Timber

Question 1

Natural wood

Answer 1

Advantages: useful, durable, aesthetically pleasing

Disadvantages: knots, softwoods can seep resin at the knot

Question 2

Felling

Answer 2

When a tree is cut down

Question 3

Softwood

Answer 3

Coniferous tree timber. Natural wood

Evergreen
Grow faster than deciduous trees
Have wider grains so are more absorbent, but can be waterproof if treated

Question 4

Hardwood

Answer 4

Deciduous tree timber. Natural wood

Stronger - more resistant to force

More durable - lasts longer

Question 5

Balsa

Answer 5

Soft and lightweight hardwoood

Question 6

Manufactured board (artificial timber)

Answer 6

Formed by wood pieces being bound together with adhesive

Veneer - very thin layer that goes on top of manufactured boards

Advantages -
Rigid
Stable
Supplied in large sheets
No defects

Disadvantage -
Adhesives used to bond the boards can contain harmful chemicals
Edges can be hard to finish

Question 7

Timber is supplied in two main types of finish:

Answer 7

Rough saw (used for exterior tasks where finish isn’t important)

Planned all round (much smoother finish, used for furniture and doors, less absorbent)

Question 8

Seasoning

Answer 8

A process to reduce the moisture content of newly felled timber

For most exterior applications, it needs a moisture content below 20%

For interior work it has to be below 15%

If the grain dries too quickly the plank can split

Question 9

Two types of seasoning

Answer 9

Air drying and kiln drying

Air drying takes around a year per 25mm of plank thickness to season

Kiln drying is faster, but also more expensive

Question 10

Two stages of making manufactured board

Answer 10

Lamination - plywood and block board have layers of wood bonded together with an adhesive

Compression - MDF and hardboard have wood that is shredded, chipped, or pulped, then heated and compressed, then bonded with an adhesive