and typically has a straighter grain. Softwoods are used for framing on a

 Albertson 9

house, construction, or if you are doing a woodworking project, you will probably be working

with softwood (floridalumber.com).

Hardwood is another type of wood. Examples of hardwood are oak, walnut, maple, and

cherry. There are a lot of trees that produce hardwood; even bamboo is considered a hardwood.

The main advantage of hardwood is that it is very durable. Hardwood lasts and stays in good

shape for much longer than softwoods do. Hardwoods typically have a grain pattern that is

unique and can look better in most people’s opinions. Although hardwood is better quality and

looks better, it has some disadvantages. Since hardwood is very durable, it can damage blades

that try to cut it if they aren’t sharp enough. It is also a lot more expensive than softwood. Most

tabletops are made from hardwood. Typically you would use hardwood when you are making

something that needs to be strong and durable (floridalumber.com).

The third type of wood is plywood. Plywood is very versatile and can be used in a

number of different situations, and it is also a product of upcycling. Plywood isn’t grown from

trees; it is made from gluing thin pieces of wood together in a crisscross layout. The crisscross

layout helps increase the stability and strength of the plywood. There are many different types,

grades, and qualities. Baltic birch is often used to create the thin pieces of plywood. However,

you can find plywood made form maple and oak (floridalumber.com).

The final type of wood is Medium Density Fiberboard. (MDF) MDF is also not

harvested from trees. MDF starts as sawdust and shavings from wood. All the tiny pieces of

wood are dehydrated, and then wax and resin are mixed with them. They are then compressed

under high heat. MDF is like plywood in a way, as they are very similar. MDF is very easy to

 Albertson 10

work with and is often cheaper than plywood. MDF is fragile, so you have to be careful when

using it. They also are pretty heavy since they are very compact (bobvilia.com).

All of the different types of wood have their own advantages and disadvantages over the

other types of wood. The four types of wood are very different from each other, which makes one

type of wood work very well with what you are doing. However, each type is very good if you

use them in the right situation and you know what you are doing.

With woodworking you also need tools. There are endless numbers of tools used in

woodworking. With each project, you will almost always be using a screw or a nail. Screws and

nails are used to join pieces of wood. There are many different sizes of both nails and screws.

You will use either screw depending on the project type and size. Nails are typically used for

larger projects because they are easier to use, and they are cheaper. Screws hold wood together

stronger than nails. They have a higher tensile strength which can hold more pressure than nails.

Houses for example; the structure of houses are made from wood joined together by nails. Nails

are used because the framing of the house can shift a little bit, nails are flexible, if screws were

used, the screws would beak under the pressure. Nails are also used for shingles because they are

faster to install and don’t have to hold them really tight. However, if you need a pieces of wood

to really hold together screws are the better choice. Screws are also a lot better for temporary

jobs in woodworking as you can take them out very easily after you screw them in

(bobvilia.com)

One of the most common tool found in everyones house is the claw hammer. The claw

hammer is one of the most versatile tools used in woodworking. The claw hammer is composed

 Albertson 11

of a head on one side which is used to hit nails. The other end has a claw which is used to rip the

nail out if you need to take it out (wagnermeters.com).

The tape measure is another very common tool used in woodworking. The tape measure

is used to cut wood at a precise length to fit your project. If you have a project you are working

one you will probably need a tape measure to know if you are cutting your wood at the correct

length. It would be very difficult to create a good-looking wood product with out a tape measure

by just guessing where to cut (wagnermeters.com).

A level is always a good tool to have when woodworking. You always want your projects

to have flush connections and be straight. If you don’t use a level, there is a chance your project

will look bad and won’t be good quality (wagnermeters.com).

You will also need a tool to cut wood when you are doing woodworking. The most

common tool used when cutting wood is the table saw. It is very easy to use. The only thing bad

about the table saw is that it stationary so you can’t pick it up and move it so whatever you want

to cut (huntinglife.com).

The circular saw is another tool used to cut wood. This saw is very good if you need to

cut a large piece of wood and you don’t want to carry it to the table saw. They are very good at

cutting long, straight pieces of wood. The circular saw is a very versatile tool that most

woodworkers have (huntinglife.com).

Another mobile tool you can use when cutting wood is the reciprocation saw. The

reciprocating saw can cut through things other than wood. If a small piece of wood needs to be

cut but there is some nails in it, you should use the reciprocating saw. It can cut right through the

 Albertson 12

wood as well as the nails. Another benefit of using the reciprocating saw is that you can easily

change the blade after using it (huntinglife.com).

The chainsaw is another tool used in woodworking. However you probably won’t use it

in any projects you will work on. Chainsaws are very good at cutting through wood. The cut may

not always look, but the chainsaws job is just to cut through wood quickly. Chainsaws are used

for cutting trees and big branches. If you are making something out of wood don’t use a

chainsaw, just use it for trees.

The houses most Americans live in is made form woodworking. The frame of houses are

made from wood. The people who make the frames also must have good woodworking skills. A

small error in the frames could lead to huge malfunctions in the house. Since wood is easy to get,

and cheaper compared to many other building materials, more houses can be made for cheaper

prices.

It would be hard to image a life without woodworking. A huge amount of our lives

revolves around wooden products. If we didn’t use wood, one of the product we would have to

use more of would be plastic. We already have enough problems with plastic pollution already.

