Woods

Woods are an incredibly versatile resource that if utilised properly in your design can enable it to last for hundreds of years. They are categorised as Hardwoods and Softwoods, but these can also be turned into Man-Made woods.

How to use this resource:

You will need to consider your design and select the most appropriate wood for the job. Use the information and question sheet below to complete your research section and evaluate how it will affect your design choices.

Hardwoods

Deciduous (meaning: to fall off) trees lose their leaves in autumn and generally have broad leaves. The timber that comes from these trees is known as hardwood.

Oak

Appearance: Light brown in colour. It has an Open grain.

Strength: The timber is very strong and Hard to work with.

Uses: The wood corrodes steel screws and fittings therefore it is used mainly for Interior woodwork and good quality furniture

Finishes: Danish Oil, Beeswax clear coatings that enhance the natural aesthetics, it's not recommended to use a varnish on Oak

Ash

Appearance: The timber has a Light, creamy-brown colour, it is open-grained

Strength: The wood is tough but flexible.

Uses: make Sports equipment, wooden ladders, tool handles, cricket bats

Finishes: Danish Oil, Beeswax, lacquer or varnish clear coatings that enhance and protect the natural aesthetics

Walnut

Appearance: Dark brown in colour with an irregular grain but typically straight with a medium texture.

Strength: hard, heavy, and resilient, capable of resisting warping and suffering very little shrinkage.

Uses: Furniture and decorative carvings. Used often as a veneer

Finishes: Two layers of Clear lacquer that protects the wood, then adds a semi-glossy finish

Mahogany

Appearance: Has a reddish brown interlocking grain

Strength: It is fairly strong but easy to work

Uses: This wood is very expensive. It is used for high quality indoor furniture.

Finishes: Two layers of Clear lacquer that protects the wood, then adds a semi-glossy finish

BEECH

Appearance: This wood has a very close straight grain which is White to pinkish-brown in colour

Strength: Very hard but is also very easy to work with. It does warp very easily.

Uses: It is often used for furniture, toys, tool handles.

Finishes: Can be stained or sealed with an Epoxy Ureathane resin

Softwoods

Coniferous or "Evergreen" trees stay green all year round and have cones or needle shaped leaves. The timber that comes from these trees is known as softwood .

Scots Pine

Appearance: White or pale yellow

Strength: Easy to work with/ lightweight prone to scratches/dents

Uses: Furniture, window frames, panelling, and roofing

Finishes: Clear varnish to enhance the grain and natural colour. Decorative panelling or furniture can also be painted

Red Cedar

Appearance: Red/brown in colour

Strength: quite strong and durable

Uses: Musical instruments, furniture, decking, fence posts/ pencils

Finishes: Varnish, Stain or Clear Lacquer. Can also be left with a natural finish

Spruce

Appearance: Spruce is straight-grained with thin and regular texture. Resin canals are rather common.

Strength: The wood is soft, low in weight and has medium density.

Uses: Construction (timber frames), Pallets, Fencing, Paper, Plywood construction, Veneers.

Finishes: Clear varnish to enhance the grain and natural colour. Decorative panelling or furniture can also be painted

Douglas Fir

Appearance: Usually has a light brown color with a touch of red or yellow in-between darker growth rings, although the appearance can range widely depending on age and location of growth

Strength: It is a very strong wood, due to its grain it is much less prone to warping or twisting, and much stronger than pine.

Uses: Timber frames, Exterior cladding, Interior cladding, Furniture, and Decking.

Finishes: Paint, Oil, Lacquer are all suitable finishes

Manufactured Boards

Manufactured boards are timber sheets often made use of waste wood materials and are produced by gluing wood layers or wood fibres together. Manufactured boards have been developed mainly for industrial production as they can be made in very large sheets of consistent size and quality and are available in many thicknesses.

MDF (medium Density Fibreboard)

Description: Made of sawdust and other wood by-products such as chippings and shavings which are then ground into a fine dust and mixed with resins (urea formaldehyde) before being pressed into flat sheet.

Appearance: MDF doesn’t have a wood-grain appearance; it has a smooth, even surface with a consistent light-brown color with no discernible texture or pattern. Easily machined and painted or stained.

Strength: MDF is also much harder, smoother and denser than plywood, and it doesn’t have any voids, knots, or splinters. However if the edges are knocked or chipped the edging can start to fray and disintegrate.

Uses: Furniture and interior panelling .

Finishes: Can be veneered (thin sheets of natural wood glued on top) or painted.

Chipboard

Description: It is made from wood chips which are glued together and then compressed under heat in a large board shape, it is then dried and cut into various sizes to be sold.

Appearance: Distinctive appearance with wood particles exposed. However, it is usually covered in a wood veneer or plastic laminate. Can only be used in flat sheet and can't be moulded or shaped.

Strength: Doesn't have any natural defects or absorb water. Can chip away if caught or damaged and can be protected by plastic edging and laminates.

Uses: Used in cheap structural work, kitchen cabinets, cheap furniture such as tables and bookcases.

Finishes: Can be veneered (thin sheets of natural wood glued on top) or painted, but the chips will show through.

plywood

Description: A manufactured board that it is made from layers of solid timber veneer (thin sheets) that are glued together and compressed under heat. Each new layer of veneer added is rotated at 90 degrees each time, this is done to maximise the boards strength and to prevent warping and twisting.

Appearance: Distinctive pinstripe edging, this can be hidden by plastic edging or enhanced as a decorative feature. Top and Base layer is normally Birch, however other Softwood or Hardwood veneers can be used for a premium finish

Strength: Due to the grain being cross-layered in 90 degree rotations the strength of the material is enhanced. The material can also support itself when being formed into organic curved shapes through laminating and bending processes.

Uses: A versatile material that is used in construction for panelling, furniture such as chairs, tables and bookcases and flooring panels.

Finishes: Can be veneered (thin sheets of natural wood glued on top) or painted, the edge detail is often left exposed for an added aesthetic.

Resources

Materials Resources

Use this resource to identify how to describe the materials you need for your project

A really useful video on how to identify and classify Hardwoods and Softwoods

The Forest Stewardship Council is an international non-profit, organization established in 1993 that promotes responsible management of the world's forests.

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