Furniture Craftsmen is an educational film (likely from 1943) produced by ERPI Classroom Films in collaboration with Edwin J. Hipkiss, Curator of Decorative Arts, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. This short film shows the process of craftsmen expertly making a dining table and matching set of chairs. The film opens with a man sketching out the furniture (00:20). Craftsmen use the drawings to transfer the forms to thin pieces of wood (00:53), then use a band saw (01:15) to cut out the wood forms. A craftsman saws a piece of mahogany (01:32), then runs the board through a surface planer. The craftsman draws patterns for the legs of the chairs on the mahogany board (02:05), then uses the band saw to cut out the legs. The craftsman expertly uses the band saw (02:46), not sacrificing quality for the sake of saving time. The craftsman then lays out all parts for the chair (03:20). Next, he uses chisels to shape a mortise, saws the tenon on the companion piece, then fits the pieces together. Another craftsman prepares table pedestals using a bench grinder (04:13). A shape cutter is placed in the arbor to create the designs for chairs (04:48). The craftsman then uses glue to put together the chair back, checking each joint (05:43). The back of the chair is sent to the wood carver (05:55), who develops the designs of the chair using a variety of tools (06:18). When he’s done, the chair back is returned to the original craftsman, who sands the back, then joins the rest of the pieces together. The table craftsman assembles the table (07:44). He uses a straight chisel to remove excess wood from the table’s drawer front, before putting the drawer together and slipping it into the table (08:48) to dry. The craftsmen give an antique finish to the chairs (09:00) and table by applying coats of aging and mahogany stain, then a coat of shellac. They then sand the furniture, apply more shellac, then add a glazing oil stain. The process is repeated before it is finally rubbed down with a soft cloth, producing an elegant dining table and set of chairs (10:11).

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