Tropical Hardwoods

Name Mahogany Balsa

Jellutong Teak

Leaf simple leaves that are

close together - flowers
are also found growing on
the tree.

Grain
colour & Creamy white and pale
Texture grain that is very fine.

Dark brown reddish timber with a

straight grain and good texture Golden brown wood, grain can Bright light golden coloured with
often have dark markings. Soft a very fine grain gives a sheer
oily texture texture.

Facts Often Sample is used as a Balsa was used to make

cheaper alternative A Jellutong tree has a Vimanmek Palace is made from surfboards before fibre-glass.
latex substance that is teak
removed and used in
chewing gum.
Durability & Good strength for an Strong durable timber that is Good strength for an extremely
Weight Relatively strong for a medium extremely lightweight resistant to abrasive wear. Very lightweight material.
weight timber. Absorbs shock well. material. Extremely durable and heavy material.
lightweight compared to
other hardwoods such as
mahogany.

Cost (25x150x1000mm) of Rough Sawn (12x12x600mm) £8.50 (25x150x1000mm) of Balsa £3

Kilned Dried Mahogany £10 One of the most expensive
timbers,(25x150x1000mm) of
Rough Sawn Kilned Teak £25

Workability Available in wide board and is very Fine grain and low density Leaves a smooth finish but Machines well
workable due to the Fine grain, makes it very easy to dries quickly making it prone to
can be difficult to glue. work, machines well. shrinkage.

Strength o Finishes well o Cheap o External uses o Heat, sound & vibration
o Easy to carve o Oily timber insulation
 o Internal and external use and shape o Termite & pest proof o Lightweight
o Lightweight o Fast growing tree
o The tree is
protected in
Thailand and
malasia due to its
over felling

Weaknesse Colour darkens with age. o Can split o Costyl o Soft

s o Prone to decay
o In its tree form is
very poisonous

Uses
Furniture, boats and musical Model making Furniture, boat decking and Centre of table tennis paddles,
instruments. flooring... models...

Temperate Hardwoods
Name
Oak Ash Beech Birch
Leaf
Grain colour & Texture Yellowish brown with a
silvery grain often used in
furniture manufacture can
be stained darker to give an
aged effect. Medium to
coarse texture.
Facts
oak trees start to produce
Coarse uniform texture with Pale brown reddish colour Bright light golden colour
a straight grain. Creamy with a close uniform grain. with a very fine grain gives
white and light brown Texture is uniform. a sheer texture.
colour.
Beech burns well and is Noticeable tree due to the
Member of the olive family.

acorns after 30 years of
age.
Durability & Weight
Very strong hard timber.
Large cut of timber: can
grow up to 30 meters high,
with a trunk diameter of
9meters. Durable and
hardwearing.
Cost Lives up to 200 years old
and felled after 60 years of
age. Due to the growing
maturity time the timber is
costly. (25x150x1000mm)
of Rough Sawn Kilned
Dried American White Oak
£8.50
used in the brewing horizontal lines and vibrant
You may have come across
process of Budweiser colours including yellow,
its helicopter seed as a red, black... some types of
child. birch can have a curly
grain. With the tee being
such a long thin tree, large
planks are not available.
Relativly stong for a Strong durable timber that Durable, hard and strong
medium weight timber. is resistant to abrasive timber that can withstand
Absorbs shock well. wear. Durable and heavy crushing and has good
material. shock resistance.
Felled from 60 years old. Beeches are felled quite (25x150x1000mm) of
Very similar to oak and a early compred to Oak and Rough Sawn Kilned Dried
similar price. ash at 35 years of age. Birch £4.50
(25x150x1000mm) of (25x150x1000mm) of
Rough Sawn Kilned Dried Rough Sawn Kilned Dried
American White Ash £7 Beech £7
Workability Hand tools and machines Nails, glues, screws well Machines well but can be
Leaves a smooth finish but
well difficult to glue.
dries quickly making it
prone to shrinkage

Strength Stain, varnish and polish to
a very good finish
 Timber with no  Timber with no  Absorbs shock
taste or odour is taste or odour  Fantastic finish
often used in  Easily nailed and when treated
kitchen furniture... screwed
 Finishes well  Hardwearing
 Readily available

Weaknesses Costly timber Lighter in weight to Oak Can wrap and split. Limited
Not suitable for outdoor
Availability
use. Can split when being
nailed.

Uses Cabinet making, furniture, Kitchen cabinets, doors, Brush handles, furniture, Laminated to make
barrels, flooring. cues and baseball bats. cooking utensils, plywood skateboards, veneers,
and toys. guitar bodies

Softwoods
Name
Scots Pine Spruce Western Red Cedar Parana Pine
Leaf

Long blue/green needles

Grain colour & Texture

Yellowish red grain, clean Creamy white and pale- Soft texture, reddish brown Bright golden colour with
and straight grain. straight grain with a grained timber. reddish streaks. Medium
medium texture. grain and good texture.

