• Wood Classifications:Softwood = Evergreen timbers that are quick growing and coniferous (retain their leaves in winter). e.g conifers, sprucesScots pineStraight-grained softwood but knotty. Light in colour. Fairly strong but easy to work with. Cheap and readily available.
Cheap quality furniture. Used for constructional work and simple joinery.
Parana PineHard and straight-grained. Almost knot free. Fairly strong and durable. Expensive. Pale yellow in colour with red/brown streaks.
Doors and staircases.
SpruceCreamy-white softwood with small hard knots. Not very durable.
General indoor work, white wood furniture used in bedrooms and kitchens.
CedarA pale yellow-coloured softwood with a fine even texture. Light in weight but stiff and stable.
Used for furniture, boat building, veneers, and model making.
RedwoodQuite strong, Lots of knots, durable when preserved. cheap
General woodwork, cupboards, shelves, roofs.
Hardwood = Deciduous timbers (lose their leaves in winter) are slow growing and expensive e.g oak
Beechvery hard but easy to work with, can be steam bent and shaped, light colour, heavy. Able to resist scratching and indentation.
furniture, toys, tool handles
OakVery strong, hard but easy to work with, light brown. Corrodes steel screws and fittings.
High quality furniture, veneers
AshLight, creamy-brown colour, open-grained, tough, flexible
Sports equipment, wooden ladders, tool handles
ElmLight to medium brown in colour, open and sometimes interlocking grain, tough, durable, resists splitting, durable in water
Indoor and outdoor furniture
MahoganyPink to reddish-brown colour, fairly strong, durable, some interlocking grain
Good quality furniture
Man-made Boards = Boards created from either wood chippings or wood dust combined with an adhesive (composite material) cheap e.g. MDF, Chipboard
MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard)Smooth, even surface. Easily machined and painted or stained. Also available in water and fire resistant forms
Used mainly for furniture and interior panelling due to its easy machining qualities. Often veneered or painted
PlywoodA very strong board which is constructed of layers of veneer or piles which are glued at 90 degrees to each other. Interior and exterior grades are available
Used for strong structural panelling board used in building construction. Furniture making. Some grades used for boat building and exterior work.
ChipboardMade from chips of wood glued together. Usually veneered or covered in plastic laminate. A manufactured board.
Used for kitchen and bedroom furniture usually veneered or covered with a plastic laminated. Shelving and general DIY work
BlockboardSimilar to plywood but the central layer is made from strips of timber. Good for shelves and worktops.
Used where heavier structures are needed. Common for shelving and worktops.
HardboardA very cheap particle board which sometimes has a laminated plastic surface.
Used for furniture backs, covering curved structures, door panels.
• Timber StructureHardwood Structure: Have large pores that allow water to travel from the root. Has fibres which gives it strength. Has a
closed grain which makes it less susceptible to rot and insect infestation.
Softwood Structure:Have no pores and instead have tracheids which assist in water transportation. They also have parenchyma which is used to store food
Grain = the visual effect of the flow of tracheids
Tracheids = the cells of the wood
Lignin = the natural resins that hold the cells together in timbers
Knots = natural defects found in timber, the start of branches from the trunk
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Hope that helps