Timber is the general name for wood there are three
main types:
1.) Softwoods
Softwoods come from coniferous
trees which have needles instead of leaves.
Softwoods grow faster than hardwoods and so
are cheaper and are easier to work with because
they are softer than hardwoods. Theses are
supplied in standard sections sawn and planned
smooth. Softwood sizes are confusing because
they are smaller once they are planned.
Scots Pine
Pine needles
• Evergreen
trees are special because they don’t
lose their leaves.
• Softwoods grow faster than hardwoods
so are cheaper.
• Often used as building material.
• Trees
grow tall and straight so giving long
planks of wood.
2.) Hardwoods
Hardwoods come from deciduous
or broad-leafed trees. They are generally
slow growing which tends to make them harder
but more expensive. Please note though that
not all hardwoods are hard, Balsa which is
very soft and is often used for model planes
is in fact a balsa wood! Hardwoods are sold
by the cubic metre then this is sawn to the
size the customer requires. Some timber is
machined into many sections called mouldings
for example, dowel, beading, etc.
Beech
tree
Oak Leaf
• Hardwoods
usually have a broad leaf shape.
• Hardwoods
are deciduous which means they lose their
leaves.
• You can distinguish hardwoods
by the structure of the wood grain.
• More expensive than softwoods
because they take longer to grow.
3.) Manufactured Boards
Manufactured boards are timber sheets which
are produced by gluing wood layers or wood
fibres together. Manufactured boards have
been developed mainly for industrial production
as they can be made in very large sheets of
consistent quality. Boards are available in
many thicknesses.
Plywood
Blockboard
• Manufactured
boards often made use of waste wood materials. • Saw
dust is used to make MDF and hardboard.
• The saw dust is held together
with glue.
• Manufactured boards are cheap
so are often used as instead of real woods.
• Manufactured boards do however
do not look as good as real woods look.
• Manufactured boards are often
covered with a thin layer of real wood
which is
called veneer this improves their
appearance.
Timber conclusion points
• Different woods have different grain patterns
these are the rings marks that are on present
on the wood.
• Different woods come in different colours
and textures as all trees are different.
• Different woods are used for different
purposes as all woods have different characteristics
such as strength, resistant to moisture, etc.
Mr DT says 'Read
the text above and then answer these questions
below'. Write your answers on a sheet of paper,
don't forget to write your name on the sheet!:-
1). What trees do softwoods come from?
2). What trees do hardwoods come from?
3). What is special about evergreen trees?
4). Why is softwood cheaper than hardwood?
5). What shape of leaves do hardwood trees
have?
6). What is a manufactured board?
7). How are manufactured boards made?
8). Why are manufactured boards veneered?
