Uses of Wood
USES OF WOOD
INTRODUCTION:
- Wood is being used from the immemorial for a variety of purposes
- In the past, it was the only material used in tools
- Today there are a number of substitutes of wood like steel has replaced timber for the structural purposes.
- Concrete sleepers have replaced wooden ones
- Fiberglass is now widely used for making boats.
- For timber to maintain its present used in competition it should be properly selected for the right job; properly seasoned; properly preserved and prevented from others harmful agents the deteriorate its quality
- Following are important qualities of a wood:
- Strength
- Stability
- Availability in the required sizes
- Ease with which the material can be worked
- Durability
- Thermal insulation
- Fire resistance
- Appearance
-
Building Construction:
- The wood required for structural parts like joints, beams, rafters, etc should be strong and stiff
- For doors and window frames, floorings, staircases, and ceilings different characteristics vary with the type of work
- The properties of the timber in use:
- Durability
- Strength
- Steadiness
- Hardness
- The timbers recommended:
- Fir (Abies pindrow)
- Spruce (Picea smithiana)
- White siris (Albizia procera)
- Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo)
- Babul (Acacia nilotica)
-
Packing cases and crates:
- Wood pickings are preferably used for fresh fruits, machinery aircraft parts, plate glasses, precision instruments, and the like
- Moreover used for ammunition boxes, boxes for air droppings, boxes and crates for heavy machinery
- Timbers with density 350-420 kg/m are suitable for packing crates
- Properties of timber:
- Light
- Easily workable
- Cheap
- Spp in use and recommended:
- Simal (Bombax ceiba)
- Mango (Mangifera inidca)
- Tono (Cedrella toona)
- Bakain (Melia azedarach)
- Fir (Abies pindrow)
- Spruce (Picea smithiana)
- Poplar spp
-
Agricultural Implements:
- It refers to appliances such as plows, barrows, rollers, and clod-crushers
- Properties to consider
- Durability
- Strength
- Toughness
- Impact bending
- Hardness
- Spp in use:
- Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo)
- Babul (Acacia nilotica)
- Amaltas (Cassia fistula)
- Oak (Quercus spp)
- Ber (Zizyphus jujuba)
-
Axe halves and Tool handles:
- The main thing that is important is the length of the handle
- Properties of wood:
- Fine texture
- Straight grain
- Strength
- Elasticity
- Toughness
- Cleavage
- Hardness
- Wood spp in use:
- Kao (Olea ferrugenea)
- Babul (Acacia nilotica)
- Black siris (Albizia lebbek)
- Oak (Quercus spp)
-
Furniture, cabinet work, and paneling:
- For this, a better quality wood is required
- These include writing desks, bookcases, dining tables, sideboards and screens
- Properties required in the wood:
- Good color
- Handsome grain or figure
- Non-liability to crack, split or wrap
- Ease of working and finishing
- Well seasoned
- Spp in use
- Siris (Abies pindrow)
- Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo)
- Toon (Cedrela toona)
- For the cheaper type of furniture:
- Fir (Abies pindrow)
- Maple (Acer spp)
- Horse chestnut (Aesculus indica)
- Kail (Pinus wallichiana)
- Mango (Mangifera indica)
- Spruce (Picea smithiana)
- Deodar (Cedrus deodara)
-
Turnery Articles:
- This term includes bobbins toys, household wooden utensils, and rifle parts
- Properties of timber required:
- Close and even texture
- High-class turnery and carving
- Well seasoned
- Spp in use:
- Walnut (Juglans regia)
- Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo)
- Paser (Parrotia jacquemontiona)
-
Toys and Models:
- The wood selected will depend upon the finished product
- For the use properties of timber:
- Light
- Easily workable
- For unpainted toys, properties are:
- Plain
- Light colored wood
- For making models of ships, buildings, etc.
