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REVISION CARDS - TREES TO MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS
V. Ryan © 2014
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TREE FELLING The first stage of converting natural wood to a product, is felling trees. Examples of natural woods are: Pine, mahogany, oak and many more. TRANSPORT TO SAWMILL After a short time stored in the forest, to allow ‘free water’ to evaporate, the felled trees are transported to a sawmill, for initial processing.		BREAKING DOWN / ROUGH SAWING IN THE SAWMILL In the sawmill, the logs are rough sawn into boards, a process called conversion. SEASONING At this early stage, the boards contain too much water and they are allowed to dry out for several months, in seasoning sheds. A quicker way is to dry the wood in kilns .
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.		NATURAL WOOD PRODUCTS
QUESTIONS
1. Describe the main stages of ‘processing’ a tree into a product.                       5 marks
2. What is seasoning of natural wood and why is it necessary?                           2 marks
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