Performance characteristics of woods 3.1.2

Question 1

What is rough sawn?

Answer 1

• The wood comes directly from seasoning
  and has rough surfaces produced during the initial conversion
• Rough-sawn has nominal sizes rather than the accurate finished sizes.

Question 2

What is Paned square edge (PSE)

Answer 2

• Wood has only one edge that is planed accurately there rest are rough sawn
• Planning removes about 3mm from the original nominal space

Question 3

Planed all round (PAR)

Answer 3

Wood has sides and edges that are all planed square, straight and level, leaving a smooth finish, and is ready to use.

Question 4

What is natural wood?

Answer 4

Natural wood comes from trees and is available only at the max width of a tree

• To produce a wide desktop, natural wood planks need to be joined together
• Plancks should be joined with the end grain going in opposite directions to minimise distortion.

Question 5

What are manufactured boards?

Answer 5

These are man-made and produced in large sheets usually 1220mm x 2440mm

Question 6

What is Air Seasoning?

Answer 6

A traditional, inexpensive method of seasoning that involves stacking the wood under a shelter, protected from the rain; air circulates between the planks to slowly remove excess moisture

Question 7

What is Kiln Seasoning?

Answer 7

An expensive controlled method, very quick, plancks are stacked onto trolleys and placed in the kiln where both temperature and humidity are controlled.

Question 8

What is a hardwood ?

Answer 8

Hardwoods are those that come from deciduous trees, e.g fuit trees

Question 9

What is a softwood?

Answer 9

A wood from a coniferous tree.

e.g Christmas tree

Question 10

What are the properties and uses of oak? (Hardwood )

Answer 10

Oak is hard tough, attractive grain, has good weather resistance, contians an acid that corrodes steel screws or fixings
Used in furniture, flooring, boat building, and cladding.

Question 11

What are the properties and uses of Ash? (Hardwood )

Answer 11

Tough attractive, one-grain pattern, more flexible

Uses - tool handles ladders, laminating

Question 12

What are the properties and uses of Mahogany? (Hardwood )

Answer 12

Can contain interlocking grain making it more difficult to work. rich dark red colour

Uses - Indoor furniture, cabinets, manufactured boards.

Question 13

What are the properties and uses of Teak? (Hardwood )

Answer 13

Hard tough, straight-grain, natural oils resist moisture.
Used - Outdoor furniture, lavatory beaches, traditional boat decks.

Question 14

What are the properties and uses of Birch? (Hardwood )

Answer 14

Hard, straight close grain resists warping
Used - indoor paneling, furniture

Question 15

What are the properties and uses of Beech? (Hardwood )

Answer 15

Tough closed grained, can be steamed and unsteamed.
Used - chairs, chopping boards, laminated furniture

Question 16

What are the properties and uses of Pine? (Softwood )

Answer 16

Straight grain, Knotty
Used - construction work, roof beams, timber frame construction.

Question 17

What are the properties and uses of Spruce? (Softwood )

Answer 17

Resistant to splitting , straight-grain
Used - Indoor furniture

Question 18

What are the properties and uses of Douglas Fir? (Softwood )

Answer 18

Straight or slighlty wavy grain, few knots, stable good reissitnace to corrosion

Used - Veneers, plywood construction

Question 19

What are the properties and uses of Larch? (Softwood )

Answer 19

Hard tough, attractive grain pattern
Used - Garden furniture, decking fencing

Question 20

What are the properties and uses of Cedar? (Softwood )

Answer 20

Straight grain, low density, good damping rot, and insect resistance.
Used - Interior paneling, sheds, greenhouses

Question 21

What are the properties and uses of Plywood? (Manufactured boards)

Answer 21

Layers of wood glued at 90 degrees compressed to form the board. Good strength and no grain weakness.
USES - Structural work desktops furniture, floorboards

Question 22

What are the properties and uses of Marine Plywood? (Manufactured boards)

Answer 22

Marine PLywood is similar to plywood but it uses a different glue that is waterproof to provide resistance to moisture.
USES - boat paneling, boat furniture.

Question 23

What are the properties and uses of Chipboard? (Manufactured boards)

Answer 23

Wood chips compressed with resin
USES - Kitchen worktops and units, shelving and flat pack furniture.

Question 24

What are the properties and uses of MDF? (Manufactured boards)

Answer 24

compressed wood fibers
USED - model or mold making , furniture items such as cabinets and desks.