- Light
- Very steady
- Cut easily and cleanly
- Easy in finishing (less labor involved)
- Wood spp in use:
- Deodar (Cedrus deodara)
- Simal (Bombax ceiba)
- Fir (Abies pindrow)
- Spruce (Picea smithiana)
- Bakain (Melia azedarach)
-
Railway Carriage building:
- It is one of the timbers utilizing industry
- The carriage building work falls into the following four distinct classes:
- Main members of passenger coaches, such as bottom sides, pillars
- Interior fittings, such as boarding, panelling, partitions, seats, etc
- Footboards
- Floorboards
- Properties of timbers in use:
- Strength
- Steadiness
- Good figure or grain
- Retention of shape
- Color
- Light wood
- Dimension stability
- The principal spp in use:
- Deodar (Cedrus deodara)
- Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo)
-
Railway Sleepers:
- These are used support rails, distribute the load from rails to the ballast, and maintain gauges
- Timbers should be treated with preservatives
- Properties of timbers used for sleepers include:
- Durability
- Well-seasoned
- Static bending
- Compressive strength
- Hardness
- Spp used:
- Deodar (Cedrus deodar)
- Babul (Acaci nilotica)
- Fir (Abies pindrow)
- Spruce (Picea smithiana)
-
Electric transmission poles:
- Qualities of transmission poles
- Good straight lengths
- No split and cracks
- Free from sap rot, hollows, cross-breaks, and large holes
- Strength (MOR)
- Durability
- Spp in use are recommended:
- Deodar (Cedrus deodar)
- Chir (Pinus roxburghii)
- Kail (P. wallichiana)
- Illachi (Eucalyptus spp)
-
Mine work and pit props:
- In mines, the posts usu relatively short and made of timber, used as a strut are known as pit-props
- Pit props are generally used in the round in lengths or 1.8 – 3.6 m.
- Preservative treatments are recommended for second timbers that are strong but are not durable
- Essential properties of timber
- Durability
- Strength
- Compression parallel to grain
- Stiffness
- MOE
- MOR
- Woods in use
- Babul (Acacia nilotica)
- Fir (Abies pindrow)
-
Ship and boat building:
- The demand of wood has increased for deck planking, cabin fitmens and interior decoration for ship and boat building
- Qualities required in wood
- Durability
- Elasticity
- Strength
- Easily available in clear long lengths
- Defects free
- Wood spp in use:
- Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo)
- Mango (Mangifera indica)
- Babul (Acacia nilotica)
- Khair (Acacia catechu)
-
Textile mill accessories:
- These include bobbins, picker arms and loom components such as box backs, lay races, swells, lay blocks, card leggings, etc.
- Properties essential in wood:
- Straight grained
- Free from knots and other defects
- Well seasoned
- Good turnery
- Fine and compact textured
- Medium in weight
- Wood recommended
- Maple (Acer caesium)
- Toon (Cedrela spp)
- Mango (Mangifera indica)
- Deodar (Cedrus deodara)
- Kail (Pinus wallichiana)
- Fir (Abies pindrow)
- Spruce (Picea smithiana)
-
Pencils and pen holders:
- Properties of timber:
- Fine texture
- Straight grain
- Free from knots
- Lightweight
- Reasonably strong
- Suitable spp:
- Juniper (Juniperus macropoda)
- Deodar (Cedrus deodara)
-
Sports goods:
- These include hockey sticks, cricket bats, tennis and badminton rackets, golf clubs, billiard cues, skis, cricket stumps and bails, fishing rods, etc.
- Properties of wood:
- Static bending
- Compressive strength
- Hardness
- Impact bending
- Spp in use:
- Ash (Fraxinus spp)
- Maple (Aces caesium)
- Khair (Acacia catechu)
- Shisham ( sissoo)
- Willow (Salix spp)
- Bakain (Melia azedarach)
- Mulberry (Morus alba)
- Poplar (Poplus spp)
-
Cooperage:
- It comprises the manufacture of all kinds of barrels, casks, tubes, vats, drums, and similar vessels for holding liquids of dry goods.
