• demonstrate a working knowledge of natural timbers and understand their classification, properties and uses
• understand why timber is seasoned and how to care for timber during storage and construction
• understand steaming and bending of timbers and have knowledge of adhesives’ curing times and strengths
• demonstrate a working knowledge of the following manufactured boards: plywood, blockboard, chipboard, hardboard and MDF
• understand the advantages and disadvantages of working with manufactured boards compared with solid wood
Timber from coniferous trees
Pine, Douglas Fir, Spruce
Timber from deciduous trees
Oak, Beech, Mahogany, Teak, Ash
Boards made from wood pulp, chips or layers e.g. Chipboard, Conti board, MDF, Plywood Stirling board
have broad green leaves which are shed in the autumn (UK) in a temperate (different seasons) climate. These are known as Hardwood trees.
Hardwoods grow in warm countries such as Africa, Asia and India and can take 100 years or more to mature, although there are faster growing hardwoods.
In tropical countries (Thailand) hardwoods often do not shed their leaves as there is often no noticeable change in the seasons like there is in the UK.
have needle type leaves which stay on the tree all year round which is why they are known as Evergreens. These are Softwood trees.
They generally grow in colder countries such as Russia and Scandinavia and take around 20 years to mature.
The UK has a temperate climate which is why so many different types of tree grow there and why some lose their leaves in winter.
'Siberian Larch timber is a softwood that comes from a tree native to western Russia and that cold climate leads to a timber that is more durable than many other softwoods, with a natural resistance to decay.'
The source of natural timber, paper, card and manufactured boards is trees which grow in a variety of climates. The UK, with its temperate climate, is able to support a wide variety of different trees.
Hardwoods tend to grow in warmer countries around the equator such as Africa, India and Asia.
Softwoods grow in countries nearer to the two poles such as
Scandinavia, Russia and the Baltics.
Woods are fibrous materials made up of plant cells and resins.
The main structure is Cellulose fibres held together with Lignin which gives wood its strength but needs to be removed to make wood pulp for paper (Paper and Boards)
Wood is a natural material and one that can be used in its green state i.e. when it has been recently felled or cut down.
Wood is hygroscopic meaning it gives up moisture in a dry environment and takes in moisture in a wet environment.
As a result wood is always prone to be unstable as it can shrink and expand depending on the moisture conditions.
Trees grow from the outside inwards making a new layer each year (hence 'annual' rings). As a result the weakest wood is just inside the bark while the heartwood is the most stable and dense section of the tree.
Eventually the heartwood may begin to die and is know as deadwood.
In order to use wood we inevitably need to cut down trees! 😭
Trees are cut a few feet from the ground leaving a stump with the roots still attached in the ground as it is much too hard to dig them up.
However, some trees can re-grow from their stumps and the process of doing this on purpose is known as coppicing.
The trees then have their branches removed and these are then chipped and used to make chipboard, paper and other wood-based products.
Where the branches join the trunk, they leave a knot (a defect).
We are then left with the tree trunk ready to be converted into usable wood.
As soon as possible after felling, the tree should be converted into usable timber.
Natural wood is only available at the maximum width of the tree it came from!
There are two main methods of converting timber: Through and Through (Plain or Crown sawn) which produces tangential boards and Quarter Sawn which produces radial boards.
Through and through produces mostly tangentially sawn timber and some quarter sawn stuff. (see diagram)
Tangential timber is the most economical to produce because of the relatively less repetitive production methods. It is used extensively in the building industry.
The Quarter sawn is far more expensive.
There is also more wastage.
Because the grain is so consistent on quartersawn timber, the end product is more stable. The end grain of the wood ends up largely perpendicular to the board's.
It is however more decorative and less prone to cup or distort.
Wood is full of moisture when felled and is referred to as green timber. In order to make it stable and usable, it is necessary to reduce the moisture content in a controlled way. This is known as seasoning.
The traditional way of doing this is simply to allow air to pass around the wood in order to reduce the moisture content over time. The wood is stacked on bricks to keep the wood from wet floors and a roof is placed over so rain doesn’t reach the wood. Spacers between the planks of wood allow for circulation and the whole process requires little or no supervision. Note that it can take years for the wood to season properly!
Because wood is needed daily, it would be impossible to use traditional methods in industry as it would simply take too long for wood to become usable so a kiln drying method is used.
In this method, wood is placed in a kiln and heated up using steam. This means that the wood does not dry out quickly, but the moisture content can be reduced in a controlled way resulting in a process that can take days or weeks rather than months and years.
Hardwoods are more expensive than softwoods for one main reason and that is the time it takes for a hardwood to reach maturity i.e. when the tree is fully grown and can provide the most quality wood.
Hardwoods typically take over 100 years to reach maturity although there are faster growing species such as Bamboo.
* Note that bamboo is not a tree but classified as a grass.
Hardwood is more expensive than softwood and is used in more quality joinery jobs, expensive flooring, or outside areas which are exposed to the weather like front doors.
It is often used on expensive window frames as it looks great and lasts for years.
On floors as it is very hard wearing.
Being harder it's much harder to work with but you can get a great finish.
It doesn't split as easily as Pine (Softwood).
