D.T L5 Michaelmas Term Test 1 Revision
Hardwoods come from Deciduous trees
These are trees that lose their leaves in winter
Typically they have Broad and flat leaves
As they cannot grow without their leaves, it creates slow growing and dense material, with a lose grain structure
Grain is the lines that it seen when you look at a piece of wood, this is how the wood fibres have grown.
What does this do for the timber?
Because the grain is much closer together it makes the wood denser
4 Examples of hardwoods are
Oak
Ash
Beech
Mahogany
Balsa
Softwoods come from coniferous trees
These trees keep their leaves in winter
Typically they have fine thin needles as leaves
As they can grow all year round it creates a fast growing material
Material Name Plywood
Advantages: Large sheets, strong, attractive surface finish
Disadvantages: Cannot be carved, weak bonding, low wood failure rate, delamination, plywood warping
Used in: Construction, panelling, furniture, carcasses
Material Name Chipboard
Advantages: Good compressive strength
Disadvantages: it is likely to crack and fall apart over time
Used in: Flooring, furniture (laminated)
Material Name Medium Density Fibreboard
Advantages: Large sheets, smooth surface finish
Disadvantages: Soaks up water or moisture like a sponge.
If exposed to water and variations in temperature, MDF easily expands, impact resistance is generally lower than that of plywood, unable to hold screws in place for long periods
Used in: Furniture, cabinet doors (usually laminated or veneered)
Material Name Pine
Advantages: Straight grain, uniform texture, workable
Disadvantages: Easily damaged Can contain knots and other imperfections that may affect its appearance and structural integrity
Used in: Construction
Material Name Cedar
Advantages: Fragrant wood, strong attractive
Disadvantages: Deterioration Concerns
Used in: Wardrobes, coat hangers, sheds
Material Name Larch
Advantages: denser, harder, and more durable than pine
Disadvantages: The density and resin content can make it more challenging to work with, especially for detailed woodworking
Used in: building construction for rough dimension, small timbers, planks and boards, poles, railroad crossties and mine timbers, and pulp
Material Name Mahogany
Advantages: Hardwearing, attractive
Disadvantages: tends to darken over time
Used in :High Quality Furniture
Material Name Balsa
Advantages: Lightweight, soft and easy to cut and shape
Disadvantages: Not a very durable wood, susceptible to insect attacks
Used in: Modelling
Material Name - Beech
Advantages: Durable, Hygienic, Small Grain
Disadvantages: Harder to cut through on tools in the workshop so it will wear them down quicker
Used in: Chopping Boards, Mallets
Material Name - Oak
Advantages: Durable, hardwearing, Attractive
Disadvantages: Vulnerability to Moisture and Humidity
Used in: Quality Furniture, Construction, flooring, barrels
Material Name - Birch
Advantages: straight wood grain and attractive pattern
Disadvantages: Crack quicker than oak, Not as durable as Oak
Used in: Furniture, cabinets, flooring and other millwork
Material Name - Ash
Advantages: Springy, Strong in compression
Disadvantages: susceptible to insects and fungus when exposed to soil
Used in: Sports goods
Material Name - Jelutong
Advantages: Uniform appearance, softness, and the ability to carve the wood
Disadvantages: Susceptible to fungi and dry wood borers
Used in: Latex production, patternmaking