- Properties of timber in use:
- Dimensional stability
- Good woodworking
- Not too heavy
- Spp preferred:
- Mulberry (Morus alba)
- Deodar (Cedrus deodara)
- Ash (Fraxinus spp)
- Willow (Salix spp)
-
Flooring:
- Wooden floors are classified into strip-flooring and block-flooring
- Properties of timber include:
- Abrasive resistance (wear and tear)
- Durability
- Non-liability to excessive shrinkage and smelling
- No wrapping
- Hardness
- Toughness
- Spp in use:
- Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo)
- Black siris (Albezzia lebbek)
- Toon (Cedrela spp)
- Kail (Pinus wallichiana)
- Chir ( roxburghii)
- Babul (Acacia nilotica)
-
Rifle parts and gun stocks:
- Characteristics required in wood:
- Fine texture perfectly sound
- Density about 560 kg/m3
- Moderately hard
- Spp suitable:
- Walnut (Juglans regia)
- Maple (Acer caesium)
- Bird cherry (Prunus padus)
- Black siris (Albizia lebbak)
-
Battery separators:
- Commonly made from conifers
- Qualities of the wood:
- Porosity
- Permeability
- Straight grained
- Sufficiently strong
- Defect-free
- Good machining properties
- Free from volatile acids
- Free from tannins
- Free from hydrolyzable resinous matter and minerals
- Woods used and recommended:
- Fire (Abies pindrow)
- Spruce (Picea smithiana)
- Cupress (Cupressus spp)
- Deodar (Cedrus deodara)
- Kail ( wallichiana)
-
Match manufacture:
- In Pakistan, only wood is used in making match splints and boxes
- Qualities of a match wood:
- Straight grained
- Strength
- Toughness
- Lightness
- Good white color
- Freedom from defects
- Capacity to absorb paraffin readily
- Easily peelable
- Easily available
- Cheap
- Suitable wood spp:
- Simal (Bombax ceiba)
- Poplar (Poplus spp)
- White Bakain (Alianthus spp)
- Mango (Mangifera indica)
-
Mathematical instruments:
- These include drawing boards, set squares, t-squares, rulers, etc
- Qualities required in the wood:
- Fine and even textured
- Smooth surface on machinery
- Not chip off
- Steadiness
- Not liable to wrap
- Easy to print upon
- Straight grained
- Free from defects.
- Timbers recommended and in use:
- Horse chestnut (Aesculus spp)
- Walnut (Juglans regia)
- White bakain (Ailanthus spp)
- Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo)
Use | Use for | Qualities required | Species in use |
Building Construction: |
The wood required for structural parts like joints, beams, rafters, etc and for doors and window frames, floorings, staircases, and ceilings | Durability; Strength; Steadiness; Hardness |
Fir (Abies pindrow); Spruce (Picea smithiana); White siris (Albizia procera); Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo); Babul (Acacia nilotica) |
Packing cases and crates: |
Used for fresh fruits, machinery aircraft parts, plate glasses, precision instruments, and the like. Also for ammunition boxes, boxes for air droppings, boxes and crates for heavy machinery | Light; Easily workable; Cheap |
Simal (Bombax ceiba); Mango (Mangifera inidca); Tono (Cedrella toona); Bakain (Meila azedarach)’ Fir (Abies pindrow); Spruce (Picea smithiana); Poplar spp |
Agricultural Implements: |
It refers to appliances such as ploughs, barrows, rollers, and clod-crushers |
Durability; Strength; Toughness; Impact bending; Hardness | Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo); Babul (Acacia nilotica); Amaltas (Cassia fistula); Oak (Quercus spp); Ber (Zizyphus jujuba) |
Axe halves and Tool handles: | Fine texture; Straight grain; Strength; Elasticity; Toughness; Cleavage; Hardness | Kao (Olea ferrugenea); Babul (Acacia nilotica); Black siris (Albizia lebbek); Oak (Quercus spp) | |
Furniture, cabinet work and paneling: |
These include writing desks, book cases, dining tables, side boards and screens |
Good color; Handsome grain or figure; Non-liability to crack, split or wrap; Ease of working and finishing; Well seasoned | Fir (Abies pindrow); Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo); Toon (Cedrela toona); Maple (Acer spp); Horse chestnut (Aesculus indica); Kail (Pinus wallichiana); Mango (Mangifera indica); Spruce (Picea smithiana); Deodar (Cedrus deodara) |
Turnery Articles: |
This term includes bobbins toys, house-hold wooden utensils and rifle parts | Close and even texture; High class turnery and carving; Well seasoned | Walnut (Julgans regia); Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo); Paser (Parrotia jacquemontiona) |
Toys and Models: |
Light; Easily workable; For unpainted toys, properties are: Plain, Light colored wood For making models of ships, buildings, etc.; Light; Very steady; Cut easily and cleanly; Easy in finishing |
Deodar (Cedrus deodara) Simal (Bombax ceiba) Fir (Abies pindrow) Spruce (Picea smithiana) Bakain (Melia azedarach) |
