What timbers and sheet materials are used in woodworking, and what are their properties and uses?
Timber and sheet materials and their properties: natural timber (hardwoods and softwoods), manufactured boards (plywood, MDF, chipboard), timber sizes, common defects, and choosing a material to suit a product.
A focused answer to the SQA National 5 Practical Woodworking content on timber and sheet materials, covering hardwoods and softwoods, manufactured boards such as plywood, MDF and chipboard, timber sizes, common defects, and matching a material to a product.
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What this dot point is asking
The SQA wants you to know the materials used in woodworking - natural timber and manufactured boards - their properties and uses, and how to choose a material to suit a product. You should be able to name a material and justify it for a job.
Natural timber: hardwoods and softwoods
- Hardwoods (oak, beech, ash, mahogany) usually grow slowly, are generally denser, harder and more expensive, and are chosen for furniture and where a good appearance or strength is wanted.
- Softwoods (pine/Scots pine, spruce, larch) grow faster, are generally lighter, cheaper and easy to work, and are used widely for general construction and joinery.
Manufactured boards
Manufactured boards are made by bonding wood with adhesive into large flat sheets. They are dimensionally stable (resist warping and splitting) and come in wide sheets, so they suit panels and large flat parts.
- Plywood - thin layers (veneers) glued with the grain crossed at right angles, which makes it strong and stable in all directions; used for panels and structural parts.
- MDF (medium-density fibreboard) - made from bonded wood fibres; smooth on all faces and edges, easy to machine and paint, but heavy and dusty to cut.
- Chipboard - made from bonded wood chips; cheap but weaker, with a coarse surface, so it is usually veneered or laminated (as in flat-pack furniture).
Timber sizes and defects
When marking out, allow extra for cutting and planing, and place any unavoidable knots or splits in waste or hidden areas.
Try this
Q1. Name one manufactured board and one property that makes it useful. [1 mark]
- Cue. Plywood: strong and stable because the veneers are cross-bonded; or MDF: smooth and easy to machine; or chipboard: cheap.
Q2. State two common defects found in natural timber. [2 marks]
- Cue. Any two of: knots, splits or shakes, warping (cupping/twisting), rot.
Q3. Give one reason a softwood is often chosen for a school project over a hardwood. [1 mark]
- Cue. It is cheaper and easier to cut, plane and work, whereas hardwoods are denser and more expensive.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA-style State difference2 marksState the difference between a hardwood and a softwood, and give one example of each.Show worked answer →
Award up to 2 marks. A hardwood comes from a broad-leaved (deciduous) tree, usually grows slowly and is generally denser and harder, for example oak, beech or ash (1). A softwood comes from a coniferous (needle-leaved) tree, usually grows faster and is generally lighter and cheaper, for example pine (Scots pine), spruce or larch (1). Markers reward the tree type for each and a correct example; note the terms do not strictly mean physically hard or soft, but candidates earn the mark for the broad-leaved or coniferous distinction.
SQA-style Select material3 marksA pupil is making the flat back panel of a small cabinet. Recommend a suitable manufactured board and give two reasons for your choice.Show worked answer →
Award 1 mark for a suitable board and up to 2 for reasons. A suitable board is plywood (or MDF/hardboard) (1). Reasons: it comes in large flat sheets, so a wide panel can be cut from one piece without joining boards (1); it is stable and resists warping and splitting because it has no single grain direction (plywood has cross-bonded layers; MDF has bonded fibres) (1); it is also relatively cheap and easy to cut and finish. Markers reward a board suited to a flat panel plus two sound, distinct reasons.
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