Woods and manufacture boards

?

Natural Wood - Card 1

Woods are classified into two main groups, softwoods and hardwoods . Trees are either coniferous (bears cones and have needle shaped leaves that stay green all year round) or deciduous (has flat leaves that fall in autumn). The timber that comes from the coniferous tree is known as softwood and the timber that comes from deciduous trees is known as hardwood. Although the terms suggest that softwoods are soft and easy to cut and shape and that hardwoods are hard and more difficult to shape this is not the case. For example, balsa wood which is noted for its lightness and softness, is actually classified as a hardwood.

1 of 5

Examples of a softwood - Card 2

EXAMPLE OF A SOFTWOOD

PINE - Is a relatively cheap wood used in the building trade and for furniture. It is pale in colour, quite easy to cut and shape, and machines relatively well.

2 of 5

Examples of Hardwood's - Card 3

MAHOGANY - Is quite expensive. It is light brown in colour and more difficult to use compared to pine.

OAK - This is an expensive material and is used in for making quality, expensive furniture. Steel fittings such as hinges will stain oak so it is important to use brass ones.

TEAK - A hardwood that contains oils which means it is resistant to decay.

3 of 5

Man-made board's - Card 4

BLOCKBOARD - This is built up with a core of softwood strips bonded together with adhesive and covered with a sheet of plywood on either side. Used as a building material and for furniture manufacture including fitted kitchens / bedrooms.

CHIPBOARD - This is made up of small chips of wood bonded together with resin and formed into sheets by compression. It is not as strong as plywood and block board but it is not expensive. Chipboard is often covered with a plastic laminate or wood veneer and used in furniture.

HARDBOARD - This is made from wood fibres that have been pulped. The pulp is put under pressure until the fibres bond to produce a tough board that is smooth on one side and rough on the other. It is not as strong as the other boards.

MEDIUM DENSITY FIBRE BOARD (MDF) - A quality board, relatively cheap. This board is composed of fine wood dust and resin pressed into a board. This material can be worked, shaped and machined easily. Paint can be applied to it without the need for an undercoat or primer. Used in the building and furniture trades.

4 of 5

Man-made board's - Card 5

PLYWOOD - This is made from veneers (plies) of timber with each grain layer being at right angles to each other and bonded together by resin and pressure. A number of grades are available, designed to suit a variety of situations.
1. Marine plywood that is moisture resistant.
2. Weather and boil proof plywood.
3. Boil resistant plywood.
4. Interior plywood.

5 of 5

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Fun resources:

See all Fun resources »