Examples of Hardwoods are:
Beech
Modern and sleek
Mahogany
rich and classic
Oak
traditional and cosy
Walnut
exquisite and striking
Teak
Thailand. Outdoor furniture
Ash
Modern, sleek picture frames
Cherry
expensive floorboards
Zebrano
Decorative
Softwood is the cheapest of the two varieties of timber due to the fact that trees reach maturity in 25 years or less.
Compare this to hardwoods which can take 4-5 times longer to grow and you can see a similar increase in prices.
It also helps that the UK is geographically nearer to softwood producing countries so shipping costs would be less. The UK produces a reasonable amount of softwood for its own use. All of these factors mean that softwoods are more readily available and therefore cost less in the UK. IKEA uses lots of softwoods and they have lots of these trees in Scandinavia.
***This may not be the case in Thailand but remember that you are sitting an exam from a UK exam board so the above is relevant!
Softwood is used in a big range of general constructional jobs.
In the UK it's usually Pine or Spruce but other types include Douglas Fir and Western Red Cedar. It's cheap and very easy to work with, although some care is required to avoid it splitting when nailing, screwing into, sawing or drilling. It comes in several forms:
Rough Sawn treated - quite roughly presented - this is used for outdoor use and is pressure treated with preservative to help prevent rotting (tanalizing).
Used in fencing a lot. You can usually tell it's treated by it's slightly odd colour usually a brown or green tinge to it depending on the color of preservative.
Rough Sawn - quite roughly presented often used where you won't see it like stud walls (dividing walls in homes) which are covered with plasterboard.
Planed - nice smooth surface used for precision joinery or where you see the surface. e.g. door frames, skirting. Referred to as PSE (Planed Square Edge).
1. Chipboard
2. Conti Board
3. Plywood
4. MDF
5. Blockboard (not pictured)
6. Hardboard (not pictured)
The term ‘man-made board’ is sometimes used to describe manufactured boards such as MDF, Plywood, Blockboard, Hardboard and Chipboard, where wood has been combined with resin to form a ‘new’ material. These type of boards have increased stability and resistance to warping etc. and have equal strength in all directions unlike natural timber.
Various types of manufacture board are available and all usually come in thickness' of 4 mm, 6mm, 9mm, 12 mm, 15 mm, 18 mm, 24 mm.
Builders merchants and DIY stores will usually supply a range of standard sheet sizes of different manufactured boards.
It's made from powdered wood which is bonded with glue and compressed to form the sheets.
It is used widely for interior projects especially cupboards and shelving.
It's quite soft and very easy to work with.
It cuts and sands very easily and you can get a good paint finish on it.
It's not particularly strong when cut in thin strips for shelving so will need support if you want long lengths.
It gets very dusty when sanding it so you'll need to wear a dust mask.
It absorbs moisture and will swell up if it gets wet. Avoid using outside or in areas likely to get damp.
You can cover MDF with a wood veneer like cherry, oak, etc. These are quite expensive but do make the MDF more attractive.
Chipboard is similar to MDF but made from actual wood chips and is used widely by kitchen manufactures who cover it with a laminate.
It is also used widely for low cost flooring. You can buy flooring packs in different sizes which come tongue and grooved and allows each section to slot together with the next before screwing or nailing down.
It doesn't paint very well and the edges are quite rough. It is very cheap.
Conti Board is Chipboard laminated with melamine formaldahyde. It is commonly available in white but other colours and finishes are available. Used widely in kitchen carcasses. You can usually buy it in standard lengths of various widths. Can be use for shelving but will need plenty of support. It is generally inexpensive.
Plywood is made from thin laminates of wood glued together with each layer at a right angle to the grain of the other.
It is very strong but also quite flexible, especially if you get thinner sheets.
It's used widely in the building industry as it's so strong. Examples include things like boxing in, sub floors, and general construction.
It's tougher to work with and the edges tend to splinter when sawn.
It doesn't paint very well due to the wood texture.
It's quite expensive, especially if you buy the most expensive, marine ply, which is very good quality and relatively water-proof.
Case study for further reading - Eams steam bent plywood chair.
Veneers are thin slices of natural wood but are often put on manufactured boards to make them look more expensive.
They are ‘peeled’ off the trunk of a tree much like you peel toilet paper off a roll!
They are also used to make laminated plywood for products like skateboards.
What are the two main categories of timber?
Which type of trees grow in hotter countries?
Which type of wood doesn’t lose its leaves in winter?
Which is the more expensive category of wood?
What term describes turning a tree into planks of wood?
What term describes removing the moisture from wood?
What is a renewable material?
What gas does a tree provide us with?
What is the strongest part of the tree?
What is a knot?
Hardwood and softwood.
Hardwood
Softwood
Hardwood
Conversion
Seasoning
A material that can be regrown
Oxygen
Heartwood
Where the branch joins the tree trunk
Which wood is the most suitable for an outdoor bench and why?
Teak as it is naturally oily and will repel water. See AQA textbook pg 9 for further information.
Which wood is the most suitable for a chopping board and why?
Beech as its tight grain makes it more hygienic for food use.
Which wood is the most suitable for a snooker cue and why?
Ash as it’s springy and withstands impact.
Which wood is the most suitable for a high quality table and why?
Oak as it’s a hardwearing, attractive and durable wood.
Which wood is the most suitable for a shed and why?
Cedar as it’s a durable but relatively cheap softwood.
Bonus question: Which wood is this phone case made from?
Bamboo is a fast growing and renewable source of wood