Woods Flashcards
List some facts about hardwoods
Most hardwoods are deciduous and drop their leaves in winter They are slow growing Grow mainly in warmer climates They produce mainly hardwoods Generally hard to work Used to make expensive furniture
List some facts about deciduous trees (hardwoods)
These include hardwoods such as beech and mahogany
They are broad leafed trees
In winter their leaves fall off
The seeds are enclosed in fruit eg- acorn, Apple
They grow in warmer temperature climates, eg-British isles, Japan, New Zealand, Europe and central USA
Slow growing (100 years)
Expensive
List some examples of hardwoods
Mahogany, Beech, Ash, Walnut, Teak, Birch, Elm, and Oak.
List some facts about mahogany (hardwood)
It’s an expensive, imported, decorative hardwood
Often used in products that require a decorative finish eg- furniture, doors, window frames, staircases
It’s a strong medium weight timber
The nature of the grain makes it difficult to work
For many applications mahogany veneers are applied to a base material (often chipboard or plywood) to make maximum use of the timber.
What are mahogany veneers
Thin layers of wood
List some facts about beech (hardwood)
It’s a close grained hardwood
Used in situations where the product is exposed to a lot of wear and tear
Not prone to splitting
Is non toxic so has no taste or odour
These properties make it particularly suitable for children’s toys, kitchen utensils, rolling pins, breadboards, wooden spoons, furniture and tenon saw handles
List some facts about ash (hardwood)
It’s colour varies from a creamy white to light brown
It’s a long grained timber that is tough and flexible
Has good resistance to shock hence its use in sports equipment
Ash is a stable timber and therefore can be used outdoors
Examples of its uses include hockey sticks, cricket stumps, hammer shafts and garden tool handles
List some facts about oak (hardwood)
Freshly planed oak has a beige-brown colour which changes to a rich deep brown with time
Quarter sawn oak is noted for its decorative figuring which shows a silver fleck effect.
It’s a very hard, strong and durable timber
It’s quite heavy
Examples of its uses include kitchen units, furniture and staircases
List some facts about softwoods
These trees are faster growing
Have needles instead of leaves
Usually evergreen (they keep their needles all year round)
Mainly grow in colder regions of the world
Evergreen trees mainly produce softwoods
Softwood is easy to work and is used to make inexpensive furniture, structures and frames
List some facts about coniferous trees (softwoods)
These include softwoods such as pine and cedar
They have needles instead of broad leaves and are cone bearing
Most softwood trees are evergreen which means they keep their needles all year round
They grow mainly in cooler and colder temperature climates (Scandinavia, Canada and northern Russia)
They grow quickly (20-30 years) and therefore are cheaper, softer and more easier to work than hardwoods
List some facts about pine (softwoods)
There are quite a number of pines you can use
Most pines are inexpensive locally grown softwoods from managed forests
As they tend to be pale and have very little grain marking they are often used when appearance is not important eg- making moulds for vacuum forming
Pine has also become very popular for furniture
List some facts about parana pine (softwoods)
Has a fine even texture
Is a pale creamy brown colour
Available in long side boards and often without knots
Grows mainly in South America
It is a fairly heavy tough timber which is very prone to twisting
For this reason it is commonly used for structures which are securely jointed or where it can be securely fixed to battens
Examples of its uses include staircases, Window sills and step ladders
List some facts about spruce (softwoods)
Commonly known as Whitewood
Has a similar colour to pine but never quite as dark
Grows in Canada and the British Isles
Unlike pine it contains a lot of very hard dead knots which often fall out
Resin pockets may also be present and should be cut out before use
Spruce is a very tough material and is fairly hard and durable, even so it is not very stable and so is not suitable for outdoor use
Examples of its uses include; Rafters, Newspapers, Floor Joists, Roof Joists, Coal Pit Props.
List some facts about cedar, (softwoods)
This is a softwood which comes from North America
Excellent for outdoor use
Has a natural chemical which protects the timber from decay
The wood resists rotting better than many other woods
Can be easily sawed, planed and carved
Many clothing chests and closets are lined with cedar because the woods pleasant odour seems to keep moths away
Examples of its uses include, closets, chests, boats, pencils and telephone poles
What is the term man made board given to
The term ‘man-made board’ is given to wood that has been cut and glued to form a board or sheet.
