1. Wooden Sheeting
• Comes in thickness’ of 4mm, 6mm, 9mm,
12mm, 15mm, 18mm, 24mm
• Usually 8ft (2.44m) x 4ft (1.22m)

2. MDF – Medium Density Fiberboard
• Made from wood fibers bonded with
adhesives under heat and pressure
• Dense, Flat, No knot's
• Easy to cut and sand
• Cheaper
• Not very strong when cut in thin strips
• Very absorbent
• Will not hold nails well
• Always wear a dust mask when cutting

3. Hardboard
(High Density Fiberboard)
• Made from compressed fibers soaked in resin.
• One side smooth, one side textured.
• Not very strong
• Cheap
• Light

4. Plywood
• Made from alternating layers of thin sheets of
wood
• Strong
• Thinner sheets can be flexible
• Can splinter easily when cut
• Doesn’t give a good paint finish
• Expensive, especially marine ply which is
water resistant.

5. Chipboard
• Made from softwood chip and sawdust
• Has a textured finish so often coated with
melamine
• Fairly weak
• Cheap

6. Softwood
• Comes from evergreen trees such as pine, fir, and
redwood
• Used for furniture and doors
• Sawn treated – Rough and treated to prevent
rotting
• Sawn – Rough, used where you can’t see it.
• Planed – Smooth surface
• Cheap
• Easy to work with

7. Hardwood
• Oak, Beech and Mahogany
• Denser, stronger and more durable than
sofwood
• Used for furniture making
• Very hard wearing
• Harder to work with but gives a better finish
• Comes from slower growing trees making
them more expensive

8. Metals
• FERROUS METALS contain iron.
• Steel – Very strong, heavy, hard wearing
• Stainless Steel – Non Corrosive, strong
• Cast Iron – Brittle, hard, wear resistant, shock
resistant

9. Metals
• NON FERROUS do not contain iron.
• Copper – Soft, easy to shape, good electric
conductivity
• Aluminum – Light weight, not very strong
• Silver – Soft, white, conducts heat and
electricity, used photo film, mirrors
• Gold – Soft, shiny, bright yellow, non corrosive,
expensive

10. Man Made Fabric
• Nylon – Very strong, elastic, dries quickly,
holds its shape.
• Polyester – Easy to wash, dries quickly, doesn’t
wrinkle, stretch or shrink.

11. Natural Fabric
• Cotton – Soft, wrinkles easily, strong, holds
colour, good for printing.
• Wool – Hard wearing, lightweight, doesn’t
wrinkle easily.
• Silk – Comfortable, Cool in heat, Warm in cold,
strongest natural fiber, easily dyed.

12. Fabric
• Canvas – made with heavy yarns for industrial
and heavy duty purposes.
• Gauze – Thin fabric made from cotton, wool or
silk. Loose weave. Light weight.

13. Plastics
• Thermoplastics – softened by heat and can be
molded.
Examples: Acrylic, Polystyrene, Polythene and
PVC
• Thermosets – Formed by a heat process and
set. Can’t change shape.
Examples: Melamine, Bakelite, Polyester