1. A REPLACEMENT FOR SOLID TIMBER
MANUFACTURED BOARDS
A REPLACEMENT FOR
SOLID TIMBER

2. Manufacture boards
Man made woods or manufacture boards have become important as a substitute for solid wood over the past number of years.
The main advantages are
Help conserve tropical forests
They are economic alternative
They come in large sizes with uniform thickness
They are stable

3. Manufacture boards Types
Plywood
Strip Core boards
Oriented Strand Board
Medium Density Fibreboard
Chipboard
Hardboard

4. Plywood Thin strips of wood glued together like a sandwich
Glue is positioned between each layer
In plywood each layer is positioned at 90º
There are always an uneven number of sheets used

5. Plywood Advantages Very strong Stable does not warp or shrink
Does not split easily when nailed
Smooth uniform finish
Disadvantages
Unattractive edge must be covered with a veneer, moulding or a slip of wood

6. Strip core boards Types: Blockoard Laminboard Batten boards
Solid centre or core with veneer on the outsides

7. Strip core boards Advantage
Very strong due to different directions of veneer
Resistance to attack from water, heat, chemical, fungi and insect attack
Comes in large sizes
Blockboard comes in large thickness
Disadvantages
Edges need to be covered
Surface can be easily damaged

8. Oriented Strand board - OSB
Looks similar to chipboard but has similar characteristics to plywood
Wooden strands or flakes from tree log are bonded together under heat and pressure by glue
Strands are aligned in 2 outer layers and an inner core is position at 90º to outer layers giving board strength

9. Chipboard Made by mixing wood chips and glue
This mixture is then pressed and pressed to form a sheet
Plastic or veneer is then placed over it
Used in furniture construction

10. Chipboard + OSB Advantages Can be veneered Cheap Uniform thickness
Makes use of waste wood
Disadvantages
Rough surface if not finished with a veneer
Chipboard is weak
Water and moisture make the sheets swell

11. Hardboard Hardboard is made up from wood pulp
Water is added to the pulp
The mixture is then pressed under high temperatures and the water is removed
Sheets are smooth on one side and textured on the other
3-9mm thick

12. Medium Density Fibreboard - MDF
Similar colour to hardboard but it is much stronger
Manufactured from fibres mixed with synthetic resin binder
No water is used so pressing temperatures are lower than for hardboard
Both sides have a smooth finish, or boards can have a veneer

13. MDF Manufacture

14. MDF Manufacture