SUMMARY - NATURAL WOOD - RAW MATERIALS

AND PROCESSING TO PRODUCT

Woods has played a key role in the construction industry for many years. And
while it’s always been a popular material, the process of how and where it arrives
from is often overlooked.

In this guide, we’ll take you through the journey of timber – how it travels from
the forest and arrives in your builders merchant, ready for you to embark on your
next project.

Summary of processing natural wood, from logging / harvesting to manufacturing a product.

STAGE ONE- TREE FELLING

- the process of downing individual trees. A forestry worker will determine

when and which trees should be cut down, depending on when they reach
their economically ‘mature’ stages. Trees can range from 40 to 150 years
old before they stop growing vigorously and are ready to be cut down.
STAGE TWO- STORAGE

- the logs are stored in a clearing or in the forest until they are needed at the
sawmill. This also allows some of the ‘free’ water content to evaporate,
reducing the weight of the tree/log, which will result in lowering the cost of
transporting and handling.
STAGE THREE- TRANSPORT TO SAWMILL
 - The logs are transported to the sawmill, using vehicles equipped with lifting
gear.
STAGE FOUR- BREAKING DOWN/ ROUGH SAWING IN THE SAWMILL

- At the chosen site, the logs are debarked and bucked, or cut to
the required length. Then they are cut into boards, using equipment such
as circular saws and bandsaws. This is called ‘conversion’. The first stage of
conversion is a process called ‘breaking down’ – which means rough
sawing. The second stage is called ‘re-sawing’ and refers to more precise
cutting and finishing, such as planing and further machining.
STAGE FIVE- SEASONING

- Seasoning of natural wood is the process of removing excess

water/moisture content. When a tree is felled, it still contains a large
proportion of water/moisture – usually between forty to fifty per cent water
content. Water is held inside a tree in two ways; Free water and Cell water.
STAGE SIX- RESAWING TO ACCURATE SIZES

- Once the natural wood is seasoned, it is ready for machining and

manufacturing, into products such as furniture. A circular saw may be used to
cut the lengths and sections to accurate sizes. The wood is then planed to
produce a smooth and accurate finish.
STAGE SEVEN- MANUFACTURE A PRODUCT

- The seasoned boards, are used by manufacturers and furniture makers to

construct products. Products range from windows and furniture to electric
guitars and and boats.

QUESTION - RAW MATERIALS AND PROCESSING TO PRODUCT

The incomplete drawings below, show the stages involved in the ‘harvesting’ of
trees, processing of boards and the manufacture of wood based products.
Complete the set of drawings, by sketching the missing stages.
INITIAL PREPARATION OF TIMBER
ROUGH SAWN TIMBER
When wood is cut to a basic size on a circular saw, it is called ‘rough sawn’. The
edges and sides are not smooth. This is usually the first stage of preparing wood for
further, more accurate work. Wood can be purchased rough sawn or planed. Rough
sawn timber is cheaper. Rough sawn wood is often used on building sites, where the
wood surface finish is not critical or not likely to be seen. A company / business that
has a machine planer may buy rough sawn boards and plane them to size
themselves, saving money.
PLANED TIMBER
Wood boards are normally planed on a planer / thicknesser (sometimes called a
combination planer).
This prepares the wood by planing the edges and sides accurately, smoothing
surfaces. This type of machine can be used to ‘square’ edges, so that they are
straight and level.
Planed wood is purchased by companies who do not possess a machine planer or
find it is cheaper or more convenient for timer to arrive on their premises, planed
and ready to use.
Planed timer is more expensive than rough sawn.

PREPARATION OF STOCK - PLANING OF BOARDS

When ordering natural wood, information such as how it is to be prepared, must be
included on the order form. This includes the section / size and whether it will be
supplied rough sawn or planed.
Timber is normally ordered planed, especially if a large amount is required. Planning
rough sawn wood by hand often takes too long, even when using a planer
thicknesser machine. The advantage of planed wood is that it already has an
accurate and smooth finish to the sides and edges.
Planning at a wood suppliers is carried out in different ways. The type of planning
required should be stated clearly, on the order form.

PLANED ALL ROUND (PAR)

All the sides and edges are planed square, straight and level, leaving a smooth finish
and ready to use.
PLANED BOTH SIDES (PBS)
Both sides are planed but not the edges. The edges are left rough sawn.
PLANED SQUARE EDGE (PSE)
Only one edge is planed accurately, making marking out and cutting to size more
precise.
ROUGH SAWN
The wood has rough surfaces produced by the circular / band saw, although they are
relatively straight and level.
PLEASE NOTE: Even though wood may have been machine planed, a real craftsman /
craftswoman, will finish the edges and sides by hand, using a smoothing and jack
plane.
HOW TO CHECK THAT EDGES AND SIDES ARE ACCURATELY PREPARED
A try square is used to check that both the face edge and face side are perfectly flat
and level across the width of the wood. It may be necessary to use a plane to remove
more wood, ensuring accurately finished surfaces.
-A long steel rule / straight edge is also used to check that the face edge and side are
perfectly straight along their entire length. If light shines through at any point of
contact, then the surface is not straight/flat.

STOCK FORMS – WOODS

Natural woods are supplied in standard stock sizes because they can be transported and handled easily.

Standard forms and sizes are cheaper than special sizes because they are processed in

Large quantities. Different sections are available including: rectangular, square and round.

BOARDS
Natural wood can be supplied as boards. These are a rectangular section and vary in length.
SQUARE SECTION
Natural woods are also supplied in square sections. These are available in a range of
measurements. A typical measurements is: 50 X 50mm x 600mm
DOWEL
Dowel is supplied in different sizes. 6 mm diameter to 40 mm is a common range.

SHEETS - FULL BOARD OR HALF BOARDS

Manmade boards are available in a range of materials such as MDF, blockboard and
plywood. Full boards are usually 1220 x 2440mm. Half boards are also available.
MOULDS
Complicated sections are called moulds..Wood can be supplied in the form of
mouldings which have a variety of sections. Moulds are used for decorative edges
and can be found in traditional furniture.