specific materials

• Specific materials - woods and MDF

  • Natural timber
  • Hardwoods
  • Softwoods
  • Manufactured boards
• Hardwoods


  • Come from deciduous trees
  • Most deciduous trees lose their leaves in autumn
  • Take a long time to mature
  • Have a close grain structure
  • Harder and stronger than softwoods
  • Can be sanded to a finer, smoother finish
  • Generally more expensive than softwoods
• Hardwoods


  Timber that comes from deciduous trees
• Softwoods


  • Come from coniferous trees, also known as evergreens
  • Quick growing and take around ten years to reach maturity
  • Have an open grain and are generally less dense and not as strong as hardwoods
• Softwoods


  Timber that comes from coniferous trees
• Hardwood characteristics


  • Hardwearing
  • Heavy
  • Attractive grain
  • Smooth finish (oak, beech, maple)
• Softwood characteristics


  • Inexpensive
  • Easy to cut, shape and smooth (Scots pine, spruce)
• Manufactured boards


  • Laminated boards
  • Compressed boards
• Laminated boards


  Manufactured boards made by layering sheets together
• Laminated boards production


  Gluing large sheets of veneers together
• Compressed boards


  Manufactured boards made by gluing wood particles together under pressure
• Compressed boards production


  1. Gluing particle chips or flakes together under pressure

  2. Often covered with thin polymer laminate
• Manufactured boards


  • Available in large sheets
  • Less expensive than natural timbers
• Veneer


  Thin sheet of natural timber used to cover manufactured boards
• Laminated board characteristics


  • Strong
  • Look like 'real' wood (plywood, blockboard, veneered board)
• Compressed board characteristics


  • Smooth surface
  • Can be coated with plastic laminate
  • Easy to cut and shape
  • No grain (MDF, chipboard, hardboard)