3.6.1

Timber: Stock Forms, Types & Sizes

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Stock Forms, Types & Sizes

Woods fall into two main categories, softwoods and hardwoods.

Wood stock forms

Wood stock forms

  • Wood comes in many forms such as:
    • Boards.
    • Square sections.
    • Dowel.
    • Sheets.
Softwoods

Softwoods

  • Softwoods are evergreen trees that do not shed their leaves in autumn.
  • Softwoods trees take less time to mature and have looser grains.
  • Softwoods cost less than hardwoods and are therefore suitable for the budget DIY enthusiast.
  • They can sometimes have knots which are not always desirable.
Softwoods examples:

Softwoods examples:

  • Pine.
  • Redwood.
  • Cedar.
  • Yew.
  • Baltic whitewood.
Hardwoods

Hardwoods

  • Hardwoods are deciduous trees that shed their leaves over autumn.
  • Hardwood trees take a longer time to mature than softwood but will gain more growth rings.
  • Hardwoods cost a lot more as they are sometimes dense but on some rare occasions, they are not. E.g balsa wood.
  • They can add value to furniture projects but are tougher to sand and plane.
Hardwoods examples:

Hardwoods examples:

  • Oak.
  • Mahogany.
  • Ash.
  • Beech.
  • Walnut.
  • Teak.
  • Balsa.
Composite boards

Composite boards

  • Composite boards are man-made and therefore have enhanced qualities.
  • They offer several advantages such as being stronger, more environmentally friendly, cheaper, more durable and smoother.
  • However, they can be considered “cheap” which might not be desirable.
Examples of composites:

Examples of composites:

  • Blockboard.
  • Hardboard.
  • Chipboard.
  • MDF.
  • Plywood.
Jump to other topics
1

Core Technical Principles

2

Paper & Board: Specialist Technical Principles

3

Timber: Specialist Technical Principles

4

Metal: Specialist Technical Principles

5

Polymers: Specialist Technical Principles

6

Textiles: Specialist Technical Principles

7

Designing & Making Principles

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