Mafactured and Natural Timbers Flashcards
Define hardwood
DECIDUOUS tree so the ones with leaves
Takes 80 to 120 years to grow
More expensive
Define softwood
EVERGREEN or CONIFEROUS trees so the ones with needles that they keep all year round
Takes 25 years to grow
Cheaper
Define felling
cutting down a tree (via axe or chainsaw)
List types of hardwood
Ash, Beech, Mahogany, Oak, Balsa
Describe properties of hardwood
less porous
denser
hard wearing
less prone to rotting
heavy (EXCEPT for Balsa)
high demand means more illegal deforestation of hardwood trees :(
can be used outdoors due to lack of rotting
Appearance, characteristics and uses of ash hardwood
pale brown/cream flexible tough shock resistant laminates well used in sports equipment and tool handles (hammer handle)
Appearance, characteristics and uses of beech hardwood
dense/close grain pinky hue fine finish tough durable used in kids toys and models, furniture and veneers (the layer of real wood placed on top of fake wood)
Appearance, characteristics and uses of mahogany hardwood
rich, reddish brown easily worked durable finishes well aesthetically pleasing and warm used in high end furniture and joinery and veneers
Appearance, characteristics and uses of oak hardwood
light brown interesting variable grain tough hard durable high quality finish possible used in flooring, furniture, veneers
Appearance, characteristics and uses of balsa hardwood
pale cream/white colour
open grained
large and unusually fast growing hardwood tree
very soft, spongy
very lightweight but can snap in thin sections
used in prototyping and modelling (model aircrafts)
Describe properties of softwood
more porous cell structure can begin to rot due to moisture absorption (but some have natural oils to protect from rotting like CEDAR) used indoors as a result less colour availability easy to add stain cheap and readily available grown a lot in Europe and Scandinavia used in construction industry
Which hardwood tree is unlike the rest? Why?
Balsa wood
Because it’s fast growing and lightweight
List some types of softwood
Larch, Cedar, Pine, Spruce
Appearance, characteristics and uses of larch softwood
pale/reddish brown contrasting grain durable tough good water resistance good surface finish issues with loose knots used in exterior cladding. flooring, machined mouldings and furniture
What’s knots in tree terms?
parts where the branch of the tree was
Appearance, characteristics and uses of pine softwood
pale yellow or pale brown colour
attractive grain that darkens with age
lightweight
easy to work
can split and be resinous (sticky) near knots
used in interior construction and exterior if treated, used in cheaper looking furniture and decking
What is grain in tree terms?
the longitudinal arrangement of fibres in wood
Appearance, characteristics and uses of spruce softwood
white/cream colour fine even grain easy to work high stiffness to weight ratio varied results when staining used in construction, furniture and musical instruments like the guitar
What wood are garden sheds made of? Why? (HINT: it’s softwood) z
Pine or spruce
because both are fairly cheap and easy to work
What are the 3 types of wood?
hardwood, softwood and manufactured boards
Define manufactured boards
usually sheets of processed natural timber waste products or veneers combined with adhesives
Define veneer
thin slices of high quality wood to give the appearance of a solid wood
usually applied to softwoods with hardwood veneers or manufactured boards with any timber veneer
Define timber
wood prepared for use in carpentry (repairing wooden things) and building
What are manufactured boards made from?
waste wood, low grade timber or recycled timber + adhesive
Appearance, characteristics and uses of medium density fibreboard (MDF)
smooth dull light brown finish lots of veneers available rigid and stable good value for money (cheap but works) smooth finish very absorbent so not good in high humidity or damp areas used in ikea furniture building sets, toys, internal construction
Appearance, characteristics and uses of plywood
alternating layers of natural grain veneers with outer material usually of higher quality for aesthetics
VERY STABLE in ALL DIRECTIONS due to alternate layering at 90 degrees (outside layers run in same direction)
thin flexible versions available (Flexiply)
used in furniture, shelving, toys, construction
can be used in marine work if altered for greater water resistance
Appearance, characteristics and uses of chipboard
and uses of chipboard
pale grey/brown colour
no natural grain
normally laminated or covered (Eg/with Formica for laminate)
good compressive strength
NOT water resistant (unless treated)
good value for money but prone to chipping on edges and corners
used for flooring, low end furniture, kitchen units and worktops
Which timbers are BAD in wet, damp conditions?
Softwood and manufactured boards if not treated
EXCEPTIONS: Cedar is good for outdoor use and is used for roof shingles (tiling on roofs)
Which wood would you use to make a shelf?
Plywood
because of its all angles stability as a result of its 90 degrees formation and construction layering
State 2 ways softwoods and manufactured boards can be made to look like more expensive hardwoods
add a hardwood veneer on top
stain the wood to get darker colour which is common for hardwoods
How do you make plywood?
It consists of layers of wood glued together at right angles to each other which is called LAMINATING and plywood is strong because of grain of the timber being glued together in different directions
How can you alter the aesthetic of wood?
staining, varnishing, oiling, waxing, painting, laminating, veneers
What wood is flat-pack furniture made of? (HINT: ikea furniture sets)
Chipboard/MDF
it’s made of small particles of timber and dust bound together by resin and is coated meaning the furniture is waterproof
