Wood
Stock Forms: Softwoods:
Timber is categorised into natural timbers – Favoured for their fast growth, low cost Larch - A hard timber with an attractive
hardwoods/softwoods – and manufactured boards • and long, straight shape. Lightweight reddish brown colour which fades to
Natural timbers are available in a range of stock forms and require less time for seasoning grey when exposed to sunlight • Larch
• Rough sawn • Planed square edge (PSE) • Planed all compared to hardwood has a high resin content which can clog
round (PAR) Once felled, a tree trunk is cut up cutting blades • Used for veneers as
into standard sizes • Rough sawn timber will be sold Pine - used in furniture, internal joinery
well as fence posts, garden furniture
off at this stage • Planed square edge (PSE) and and wooden flooring • Pine is
and boats
planed all round (PAR) timber requires extra lightweight with a straight grain but has
machining to make the edges square and achieve a knots • You may have used pine in Douglas fir - grown largely in the
smooth finish • Machines called planer thicknessers projects at school as it’s easy to work northern hemisphere, is one of the
are used to trim rough sawn timber to PAR and PSE with, glues and finishes well and it’s toughest woods • It’s cheap and strong
timbers cheap • It can be used outdoors but which makes it suitable for large scale
must be treated or protected first projects such as housing frameworks
Rough sawn timber is the cheapest stock form of and cladding • Can be difficult to treat
timber available • Its surfaces are rough from the Redwood species are the tallest trees
due to its density and high resin content
industrial saws used in a saw mill • Commonly used in in the world • Softwoods grow relatively
• One of the most stable timbers – it
construction, e.g. timber frame houses quickly but redwood species grow about
holds its shape as it swells and shrinks
three metres a year • Lightweight, soft,
Planed timber is prepared using a planer and good strength to weight ratio • Used for
thicknesser • Material is wasted away, little by little, construction, decking and musical
to achieve a 90° edge on one or more sides. Planing instruments
makes the timber smaller and smoother • Around
3mm is planed from each surface • PSE timber has Spruce - specifically Sitka Spruce, was
one square edge • PAR timber is square on all sides widely used in the construction of
aircraft in World War I and II • Also used
Mouldings are machined profiles made for functional in housing construction, cabinets and
and aesthetic purposes • Mouldings are used for instruments • Spruce is easy to work
decorative features for products and interiors • with and has a uniform texture
Mouldings are used for architraves, skirting boards,
picture frames, beading, balusters and spindles • Cedar – has high oil content make it
Complex patterned mouldings are used to decorate resistant to decay, moisture, weathering
traditional furniture and insect attack • Lightweight, easy to
work with and knot free but is fairly
Manufactured boards are sold as full or half boards toxic which can cause respiratory,
• Full boards measure 1220 x 2440mm and are stomach and kidney problems • Used
available in a range of different thicknesses • DIY for boat building and outdoor panelling
Stock Forms: Softwoods:
Timber is categorised into natural timbers – Favoured for their fast growth, low cost Larch - A hard timber with an attractive
hardwoods/softwoods – and manufactured boards • and long, straight shape. Lightweight reddish brown colour which fades to
Natural timbers are available in a range of stock forms and require less time for seasoning grey when exposed to sunlight • Larch
• Rough sawn • Planed square edge (PSE) • Planed all compared to hardwood has a high resin content which can clog
round (PAR) Once felled, a tree trunk is cut up cutting blades • Used for veneers as
into standard sizes • Rough sawn timber will be sold Pine - used in furniture, internal joinery
well as fence posts, garden furniture
off at this stage • Planed square edge (PSE) and and wooden flooring • Pine is
and boats
planed all round (PAR) timber requires extra lightweight with a straight grain but has
machining to make the edges square and achieve a knots • You may have used pine in Douglas fir - grown largely in the
smooth finish • Machines called planer thicknessers projects at school as it’s easy to work northern hemisphere, is one of the
are used to trim rough sawn timber to PAR and PSE with, glues and finishes well and it’s toughest woods • It’s cheap and strong
timbers cheap • It can be used outdoors but which makes it suitable for large scale
must be treated or protected first projects such as housing frameworks
Rough sawn timber is the cheapest stock form of and cladding • Can be difficult to treat
timber available • Its surfaces are rough from the Redwood species are the tallest trees
due to its density and high resin content
industrial saws used in a saw mill • Commonly used in in the world • Softwoods grow relatively
• One of the most stable timbers – it
construction, e.g. timber frame houses quickly but redwood species grow about
holds its shape as it swells and shrinks
three metres a year • Lightweight, soft,
Planed timber is prepared using a planer and good strength to weight ratio • Used for
thicknesser • Material is wasted away, little by little, construction, decking and musical
to achieve a 90° edge on one or more sides. Planing instruments
makes the timber smaller and smoother • Around
3mm is planed from each surface • PSE timber has Spruce - specifically Sitka Spruce, was
one square edge • PAR timber is square on all sides widely used in the construction of
aircraft in World War I and II • Also used
Mouldings are machined profiles made for functional in housing construction, cabinets and
and aesthetic purposes • Mouldings are used for instruments • Spruce is easy to work
decorative features for products and interiors • with and has a uniform texture
Mouldings are used for architraves, skirting boards,
picture frames, beading, balusters and spindles • Cedar – has high oil content make it
Complex patterned mouldings are used to decorate resistant to decay, moisture, weathering
traditional furniture and insect attack • Lightweight, easy to
work with and knot free but is fairly
Manufactured boards are sold as full or half boards toxic which can cause respiratory,
• Full boards measure 1220 x 2440mm and are stomach and kidney problems • Used
available in a range of different thicknesses • DIY for boat building and outdoor panelling
