Timber

Question 1

What are softwoods

Answer 1

• wood that comes from trees which don’t lose their leaves in winter

Question 2

properties of softwoods

Answer 2

• fairly cheap
• readily accessible
• trees have leaves like needle
• grows quickly in colder climates such as North America and China

Question 3

Examples of softwoods

Answer 3

Pine
Larch
Spruce
Cedar
Redwood

Question 4

Pine characteristics and uses

Answer 4

• Yellow with brown streaks
• Strong but knotty, making it harder to work with
• used for fences, cheap furniture

Question 5

Larch characteristics and uses

Answer 5

• attractive colour ( yellow to reddish brown)
• harder, tougher and more durable then most softwoods
• Good for decking, outside of buildings, fence posts

Question 6

Spruce characteristics and uses

Answer 6

• reddish brown
• Hard
• Good strength to weight ratio
• not very durable ( unable to withstand pressure or damage)
• used in crates, structural purposes

Question 7

what are hardwoods

Answer 7

wood that comes from trees which usually lose their leaves in winter, deciduous

Question 8

properties of hardwoods

Answer 8

• grows slowly in hot and tropical climates such as Africa/Caribbean
• Expensive
• have a tighter grain than softwoods
• denser and harder than softwoods, except balsa

Question 9

Oak characteristics and uses

Answer 9

• Light brown
• Tough, durable, strong
• attractive grain, high quality finish
• corrodes steel
• used in flooring, furniture, interior panelling

Question 10

Mahogany characteristics and uses

Answer 10

• Red brown colour
• Durable
  -Easy to work with
  -Expensive
  -Used in high end furniture

Question 11

Beech characteristics and uses

Answer 11

• pinkish brown
• Hard enough to resist being dented, can be bent using steam
• Used for chairs and toys

Question 12

Balsa characteristics and uses

Answer 12

• white or tan colour
• For a hardwood, very low density and very soft
• High strength to weight ratio
• Prototyping and modelling

Question 13

Ash characteristics and uses

Answer 13

• Pale cream colour
• Tough, absorbs shock well
• Used for sports equipment like bats
• attractive so used for furniture

Question 14

meaning od deciduous

Answer 14

they lose their leaves in autumn