Timbers Flashcards
What are the main characteristics of hardwoods
Decidous
Grow in temperate climate
Can be very expensive
Usually hard
Seeds are in the fruit
Broad leaves and branches at the top of the tree
Long time to mature (100 yrs to maturity)
Some are evergreen but mainly in tropical or subtropical countries
What are the main characteristics of softwoods
Coniferous - bear cones Grow in cooler climate Softer and easy to work Often used as building materials Needle like leaves Triangular shape Branches all along the trunk Quick growing so cheaper than hardwood Grow tall and straight which make it easier to have long planks
Examples of softwood
Larch
Pine
Spruce
Redwood
Examples of hardwoods
Ash Beech Mahogany Oak Balsa
Properties and uses of ash
Tough and flexible
Sport equipment, ladders
Properties and uses of beech
Strong Prone to splitting Furniture Toys Bench tops
Properties and uses of mahogany
Strong and durable Wide planks Good quality furniture Panelling Veneers
Properties and uses of oak
Hard Tough Finish to high standard Floors Quality furniture
Properties and uses of balsa
Strong and durable Lightweight Easy to work Model making Floats Rafts
Properties and uses of larch
Reddish Resistant to rot Tough but easy to work Fencing Decking
Properties and uses of pine
Soft and easy to work
Quite knotty
Furniture
Window frames
Properties and uses of spruce
Easy to work Small knots Lightweight with good resonant properties Furniture Stringed musical instruments
What are the advantages of manifactured boards over wood?
Available in larger sheets
Consistent properties throughout the sheet
More staible (eg less prone to shrink or twist)
Environmental benefits
What is the difference between laminated boards and compressed boards
Laminated: produced by gluing large sheets or veneers together
Compressed: manufactured by gluing chips or particles together
What are the two main categories od manufactured boards
Laminated and compressed
MDF what is it
Manufactured from fine fibres of wood combined with synthetic adhesive
MDF how is it produced
The MDF pulp is compressed between two heated plates where the adhesive bonds the fibres together
What is used to make MDF
Low grade softwood
Hardwood
Waste from wood manufacturing process
What is dangerous about working with MDF
its dust can cause respiratory issues
How is the surface of MDF
Smooth and it is easy to apply a nice coat of paint
What can be used to improve the appearance of MDF
Veneer
What are the commn uses of MDF
Flat pack furniture
Shop interiors
How is Plywood produced
It is made up of several veneers of wood glued on top of each other
Each layer laid at 90 degrees
Grains alternate directions
Odd number of veneers
Two outside surfaceshave grain in the same direction
What are the outside venners of plywood made of
More expensive veneer such as oak
What are the different grades of plywood
Grade A is the best and almost blamish free
Grade D is the worst and it will have knots visible and patches
What is one of the main advantages of plywood over other boards
Stiffness
Main uses of plywood
Laminated flooring
Furniture
Roofing
What is chipboard made of
Large flakes of wood glued together
Advantages and Disadvantages of chipboard
Inexpensive
Not as strong and durable
When would chipboard be used instead of MDF or Plywood
When costs factors are more important than appearance
Uses of chipboard
Kitchen worksurfaces
Kitchen cupboads
Flooring
What is meant by conversion
When wood is felled and its bark removed, cut into planks and turns into timber
What is seasoning
Newly cut wood (green) contains moisture which makesnit easy to rot, split and warp. Seasoning is the action of removing moisture
What is the FSC logo
This logo stands for forest stewardship council and means that the wood used comes from forests managed in a sustainable way
What is the FSC
A nin profit organisation created to protect sustainability of forests
What does it mean to sustainably manage a forest
Companies before cutting trees need to consider the economic, social and environmental impact
