Hardwoods ‘These are produced by broad-leaved trees (having leaves broad in proportion to their lengths), whose seeds are enclosed in fruits. Eg an apple. They show a wide range of colours and grain patterns and are divided into deciduous and evergreen hardwoods. a) Deciduous Hardwoods. _ They loose their leaves in winter. They are also slow growing and expensive. Eg Oak, Ash, Lime, and Beech. b) Evergreen Hardwoods. - They grow more quickly than deciduous hardwoods. Common examples include. le Ebony, African Walnut, Iroko. Softwoods. They are usually evergreen with needlelike leaves, growing quickly mainly in colder temperatures. They are cheap, softer, and easier to work than hardwoods. Seeds are not enclosed, but are held in cones, Common examples include: Pines (eg South African Pine), Spruce, Giant red wood. | Conversion of Timber. Conversion means the sawing of logs into usable sizes with the minimum of waste, There are many different methods to suit different timbers and purposes. ‘The two Main Methods are: 1. Plain Sawing. ~ This method is also known as through and through sawing. This is the simplest, cheapest and quickest method, but the boards warp and shrink badly because there are long annual rings in most boards. sawn-through painaain Radial — Known as Quarter sawing. The quarter sawing produces boards with short annual rings which are less liable to warp and shrink, and are stronger. True quarter sawing is more difficult, more expensive, and slower than plain ©O4 quaror-sawn ‘Other points to consider: 1. The effects of shrinkage round the annual rings after plain sawing.2. The end grain of a board under different conversion methods Seasoning of Timber. Se Ss ‘Seasoning - When the removal of excess moisture from the wood by drying it after conversion. R ; ‘ Reason tor i Sea puing ~ After the tree is felled it wood be impossible to work, as the moisture content is ae yee Content of less than 20% is immune to decay, especially dry knot. Seasoning n luce the moisture content to bell is heated and air-conditioned buildings. i Ime fer emerson 1236 fo we in cetly \dvantages of correctly seasoned timber. * Increased strength. * Increased stability * Increased resistance to decay. * _ Less likely to be infested by woodworm and beetle 1. Air Seasonin, IR, Seasonsy he NaToran Metnop : Ae Fiow Poor Te ‘Sto Fon RAN AND ‘DIRECT SON G— Boas Pinna, caTHS ‘BackFeas . The boards are stalked in the open air with piling Laths (thin strips of wood) between them to allow air to circulate. The stalk is raised clear of the ground on brick piers and has a roof to protect it from the weather. ‘The ends of the boards are painted, or have cleats (wood or metal strips) nailed across them to prevent the end grain drying more quickly than the rest of the board, as this causes splitting (Checking), ‘Advantages Disadvantages No expensive machinery required. © Moisture content can only reach 15 — 18%. «Little skilled attention required. * Insect eggs are not killed. © Cheap. © Can take three to six years to dry (I year Little maintenance. for every 25mm thickness) Kiln SeasoningSie Amelia Meme OUTLET aut ‘The boards are stalked on trolleys with laths between them, and pushed into a kiln, The seasoning proceeds in three stages. |. Steam is injected at a low temperature to force free moisture out of the wood cells. 2. Steam is reduced and temperature is increased to dry the wood. is sealed and 3._Finally, there is a flow of hot, almost dry air. ‘Advantages. vantages Can take only a few days. Expensive to build. insect eggs. Expensive to run. * Moisture content can be reduced to below Requires skilled labour. 12%, Requires maintenance, Incorrect drying will ruin the wood. Timber Defects a) Shrinkage ‘When seasoning removes the moisture from the timber it shrinks considerably. Most shrinkage takes place round the annual rings. About half as much shrinkage takes place across the diameter as around the annual rings.Very little shrinkage takes place along the length and can be ignored. As shrinkage shortens the annual rings, the most shrinkage occur inthe boards with the longest annual rings, and the shape of each board depends on which part of the log it comes from and how it is sawn during conversion, b) Warping Warping is the general term for any distortion from the true shape. There are four ways in which wood warps. ‘Causes of Warping * Poor seasoning. * Uneven shrinkage. + Poor storage. NAME PICTURE DESCRIPTIO N Cay ‘Aeurve across the grain Bowing board. ‘curve along the grain on the wide surface of the Springing ‘Aeurve along the edge of the board. Curved Tike a Twisting or " e propeller Winding) ~ AO Soaring. ©) Shakes Shakes are the separation of adjoining layer of wood usually caused by strong winds, poor felling, or shrinkage. NAME PICTURE DESCRIPTION ‘Cup Shake De “K partial separation oF hil YY the annual rings. L2 Ove suave CUP SHAKE,Ring Shake ‘A shake which has separated all the way round an annual ring. Heart Shake GEN A split along the medullary rays starting (527) @ Heant Suave imihe pith, Star Shake ‘Several heart shakes forming an @ STAR SHAKE approximate star shake. Radial Shakes Splits along the medullary rays starting © RACAL SHAKE | inthe outside, caused by the shrinkage round ‘the annual rings after felling. Knots Knots are where branches grew from the tree, A large knot weakens the timber. Live knots — Live knots are where a living branch joined the tree. They are hard, tightly knit into the ‘wood, light in colour free from decay. Dead Knots — Dead knots are where a branch died or was cut off while the tree was growing. They are often dark in colour, soft, decayed, or loose. Pitch pocket — They are saucer shaped hollows along the grain full of resin. The resin runs out when pocket is opened. They are caused by damage to the tree. Prren WANEY EDGE:Fungal Attack ‘There are many fungi whi many fungi which attack timber. 3 requi ing conditions: 1. Food inthe form of wood sa ee Forge ng enue te awe “_ . Moisture (if less than 20% of the dry wei i Oa aren of the dry weight of the timber, it is insufficient). 4. A suitable temperature. ‘The two most common types of fungi ar 1, Wet rot - The wood becomes wet and spongy when wet, but brittle when dry. 2. Dry rot—It strives in dump, unventilated areas. The wood is left in a dry state, breaking into small cubical pieces. Insect attack There are several v Furniture beetle. jeties of insects that attack wood. The one that does serious damage to wood is the © The beetle lays its eggs in cracks in furniture. ©The eggs hatch into small worms which burrow into wood. ; © They continue to eat their way in the wood up to two years. ~ «The worm then changes into a beetle and comes cut of the wood leaving a woodworm hole. PRESERVATION OF TIMBER ears wood immune 1 defects and insects you need to preserve it (i.e treating it with solutions to make it poisonous to fungus, insects, and borers as wel as protecting from weather. ‘Types of preservatives 1. Tar oils e.g creosote it soaks into the grain and gives a matt finish. Its cheap permanent, though safe 10 handle some are very toxic hence needs care and protective clothing when handling, +, Water soluble chemicals e.g Zinc chloride used for wood which is used in dry conditions. 5, Non water soluble these penetrate deeply into the timber and evaporate leaving the preservative in the grains.