Timber specialist knowledge

what trees do hardwood come from

deciduous

waht trees do softwoods come from

coniferous

deciduous trees features

broad leaves

fruit and nuts

slow growing-expensive

coniferous trees features

cones and needles

fast growing-cheaper

grain of hardwood

straight

grain of soft wood

wavy open grain with knots

3 examples of hardwoods

mahogany

oak

balsa

3 examples of softwoods

pine

beech

cedar

two ways of converting timber

plain sawn and quarter sawn

two types of seasoning

kiln seasoning

air seasoning

kiln seasoning

pumping steam and warm dry air around the planks till they are 10% water

for accurately controlling moisture content of wood

for indoor use wood

air seasoning

leaving the planks outside for a few years till they are 18% water

doesn’t allow precise moisture content

for outdoor woods

defects in timber

imperfections that occur naturally as woods grow or during the processing and handling of material

defects can affect strength, appearance and suitability of timber

label defects in timber

manufactured board

commercially produced sheets of timber that offer advantages over natural timbers

laminated boards

produced by gluing large sheets or veneers together

laminated boards example

plywood-veneers glued with alternating grain

compressed boards

gluing particles, chips or flakes together under pressure

compressed board example

chipboards-glued wood chipss

scales of production