Timber - Hardwoods Flashcards
What are the advantages of Oak?
Very popular wood currently (brown colour which darkens over time)
Inexpensive for a hard wood
Quite strong - resistant to pulling forces
Tough - withstand impact forces
High hardness - resistant to scratches and abrasion.
High supply - common in UK
Able to be varnished
Has attractive grain pattern
What are the disadvantages of Oak?
Has a wider grain than most hardwoods - harder to work to a smooth finish
Blights easily - can react with metal fixtures to make black stains
Colour change - replacing new pieces are different colours
Very heavy
Split easily if not seasoned well
High hardness and toughness makes it difficult to work with without power tools
Name 4 different hardwoods.
Oak, Beech, Mahogany, Teak, Balsa, Ash
What are the advantages of Beech?
Very hard- Good for flooring as it can withstand a lot of stress.
Wear resistant - used for basketball courts
Straight, even, close grain is good - won’t come across as many knots or irregularities meaning it is easier to cut/work with.
Non toxic - safe for children
Durable
What are the disadvantages of Beech?
Colour changes over time - density difference, not uniform
Heavy compared to softwoods
Loses durability when exposed to moisture
Very hard and heavy - tricky to cut and handle
What are the uses of Beech?
Furniture, toys and tool handles
What are the uses of Oak?
Furniture (indoor and outdoor), structural timber for buildings, flooring
What are the advantages of Mahogany?
Hard
Good price and availability for its value
Fade resistant - absorbs sunlight making it resistant
Rot resistant
Straight Grain - interlocked
Strong
Tough
What are the disadvantages of Mahogany?
Poor Workability - difficult to cut, doesn’t bend well
Dark Colour - shows dust, pet hair - has to be regularly cleaned
Expensive - double price of oak
Takes long to grow
Unstable - expands, shrinks, warps and cracks
Hard to get a smooth finish
What are the advantages of Balsa?
Very lightweight
Great strength to weight ratio
Extremely buoyant
Relatively inexpensive
Easy to use when cutting and shaping - due to softness
Relatively straight grained cutting in straight lines is easier
Wide variety of stock sizes - useful for model makers, less manual cutting needed.
Natural insulator
What are the disadvantages of Balsa?
Highly flammable
Not waterproof
Weak (breaks easily)
Low density
Import costs high due - origin being South America, Mexico
Not resistant to moisture or insect attack.
What are the uses of Balsa?
Model Structures - bridges, buildings, aircraft
What are the advantages of Teak?
Strong
Good workability - but high silica content in the wood blunts tools quickly
Straight attractive grain
Very durable - high content of natural oils in the wood, make it very resistant to moisture, acid, fire and insect attack.Resists rot and decay
Expensive
Stable – resists warping.
What are the disadvantages of Teak?
Very Expensive
Heavy - when first cut, does not float in water
Oily nature makes itdifficult toglue well and some finishes cannot easily “stick” to the surfaceand can peel.
What are the uses of Teak?
Outdoor everything. Furniture, Boat building, exterior construction
