Woods Timber is the general name used for

Woods

Timber is the general name used for wood materials. What do you know about timber…?

Materials have different properties that make them useful for different jobs. The property of a material is a description of the characteristics a materials has… They are adjectives which tell us about a material… Property literacy words

What are the properties of wood. . ? Properties of wood The majority are strong Some can be weak Some are bendy Most are ridged Woods can break easily Woods splinter when they break Most are smooth Some are rough Wood is absorbent Wood can be shaped and carved

There are three main types of timber: Woods are split into three categories. These are: • Hardwood • Softwood • Manufactured. Softwoods come from coniferous trees which have needles instead of leaves. They are softer to work with than hardwoods. Hardwoods come from deciduous or broad leaved trees. They are slower growing than softwoods and tend to be harder to cut. Manufactured boards are man made woods. They are made by gluing together layers of wood or gluing and compressing wood fibres together. 5

Task: Answer the questions below about timber. • Name three categories of timber: __________________________________________ • What is the technical name given to trees with needle shaped leaves? _____________________________ • What is the technical name given to trees with broad leaves? ________________________________ • Name two types of softwoods: _____________________________________________ • Name two types of hardwoods: ____________________________________________ • Name two types of manufactured boards: ________________________________________ • How are manufactured boards made? __________________________________________ • What range of thicknesses do manufactured boards come in? ________________________________ • Name a property of plywood, hard board and MDF. Plywood : _______________________________________________________ Hardboard : ______________________________________________________ MDF : _________________________________________________________ You will be mainly using a mixture of softwood (pine) and manufactured woods (plywood and hardboard) to make your storage box. Why do you think you will be using these woods instead of others? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

Timber is the general name used for wood materials. There are three main types of timber: Woods are split into three categories. These are Hardwood, softwood, and manufactured. This is not a description of the wood it just means what type of tree it has come from or how it has been made. Softwoods come from coniferous trees which have needles instead of leaves. They are softer and easier to work with than hardwoods. Examples of softwoods are Pine, Cedar and Yew. Pine is a good material to work with because it is easy to cut and shape. It has a yellowish colour and is used a lot to make projects in school. Hardwoods come from deciduous or leaved trees. They are slower growing than softwoods and tend to be harder to cut. Examples of Hardwoods are oak, Mahogany and Beech Manufactured boards are made from gluing together layers of wood or gluing and squashing wood fibres together. Three of the most common used in schools are Plywood, hardboard and MDF • Plywood is very strong and is made up of layers of wood. It isn’t very flexible and comes in a wide range of sheet sizes. • Hardboard is flexible and has a smooth surface on one side. It is used for the backs of cupboards and storage boxes. • MDF stands for medium density fibreboard. It is popular because it is a cheap material. MDF has a smooth surface and can be painted easy. 7

Different types of wood and uses Material Properties Uses Softwood Pine is a soft, white or pale yellow wood which is light weight, straight grained and resists shrinking and swelling house construction, furniture, paneling, boxes and molding A quality board, relatively cheap. This board is composed of Medium Density Fibre Board –fine wood dust. Can be worked, shaped and machined easily. Used in the building and furniture trades. MDF Paint can be applied to it without the need for an undercoat or primer. Plywood Strength and durability. It is manufactured by sandwiching together thins sheets of wood Construction industry – interior walls Furniture Cabinets Hardwood - Oak Light brown colour, strong, hard, tough, open-grained, corrodes steel screws and fittings Interior woodwork, good quality furniture Hardboard This is made from wood fibers that have been pulped. It is smooth on one side and rough on the other. It is not as Counter tops, desk tops, flooring, cabinet strong as the other boards. backing Chip board Made up of small chips of wood bonded together. 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. Hardwood - Mahogany Pink to reddish-brown colour, fairly strong, durable, some interlocking grain Good quality furniture

Good things about wood… Issues with wood…