Hardwoods

• What is meant by a hardwood?

  Wood that comes from a tree with broad leaves. Hardwood trees grow quite slowly, often taking more than 100 years to be big enough to use for timber. This makes them rarely planted and increasingly rare and expensive
• What are the types of hardwoods?

  Oak, Mahogany, Beech & Balsa
• What are the advantages, disadvantages and uses of Oak?

  Advantages: Strong & durable and has an attractive grain when well finished

  Disadvantages: Expensive, becoming rarer, harder to work with and corrodes iron & steel

  Uses: Used a lot for building houses and boats in the past and is now used for high-end furniture & wine & whisky barrels
• What are the advantages, disadvantages and uses of Mahogany?

  Advantages: Durable, very attractive finish & resistant to rot and decay. Disadvantages: Expensive, environmental issues & oil in wood can give people rash or breathing problems Uses: High-quality furniture, jewellery boxes and windows
• What are the advantages, disadvantages and uses of Beech?

  Advantages: Hard, tough & does not crack or splinter easily

  Disadvantages: Expensive, not very resistant to moisture and not suitable for exterior use

  Uses: Toys, cooking implements & solid and laminated furniture
• What are the advantages, disadvantages and uses of Balsa?

  Advantages: Lightweight & easy to cut

  Disadvantages: Much too soft and weak for most products

  Uses: Model making, primary school projects, surf board cores & used for rafts in ancient times