ESL Podcast 1011 - Building with Wood and Metal

woodworking - the art and skill of making objects from wood

Jane wants to learn more about woodworking so that she can build simple musical instruments.

to refinish - to give a new, more beautiful surface to a piece of furniture

This furniture has been painted many times, but I bet the wood is beautiful underneath. All we have to do is remove the paint and refinish it.

workshop - a large room where work is done, especially where things are built

Bryan is a sculptor, so he converted his garage into a workshop where he can keep all his materials.

grain - the lines and patterns on the surface of a cut piece of wood

Because there are natural variations in the grain of the wood, each tabletop is unique.

hardwood - heavy, compact (tight) wood from trees with broad (wide) leaves, often used for construction

Oak and ash are beautiful, but I think beech is my favorite hardwood.

plywood - an inexpensive, but strong board (a flat piece of wood) made by gluing together layers of wood

The children are making a tree house out of plywood.

saw - a tool with a handle and sharp teeth along one side of a piece of metal used to cut wood

In the past, it would take men hours to cut down a large tree with a handheld saw, but now chainsaws can do the work in just minutes.

chisel - a long tool with a handle at one end and a sharp, angled metal piece at the other end, used to shape wood or stone by cutting away small pieces

Sometimes the best way to open a can of paint is to use a chisel against the edge of the lid.

drill - an electric tool used to put a hole into a piece of wood or metal, or a wall

Lyle used a drill to put a small hole in the wall before he tried to insert the screw.

metal - a solid, hard, and shiny material like steel, iron, silver, gold, copper, brass, and more

I prefer a metal water bottle over a plastic one.

grillwork - metal bars or wires that cross each other to make a flat surface, either in a grid (lines crossing each other with regular spacing) pattern or in an artistic design

This neighborhood has a lot of crime, so many of the windows are covered with grillwork to prevent people from breaking in.

metalwork - the art and skill of making objects from metal

Did you notice all the metalwork on the car's exterior?

to weld - to join two pieces of metal by making them very hot so that they begin to melt and pushing them together

The screwdriver broke into two pieces. Can you fix it by welding them back together?

to solder - to join two pieces of metal by melting a soft metal and applying it over the ends of the two pieces

Soldering computer circuits is a very delicate job that requires steady hands.

when all is said and done - eventually; ultimately; in the end; to make a long story short

There are a lot of papers to sign, but when all is said and done, you'll be the owners of a new home.

to try (one's) hand at (something) - to try to do something for the first time, especially if it is difficult and challenging and one has little or no experience related to it

Have you ever tried your hand at sewing?

fond of - liking something; attracted to something; thinking that something is good, worthwhile, interesting, and worth keeping or protecting

The Carlsons asked us to watch their cat while they were out of town, but we grew fond of it and now we don't want to give it back to them.