H-21 Creates decorative woodwork

Overview

The RSOS treats decorative woodwork as a specialized skill within the trade. It can be a piece in its own right or part of a larger product. The standard defines three forms:

Form	RSOS definition (paraphrased)	Exam status
Marquetry (H-21.01)	Veneer pieces assembled into patterns or images	Not common core – not on the exam
Wood carving (H-21.02)	Wood shaped with tools such as chisels and carving knives	Not common core – not on the exam
Woodturning (H-21.03)	Wood shaped on a lathe	Common core

H-21.01 Performs marquetry (not common core – not on the exam)

Briefly, for context: you select veneer by design, colour and texture, then cut and shape the pieces, tape them into the design and press them onto a substrate. Excess adhesive and tape come off by sanding and scraping, and then you final sand and finish. Materials include wood veneers and reconstituted veneers.

H-21.02 Performs carving (not common core – not on the exam)

Briefly, for context: the RSOS lists chip, relief and sculpting as types of carving. The work covers laying out the design on the rough piece, removing excess material before fine carving, clamping or fastening the piece so it cannot move, then hand carving and cleaning up the piece.

H-21.03 Performs woodturning

What you do

• Select and use tools and equipment to suit the application.
• Select stock that avoids defects and meets the material characteristics and desired finish.
• Remove excess material before mounting.
• Mount the stock on the lathe using either the face plate method or the centre-to-centre method, ready for turning.
• Turn and machine the stock to the desired profile.
• Verify measurements by checking the size of the piece with a caliper.
• Prepare for finish by sanding with various grits of sandpaper.

What you need to know

• Woodturning and its characteristics and applications; material characteristics.
• Tools and equipment for turning and how to use them.
• Procedures to turn wood.
• Finishing applications used in the turning process.

Range of variables

• Tools and equipment include: lathes, copiers, turning tools (gouges, chisels), CNC machine, band saws, calipers.
• Defects include: cracks, splits, knots.
• Material characteristics include: species, size, grains, movement, colour, burls, figuring.

Woodturning steps at a glance (in the order the RSOS lists them)

1. Select stock (no cracks, splits or knots)
2. Remove excess material
3. Mount on the lathe (face plate or centre-to-centre)
4. Turn and machine to profile
5. Check size with a caliper
6. Sand through the grits to prepare for finish

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Source: Red Seal Occupational Standard – Cabinetmaker, Task H-21 (pp. 142–146); validation definitions (pp. 8–9).