Design Breif and Introduction

Wood, Metal and Plastics
Timber
There are three main types of timber: hardwoods, softwoods and manufactured boards. Here are a few examples:
Name

Softwood or
Hardwood?

Properties and colour

Uses

Metal
Metals can either be ferrous or non-ferrous:
★ Ferrous metals contain iron and small amounts of other metals. Almost all ferrous metals are magnetic. But one major disadvantage of many ferrous metals is that they rust and therefore protective coats need to be added.
★ Non-Ferrous metals contain no iron and therefore do not rust like ferrous metals and many do not require a protective coating. However some non-ferrous metals can be expensive and have very versatile characteristics.

Oak

Hardwood

Light brown colour. Tough and durable. Finishes well but stains in contact with steel.

Furniture
Beams used in buildings

Beech

Hardwood

Pinkish colour. Close-grained, hard-wearing and strong.
Finishes well.

Furniture
Toys

Pine

Softwood

Cream/pale colour. Easy to work and fairly cheap but may contain knots, which will weaken the wood.

Building frames and construction
(but needs protection if used outdoors) Cast-iron

Ferrous

Hard skin with soft core. Strong under compression but cannot be bent.

Heavy crushing machinery
Vice or machine parts

Dark reddish brown colour. Light in weight but expensive.
Not very strong but durable due to natural oils.

Outdoor buildings
Panelling

Mild Steel

Ferrous

Tough, ductile and malleable. Poor resistance to corrosion. It cannot be hardened.

Furniture frames
Screws and nails

Copper

Non-ferrous

Malleable, ductile and tough. Good conductor of electricity and heat. Easily joined.

Electrical equipment
Roofing

Zinc

Non-ferrous

Very weak and heavy. Resists to corrosion however it is difficult to work.

Research and Specification

Galvanizing products to protect from rusting

Cedar

Softwood

All manufactured boards are made from wood that has been processed. Some use waste materials (chipboard and
MDF) whilst others are cut into veneers and processed to make the boards (plywood). Advantages of using manufactured boards include that they’re available in large sizes, stable and easy to work with however disadvantages include that they can be more expensive and not as attractive.
Name

Description

Uses

MDF

Has smooth even surface and is easily machines, painted or stained.
Available in water and fire resistant form.

Furniture
Interior panelling

Plywood

A very strong board, constructed of layers of veneer or plies. Can be used in extreme conditions.

Furniture
Boat building and exterior work

Name

Type

Properties

Uses

Alloys are produced by combining pure metals to create new types of metal. Two or more metals are combined to create a new metal with unique characteristics to meet specific demands. Name

Description

Name

Characteristics

Uses

PET

Moderate chemical resistance, mainly used in transparent