|
Railway Carriage building: |
Main members of passenger coaches, such as bottom sides, pillars. Interior fittings, such as boarding, paneling, partitions, seats, etc. Foot boards. Floor boards | Strength; Steadiness; Good figure or grain; Retention of shape; Color Light wood; Dimension stability |
Deodar (Cedrus deodara) Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) |
Railway Sleepers: |
Durability; Well-seasoned; Static bending; Compressive strength; Hardness | Deodar (Cedrus deodar); Babul (Acaci nilotica); Fir (Abies pindrow) Spruce (Picea smithiana) |
|
Mine work and pit props: |
Durability; Strength; Compression parallel to grain; Stiffness; MOE; MOR | Babul (Acacia nilotica) Fir (Abies pindrow) |
|
Electric transmission poles: |
Good straight lengths; No split and cracks; Free from sap rot, hollows, cross-breaks, and large holes; Strength (MOR); Durability | Deodar (Cedrus deodar) Chir (Pinus roxburghii) Kail (P. wallichiana) Illachi (Eucalyptus spp) |
|
Ship and boat building: | For deck planking, cabin fitmens and interior decoration for ship and boat building |
Durability; Elasticity; Strength; Easily available in clear long lengths; Defects free | Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) Mango (Mangifera indica) Babul (Acacia nilotica) Khair (Acacia catechu) |
Textile mill accessories: |
These include bobbins, picker arms and loom components such as box backs, lay races, swells, lay blocks, card laggings, etc. |
Straight grained; Free from knots and other defects; Well seasoned; Good turnery; Fine and compact textured; Medium in weight | Maple (Acer caesium); Toon (Cedrela spp); Mango (Mangifera indica) Deodar (Cedrus deodara); Kail (Pinus wallichiana); Fir (Abies pindrow); Spruce (Picea smithiana) |
Pencils and pen holders: |
Fine texture; Straight grain; Free from knots; Light weight; Reasonably strong; | Juniper (Juniperus macropoda) Deodar (Cedrus deodara) |
|
Sports goods: |
These include hockey sticks, cricket bats, tennis and badminton rackets, golf clubs, billiard cures, skis, cricket stumps and bails, fishing rods, etc. |
Static bending; Compressive strength; Hardness; Impact bending | Ash (Fraxinus spp); Maple (Aces caesium); Khair (Acacia catechu); Shisham (D. sissoo); Willow (Salix spp); Bakain (Melia azedarach); Mulberry (Morus alba); Poplar (Poplus spp) |
Cooperage: |
It comprises the manufacture of all kinds of barrels, casks, tubes, vats, drums, and similar vessels for holding liquids of dry goods. | Dimensional stability; Good wood working; Not too heavy; | Mulberry (Morus alba); Deodar (Cedrus deodara); Ash (Fraxinus spp); Willow (Salix spp) |
Flooring: |
Abrasive resistance (wear and tear); Durability; Non-liability to excessive shrinkage and smelling; No wrapping; Hardness; Toughness; | Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) Black siris (Albezzia lebbek) Kail (Pinus wallichiana) Chir (P. roxburghii) Babul (Acacia nilotica) |
|
Rifle parts and gun stocks: |
Fine texture perfectly sound; Density about 560 kg/m3; Moderately hard; | Walnut (Juglans regia); Maple (Acer caesium) Bird cherry (Prunus padus) Black siris (Albizia lebbak) |
|
Battery separators: |
Porosity; Permeability; Straight grained; Sufficiently strong; Defect free; Good machining properties; Free from volatile acids; Free from tannins; Free from hydrolysable resinous matter and minerals | Fire (Abies pindrow) Spruce (Picea smithiana) Cupress (Cupressus spp) Deodar (Cedrus deodara) Kail (P. wallichiana) |
|
Match manufacture: |
Used in making match splints and boxes |
Straight grained; Strength; Toughness Lightness; Good white color; Freedom from defects; Capacity to absorb paraffin readily; Easily peel able; Easily available; Cheap |
Simal (Bombax ceiba) Poplar (Poplus spp) White Bakain (Alianthus spp) Mango (Mangifera indica) |
Mathematical instruments: |
These include drawing boards, set squares, t-squares, rulers, etc |
Fine and even textured; Smooth surface on machinery; Not chip off; Steadiness; Not liable to wrap; Easy to print upon; Straight grained; Free from defects | Horse chestnut (Aesculus spp) Walnut (Juglans regia) White bakain (Ailanthus spp) Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) |
For correction and improvements please use the comments section below.
Naeem Javid Muhammad Hassani is working as Conservator of Forests in Balochistan Forest & Wildlife Department (BFWD). He is the CEO of Tech Urdu (techurdu.net) Forestrypedia (forestrypedia.com), All Pak Notifications (allpaknotifications.com), Essayspedia, etc & their YouTube Channels). He is an Environmentalist, Blogger, YouTuber, Developer & Vlogger.