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Carpenter
Builds and repairs wooden structures — from houses to furniture to artistic woodwork.
Did you know?
Traditional Japanese carpentry uses interlocking wooden joints and almost no nails, and Japan's Horyu-ji pagoda is among the oldest wooden buildings in the world.
How subjects help
- Mathematics: Measure and cut roof rafters at exact angles so they meet perfectly at the top.
- Art & Design: Shape and finish wooden stairs, doors and trims so they look beautiful as well as strong.
- Physics: Allow for wood bending and swelling with damp so joints stay tight for years.
- Engineering: Build floor and wall frames that safely carry the weight of a whole house.
A famous name
Norm Abram: Master carpenter on TV's This Old House for 43 years (1979–2022) and host of The New Yankee Workshop.
Try it yourself: Draw your room to scale
- Measure the length and width of your room, then the big furniture.
- Choose a scale, like 1 square for every 10 centimetres.
- Draw the room and furniture using your scale.
- Plan a new layout on paper. Would the bed really fit by the window?
Carpenters, electricians, architects and interior designers measure twice and plan on paper before anything moves.
Also try: Build a foil boat that carries coins.
Known for it in
Japan, Germany, USA, Sweden, Switzerland