1. Hardwoods & Softwoods Beech Oak Ash Mahogany Teak Walnut Balsa
Parana Pine
Scots Pine
Red Cedar
Spruce
Hardwoods & Softwoods

2. Hardwoods
Hardwoods are considered to come from trees with Broad Leaves.
Oak

3. Softwoods
Scots Pine
Softwoods are considered to come from trees with needles

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Beech
Beech is used in cabinet and furniture making, work benches, desks, chairs,
turnery, tool handles, mallets, decorative veneers and domestic flooring.
Advantages:
Straight Grain, Easy to work with.
Disadvantages:
Unsuitable for exterior projects as it rots quickly

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Oak
Oak is used in cabinet and furniture making, boat building, barrels and
flooring.
Advantages:
High Strength, Hard wearing, Does not rot easily, Attractive grain
Disadvantages:
High Cost, Difficult to work with when dry
Green Oak is often used in House Building

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Ash
Advantages:
Ash is used in furniture and cabinet making, hockey sticks, baseball bats, cricket stumps, turnery
Hard wearing, Tough, Elastic, Attractive grain
Disadvantages:
High Cost,

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Mahogany
Mahogany is used for high quality cabinet and furniture making, Drum panelling, pattern making, decorative veneers and plywood.
Advantages:
High Strength, Hard wearing, Easy to carve, Attractive grain
Disadvantages:
High Cost, Many species of mahogany come form non renewable sources

8. Teak Back Advantages: Hard wearing, Weather resistant, Disadvantages:
Teak is used in Boat building, Garden furniture, (where weather resistance is required)
Furniture making, flooring, laboratory benches and decorative veneers.
Note: It is best to use an oil finish with this timber. Teak can be difficult to glue and it's dust is known to be a skin irritant.
Advantages:
Hard wearing, Weather resistant,
Disadvantages:
High Cost, Difficult to work with.* Many species of Teak come form non renewable sources
*Difficult to glue due to its oily nature
Skin and repertory system irritant
High mineral content make it hard to machine

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Walnut
Walnut is used for high quality furniture, boat building, musical instruments,
carving and veneers.
Advantages:
Hard wearing, Attractive Grain
Disadvantages:
Very Expensing , Rare

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Balsa
Balsa is the lightest commercial hardwood. Predominately used for model making.
Advantages:
Light weight, Easy to cut
Disadvantages:
Weak

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Parana Pine
Parana Pine is a straight grained timber often used for stair cases and furniture making
Advantages:
Straight Grain, Stable (tends not to warp)
Disadvantages:
Fairly expensive

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Scots Pine
Scots Pine is often used in the building industry for Roof timbers, Stairs and Skirting boards It is also used for Telegraph Poles, fences and paper pulp
Advantages:
Straight grain with few Knots
Disadvantages:
Slow growing therefore limited availability

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Red Pine
Red pine wood is grown primarily for the production of wood used for poles, Floorboards, building timber railway ties, post, pulpwood, and fuel.
Advantages:
Low cost
Disadvantages:
Knots,

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Spruce
Spruce (whitewood) is mainly used for paper manufacture but is also used in general construction and for the production of musical instrument sound boards
Advantages:
Straight Grain,
Disadvantages:
Soft

15. The End