Timbers - OCRProperties

Hardwood and softwood are types of timber that come from many different trees. Manufactured boards such as MDF and plywood are man-made.

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Properties

There are many products that are made from timber, or from a timber-based man-made board.

A collection of colourful, small children's wooden building blocks placed on a wooden floor.
Image caption,
Children's colourful wooden building blocks

Many toys are made from timber, but the correct timber must be chosen with care, as the toys need to be tough and hard wearing. is a hard-wearing timber and is used in many children’s toys, as well as for kitchen worktops, tool handles (such as chisels and files), chopping boards and a wide variety of other uses.

Flat-pack furniture parts laid out on the floor with instruction sheets and tools.
Image caption,
Flat-pack furniture, often made from chipboard

Flat-pack furniture is often made from a material called . Chipboard is made from small particles of timber and dust that are bound together with a resin. Chipboard is compressed so that it is dense and flat.

Chipboard needs to be coated so that moisture can’t get to the wood fibres; otherwise, they will absorb the water, causing the chipboard to swell. Chipboard is normally covered with a laminate - the polymer might have a pattern on it to look like an expensive hardwood or could be white. Most flat-pack furniture is designed on a computer and then cut and drilled by a . Chipboard has no grain and can be drilled and cut with ease.