Design & Technology (DT) Cambridge GCSE

What is the general name for wood materials?

Timber

What do the properties of timber rely on?

According to the direction of the grain

How is wood deemed biodegradable?

Can be burnt as fuel or broken down into fibres for use in manufactured timbers at the end of its usable life.

What does biodegradable mean?

Capable of being broken down (decomposed) by biological activity, specifically microorganisms

What are some hardwoods?

Oak, Birch, Ash, Mahogany, Balsa

What are the characteristics of oak and what are some of its typical uses?

Very strong and hard but easy to work with.

Open grained; light brown interior colour.

High - quality furniture

What are the characteristics of birch and what are some of its typical uses?

Hard but easy to work with

Close, fine grain; pale, very light brow colour

Furniture and cabinets

What are the characteristics of ash and what are some of its typical uses?

Tough and flexible

Open - grained, light creamy brown colour

Tool handles, sports equipment, ladders

What are the characteristics of mahogany and what are some of its typical uses?

Fairly strong and durable

Interlocking grain; pink to reddish-brown colour

High quality furniture

What are the characteristics of balsa and what are some of its typical uses?

Soft: can be marked using a finger

Off-white to tan colour

Modelling

Where do hardwoods come from?

‘Deciduous trees’, which shed their leaves each autumn

What are some softwoods?

Pine, Larch, Spruce

What are the characteristics of pine and what are some of its typical uses?

Fairly strong and durable but easy to work with

Straight grained, light brown or yellowish colour

Construction work and joinery, furniture

What are the characteristics of larch and what are some of its typical uses?

Tough, water resistant and durable

Grain is generally straight or spiralled

Heartwood ranges from yellow to medium brown colour; sap wood is nearly white

Boats and yachts, exterior cladding of buildings, interior panelling

What are the characteristics of spruce and what are some of its typical uses?

Strong and hard but low resistance to decay

Straight grained with yellowish-white colour

General construction, wooden aircraft frames

What are the different types of grain patters?

Straight, cross, figured, wavy/curly, interlocked, spiral

What is a straight grain and what are the characteristics?

Fibers run parallel along the length of the wood.

Strong and durable, uniform and predictable performance, easy to cut, plane, and shape, absorbs and releases moisture evenly, reducing warping, clean, simple appearance, prone to splitting along the grain under stress.

What is a cross grain and what are the characteristics?

Fibers are misaligned or run at an angle to the wood's length.

Weaker and less durable, harder to work with, prone to tearing during cutting, uneven swelling or shrinking when exposed to moisture, greater resistance to splitting, can cause warping or structural instability.

What is a curly grain and what are the characteristics?

Fibers form wavy or irregular patterns.

Visually appealing, unique patterns often used for aesthetics, less predictable in strength and flexibility, higher risk of warping or deforming, challenging to work with, requiring precision tools.

What is an interlocked grain and what are the characteristics?

Fibers grow in a spiral or alternating directions along the length.

• High resistance to splitting.

• Can be tough and durable, but less stable, difficult to cut or plane due to irregularity, often shows attractive patterns used in decorative applications.

What is a straight grain and what are the characteristics?