Timber Conversion
Stage One: mature trees are felled (cut down) and in managed forests these are then replaced with saplings (young trees).
Stage Two: the trees can then be stored or transported. Stage Three: the trees then enter the saw mill to be converted into useable timber. They can be cut into boards by being either Through and Through Sawn (easier and quicker cut with less waste but tends have more knots) or Quarter Sawn (slightly more difficult and time consuming and therefore more expensive however this has less knots). Stage Four: the planks then are trimmed either side to remove the bark. Stage Five: the wood is then left to season (this is where the tree is either air dried of kiln dried—allowing the moisture to leave. This make the wood less likely to warp or distort. Watch an animation about the process. |
Stock Forms
Hardwoods
Hardwoods lose their leaves in winter. They have a closer cell structure and they take longer to grow, this makes them more expensive.
Mahogany
P: fairly strong and durable, pink to reddish-brown colour. A: good quality furniture |
Teak
P: teak contains oil which makes it resistant to decay A: garden furniture, wood flooring |
Ash
P: light cream colour, flexible, fairly strong and durable A: sports equipment, ladders, tool handles |
Beech
P: white to pinkish brown in colour, hard and strong but warps easily A: furniture, tool handles, toys |
Softwoods
Softwoods keep their leaves all year round. They have a looser cell structure and they grown quicker than hardwoods, this makes them less expensive than hardwoods.
Man Made Boards
Man Made Boards are manufactured, they come from sawdust, chippings and other offcuts all bonded with an adhesive or resin.
The advantage is you can get Man Made Boards in any length or width, whereas the length of softwood or hardwood timber depends on the width of the tree.
The advantage is you can get Man Made Boards in any length or width, whereas the length of softwood or hardwood timber depends on the width of the tree.
Plywood
P: this is made from veneers of timber with each grain layer being at right angles to each other and bonded together by resin and pressure. A: a number of different kinds are available, each to suit a variety of situations. 1. Marine plywood that is moisture resistant. 2. Weather and boil proof plywood. 3. Interior plywood. |
MDF
P: quality board, relatively cheap. Made of fine wood dust and resin pressed into a board. This material can be worked, shaped and machined easily. A: Used to make furniture and in the building industry. |
Chipboard
P: small wood chips bonded together with resin and compressed into sheets. Not as strong as plywood and block board but not as expensive. A: covered in veneer or plastic laminate to make counter/table tops. |
Hardboard
P: made from pulped wood fibres. This is compressed until the fibres bond to produce a tough board. It's smooth on one side and rough on the other. It is not as strong as the other boards. A: the make of flat pack furniture. |
Blockboard
P: has a core of softwood strips bonded together with adhesive and covered with a sheet of plywood on either side. A: used to make fitted kitchens and bedrooms. |