Load-Bearing Logic In Hand-Carved Solid Wood Furniture

Forces travel through predefined paths—from contact surfaces into the ground. These must remain materially continuous.

• Vertical compression paths through legs.
• Bending resistance zones at spans.
• Shear transfer across intersections.

Certain areas must remain materially intact regardless of aesthetic intent. These form the irreversible structural core.

• Leg root sections & floor-contact bases.
• Joint envelopes at mortise–tenon intersections.
• Primary frame rails under bending stress.

Even in highly ornamental furniture, the following elements must be dimensionally protected throughout operations.

• Load Cores: Mass carrying compression.
• Joint Volumes: Buffer around connections.
• Span Zones: Resisting creep and deflection.

These protocols apply to specific furniture typologies where ornamentation risks compromising structural integrity.

• Architectural dining tables with carved legs.
• Console tables with slender supports.
• Framed furniture relying on leg–rail transfer.