Also, we would have to get more of every resource to keep up with the loss of wood, and that

would be hard.

There are differences between Upcycling, Recycling, and Remanufacturing. Upcycling is

turning a useless thing into a new product or making a product with higher value than what it

started as. Recycling is the process of making an object that is usable, from waste materials.

Recycling often means breaking down materials to make a new raw material. Remanufacturing is

 Albertson 13

taking a product that is towards the end of its life cycle and extending it through a process that

are usually on an ensemble line. (youmatter.world)

Recycling is typically a chemical change. For example: taking used paper and recycling

it. The old paper is shredded up, chemicals are added and a new product is made. The same

process is used with recycling plastic. Remanufacturing usually requires a lot of energy to make

the process complete. The process is usually done in a factory with a lot of machinery and

typically has a high cost. Upcycling uses no additional chemicals and no industrial processes. It

is safe for the environment because it is turning trash into treasure, and uses no additional

manufacturing. (youmatter.world)

Cattle are even a form of Upcycling. The food cattle eat is usually Upcycled. We turn

wasted byproducts into a form of food that cattle can eat. This way food that will be thrown away

is being used efficiently and not being wasted. The food instead of being throw into a landfill to

decompose are being absorbed by cattle. The cattle grow from eating this food, then are

butchered and turned into meat. In a way, we are turning old food that can’t be ate by people and

would have been wasted, and turning it into high quality protein which we eat.

(agmodelsystems.com)

Cattle are upcycle so well, that cattle are considered “The Meat Upcycler.”

(beefmagazine.com) They are know as “The Meat Upcycler” because they make high quality

meat out of poor land and food that cannot be consumed by humans. Cattle upcycling is

beneficial because it makes the most out of the poor land and food that we can’t eat. The cattle

upcycle the land and turn it into to a protein maker. The cattle reduce waste, and make a great

 Albertson 14

product also. Cattle upcycling is a reason to not go 100% vegan. If there were not cattle, food

would go to waste and some land would have zero use to it. (beefresearch.org)

Upcycling can bring out the creativity out of anyone, and the options are endless. The

thing with Upcycling is that anyone can Upcycle basically anything. There are people out there

that can turn almost anything into something a person would buy. It’s sometimes crazy to see a

person create a very cool piece of art or furniture from something that the normal person would

through away. (sciencedirect.com)

To sum up everything mentioned in this essay: Wood is a resource that has always been

used since humans roamed the earth. Wood is a great resource for many reasons. It is renewable,

that means that trees grow back at a fast rate. Wood is a great insulator, which makes it very good

for homes. It also takes little energy to be produced. The early and successful civilizations used

wood a lot for their projects. When wooden boats were created, it was a huge advancement and

let humans explore the world. There are four different types of wood and each one is very good if

you use them in the right situation. Woodworking takes a very large amount of tools. Upcycling

is a great way to reuse materials, and should be used more often. The history of Upcycling has

not been around very long, but has increased since. Different products can be created from

Upcycling. The differences between Upcycling, Recycling and Remanufacturing, make

Upcycling attractive, because it is more cost effective and better for the environment. Upcycling

is good for the environment and a great way to reuse materials. With Upcycling, you can let your

creativity run wild and can create whatever you want, just how you like it. Next time you are

going to throw something away, just try to imagine what it could be.

 Albertson 15

Works cite
Colville, Alex. “Lu Ban, China's Inventor of Everything.” SupChina, 19 Oct. 2020, https://
supchina.com/2020/10/19/lu-ban-chinas-inventor-of-everything/.

Facebook.com/diyvinci. “Upcycling: The History, Trend and Lifestyle.” DIYvinci, 28 Apr. 2020,
https://diyvinci.com/upcycling-history-trend-lifestyle

HLNews. “7 Types of Power Tools for Cutting Wood and When to Use Them.” Hunting and
Hunting Gear Reviews, 22 Oct. 2021, https://huntinglife.com/7-types-of-power-tools-for-
cutting-wood-and-when-to-use-them/.

Lumber, Florida. “Four Types of Wood to Select from during Any Woodworking Project.”
Florida Lumber – Miami Building Materials like Plywood Paint Supplier, Magento2
Store, 13 Jan. 2020, https:// oridalumber.com/blog/four-types-of-wood-to-select-from-
during-any-woodworking-project/

Ron SmithAs Sales Manager for Wagner Meters. “40 Woodworking Tools Every Woodworker &
Carpenter Should Have.” Wagner Meters, 14 Sept. 2021, https://
www.wagnermeters.com/moisture-meters/wood-info/tools-products/top-40-
woodworking-tools/

“The History of Woodworking.” BayneBox.com, https://baynebox.com/news/the-history-of-

“What Is Upcycling: A Simple Upcycling De nition around Sustainability.” Youmatter, 21 Jan.

“What Is Upcycling?” Upcycle Magazine, 12 Feb. 2011, https://www.upcyclemagazine.com/

fl
.

fi

fi
/

 Albertson 16

“What's the Difference? MDF vs. Plywood.” Bob Vila, 11 Feb. 2020, https://www.bobvila.com/
articles/mdf-vs-plywood/.

Wooden Ship Kits - Ages Of Sail, and Amir Mohtashemi. “History of Woodworking.”
Timberbits, 19 June 2020, https://www.timberbits.com/blog/history-of-woodworking/