• Coniferous / Evergreen

• Needles

• Cone Producing

• Fast Growing

• Widely Spaced Grain

• Easier to cut and work

• Pine

• Cedar

• Douglas Fir

• Deciduous

• Large leaves, lost in winter

• Slow Growing

• Denser Grain

• Harder to work but stronger

and more even

• Oak

• Beech

• Mahogany

• Teak

• Maple

• Made out of softwoods or hardwoods that have been industrially reconstituted

• Only available in large flat boards

• Made to be inexpensive (eg Chipboard) or to improve the properties of the material (eg strength – plywood)

• No Grain Direction

• Can be manufactured out of recycled wood

• Chipboard

• MDF / HDF

• Plywood

• Blockboard

Timber is available in a variety of market forms:

• PlanksBoards (1.8 m+ in length, 50-200 mm wide)

• Strips (1 m+ in length 22x22, 35x35, 47x47 mm PAR (Planed All Round))

• Dowel (0.9 - 2.4 m in length, diam. 4,6,9,12,15,18,21,25,28,34,38 mm)

• Mouldings (timber preformed into different cross-sectional shapes such asskirting board).

Woods types commonly used in school:

• Pine – Softwood which is inexpensive,

easy to work and acquire with attractive

grain patterns

• Oak – Hardwood which is easily available

and hardwearing but relatively expensive

• Teak – Hardwood which is more

expensive and has to be imported but

has a pleasing colour and very dense

grain

• MDF – Manufactured board which is very

inexpensive and easy to work/machine

but looks dull

• Plywood – Manufactured board which is

strong in any direction and fairly

inexpensive. Looks good on the sides but

can be scruffy on the edges

Wood was cut from living trees

It is made up of long “straw-like” cells which carried the water to the leaves.

When the wood is cut, the wood begins to dry out.

However, some moisture remains and to properly “season” wood can take years

Commercial timer is kiln dried to speed up this process

Poorly seasoned timer has a tendency to warp and/or crack

The ideal moisture content for timber to be made into products is between 10-20% water.

Therefore it is important to apply a finish to seal the wood as well as protect and enhance the appearance.

Heart Wood

Because of the lengths of the endgrain, wood is less likely to warp when it is cut from the heartwood

Therefore it can be rift sawn (best) or quarter sawn (2nd best) to get better quality but it is more wasteful (£$£$£$£)

Thin VENEERS can be cut from the logs to create plywood or for use in laminating

Veneers can be LAMINATED together to form strong, often curved shapes. Because the layers are bonded strongly with adhesive, the cannot slide against each other and so are very strong

Formers are used to hold the veneers while the laminating takes place

(either one with clamps or 2 squeezed together)

Eames Lounge Chair

Ikea Poang

One of the most common ways we see and hear of Laminates is on flooring and worktops

Cheap manufactured boards like chipboard can be laminated to either make them look like real wood or to add a colour.

Themosetting Polymers like Melamine Formaldehyde can not only add colour but also provide a heatproof (non-melting) surface (so hot pans can be put down in a kitchen

Laminate flooring is a cheap and hardwearing alternative

Methods of cutting wood to

increase the strength of the

structure

Butt

Lap

Mitre

Finger / Comb

Dovetail

For nearly Everything PVA (Poly Vinyl

Acetate) is excellent as it is very strong

and inexpensive but it is water based

Cascamite is a very strong waterproof

adhesive for wood

Contact Adhesive is excellent for

applying laminates across a large area.

Screws: Woodscrews provide a strong

and simple method of joining wood

Round Head Countersunk Head

Slot Head Pozidrive

Head

Knock Down Fittings:

Plastic or metal fixings

that allow wooden

products to be easily

assembled and

disassembled

Enables “Flat-packed”

products

Inexpensive and easy but

not strong, durable or

attractive

Hinges:

Brass or Steel

fixings that enable

doors to be added

to wooden

products

BUTT HINGE: Comes in a range of sizes from 13mm to 150mm

and is normally used for cabinet doors. They are very strong but

cannot be adjusted once they are fitted.

BUTTERFLY HINGE: This is often used on light-weight doors

and different shapes and patterns are available. They are

generally easy to fit.

FLUSH HINGE: This type of hinge does not require a recess to

be cut. They are not as strong as butt hinges but can be used for

light-weight doors and small box construction.

BARREL HINGE: This comes in two parts. The threaded part of

the hinge is screwed into a pre-drilled hole. They are easy to fit

and the hinge can be dismantled.

CONCEALED HINGE: These normally come in two sizes (25mm

and 36mm. The hinge is adjustable once fitted and is designed

with chipboard and MDF in mind.

CONTINUOUS or PIANO HINGE: This is a hinge that comes in

different lengths and can be bought in brass or steel. It is ideal

where a long hinge is required such as a desk top or a cupboard

door. Small countersink screws are normally used to fix it in

position.

Finishes are always applied to wood to

prevent it drying out and warping

Paint: is used for wood which is to be

exposed to high wear eg. Outdoors,

skirting boards. Oil based / Water based

Varnishes: Are used to protect the surface

of the wood to enhance the natural grain

of the wood e.g. Polyurethane

Beeswax or Linseed oil are used to bring

out the natural grain and seal the wood

Vegetable oils are used for food

preparation surfaces