Timbers Properties Flashcards
Oak
Hard, tough, attractive grain, good weather resistance, contains tonic acid which corrodes steel fixings.
Ash
Tough, attractive open grain pattern which makes it more flexible, shock absorbent, durable, strong, resistant to weathering.
Mahogany
Strong, durable, deep red colour, contains few knots, can have an interlocking grain that makes it difficult to work with.
Teak
Hard, tough, straight grain, natural oils resist moisture, acids and alkalis.
Birch
Hard, straight close grain, resists warping, easy to work with, poor residence to weathering.
Beech
Tough, close grained, hard, available steamed (white colour) and un-steamed (pink tinge), does not impart a taste to food.
Pine
Straight grain, knotty, light weight, can contain resinous knots, soft, easy to work with.
Spruce
Straight grain, resistant to splitting
Douglas fir
Straight or slightly wavy grain, few knots, stable, good resistance to weathering.
Larch
Hard, tough, attractive grain pattern that faded to silver upon exposure outside, good resistance to moisture.
Cedar
Straight grain, can corrode ferrous metals due to its acidic nature, low density, good sound dampening, good resistance to moisture.
Plywood
Very strong, flat, smooth surface, surface veneer can be altered, resistant to twisting and warping, prone to splintering.
MDF
Inexpensive, uniform density, poor weathering resistance, dust is a health hazard, flat, smooth surface, easy to work with but is abrasive to tools, suitable for machining.
Chipboard
Chips easily, inexpensive, flat but textured surface, poor residence to weathering, easy to work with but abrasive on tools, suitable for machining, good compressive strength.
Marine ply
Similar to plywood but is gap and void-free and uses specialist water resistant and boil proof WBP to improve its water resistance. Some higher quality marine ply is also resistant to fungal attack.
Aeroply
Made from higher quality timbers such as birch. Available in very thin sheet, lightweight, easy to bend around a support frame.
Flexible plywood
It can flex as the two outer layers are made from open grained timber. Bent and glued around a former to achieve a solid shape.
Veneers
Thin slices of wood less than 3mm thick.
MF laminates
Thin sheets of MF polymer, hard, tough, chemical resistant.
