Man-made board whooooo !

Also known as wood-based composites.

Some examples of man-made boards =D

Plywood
Plywood is made up of layers of veneers and resins, always with an odd number of veneers. Commonly used as a furniture back e.g. cabinets, bottoms of draws etc. Can also be flexible for producing curved shapes.

Blockboard
Blockboard is made up of strips of wood bonded together with a veneered surface. Generally used for table tops and furniture carcasses.

Chipboard
Chipboard is made up of fine chips of wood mixed with resins. Most commonly used in knock-down furniture, kitchen cupboards and worktops. Is usually veneered or laminated or furniture.

MDF
MDF is made from very fine wood fibres mixed with resins. Usually used as furniture sides acting as a base for veneers.

Chair project !

notes on wood =D

Timber or wood can be split into two categories; hardwoods and soft woods.

Hardwoods are generally slower growing deciduous trees whereas soft woods are generally faster growing evergreens.

Examples:

Hardwoods: oak, ash, beech.

Softwoods: scots pine, spruce, douglas fir.

There are two main methods used for cutting timber; slab sawn and quarter sawn.

Slab sawing: The trunk of the tree is cut into slabs this means there is no wastage, however as timber shrinks most along the annual ring it is more prone to warping.

Quarter sawing: There are different methods of quarter sawing, but they all reduce the amount of annual ring in the end piece of wood which can prevent warping and enhance the grain, however more timber is wasted.

Seasoning Wood:

Seasoning is basically a controlled drying out of timber. It can be carried out either by natural seasoning or kiln drying. Seasoning is beneficial because it:

Increases the strength and stability of the timber.

Reduces the moisture content of the timber, in turn reducing the risk of the timber causing corrosion to surrounding metal work.

It makes the timber less prone to rot and decay.

What do designers need to think about when using wood?

Physical strength

Aesthetics

Moisture content

Protection

Operating conditions

Costs

Sustainability

Size of Boards

I wish I'd never bought....

A few weeks ago my mum bought a Egghead Small Fry Mini Pan. With an aesthetically pleasing handle and a small shape it looked ideal for frying eggs. Described by retailers as a great addition to any kitchen I had high hopes that this cute novelty item would actually work. Unfortunately I was mistaken. The first time I attempted to use the pan it actually fell off my gas powered hob causing the egg to fall out, and as if that wasn't enough the 'cute' handle heats up so as you try to pick it up you end up burning your hands. Not exactly a great addition to my kitchen to say the least. Its inability to be used in conjunction with a gas powered hob severly restricts its number of potential customers, and even used on an electric hob the handle still heats up making it difficult and dangerous to use. Although I like the unique twist this product has from a conventional frying pan, if it doesn't function then whats the point? I think this product is a perfect example of design gone too far. There's nothing wrong with frying eggs in a conventional pan, if its not broken don't fix it.