POST MODERNISM - KARIM RASHID

Notes - Friday 2th of October

WOOD

Wood is an orthotropic material found as the main contents of the trunk of a tree, is a very sturdy material and due to this feature and its natural abundance is widely used by humans.










We can know the age of the tree looking at the number of rings that have (one ring = one year).The wood is fibrous with fibers running along the length of the trunk The tree is 55% cellulose, 28% lignin resin (structure of the tree together). Wood is therefore a natural fiber-reinforced polymer.

Processed wood to make a product called timber.
To process the wood is to follow a few steps, in this case are four.

Harvesting : cutting the tree down in the forest
Conversion: cutting the trunk and large branches into boards. Slab sawn or quarter sawn.
Seasoning: reducing the moisture content of the timber
Board preparation: sawing to size and planing e.g. PAR – Planed all round


Most commonly used for expensive Hardwood timbers

MORE waste – MORE stable – LESS liable to warp and twist – often exposes more attractive grain structure

NATURAL TIMBERS

Lumber – When trees are felled (The process of cutting down standing trees)

Timber - When trees are cut down and processed - A natural and sustainable source.Hardwoods

Softwoods

Softwoods come from coniferous trees with needles & cones, (all are evergreen trees.) The needles and cones will also stay on the tree throughout the year.As softwoods are fast growing, they are much cheaper to buy as a finished product (many more can be cut down in the same space of time as hardwoods)

Slab or Plain Sawing

• Physical Strength
• Aesthetic properties
• Moisture content
• Protection
• Operating conditions
• Cost
• Sustainability/environmenta issues (The FSC are an organization that make sure wood is from a sustainable source. Therefore meaning that more than one tree is planted in the space of an old tree)
• Size of boards