Facts Native, home grown timber. Spruce branches are used Parana Pine is not a true
Western Red Cedar is not
Often used as fire wood in some Grand National pine.
due to its pleasant aroma fences actually a cedar but a
 when burnt.
Durability & Weight
Relatively durable outdoors
and indoors. Medium
weight.
Cost (25x150x1000mm) £2
Workability Easy to work with, shapes,
glues, nails well.
Strength  Relatively strong
 Grows straight
Medium weight and
durability indoors. If timber
used outdoors and left
untreated will decay after
12 months.
(25x150x1000mm) £3
Reasonably workable
 Fast Growing
member of the
Cupressaceae family.
National Assembly Oriel
cleverly uses Western Red
Cedar as focal point.
Light weight very durable Good strength and weight.
with a fine grain.
(25x150x1000mm) £6
(25x150x1000mm) £9
Suitable for carving, oily Easy to shape, glue and
wood makes it difficult to nail.
glue.
 Decay resistant  Generally Knot free
 Outdoor use  Reasonable priced
  Reasonable priced  Nice aroma
 Low shrinkage

Weaknesses  Can have many  Knotty  Costyl  Not suitable for

knots  Not recommended outdoor use
 Must be treated for for outdoor use
outdoor use

Uses
Pulp in the manufacture of Paper manufacture, pallets, Fence post, cladding, totem Staircase, furniture...
paper and engineered musical instruments, poles, decking...
board. Telegraph poles, Christmas trees
roof timber, skirting
boards...

Manufactured Boards

Name Facts Fact Cost Strength Weaknesses Types and their uses

Softwood  relatively  prone to

Plywood Different types of standard Indoor Building material,
ply strong rot
manufacture plywood are 2400x1200 due to the  internal flooring.
d from available x6mm board £7 veneer use only
softwood grain  can chip
such as specifically for Marine Ply layered in when
pine and opposite sawing
different uses such 2400x1200x6m
spruce. But directions
hardwood as m board £22  light
ply is made  Marine Ply weight
from more rot  reasonabl
durable resistant, y priced
hardwood steam
such as resistant...
birch ply used in
and boat
veneers. constructi
on.
 High
strength
ply
resistant
to heat
and
humidity
but is
three
times
more
expensive
than
common
ply and is
prone to
rot.
 Flexi Ply
made with
perpendic
ulair
grains/lay
ers to
allow
 movement
within the
board,
prone to
rot and is
expensive.

No grain, Standard  good  adhesive

MDF No surface grain Modelmaking, doors, shelving.
speckled 2400x1200x6m desity Urea
brown as MDF is made m board £8  no knots Formald
sandy up of fibres or ehyde is
colours imperfecti used to
Other varieties of ons combine
MDF are fire drilled/mill the
ed very particles
retardant and
easily which
moisture resistant.  glues well irritate
with PVA eyes and
 finishes cause
well with breathing
paint problems
when  extractio
sealed n to
control
dust
when
cutting

No grain but Fashionable low standard  cheap  expands

Chipboard Fire doors, kitchen worktops
large visible priced furniture 2400x1200  durable when is
chips stores such as 12mm board when contact (with a laminate)...
layered on IKEA rely on £9 laminated with
top of each cheaper materials  very moisture
other, light such as chipboard. lightweigh  not
in colour t suitable
for
 external
use
 weakest
manufact
ured
board

Common standard  will not  not

Hardboard Different types of Paint boards, furniture
hardboard 2400x1200 split or suitable
has a hardboard are 3mm board £6 crack for production.
uniform available  durable outside
brown 1. oil-temper  cheap use
speckled hardboard  expands
pattern with is more when in
the top durable contact
surface and is with
being glossy prone to moisture
and smooth, moisture,
the marks or
underside is scratch.
matt and 2. Smooth
rough. both sides
3. Perforated
holes also
knows as
pegboard
used to
hang tools
4. Commonly
, Fomica is
added as
a
decorative
and
protective
surface
 furniture
manufactu
re

Reasembles can be bought in  cheap  sheets

Veneer Ash an oak Decroate furniture; improve
the timber sheets. Commonly way to are thin
from Oak to used on Plywood veneer achieve a and appearance of manufactured
Cedar as a decorative plywood timber delicate board, car interiors...
surface, effect  thin so
2400x1200  less when
6mm board precious used on
timber plywood
£31
used can sand
Beach veneer  much through
plywood cheaper

2400x1200
6mm board
£10
veneer sheet
130x2400x 0.6
american white
oak £4
Ash £6